What is Thai Coconut Chicken Soup?
I am super excited to share this Instant Pot creamy Thai coconut chicken soup, which is a Thai-flavored chicken soup made with coconut milk and chicken broth, infused with Thai herbs plus fresh lime juice.
This creamy Thai coconut chicken soup takes only 15 minutes to make and the end result is absolutely scrumptious. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can use a slow cooker or make this soup on a stove top.
Instant Pot Soup
I am sure many of you bought an Instant Pot on black Friday sales. I got mine a few weeks ago and this is my second Instant Pot recipe and I absolutely love the pressure cooker.
Many of my readers have been asking me to convert my popular Asian recipes to Instant pot recipes so here it is an Instant Pot soup recipe you have been looking for.
Ingredients for Coconut Chicken Soup
Here are the key ingredients used in this mouthwatering soup.
- Red curry paste
- Chicken broth
- Coconut milk
- Galangal
- Kaffir Lime Leaves
- Coconut milk
- Fish sauce
- Lime juice
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What Dishes to Serve with this Recipe?
This meal is best served with steamed rice. For a wholesome Thai meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
Menu and Meal Ideas
Thai Shrimp Cake
Pineapple Fried Rice
Green Beans with Peanut Sauce
Other Recipes You Might Like
- Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)
- Thai Shrimp Noodle Soup
- Thai Coconut Chicken and Shrimp Soup
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Creamy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup Recipe
Creamy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup - easiest and fastest Thai coconut chicken recipe ever! Takes only 15 mins and dinner is ready!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 small onion, quartered
- 2 lbs skinless and boneless chicken breast or chicken thighs, cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste, Mae Ploy brand
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into thick strips
- 6 slices galangal, optional
- 6 kaffir lime leaves, torn and bruised, optional
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce or salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
- Cilantro leaves
Instructions
-
Turn on the Saute mode on your Instant Pot. Add the onion and saute for 10 seconds before adding the chicken. Saute the chicken until the surface turns white. Add the Thai curry paste, bell peppers, galangal and kaffir lime leaves (if using), stir to mix well. Add the chicken broth, fish sauce and sugar. Cover the pot and select High pressure for 6 minutes.
-
When it beeps, turn to Quick Release. When the valve drops, remove the lid carefully, add the coconut milk and lime juice to the soup, stir to mix well. Top with cilantro and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
If you can't find galangal and kaffir lime leaves (they are hard to find unless you go to a good Asian store), you can use lemongrass and skip the two ingredients. Lemongrass is not a substitute for both galangal and kaffir lime leaves but it will infuse the soup with its unique fragrance and aroma. If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can add all ingredients in the slow cooker (except coconut milk, lime juice and cilantro) and slow cook for 4-6 hours. Add the coconut milk, lime juice and cilantro when it's done cooking. You may also cook the soup on a stove. The steps are the same, except that you use a regular soup pot to cook. You may want to slowly simmer the chicken soup for about 15-20 minutes before you add the coconut milk, lime juice and cilantro.
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Oswald
May I substitute chicken with fish?
Rasa Malaysia
You can but not ideal. You can use shrimp, but fish is not a very good option.
Cindy
What can be used as a substitute for kaffir lime leaves. I am unable to find in our Asian Markets here.
Rasa Malaysia
They are optional. There is no substitute.
Karyn Lowe
I buy kafir leaves on Amazon. when they come, I freeze them. They add A LOT to the flavor.
Deborah
You can get kaffir lime leaves on Amazon.
Rasa Malaysia
Wow, that’s good to know. I love it. :)
Angelle Gooding
They call these leaves, Lime Leaves at my local Asian market.
TN
Will this work with cubed pork loin?
Rasa Malaysia
I think you can use it…but this is meant as a chicken soup.
Amy
What about adding lime zest into the soup in place of the leaves? I’ve seen that substitute in Panang curry recipes.
Rasa Malaysia
There is no substitute for the leaves, lime zest is certainly not it. Just skip it completely. :)
Heather
This recipe was amazing! I don’t have an Instant Pot, so I made it in the slow cooker. With the exception of the kaffir lime leaves, which I could not find, I followed the recipe as written. So happy to have found your blog!
Mindy
How long did you cook it in your crockpot?
SW
Hi, where did you get your instant pot?
Rasa Malaysia
Amazon
elaine c
How would you adjust the times for frozen chicken breasts? (For instant pot instructions)
Dani Ellerton
I live in South Dakota, and can’t source many fresh ingredients. Would I be able to substitute ginger for the galangal, and can I use dried kaffir lime leaves? I would love to make this for my IP!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Dani – I used to live in South Dakota for two years. If you can’t find galangal, there is no need to use it. Same with kaffir lime leaves. But if you can lemongrass, use a couple of them. :)
Z
Hi–
Is the sugar required?
Thanks!
Rasa Malaysia
You can skip it but Thai food uses sugar in almost everything.
Rebecca Stahl
Can you add noodles to This? What kind do you suggest?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, you can use ramen or whatever, but after the soup is cooked.
Margaret
Would you cook the noodles first or in the instant pot? I’m new to the instant pot.
Rasa Malaysia
You can cook the noodles separately. Don’t cook the noodles in Instant Pot.
Vivian
looks yummy! :)
Ashley
I made this soup for dinner and it gets 5 stars in our household! Only thing I couldn’t find were the lime leaves. I put lemongrass in for additional flavor too. thank you for a great recipe! I will definitely be making this again.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Ashley, yes, this is an amazing soup. Yes, you can use lemongrass if you can’t find the lime leaves. :)
Berry
Rasa Malaysia..Am a.Malaysian..Katie lime leave is grown in almost every home..the smell of the leave is.incredible…
Rasa Malaysia
That’s awesome!
Elizabeth
This was really good, simple to make and not too many ingredients (always a plus!) It also led me to discover a little Thai supermarket in my neighborhood that I never thought to stop in, and I was able to find the lime leaves and galangal there! It was a tad bit spicy for me, is there anything I can do on that end?
Thanks for the recipe!
Sandy
I told my husband to add some coconut milk to his bowl of soup. Then it was less spicy for him and he loved it, and my son and I could still have it more spicy.
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome, I am so glad you tried my Creamy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup!
Elizabeth
Also, is there a section on your website with only Instant Pot recipes? I couldn’t find in the search function. Thanks!
Rasa Malaysia
I only have two instant pot recipes, this and this: https://rasamalaysia.com/hawaiian-kalua-pork/
Amy
Just curious…have you all been using the full 2 pounds of chicken called for in the recipe? That’s 1/2 pound of chicken per person! Also, I have dried kaffir lime leaves. Should I use them and how?
Rasa Malaysia
You can eat for two meals! You can use the dry kaffir lime leaves but they won’t impart much aromas.
Sheryl
Ten minutes is way too many minutes for the peppers. They were completely overcooked and the skins were just falling off.
Rasa Malaysia
Did you cut them too small? Look at my pictures. They are how they turn out for me. You can cook for 5 minutes if you like.
Thai Junky
I almost always add peppers after the pressure and cook on Saute for about 4-6 minutes because i like mine a little crisp.
Lisa
What about lemongrass paste if I couldn’t get lemongrass of kaffir? And if so, how much?
Ishy
What if I just want to make this as a curry instead of soup dish… do I reduce the liquid?
panzerjedi
Yes, you can!
LeeAnn Smebak
i was terribly disappointed in this recipe. It had absolutely no taste to it. I followed the directions flawlessly. It was watery and tasteless. NOTHING like the coconut soup I love.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi LeAnn, this shouldn’t be overly watery, also it shouldn’t be tasteless.
Dean Morris
My first creation in my new Instant Pot. It was a flavor explosion! My family really liked it. Thank you!!
AK
Great recipe. I put in my boneless chicken thighs in whole and shredded them afterwards (yay, no cutting board & knife to wash). Next time I’ll try adding mushrooms that are normally in tom kha gai. Would love to see more recipes for Instant Pot in the future. Thanks!
Dani Smith
Very good!
Miriam
This is delicious. Tastes the same as what you would get in a Thai restaurant! Very flavourful and extremely easy to make. Love it! I’m extremely picky with recipes and this is getting printed out and added to my recipe book.
I: Used homemade chicken stock which adds greatly to the flavour (store bought chicken stock is gross and watery in my opinion )
2: did not have lime leaves
3. substituted sliced ginger for galangal
4. used 2 really heaped tablespoons of the red curry paste :)
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Miriam, yes, my recipes are all restaurant quality and very easy to make. I am so glad you tried and like my Thai coconut chicken soup. :)
Carol
Excellent! How many calories per serving?
Would add some more spice next time to make it a bit hotter.
Rasa Malaysia
Yes you can.
JS
Well, I got an Instant Pot for Christmas from my wife, and this was the first recipe I tried in it. I can’t get galangal, lime leaves, or lemongrass here in the sticks where I live without a 2 hour round trip to the Asian market, so I used slice ginger (my wife loves ginger) and lemongrass paste that I could find at the local supermarket. Turned out very well, my wife loves soups like this. We had the leftovers the next day, which were even more tasty as the flavors had developed more. A wonderful introduction to the Instant Pot. For my 2nd recipe in the pot I made traditional Southern chicken and dumplings, used it to pressure cook the chicken and make the base broth. A very useful little kitchen item, so far it seems like a good purchase!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi JS, that’s great to hear. Yes this Thai coconut chicken soup is an amazing recipe. It tastes so good!
Angela
I used lemongrass. This soup is amazing! Super quick to make too!
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, so good! Lemongrass alone is great. This creamy Thai coconut chicken soup is really amazing.
Dawn
The soup was delicious! Can it be made with Tofu? If so, when would I add it in the cooking process?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes you can use tofu. Just add it during the same time as chicken.
Jamie Garcia
Do you use coconut milk from the can or from a carton?
Rasa Malaysia
Can or carton is both fine.
Dustin Radney
I just cooked this recipe verbatim and the veggies were basically mush. The flavor was good and the chicken was great but I had to throw all the veggies out as they were just horrible. I feel like 10 mins at high pressure for the peppers and onions is way too long.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Dustin, that was strange. I cooked exactly the same and if you see my pictures, the veggies were fine. Did you cut your vegetables the same way I did?
Dustin Radney
did…I cut the onions into quarters and the peppers into strips. If I were to make this again I would probably cook the veggies separately and add them after the chicken has cooked.
Rasa Malaysia
I see. So sorry for the mishap that’s a good idea. :)
Kathi
This was good, but we were expecting it to be creamy, as the name of the recipe indicates, it was a regular broth. My red peppers were mush as well. I wish I would have added them AFTER the pressure cooking portion was finished. And, the chicken took on the fish taste from the fish sauce, I would add 1.5 tablespoons rather than 2.5. I would have preferred the chicken to taste like chicken and the sauce having a hint of the fish taste. Don’t get me wrong, we like fish sauce, but would prefer it not mingle too much with the chicken. If we made this again, I would make those adjustments.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Kathi, what brand of fish sauce did you use?
Eee
Instead of Red curry paste, can I use green curry paste?
If I were to add the red peppers after when mixing in the coconut and lime juice, will that be ok? Or the peppers will be undercooked?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes you can add later, just turn on the saute function to cook the red peppers.
Arenasukan
Very nice recipe.. Tq share information
IrateNai
This was fantastic. Followed the recipe with chicken breasts including the galangal and kaffir lime leaves with homemade stock. I don’t think it would be the same without the galangal (or ginger) and kaffir leaves. My neighbor has a kaffir lime tree with some branches that poke into our yard; essentially unlimited supply :-D
Owen
I live alone and would lie to make your chicken soup and freeze the left-over. Will it freeze successfully?
Ali Cleves
I love the new page design! Can’t wait to try the pumpkin fritters and the Thai Coconut Chicken Soup. Yum!!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Ali, thanks for your support. I am so glad you like the new design. :)
Sunny
this was insanely good! Tastes just like the soup we used to get at the Thai restaurant we used to go to in Chicago. Thank you so much! I was able to find the ingredients at the Thai grocery store in town. Cut the curry paste down by half for my toddle and husband who doesn’t like spice.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Sunny, so happy that you love my creamy Thai coconut chicken soup, yes you don’t have to go to Thai restaurants anymore! Try more recipes on my site they all taste like restaurants. :)
Britt
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I definitely recommend for anyone interested. I am fortunate to have an Asian market with all of the ingredients so the kefir leaves and galangal was great. I am wondering if you would recommend freezing this. We are meal prepping and would love to have some on hand. Thanks!
Rasa Malaysia
Sure Britt, you can freeze this creamy Thai coconut chicken soup!
Amy
This recipe is delicious… I added bamboo shoots and some red pepper flakes. I do have a question. My daughter has a coconut allergy. Is there anything to sub for the coconut milk? Almond milk maybe? I know anything else will change the flavor some but she really wants to try this. Thank you in advance for your reply.
Rasa Malaysia
You can try milk. I am so happy you love this recipe!
caroline
Thanks for sharing this amazing Thai soup recipe. I always prefer to cook this on my weekends. Thai Chicken Coconut Soup is a rich, aromatic and delicious soup dish with medium spiciness. Its combination of exotic vegetables, roots and spices with a rich and creamy coconut-infused broth makes for an amazingly delicious meal with exquisite aroma and taste. I have learnt many Thai dishes at “My Thai cooking “. They offer entertaining & engaging Thai cuisine and cooking classes in Bangkok. I recommend this on my own experience.
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome so glad that you tried this coconut chicken soup recipe and liked it.
Maya Brennan
Made this last night. It came out amazing! I was fortunate to have all the ingredients on hand! Thank you for this very simple but delicious recipe. I sliced the peppers thin and cooked them for a few minutes after the pressure was released with the IP on saute before adding the coconut and lime juice.
I will make this again for sure!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Maya, thanks so much for trying this creamy Thai coconut chicken soup. It’s very yummy!
Liz
Hi
Just made this recipe tonight with shrimps and added some carrots since I didn’t have some of the other ingredients on hand
It was so filling and a hit; can’t wait to make it again. Thanks for thi
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks for trying my Thai coconut chicken soup recipe! :)
Erica
This soup looks dreamy!!! I love soups that have a Thai flair. Thanks for sharing, love your recipes!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks for your support.