25+ Most Popular Thai Foods

Thai Foods are widely regarded as one of the best in the world. The variety of Thai foods, particularly its world-renowned street food, is remarkable, but it primarily consists of noodles, curries, soups, stir-fries, and salads, which can be found anywhere from mobile food carts to Michelin-starred eateries in Bangkok. Here are our 25+ must-try Thai foods for the best Thai food experience.

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Thailand is famed around the world for its delectable culinary offerings, which range from appetizers to sweets and everything in between.

In every meal, Thai Chefs skillfully blends spicy, sour, sweet, and salty flavors. The Land of Smiles caters to everyone’s tastes, leaving you craving more.

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Popular Thai Foods

Thai food can be gotten for as little as 80-100 baht. That amounts to between one and two bucks! So nothing is stopping you from trying all 25 of the delectable Thai foods on our list.

1. Pad Kra Pao Moo

Forget about Pad Thai. Pad Kra Pao Moo takes the #1 spot right away. Stir-fried minced pork with loads of chiles, onion, green beans, garlic, and Thai basil served over rice.

This is a traditional Thai dish that many Thais eat virtually every day, and it is also quite popular with tourists.

This meal is a major competitor in the most-loved Thai food category; it’s excellent, spicy, and available in every restaurant and from most street food sellers.

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To balance off the heat, we suggest adding a fried egg.

2. Khao Pad (Fried Rice)

This basic, inexpensive food is available across Thailand, both in restaurants and from street vendors. It is usually served with shrimp.

Thai fried rice, on the other hand, can be made with beef, pork, chicken, or veggies. Either option is delectable.

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Fried rice is cooked with a variety of ingredients, so no two dishes are ever the same. Thai cooks use whatever ingredients they have on hand, which usually includes onion, egg, garlic, meat, and fish sauce.

Squeeze in lime and sprinkle some chili flakes for more flavor.

3. Tom Kha Gai

Tom Kha Gai is a coconut milk and galangal root-rich soup cooked using earthy Asian mushrooms and delicate chicken.

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It has a slightly sour taste because of the presence of fragrant components like lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. Cilantro sprigs provide a delightful freshness.

Since chili is optional in this meal, Tom Kha Gai is a great option for folks who don’t like a lot of heat.

4. Moo Satay (Pork Satay)

This classic Asian dish is popular with both Thais and foreigners.

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Satay is traditionally grilled pork marinated in turmeric and coconut milk and served on a skewer with a rich and decadent peanut sauce. Pork or chicken is commonly used.

However, the type of meat available varies from restaurant to restaurant. Ideal as an appetizer or afternoon snack.

5. Pad Thai

Pad Thai is a globally recognized Thai dish that is prepared with stir-fried rice noodles cooked with eggs, tofu, shrimp, or chicken, and flavored with tamarind, fish sauce, and various seasonings.

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It’s often garnished with peanuts, lime, and fresh sprouts.

6. Tom Yum Goong

Tom Yum Goong is a hot and sour soup popular in Thai cooking.

It features shrimp, mushrooms, lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves, creating a vibrant and aromatic broth that’s both comforting and invigorating.

7. Khao Niew Mamuang

Although Khao Niew Mamuang is the only dessert included, our list would be incomplete without it.

Fresh mango is combined with sweetened sticky rice and served with coconut milk in this straightforward, traditional Thai dessert.

It is popular among Thais all year, although it is cheapest and freshest during Thailand’s mango season, which runs from April to May.

8. Kai Yad Sai (Thai Stuffed Omelet)

This packed omelet, made popular by Jay Fai and her Michelin-starred Bangkok street-food restaurant, is gaining popularity in Thai cuisine.

A beaten egg is traditionally packed with minced pork and veggies in a sour sauce, but there are numerous different filling options.

Jay Fai has pushed the envelope and developed her own variation of the meal. Her menu is a tiny egg omelet loaded with delicious morsels of sweet crab.

However, the Michelin version is somewhat expensive. This meal will cost around 1000 baht ($30).

9. Pad See Ew

Pad See Ew is another tasty and popular Thai noodle dish.

Large, flat rice noodles are prepared with garlic, egg, cabbage, onion, and your protein of choice. In order to give the meal its famous dark color, soy sauce is put in.

Eat like a local, with chili flakes and chili vinegar on top, and enjoy. Delicious!

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10. Khao Soi (Curried Noodle Soup)

This Northern Thai cuisine, with influence from Myanmar and Laos, is gradually making its way south as its popularity grows.

Khao Soi is a curry-flavored thick coconut soup made with boiled and crispy egg noodles, shallots, lime, pickled mustard greens, and ground chilies cooked in oil, and served with delicious chicken on the bone.

Khao Soi is not commonly found in Thai restaurants outside of Thailand, so don’t miss the chance to eat it.

11. Laab Moo (Minced Pork Salad)

Laab is a Northeastern (Isaan) dish that is popular across Thailand. It is usually served with papaya salad and rice as part of a set dinner.

For crispness, minced pork is blended with lime juice, chili flakes, fresh herbs, fish sauce, and toasted rice. Laab is commonly cooked with a minced pig, but it can also be prepared with chicken or duck.

12. Green Curry

Green Curry, or “Gaeng Keow Wan,” is a creamy curry made with a blend of fresh green chilies, Thai basil, coconut milk, and your choice of meat or vegetables.

The flavors are complex and balanced, offering a blend of tastes.

13. Som Tum

Som Tum, or papaya salad, is a refreshing and spicy dish made from shredded unripe papaya, tomatoes, peanuts, and chilies.

It’s often pounded in a mortar and pestle to release the flavors and served as a zesty appetizer.

14. Gaeng Panang (Panang Curry)

Panang is created with cilantro seeds, red curry paste, shrimp sauce, cumin seeds, and peanuts in a thick curry paste.

The paste is then mixed with coconut milk to give it its signature creamy flavor. Slow-cook your potato, onion, and beef in the sauce till it’s soft, add kaffir lime leaves for a fresh flavor.

Serve with rice for a rich and filling supper. Heaven.

15. Gai Pad Med Ma Muang

The majority of this delectable dish is made up of deep-fried chicken chunks and cashew nuts.

Finally, shallots, chiles, onions, garlic, and bell peppers are blended with the holy trinity of Thai sauces: oyster, soy, and fish. It’s simple to find, and easy to fall in love with.

16. Massaman Curry

Massaman Curry is a rich curry that combines Thai flavors with influences from Indian and Malay cuisines.

It typically includes tender pieces of meat, potatoes, onions, and peanuts, all simmered in a creamy coconut milk base.

17. Pad Krapow Moo Saap

Pad Krapow Moo Saap, or stir-fried basil and pork, is a quick and tasty dish that’s a favorite among locals.

The dish is prepared with ground pork prepared with Thai holy basil, garlic, chilies, and fish sauce, served over rice, and topped with a fried egg.

18. Gaeng Keow Wan Gai

Gaeng Keow Wan Gai, or green chicken curry, is a delectable dish prepared with succulent chicken pieces simmered in a green curry sauce.

It’s often served with rice and is known for its spicy taste and aroma.

19. Poh Pia Tod

Everyone enjoys spring rolls, but Thais cook them exceptionally well. Thai spring rolls are perfect as an appetizer or to pick up from a vendor on the street after a few Chang beers.

Carrot, mushroom, cabbage, and onion are combined with rice noodles before being folded into spring roll wrappers and deep-fried till crispy and golden. Choose your meat – you can either have all of them or leave it alone. It is completely up to you!

Tip: For an addicting treat, dip in plum sauce or sweet chili.

20.Pla Kapung Nueng Manao

Thailand has access to some of the world’s tastiest and freshest fish. Any busy coastal street in Thailand will have rows of eateries displaying the catch of the day on the ice, set to be cooked and served to you.

Locals prefer barramundi (Asian seabass) or red snapper. Fresh from the boat, steamed, and served with a strong limey sauce bursting with cilantro, raw garlic, and chile. Delicious and flavorful.

This dish is unquestionably one of the healthiest options in Thailand.

21. Tod Mun Pla (Thai Fish Cake)

This fish cake is another excellent Thai treat. Fresh fish, lime leaves, Thai basil, and green beans are molded into circular patties and deep-fried.

Tod Mun Pla are served piled high on a dish with a spicy dip that typically includes peanuts, vinegar, cucumber, sugar, shallot, chile, and fish sauce.

Tip: Serve with rice or noodles as a main course.

22. Moo Ping

Pork shoulder is sliced thinly and marinated in pepper, garlic, cilantro root, and oyster sauce, making it a favorite for those on the road. It’s grilled over charcoal and eaten with sticky rice.

This traditional delicacy is available at any street vendor and night market in Thailand. Each vendor will include their own particular marinade, so no two Moo Ping will taste the same. It is a local favorite for breakfast.

23. Durian

Durian, one of Thailand’s most contentious cuisines, is difficult to overlook. You are sure to perceive it even before you see it.

Its odor has been likened to body odor, sewage, and dirty feet. With such a powerful odor, it is prohibited in most public transportation and hotels throughout Asia.

We understand that this isn’t the best method to persuade someone to try anything new, but if you can get beyond the stench, you’ll be greeted with a sweet, custardy taste and creamy feel that’s often compared to caramel or vanilla. Take the leap of faith!

24. Sai Ooah

Nothing will make you salivate like Sai Ooah.

This Thai sausage is available in Northern Thailand and is truly delectable. Minced pork is blended with different ingredients like garlic, lemongrass, and chile to create a spicy, lemony kick.

Wait until you sample Sai Ooah if you feel you like conventional pig sausages.

25. Hoy Tod (Oyster Omelet)

This dish will leave you licking your plate. Hoy Tod translates to “deep-fried oysters,” but this is more of a large crispy omelet packed with juicy, fresh oysters.

It’s served atop a bed of bean sprouts with black pepper and cilantro on top. Simple, yet divine.

26. Kuay Teow Reua

These Thai Boat Noodles are prized because they are sold directly from boats by vendors.

The delightfully dark, rich broth is the star of this supper, using pig’s blood as the secret ingredient. Keep an open mind because these noodles will leave you craving more.

Summary

Thai foods exemplify the art of blending flavors and textures to create harmonious dishes that tempt the palate.

Each meal, from the classic Pad Thai to the refreshing Som Tum and the soothing Tom Yum Goong, offers a unique peek into Thailand’s culinary treasures.

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