Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup with Noodles
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My slow cooker Thai chicken soup starts with bone-in chicken thighs, which turn the stock into a rich, silky broth as they simmer with red curry paste, fresh ginger, and fish sauce. Creamy coconut milk and bright lime juice go in at the end, and I ladle it all over rice vermicelli noodles.
My Thai chicken soup makes its own bone broth while it cooks. I use bone-in, skinless chicken thighs, and as they simmer, the bones release flavor and gelatin into the stock. The broth comes out richer than what you poured in, with a silky body you can feel on the spoon. It’s the same trick I use in my chicken tortilla soup, and it works just as well here.
Everything else goes in with them: the vegetables, red curry paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, palm sugar, and stock. The thighs stay submerged the whole time, so they poach gently and pull cleanly off the bone when they’re done.
The coconut milk waits. In my testing, it separated and turned grainy when it cooked for hours, so I stir it in with the lime juice once the chicken is shredded. Ladle the soup over rice vermicelli and dinner is ready.
Is this an authentic Thai chicken soup recipe?
No, and I’d rather tell you that up front. If you’ve eaten your way through Thailand, you know there are dozens of chicken soups there, and the great ones are usually built on galangal, lemongrass, and makrut lime leaves, ingredients I can’t reliably get in my grocery store.
So this is a Thai-inspired soup rather than a traditional one. It’s built on the flavors I fell for while traveling: coconut milk, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, palm sugar, and red curry paste. Those six things do a lot of heavy lifting, and the result tastes rich, savory, and bright in a way that stands on its own.
If you’re after the real thing, look for tom kha gai, a gorgeous soup worth seeking out.
Flavor Tip: You may already know that not all curry pastes are created equal. I really like Mae Ploy curry paste. When in doubt, check where the curry paste is made and choose one made in Thailand; it’s the safest bet.
Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup with Noodles
Ingredients
- 2 medium carrots (chopped)
- 1 medium red bell pepper (chopped)
- ½ medium yellow onion (chopped)
- 2 inch piece of ginger (minced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar (or brown sugar)
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 ½ lb bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (about 5 thighs)
- 1 15-ounce can coconut milk
- 1 lime (juiced)
- 8 ounces rice vermicelli (cooked according to package directions )
- Optional toppings: lime wedges, sauteed mushrooms, cilantro, cherry tomatoes, black pepper
Instructions
- Add all ingredients EXCEPT the coconut milk, lime, and rice vermicelli to your slow cooker and stir. Cover and cook on high heat for 2-3 hours or on low heat for 5-6 hours.2 medium carrots, 1 medium red bell pepper, ½ medium yellow onion, 2 inch piece of ginger, 4 cloves garlic, 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon palm sugar, 4 cups chicken stock, 1 ½ lb bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
- Remove the chicken thighs, discard the bones, and shred the meat using two forks. Return the chicken meat to the slow cooker, add the coconut milk and lime juice, and stir.1 15-ounce can coconut milk, 1 lime
- Place the cooked rice vermicelli into soup bowls and top with the Thai chicken soup. Squeeze a little lime over the top and serve with any or all of the optional toppings.8 ounces rice vermicelli, Optional toppings: lime wedges, sauteed mushrooms, cilantro, cherry tomatoes, black pepper
Equipment Used
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
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For more inspiration, check out all of our soup recipes.
This sounds delicious! Will it save well? I’m hoping to make a batch tomorrow and then take it to work each day this week for lunch. Thanks!
It does! I like to keep the rice noodles and soup separate so they noodles don’t get mushy. If you’re taking them to work, you can put the noodles in a resealable plastic bag and add them to the soup when you go to heat it up. 🙂
Hi there,
My soup has just gone in the crock pot! Very excited for dinner! My question is.. if I wanted to use brown rice instead of the rice vermicilli, any idea when I would throw that into the crockpot for it to cook up nicely?
Thanks!
To be totally honest, I’ve never cooked rice in a crockpot before. Maybe try looking for a rice soup recipe and add it at the time that recipe says. 🙂
Hi Kristen. Found this via Yummly and it was the absolute bom diggety. I don’t get snow where I am in Australia but it does get pretty cold so this just hit the mark. Have been missing Thai flavours and came across this as an easy introduction back into great Thai flavours. Thanks for sharing:)
I’m so happy to hear you like the recipe!
I’ve now made this several times and the whole family loves it, which includes my husband and three boys. My five-year-old usually goes in for thirds. My husband requested it tonight but I realize I only have frozen chicken breast and I only have about seven hours to cook it. Do you think it will be OK?
I’m so sorry for the late reply! I’ve been on holiday and wasn’t checking the comments. While the bone in chicken thighs definitely give the best flavor, chicken breasts will work in a pinch. No need to run to the store! And seven hours is long enough. 🙂
So happy to hear it’s a hit with the whole family!
OMG Kristen!!! Heaven in a bowl! Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve had crock pot in the box for years and this finally inspired me to use it. SO GOOD. I’ve struggled with making a good red curry for a long time and this was perfection, Better than the restaurant!
I’m so happy you like the recipe!!
Could you cook it on high for shorter period of time?
While I haven’t tried it, I think that 3-4 hours on high would work well.
This dish was amazing, we all loved it and I will be making it again very soon. Thank you
I’m so happy you loved it!!
hi kristen! i accidentally added the coconut milk in with everything at the beginning – is it ok to slow cook it with the milk?
The only problem with adding the coconut milk at the beginning is that you run the risk of it separating. While there’s nothing harmful about that, it just doesn’t look as nice. 🙂
This really is the best! Love how flavorful it is and the rice noodles are a great add in. Will make it again.
Made this today and it was delicious! Wanted to make it lighter so I used chicken breast and brown rice instead of the noodles. Also 1 can of coconut milk was PLENTY with the amount of chicken broth used. My husband is currently on his third bowl! 🙂
That makes me so happy to hear! Horray!
Can’t wait to try this out. Lovely food photography.
Thank you so much!!
I made it with a whole 7 lb chicken. Used the entire jar of curry and basically doubled the recipe. It still came out bland. Added more powdered curry, turmeric, coriander, salt and pepper, We finally reached the heat and creaminess we desired. Next time I will use only thighs but we came down with the household cold and needed a bigger batch this time around. I do believe it has helped shorten the cold significantly!
I’m sorry to hear the alterations you made to the recipe didn’t turn out. I promise that the recipe as written is flavorful! I do like the sound of the Indian-style twist you gave it, though. Sounds delicious!
Hope you and your family are feeling better!
I’m in the middle of Whole30 and love adding new slow cooker meals to my repertoire. Going to try this this week, but omit the palm sugar, add a tiny bit of pureed mango, and use either spiralized carrot or sweet potato for noodles because I’ve found they hold up better. I’ll report back!
Nice call on the pureed mango! Love your idea about using spiralized sweet potatoes … that would be so good!
I’d love to try this recipe in my new Instant Pot. I understand that the cooking time/instructions might differ from the Crock Pot. Any idea how I would make this in my Instant Pot (slow cooker mode)?
I wish I could help you out with some suggestions but I’ve never cooked with a pressure cooker before. I would probably have a look at a few curry recipes that have instructions for a pressure cooker and judge the time from that. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help!
I just made this recipe in my electric pressure cooker last night and it turned out fantastic! I substituted 2 breasts for the thighs and cooked it on high pressure for 16 minutes. I let the pressure come down on it’s own for 10 minutes then slowly released the valve. Added the coconut milk and put the cooker on “brown” for 10 additional minutes with the lid on and valve open. Super tastey. The chicken fell apart in the tongs as I was pulling it out of the pot to shred it What an amazing recipe!
Thank you so much for letting us know the recipe works in a pressure cooker!!
I’m totally new to your blog, (found through the Kitchn’s instagram) and would actually love to hear about how you feed your daughter, going straight to table food? What age is she? Do you purée the food? If you’ve already discussed this, I apologize! I’m going to explore your blog some now.
Hi, Amy!
I’ve introduced Avalina in a blog post, but I haven’t given an update since she’s really started eating. When I first introduced her she was only trying little tastes of foods, not real bites.
She’s 7 1/2 months old now and loves pretty much everything. We either mash the soft food we eat with a fork, or I finely mince what we’re eating. I’ve never pureed anything for her and she’s always done ok. As long as the pieces are small (rice size or smaller) she’s always handled them well. With food that is on the dry side (chicken, for example) I stir in a little sauce or yogurt to make it easier for her to swallow.
We’ve really just followed her lead as far as food goes and try not to take it too seriously. If she shows interest in it (which is aften now) we give her as much as she wants. If she doesn’t want to eat, we don’t push it. She’s still breastfed so I know she’s getting everything she needs that way.
I know it’s not the traditional approach, but it works well for us. So happy you found the blog. You’ve given me the nudge I needed to post another baby update. 🙂
This sounds delicious!! Just a quick question though, if I half the recipe, would I still need to cook it for 8-10hrs?
Thanks!
You can cook this recipe on high for 4 hours if that works better for your timing. (Even if you make the whole thing.)
I’m really excited to try this recipe … It’s been snowing in between raining ..or vis versa here in Lake Tahoe and all I can think about cooking is .. soup, soup, and more soup! I’m thinking of purchasing a new slow cooker and I’m curious how you like the Crock Pot brand … I’ve always been partial to Cuisinart and Kitchen Aid so I was looking at those brands and then noticed you’re using the Crock Pot … I guess they were the first to bring this out publicly .. Please, when you have a moment, I’d love your feedback
It’s been raining/ snowing lots here in Vancouver, too!
I have to be honest, this is my first crock pot and the only one I’ve ever cooked in so I don’t have anything to compare it to. I think it works great, though!