When the craving strikes and you'd do anything for a bite of spicy curry or beef with basil, learn how to make it at home with this collection of DIY recipes. From Pad Thai and larb to tom kha gai and rice pudding, we have recipes to unlock all of your favorite dishes.
Curated by Ethan Johns
Pro tip: "Boil the kaffir lime leaf, lemongrass and galangal root first, for at least 30 minutes or until the aroma fills the air. Coconut milk and lime juice are the very last thing to add when the soup is finished."
-Glen H.
"Highly delicious! Quick and easy dinner when you've cooked the rice the night before! Next time I might add a little fish sauce and maybe a bit more chili paste, but that's just personal taste - this recipe is great just the way it is!"
-currybunny
"This is my standard "go-to" in Thai restaurants, and I make my own version at home. This is absolutely delicious! The fish sauce, lemongrass and roasted rice powder are essential to give it the right flavor balance. I add a little Thai basil or cilantro at times and I serve it with cabbage instead of lettuce."
-ssinderella
"Was fun to make my own curry and it was very good! Five stars for the homemade curry paste."
-madetobemagic71
"I crave this now and then and when I do, I have to drive across town to my fave Thai restaurant. But not anymore! I made this recipe exactly as written and I was floored by how well it came out."
-Patrick P.
"I knew this would be a good salad, but it's probably the best salad I've ever made. The herbs all complement each other so well, along with the tangy lime leaves and the spicy pepper."
-ElleFirebrand
"Oh yes, I failed to mention that this recipe is super easy. The only ingredient out of them all that you have to dice is the chicken. That's it. The rest you just dump in. LOVE THAT!"
-organizersrus
"I really loved this recipe. I have always wanted to know how to make my own pad Thai; I love it and have tried it at so many different restaurants. I think this is just as good—or better—than the versions from any restaurants I have tried it at."
-Mamitosami
"We grilled the chicken, but I didn't have time to baste it or marinade it very long. So instead, I mixed the coconut milk in with the marinade. It was still excellent, even with the changes in implementation."
-Kim3660
"This is a recipe that I've tweaked and adjusted to yield a warm noodle side-dish, but it can also stand alone as a main dish. It's quick and easy and full of flavor! I serve it with chicken satay. The leftovers are yummy hot or cold."
-jenpalombi
Pro tip: Don't spend too much time searching for Thai tea; you probably won't have much luck finding it, because it is not a specific product. You can make this sweet beverage using any strongly-brewed black tea, like Ceylon.
"I made this to go with my fish tonight. I loved the slight coconut flavor from the milk."
-mommyoffour
"This recipe introduced me to the fantastic flavor of coconut milk and curry paste, it's insane how good it is, don't even think of skimping on any of the ingredients, you need them all."
-Le Beast
"I really like that this recipe adds ginger, chilies, garlic and lemongrass on top of the paste. Some people think that using a paste eliminates the need to add these ingredients, but it really does help bring this dish to life."
-jpknight22
A Thai take-out staple, this dish of eggy stir-fried noodles is going to quickly become your go-to weeknight meal — just add your favorite protein.
This glass noodle salad is vegetarian, and features a lightly sautéed mixture of mushrooms and vegetables.
"The soup is delicious, but the add-ins are what really make it shine. I served each bowl with limes, bean sprouts, fresh cilantro leaves, sambal oelek and crispy fried onions. I'd recommend the fried onions especially."
-rpgaymer
"Oh baby that was good. Beads of sweat are still running down my brow, and Raul is sprawled exhausted and satisfied on the sofa."
-Jeff 631750
With 10 minutes of active preparation and 20 minutes for soaking the noodles, this easy Pad Thai comes together in no time flat. Not a fan of shrimp? Toss some cooked chicken in with the 5-ingredient sauce to make a delicious alternative.
"This really is quite close to the real thing—what you get in the small ranaharn (restaurant) run by Khun Yai (grandma). Khun Yai would probably add straw mushrooms. Six dried chilies minimum."
-Bo Stenberg
"This was awesome! I didn't have time to do it in the slow cooker, so I just did it in a normal pot."
-scotrox
"Very easy and delicious! I couldn't find actual stalks of Lemongrass, so I improvised by steeping Lemongrass (the kind that comes in a tube in the produce section) in some cheesecloth with lime zest (to substitute for the lime leaves)."
-Mad scientist
"I didn't have mango. So I picked some raspberries and blueberries for the fruit. It was yummy."
-Hidee
"I often take fresh kaffir lime leaves and chop them finely and add them either instead of or in addition to the cilantro. The flavor of the lime leaves goes exceptionally well with the fresh aromatic flavor of the lemongrass. Thanks for sharing one of the finest chicken recipes ever!"
-Suzys kitchen
"I made some Thai Egg Rolls the other night for a snack and was looking for something good to dip them in. I came across this and decided to try it. I am SO glad I did! Delicious sauce flavored with both spice and sweet."
-KitchenWitchWay
"I'm afraid I'd have to resort to profanity to describe how much I enjoyed this dish. Fabulous! It was very easy to prepare. Double the soy sauce, oyster sauce and brown sugar."
-Kevin Young
"I liked the technique for making the peanut sauce. Using hot water made it smooth and easy to mix."
-Prose
Tom yum (hot and sour soup) meets gai (chicken) in this fragrant soup, which is perfumed with lemongrass, kaffir lime, ginger, fish sauce and lime juice.
"This recipe is fabulous. I made it exactly as written and served it over jasmine rice. Observations: I would use thigh meat rather than breast, and mince the ginger before adding. I also gave fleeting thought to omitting the straw mushrooms—that would have been a mistake."
-MEAN CHEF
"Oh yes! This was the nectar of the Gods. I have always loved the flavor combination of basil and cilantro. I used slightly different vegetables (snow peas, bell pepper, bok choy, etc.) but the sauce was delicious."
-Sueie
As opposed to the salad called yam wun sen, this pad wun sen is a dish of stir-fried glass noodles. This recipe features both pork and shrimp, along with carrots, green onions and a nice dose of fish sauce.
"I made following the recipe and wouldn't change a thing. Perfection in every bite! We love jasmine rice, so this was a real hit with my family. "
-SheilaCanney
This spicy salad mixes sting beans and unripe papaya with a sweet-and-sour dressing that combines fish sauce, lime, chilis and a hint of sugar.
"I also used natural creamy peanut butter, which I would recommend over Jif or Skippy... The more natural peanut flavors complement the dish better than the added ingredients in other brands."
-CPfoodie
"The sauce was spicy enough to suit our personal tastes. I enjoyed the noodles so much, I was nearly finished before I took a bite of the chicken which was also delicious."
-Miss Fannie
"Made this tonight for the first time and it was awesome. Only thing I would say is that definitely make double the sauce."
-Cajunman
"This is a wonderfully versatile vinaigrette. I have never made it for coleslaw, but have used it many times on chilled noodles/pasta with veggies and chicken. It has such a fresh flavor."
-Steph in Ottawa
"I think it makes a big difference to make the paste yourself, so don't skip this step people! It doesn't take more than a few minutes, and you can do it a few days ahead if you need to."
-A la Carte
"Take this dish over the top by adding a little Thai basil. Very nice and fresh tasting; love the pop from the lime zest!"
-mommyluvs2cook
"We used brown sugar since we couldn't find palm sugar. I would have never thought to put fresh mint with the other ingredients, but now that I've tried it I can't imagine eating the dish without it."
-394mm493
Pro tip: "Brown the tofu in a hot skillet, so it does not break up in the sauce."
-Cornip L.
"Excellent green curry paste! I put everything in the blender and mashed all the ingredients together for about five mins. When I lifted the lid up, the Thai aromas wafted out. Smelled just like Thailand and tasted like it too."
-Chef floWer
"It is simple to make and has a lovely ginger kick. I suggest serving with basmati rice, however rice noodles also work well. A tip from the book is to put the beef in the freezer for an hour before preparing so that it is easier to slice thinly."
-sabrina
"You need to stir or whisk non stop because it will catch on the bottom. We had no idea of what to expect but I will give 5 stars for an excellent cultural and culinary experience."
-katew
"In Northern Thailand, kao soi is a meal for one, served up in an enormous bowl and garnished with a playful tangle of crunchy egg noodles fried crisp for a contrast in texture to the tender noodles and smooth, sunny-colored sauce."
-Sandi From CA
"This black rice pudding tastes like it has berries in it but it doesn't! Sweet black rice can be found at Asian markets and it turns purplish when cooked."
-Pepper Monkey
"Really good! The pasta was extra creamy, not dry like the pad Thai we get in a Thai restaurant."
-Chamiya82
"I loved this salad! All those flavors work together to create a real taste sensation for your tongue! I love the slightly sweet, limey, lemony dressing paired with beef and the coolness of the greens and cucumber mixed with that essential ingredient: mint! Yum!"
-JanaG2
This meat salad is fragrant and rich from the use of kaffir lime and lemongrass, as well as a healthy dose of fish sauce. It's served with full leaves of lettuce and can be eaten almost like a taco.
"Few things are more fun in the kitchen than watching rice noodles fluff up in an explosion of culinary POOF. (That's a scientific term.) I honestly can't imagine this dish being complete without using ALL of the toppings (jalapeño, cilantro and scallions)."
-Sandi From CA
Pro tip: "Sometimes I hate to use the grill so this does well in the broiler too. Just use a baking sheet lined with foil topped with a non-coated cooling rack."
-mixn vixn
"Thai red rice has a firm texture and a nutty flavor giving this dessert a unique flavor and appearance. Be sure to stir often throughout the cooking process so the pudding doesn't get stuck to the bottom of the pot."
-UmmIbrahim
"Excellent...can easily adjust for personal taste (more brown sugar if you want it a little sweeter, more cayenne for a little more spice, etc)."
-Recipe Junkie
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