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.
More Thai chicken recipes
For more inspiration, check out all of our soup recipes.
Such a delicious recipe! Have made it for other people and they all love it!
I’m so happy to hear that!
I sauteed my veggies on the stovetop, added the remaining ingredients, except for the chicken. Once everything cooked through, I added cooked rotisserie chicken, coconut milk then the noodles. I served it with lime and jalepenos….
So!
Damn!
Tasty!!!
Thank you for bringing this recipe to my repertoire! It will be on repeat.
Love it!!
Can we skip the fish sauce? If so, do I double the soy?
I wouldn’t double the soy as it might make it too salty. Simply omit it and then taste it at the end and add a little more soy if you think it needs it. 🙂
So flavourful! The whole family loved this, including my 2 year old (although I added a bit more milk in hers to tone down the spice a little). And I also added mushrooms. I’ve made this a couple times now and it’s such a hit!
Wow, amazing soup! It has great flavor! I followed recipe exactly. Entire family loved it and can’t wait to make it again! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
this was absolutely delicious! i did an entire quart of chicken stock, 6 small chicken thighs, two bell peppers, a bunch of shredded carrots we had laying around, the rest of the recipe as written and we absolutely loved it, definitely making again! we sauteed lots of baby bella mushrooms for a garnish and served with cooked big flat rice noodles in the bowl…yummy! going to try out your other Thai recipes
This soup was delicious and easy to make! I will double the amount of chicken next time though.
I’m prepping for a spring blizzard and decided to make your Chicken Vegetable Soup…and then I clicked on this. What do you think about making a Crock Pot Thai Chicken and Veggie Soup? I think it sounds amazing. Will report back.
My husband does not like soup. He says that this recipe has converted him and he gave it a 10/10. Also a huge hit with our toddler!
This is so good and easy. It has become a family staple for dinner. I use jasmine rice instead of the vermicelli.
Can I cook on high for 4 hours if I’m short on time?
I suggest using low heat for 4 hours.
I cooked it on high for 4 hours and it turned out great!
So I make this in an instant pot instead of a crockpot to save time. Just high pressure cook it for 7 minutes and allow natural release for another 10. It totally works and turns out really good! Made it this way a few times now and it turns out great every time. Only thing I did different is add shitake mushrooms to cook with the other ingredients. One of my family’s favorites now
I am so in love with this recipe! I have made it many times with the chicken thighs but today I had a pork tenderloin that needed cooking so I used that instead and it turned out great! Thank you!
My husband, sons, and I are all Thai food snobs, and we absolutely love this soup! It’s perfect for when we’re craving Thai food but might not have the time or money to go out to a restaurant. It’s just perfect!
I generally don’t leave comments on recipes but this one was amazing, so creamy and yummy – highly recommend! I made a few subs, using chicken breast, curry powder, and ground ginger, but it was still delicious and so easy to make!
I had to leave out the red curry paste because I can’t have even a little spicy but this was really savory. The only thing I would say is that it was a little too much noodles so next time I will just add more liquid and chicken and probably less noodles. Really tasty though!