Tom Yum Chicken (Printable View)

Tender chicken in aromatic broth with lemongrass, galangal, and lime. A warming Thai classic ready in 40 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 14 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, thinly sliced

→ Broth

02 - 5 cups chicken stock
03 - 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and smashed
04 - 4 slices fresh galangal (about 0.5 oz), or 2 tsp dried galangal
05 - 5 makrut lime leaves, torn into pieces
06 - 4 birds eye chilies, lightly crushed

→ Vegetables and Aromatics

07 - 5.3 oz mushrooms (oyster or button), sliced
08 - 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
09 - 1 small onion, sliced
10 - 3 cloves garlic, smashed

→ Seasonings

11 - 3 tbsp fish sauce
12 - 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice, plus more to taste
13 - 1 tsp sugar
14 - 0.5 tsp salt, or to taste

→ Garnish

15 - 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
16 - 1-2 spring onions, thinly sliced
17 - Extra lime wedges

# How To Make It:

01 - Bruise the lemongrass, galangal, and makrut lime leaves with the back of a knife to release their essential oils and aromas.
02 - In a large pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaves, birds eye chilies, and garlic. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes to infuse the broth with aromatic flavors.
03 - Add the sliced chicken and onion to the broth. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
04 - Add mushrooms and tomato wedges. Cook for another 5-7 minutes until the vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through.
05 - Stir in fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and salt. Taste and adjust lime, salt, or fish sauce as desired to achieve the perfect balance of sour, salty, and spicy flavors.
06 - Remove from heat. Discard lemongrass, galangal, and makrut lime leaves if preferred.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with cilantro, spring onions, and extra lime wedges.

# Best Practices:

01 -
  • The heat builds slowly and keeps surprising you, a gentle burn that feels almost welcoming by the second spoonful.
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, which means you can serve something this complex on a Tuesday night without losing your mind.
  • The broth tastes like you've been simmering it for hours even though you haven't.
02 -
  • Don't skip the bruising step; it's the difference between a soup that tastes good and one that tastes like you've been simmering it all day.
  • Fish sauce is pungent straight from the bottle, but once it hits hot broth it becomes savory and essential, so trust the process even though it smells funky at first.
  • Taste constantly in the last few minutes because the balance of sour, salty, and spicy is deeply personal and what tastes perfect to one person might need tweaking for another.
03 -
  • If makrut lime leaves aren't available, a combination of lime zest and a bay leaf gets you most of the way there, though it's not quite the same magic.
  • Crushing the chilies instead of slicing releases their heat gradually throughout cooking rather than hitting you all at once, giving you more control over the final temperature of the soup.
Go Back