Thai Dishes are a popular international cuisine that is enjoyed all over the world. There are many varieties of Thai foods to try, but the most popular ones include curries, soups, and noodle cuisines.
Thai Dishes can be spicy or not, depending on your preference. Some of the best Thai Dishes include Pad Thai, Tom Yum Goong (prawn soup), and Massaman Curry.
20+ Delicious Thai Dishes You’ve Never Tried
Thailand is well known around the world for its delectable cuisine. Eat your way through our list of the top meals this culinary nation has to offer to get a taste of the flavors of the Land of Smiles. You’ll be coming back for more, so beware.
To get started, let’s get to know more about the best 20+ Thai foods you should try today!
1. Guay Teow: A Noodle Soup, Well-Knonw Traditional Thai Cuisine
The traditional Thai noodle soup, guay teow, is a popular dish that can be enjoyed for both breakfast or dinner.
Guay teow is a light and refreshing soup that is filled with succulent noodles, chicken, shrimp, and vegetables.
The soup can be seasoned with fish sauce or chili paste to give it a little spice. Some people even enjoy adding eggs to their guay teow for extra richness and flavor.
2. Tom Yum Goong: A Spicy Shrimp Soup Known as One of the Most Delicious Thai Foods
Tom Yum Goong is a Thai dish that originates from the province of Nakhon Ratchasima. It is a spicy and sour soup made with chicken, shrimp, and vegetables.
The dish is typically served with steamed rice and a side of pickled onions. Tom Yum Goong is often referred to as the national dish of Thailand.
This well-known bowl of steaming delight is flavorful, fragrant, and has a moderately potent spicy bite. T
raditional Thai ingredients including lemongrass, chillies, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, shallots, fresh lime juice, and a lot of fish sauce are used to make tom yum goong. If you like the creamy version, fresh prawns, mushrooms, and coconut cream are also added.
3. Tom Kha Gai
Tom Kha Gai is one of the most popular and well-known Thai dishes. It is a chicken coconut soup made with chicken, galangal, lime juice, kaffir lime leaves, fresh ginger, and of course coconut. The soup is usually served with rice noodles or vermicelli in a bowl.
Tom kha gai, which is similar to tom yum, allows those who have a weaker tolerance for spicy to experience the same lovely flavors.
In addition to the level of heat, Tom kha gai is distinctive in that it often includes a large amount of creamy coconut milk, which results in a rich, sweet soup. Vegetarian choices may be simply adapted by changing a few ingredients, just like most Thai cuisine.
4. Som Tam
Som Tam is one of the most popular Thai dishes. It is a mix of sour and sweet flavors that are perfect for those who love a gastronomical challenge.
The dish can be made with chicken, shrimp, or squid, and it’s always served with rice and a side dish.
One of the most well-known foods in Thailand is som tam, which originates from Isaan in Northeastern Thailand.
The traditional som tam is made with shredded green papaya, tomatoes, carrots, peanuts, dried shrimp, runner beans, palm sugar, tamarind pulp, fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, and a lot of chillies.
Som tam comes in a number of forms. A mortar and pestle is used to combine the ingredients, amplifying the flavors and creating a meal that is incredibly mouthwatering.
5. Yam Pla Dook Foo
Yam Pla Dook Foo, or fork-tender beef in a spicy green curry sauce, is perhaps the most ubiquitous dish on Thai menus.
It’s an easy and popular dish to order at any Thai restaurant, and it can be made with a variety of meats or seafood. The dish is served over rice and typically contains lime wedges and fresh cilantro leaves as garnish.
6. Yam Talay
Yam Talay is a unique dish found only in Thailand. The dish is made from yams, coconut milk, and shrimp.
It is often considered to be one of the most delicious dishes in Thailand. Yam Talay can be eaten as an appetizer or main course.
In addition to being tasty, this seafood salad is a healthy supper option. Any mix of squid, shrimp, mussels, scallops, or crabmeat may be included in this salad, depending on where you are. For good measure, tomatoes, onions, and rice glass noodles are included with the seafood mixture.
7. Laab
The northeastern province of Isan is where laab, a salad of the northeastern cuisine, with pork or mushroom and mint, originated.
The Laab dish is popular in Thailand and can be found at many restaurants. The Laab is often served with sticky rice, chicken, shrimp or pork. The dish is made from fresh ingredients and has a unique flavor that is hard to find elsewhere.
8. Pad Phuk Tong
Pad Phuk Tong is a small, but highly popular Thai town located in the Chiang Mai province. The town is known for its delicious traditional dishes, as well as its beautiful landscape and rich history.
Pad Phuk Tong is a great place to visit if you’re looking for some delicious Thai food!
9. Pad Thai
Pad Thai is a classic Thai dish that can be made with chicken or shrimp. It is typically served with rice noodles and a variety of toppings such as peanuts, mint, and chili peppers.
Pad Thai is easy to make and can be served as a quick meal or as part of a full meal.
10. Pad See Eiw
Pad See Eiw (PAD SEE YEW) is a popular Thai cuisine that consists of flat rice noodles served with shredded chicken, shrimp, and egg.
The food is often spicy and has a sour taste because of the use of tamarind paste and fish sauce. Pad See Eiw is also called “Thai Fried Rice” in some parts of the world.
11. Pak Boong
Morning glory, or Pak Boong, is well known Thailand food for being very healthy. This spinach-like vegetable is frequently fried and spiced with soy sauce, garlic, chilies, and other ingredients.
Morning glory’s combination of flavors—salty, spicy, sour, and crunchy—satisfies the palates of all people. Although oyster sauce is frequently used in this recipe, a vegetarian version may also be created with ease.
12. Khao Pad
Khao pad is one of the most popular Thai cuisine dishes. It typically consists of rice noodles, chicken or pork, shrimp, and eggs cooked in a spicy sauce.
Some people also add bean sprouts, green onions, and lime juice to the dish. Khao pad is often served with side dishes such as boiled eggs or sticky rice.
Khao pad is a favorite dish in Thailand and is sometimes compared to England’s obsession with sandwiches.
Khao pad is only “fried rice,” which is all that it is, along with an egg and an onion. Cucumber garnish slices are typically included with the meal, and the customer’s preferred amount of sauces are normally poured on top.
13. Pad Krapow
Pad Krapow is a popular Thai food item that consists of rice noodles, egg, and chili sauce. The dish is usually eaten as part of a larger meal and can be ordered as a side dish or entrée. Pad Krapow is typically not spicy, but can be made spicier by adding more chili sauce.
14. Panang (Thai Curry)
This rich and fragrant curry is a staple of Thai cuisine and can be found on almost every menu in Thailand.
Made with a variety of spices and vegetables, panang curry is hearty and filling. The flavors are complex and the spices are both sweet and spicy.
Panang curry is made with chicken or beef, but any vegetable can be used as a substitute.
The base of the curry is a spice paste made from garlic, ginger, cardamom, coriander, cumin, and chili peppers. This paste is mixed with coconut milk or water to create a sauce that coats the meat or vegetables.
Once the sauce is ready, the ingredients are added to it and simmered for about 30 minutes until the flavors have melded together.
15. Gaeng Keow Wan
Gaeng Keow Wan (Green Curry) is a popular dish in Thailand and one of the country’s most popular dishes. Green curry is made with a variety of different spices and herbs that give it a unique flavor.
The dish can be spicy or mild, depending on how much chili paste, lime juice, and other spices are used. Gaeng Keow Wan can also be served with rice, naan bread, or chapati bread as an appetizer or main course.
16. Khao Soi (Creamy Coconut Curry Noodle Soup)
Khao Soi, or creamy coconut curry noodle soup, is a popular dish in Thailand. It is made with chicken or beef stock, rice noodles, green onions, Thai basil leaves and fresh lime juice. The soup is served with steamed rice and garnished with roasted peanuts.
A coconut curry noodle soup with Burmese influences, Khao soi is arguably the most famous cuisine from the north of Thailand.
This delectable meal, which comes in chicken, beef, pig, or vegetarian varieties, features a thick coconut curry base, boiled egg noodles, pickled mustard greens, shallots, lime, and ground chilies that have been cooked in oil as garnish.
In northern Thailand, khao soi should be on every traveler’s “must eat” list, with Chiang Mai being the khao soi hotspot.
17. Gai Tod
Gai Tod is a traditional dish from the Thai cuisine. It is made of chicken that is deep-fried and then served with a dipping sauce. The dish is popular in Thailand and can be found in many restaurants around the country.
Although it may not be a cuisine that is exclusively Thai, fried chicken is quite well-liked in Thailand.
In order to make gai tod, chicken wings or drumsticks are often marinated in a mixture of spices and rice flour before being fried as a whole.
The chicken is frequently served with a fiery dipping sauce like “nam jim” to give it a bit additional flavor. Gai tod tastes best when paired with sticky rice and is the ideal portable snack.
18. Pad Phak (Fried Vegetables)
Pad Phak or Fried Vegetables is a popular dish in Thai cuisine. It can be made with a variety of vegetables, and is usually served as an appetizer or side dish. Pad Phak is often fried in a hot oil or batter, and served with a dipping sauce.
Both carnivores and vegetarians will feel satisfied after eating this traditional Thai dish. Stir-fried veggies are no exception to the general rule that most Thai recipes aim to blend as many flavors as possible to create the most notable dishes.
Given that these fried vegetables are seasoned with a perfectly balanced mixture of sugar, salt, and spices, it is important to not underestimate their flavor.
19. Kai Med Ma Muang (Chicken with Cashew Nuts)
Kai Med Ma Muang is a dish often found on Thai restaurant menus. The dish is made of chicken breasts cooked with cashew nuts and rice.
The dish is served with a chili sauce for dipping. Kai Med Ma Muang is a popular dish because it’s both flavorful and easy to prepare.
20. Kai Jeow (Thai Omelette)
Both residents and visitors to Thailand like Kai med ma muang. Chicken is stir-fried with cashew nuts, soy sauce, honey, onions, chillies, peppers, mushrooms, and pretty much any other veggies the cook has on hand in this sweet and flavorful recipe. Simple yet delicious.
One of the simplest Thai recipes, kai jeow, is a fantastic protein-rich fast supper or side dish. Typically, rice and sweet chilli sauce are served with kai jeow.
If you would like some veggies added to your Thai omelette, ask for “kai jeow pak.” Kai jeow may be a terrific way to start the day if you’re new to Thailand and haven’t adopted “jok” (Thai rice soup) for breakfast.
21. Kao Niew Ma Muang (Mango and Sticky Rice)
Kao Niew Ma Muang, also known as mango sticky rice, is a popular dish throughout Thailand. It is made from steamed glutinous rice mixed with diced mango and sweetened bamboo shoots. The dish is served with a sweet and sour sauce.
In the mood for dessert? Don’t look past the perennial crowd-pleaser of mango and sticky rice. Sticky rice, juicy mango slices, and copious amounts of sweet condensed milk are the basic yet delectable ingredients for Kao niew ma muang.
