Thai Chicken Noodle Soup – Street Food Style

By Sho @ Hungry for Thai on May 28th 2025

If you’re craving something cozy, comforting, and absolutely packed with flavor, you’re going to fall in love with this Thai Chicken Noodle Soup – Street Food Style.

Known locally as ก๋วยเตี๋ยวไก่ตุ๋น (Kuay Tiew Gai Toon), it’s a warm bowl of rice noodles swimming in fragrant, rich broth and tender braised chicken.

It’s a beloved dish you’d find simmering away at street stalls across Thailand—and now you can make it at home!

You can switch up the type of noodles, choose from different broths, and add whatever protein you like.

This recipe features tender braised chicken in a fragrant, flavorful broth.

It uses quite a few ingredients, but the method is super easy—just put everything into a pot and simmer for one hour.

That’s it! This dish fills your home with an amazing aroma while it cooks, and the broth has a rich, well-balanced flavor.

What You'll Need

For the Broth:

• Chicken Thighs, Wings or Drumsticks – Provide rich, meaty flavor and tenderness to the soup.
• Water – Forms the base of the broth and absorbs all the delicious spices.
• Sliced Galangal – Adds a fresh, peppery, citrusy aroma unique to Thai cuisine.
• Coriander Root – Brings earthy depth and a subtle herbal note to the broth.
• Garlic – Enhances the overall savory flavor and gives the broth a warming character.
• Star Anises – Give the broth a gentle licorice-like aroma and sweet undertone.
• Cinnamon Sticks – Add warm spice and a slightly sweet, woody flavor.
• Black Peppercorns – Provide subtle heat and enhance the complexity of the broth.
• Rock Sugar – Balances the salty and savory elements with a gentle sweetness.
• Soy Sauce – Contributes saltiness and umami to round out the flavor.
• Black Sweet Soy Sauce – Adds a deep color and caramel-like sweetness.
• Chicken Seasoning Powder – Intensifies the savory depth of the broth.
• White Radish – Naturally sweetens and softens into the broth for added body.

For the Noodles and Toppings:

• Dried Rice Noodles – Soak up the flavorful broth and give the dish a satisfying texture.
• Bean Sprouts or Leafy Greens – Add crunch, freshness, and balance to the rich soup.
• Crispy Fried Garlic – Brings a savory, nutty aroma and crunch to the final bowl.
• Ground White Pepper – Offers a subtle, sharp heat to finish the dish.
• Chopped Coriander – Brightens up the soup with a fresh, herbal garnish.

Why You’ll Love This Thai Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe 🩷

• Authentic street food flavor at home – No need to book a flight to Bangkok!
• Deeply aromatic broth – Full of warm spices like cinnamon, star anise, and galangal.
• Customizable – Swap out chicken for tofu or use egg noodles instead of rice noodles.
• Comfort in a bowl – It’s soul-soothing, nourishing, and perfect for cooler days (or any time you want a hug in soup form!).

How to Cook Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

1. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add all the herbs and spices. Season with rock sugar, black sweet soy sauce, and soy sauces.
2. Once boiling, add the chicken. Lower the heat, add the radish, and simmer gently for about 1 hour until the chicken is tender.
3. In this step, you can taste and adjust the flavors to your liking. Remove the chicken and radish. Strain out the herbs and spices. Return the clear broth, chicken, and radish to the pot. Keep warm.
4. In a separate pot, boil water. Blanch the noodles and veggies until just cooked. Drain.
5. Add noodles and veggies to bowls. Pour the hot soup over, including chicken and radish. Top with crispy garlic, pepper, and chopped coriander. Serve with chili flakes, fish sauce, or vinegar if you like.

What to Serve With

Looking for the perfect sides to round out your meal? Here are some tasty ideas:

🥗 Starter: Fresh Summer Rolls with herbs for a crunchy, refreshing start.

🥩 Main Course: This Thai Chicken Noodle Soup is satisfying on its own, but you could pair it with some grilled chicken satay skewers for extra protein!

🍛 Side Dish: Add a plate of Thai papaya salad (Som Tum) or sticky rice to turn this into a real Thai street food feast.

🍰 Dessert: Cool things off with Thai Coconut Balls (Khanom Tom) or a small serving of Mango Sticky Rice.

Thai folks love customizing their noodle soups, and you can too!

Choose any type of noodles you like—glass noodles, wide rice noodles, egg noodles, rice noodles, or rice vermicelli.

You can also add your favorite meatballs to these noodles.

Or skip the noodles entirely and just enjoy the flavorful broth with braised chicken.

When you do that, it’s called “Kao Lao” in Thai, which is often served with a side of steamed rice.

Don’t forget to season it just the way you like—just like you’d do with street-style noodle soup!