Chicken Tom Yum Soup Recipe

Easy Chicken Tom Yum Soup—spicy, sour, and bursting with Thai flavors! Ready in under 30 minutes for a quick, heart-warming meal!

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Tom Yum Soup Recipe

• LEARN FROM AN EXPERT THAI COOKING CLASS TEACHER: A Thai cooking class instructor (aka me, Sherri! :)) will be teaching you step-by-step all my top Thai cooking secrets in this recipe!
• EASY WEEKNIGHT CROWD-PLEASER DINNER: Quick, crowd-pleasing, tangy, and flavorful Thai soup?! Need I say more?
• USE UP THOSE LEFTOVERS: As long as you have Tom Yum paste or Tom Yum herbs, you can use any veggies or protein you have on hand that needs to be used up!

What is Chicken Tom Yum Soup? What chicken is best to use?

Chicken Tom Yum Soup is the ultimate Thai comfort food for many Thais and non-Thais!

It’s made with fresh Thai herbs like lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, fresh Thai chilies, and chicken. It’s a bold, flavor-packed soup that’ll wake up your taste buds in the best way!

We like to use chicken breast when we are trying to be extra healthy, but we love thighs too because they are so tender and flavorful.

It’s optional, but I like to marinate the chicken in a few tablespoons of oyster sauce for around 30 minutes to however long you have to help tenderize it.

Sherri’s Story

In Thailand, Tom Yum Soup is usually served with shrimp, and one of my favorite memories of Shrimp Tom Yum Soup is eating it at a Intara Farm in Phuket, Thailand.

We took a tour of the fish farm with our 4 kids, fed the fish and oohed and aaahed at the shrimp flipping around in the waters that looked so big they could be mistaken for lobsters.

Then for lunch we sat in a restaurant that was on the waters right next to where they farm the seafood. One of the dishes we had was Shrimp Tom Yum Soup, and in it was the massive, plump, flavorful shrimp we had just walked by, and the dish cost around $3!

Where we live in the mountains of North Carolina, shrimp is not as fresh, affordable or good quality like those we savored from the shores of Thailand. Really it seems like they are from different planets!

To make our meals more affordable for our family of 6 (and to avoid the painful nostalgia of missing amazing Thai shrimp!!!) I often use chicken thighs or chicken breast when I make Chicken Tom Yum Soup at home. It’s just as yummy, and heart warming with chicken as with shrimp!

And over the years, I’ve perfected my Chicken Tom Yum Soup recipe to be a mix of traditional Thai flavors with my own little hack to make it easy for a jam-packed weeknight like using Tom Yum Paste!

Ingredient Notes

Uh-oh! Don’t have some of these ingredients? Don’t worry! Check my Additions and Substitutions section below!

• Chicken Broth (1 quart): Acts as the neutral base for the soup’s intense flavors.
• Lemongrass (3–4 stalks): A flavor profile that’s a combo of citrus, mint, ginger, and floral notes
• Galangal (8 slices):  Adds spicy, peppery, citrusy, piney, and earthy flavors.
• Kaffir Lime Leaves (6 leaves): Intense, citrusy, and refreshing, with notes of lime, lemon, and a hint of floral notes.
• Fresh Thai Chilies (2–5): Adjust for your heat tolerance. They are small in size but mighty powerful in spiciness!
• Onion (1 small, thinly sliced): Adds a touch of sweetness to balance the soup’s bold flavors.
• Thai Roasted Chili Paste (3-4 tbsp, optional): Usually Chicken Tom Yum soup doesn’t have Thai Roasted Chili Paste since it has shrimp paste in it, and those who don’t like shrimp wouldn’t want it. But I even add it to my Chicken Tom Yum since I love the shrimpy, savory, smoky, and slightly sweet flavors. Do what you want!
• Tamarind Paste (1–2 tbsp): Provides sweet-tart, tangy, sour, and fruity flavor.
• Mushrooms, your favorite kind (2 cups): Oyster mushrooms are traditionally used in Tom Yum Soup. But you can use whatever mushroom you can find, as long as it’s not shiitake since that flavor would take away from the other flavors of the soup.
• Tomatoes (2–3 small): Brighten the soup with their natural sweetness.
• Chicken (1 lb of chicken thighs or breast, thinly sliced): We like to use chicken breast when we are trying to be extra healthy, but we love thighs too because they are so tender and flavorful!
• Fresh Lime Juice (from 2–3 limes): Essential for its sour, tart, acidic notes.
• Fish Sauce (2–3 tbsp): Adds umami richness.
• Brown Sugar (1 tbsp): Balances the spicy and sour elements.
• Cilantro (a handful): For garnish and added freshness.

Chicken Tom Yum Soup Additions and Substitutions

• Tamarind paste substitute: Leave it out or add extra lime juice.
• Chicken substitute: 4 servings of shrimp, or 16 oz. extra firm tofu, cut into 2 in. or so chunks 
• Kaffir lime leaves substitute: Substitute with ½ tsp lime zest per leaf.
• Fresh Thai chilies substitute: Fresh cayenne peppers or fresh serrano chiles.
• Fish sauce substitute: 1/2 tbsp soy sauce + 1/2 tbsp vinegar of choice (except balsamic) + a pinch of salt, or coconut aminos.
• Fresh lime juice substitute: bottled lime juice or True Lime.
• Roasted chili paste substitute: same amount of Gochujang.
• Lemongrass, Galangal, Thai chilies, and Kaffir lime leaf substitute: Replace all with 1/2 cup of homemade or store-bought Tom Yum paste, add more or less to taste.

How to Make Chicken Tom Yum Soup: Step by Step

PREP YOUR INGREDIENTS

Cut off the bottom tip of the 3-4 stalks of lemongrass, and throw out the loose outer layer. (Check out this post to learn more about lemongrass and how to cut it.)

Cut the stalks into 1-inch sections at a diagonal up to the greener end, so you can see the inner core.

Smash each piece lightly in your mortar and pestle or with the side of a Chef’s knife. This lets the fragrant smell seep into your kitchen (a smell that always reminds me of Fruit Loops!).

You don’t need to peel the galangal. Slice it into the width of a quarter until you have 8 pieces of galangal. 

Tear the the 6 kaffir lime leaves into large pieces to help release their citursy flavors.

Lightly smash the 2-5 fresh Thai chilies in a mortar and pestle or with the side of Chef’s knife to help release the juices so they can steep in the pot when you add them in.

INFUSE THE BROTH

Place lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, Thai chilies and chicken broth in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes until an amazing citrusy fragrance permeates your house!

BUILD THE FLAVORS

Add the 1 lb thinly sliced chicken, 1 small onion thinly sliced and 2 cups of your favorite mushrooms. Simmer around 15 minutes until chicken is cooked through, mushrooms are tender and cooked and the onion is softened.

ADD THE TOMATOES

Stir in the 2-3 small tomatoes cut into wedges. Turn off the heat. The residual heat will finish cooking the tomatoes.

SEASON TO TASTE

Stir in 3-4 tbsp. of roasted chili paste (if using), 1-2 tbsp. tamarind paste, lime juice from 2-3 limes, 2-3 tbsp. of fish sauce, and 1 tbsp. brown sugar.

Make sure the roasted chili paste and sugar has dissolved and then taste and adjust for the perfect balance of sour, spicy, and savory flavors.

SERVE AND ENJOY

Garnish each serving with a sprinkle of coarsely chopped fresh cilantro and serve with jasmine rice. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• For extra richness, add a splash of coconut milk or evaporated milk.
• To keep the soup fresh-tasting, add the lime juice at the end after turning off the heat.
• SOS meal tip: Need to make it on a busy weeknight? Make ahead my homemade Tom Yum paste or buy it, and replace the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, and Thai chilies with 1/2 cup or so of it.
• Warning! You don’t eat the Thai herbs like lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal! It’s just to flavor the soup: At first I didn’t like Tom Yum Soup because I didn’t enjoy chomping on woody lemongrass and tough galangal, but then Thai Hubby taught me Thais leave those in the soup for garnish, and you don’t eat those parts. Just scoot them out of the way to get to the broth, shrimp, tomatoes, onion and mushrooms.

Storage & Reheating

Fridge: According to the USDA, leftovers are still good after 3-4 days of being in the fridge.

Freezer: According to the USDA, leftovers are still good after 3-4 months of being frozen. Once it is completely cooled, transfer it to freezer safe containers.

Reheat: To defrost it, place it in the fridge overnight and use within one day of thawing. Warm in a large pot, or heat small portions in the microwave. Add fresh lime juice after reheating for the best flavor.

Your Chicken Tom Yum Questions Answered

What’s the difference between Chicken Tom Yum Soup and Shrimp Tom Yum Soup?

Usually Chicken Tom Yum soup doesn’t have Thai Roasted Chili Paste since it has shrimp paste in it, and those who don’t like shrimp wouldn’t want it. But I add it to my Chicken Tom Yum since I love the shrimpy, savory, smoky, and slightly sweet flavors. Do what you want!

Is Chicken Tom Yum soup usually served with rice?

Yes! Traditionally, Tom Yum Soup is served with jasmine rice to balance out its strong flavors.

Where is Tom Yum Paste from?

Tom Yum Paste is a paste made with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, dried chilies, and galangal. So instead of cutting up all the herbs, it’s a great weeknight hack for making a quicker version of Tom Yum Soup, and also a great way to infuse Tom Yum flavors into dishes like Tom Yum Fried Rice, or Tom Yum Pasta.

Is Chicken Tom Yum Soup healthy? Is Tom Yum Soup good for your stomach?

Yes! It’s packed with ingredients like lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and galangal that are known to aid digestion, help fight off colds, and soothe the stomach.

Is Tom Yum Paste spicy?

Yes! Tom Yum Paste is naturally spicy, but you can control the heat level by adjusting the number of fresh Thai chilies used.

Other Tom Yum Recipes You’ll Love

• Tom Yum Paste Recipe
• Tom Yum Fried Rice
• Tom Yum Pasta Recipe
• Tom Yum Soup Noodles Recipe

If you make it, I want to see!

Take a pic and tag us on Instagram @thaifoodie!

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