21 Easy Thai Recipes That Are Faster (and Tastier) Than Takeout

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    Michelle No
    by Michelle No

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    BuzzFeed / Brooke Greenberg

    Looking for a beginner-friendly guide to Thai cuisine? You've come to the right place. 🇹🇭

    Whether you're trying to recreate your favorite Thai restaurant's take-out offerings at home, or simply looking to shake things up in your dinner rotation, here's a guide to easy Thai recipes you can try in your own kitchen.

    1. Shrimp Pad Thai

    hot-thai-kitchen.com

    What is it: This classic rendition of the popular sweet and savory stir-fried rice noodle dish is likely one that you already know and love. If you're not a shrimp fan, you can swap in chicken, beef, mushrooms, or tofu.

    Get the recipe: Shrimp Pad Thai

    2. Thai Iced Tea

    tasty.co

    What is it: A sweet, creamy cold beverage traditionally made with milk, Thai black tea, and sugar. It can also be enjoyed warm, or with boba or tapioca pearls — which you can order on Amazon and cook at home, too.

    Get the recipe: Thai Iced Tea

    3. Thai Green Curry

    templeofthai.com

    What is it: A mild green curry made with coconut milk, chilies, and (in this version) Thai eggplant. If you can't find Thai eggplant near you, swap in zucchini, broccoli, or regular eggplant.

    Get the recipe: Thai Green Curry

    4. Mango Sticky Rice

    cookingwithnart.com

    What is it: Sweet mango, sticky rice, coconut milk, and sugar come together to make this irresistible dessert that'll remind you that rice makes just about everything better.

    Get the recipe: Mango Sticky Rice

    5. Vegetarian Pad See Ew

    tasty.co

    What is it: A stir-fried noodle dish that swaps the traditional chicken or beef for seared extra firm tofu. You could also swap in firm vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower. The sauce will tie everything together no matter what.

    Get the recipe: Vegetarian Pad See Ew

    6. Thai Fried Rice With Shrimp

    eatingthaifood.com

    What is it: This fried rice dish can also be served with tofu or your favorite protein in place of the shrimp. Don't forget some prik nam pla on the side — it's a condiment of chilies and fish sauce to garnish the fried rice.

    Get the recipe: Thai Fried Rice With Shrimp

    rasamalaysia.com

    What is it: Consider this creamy coconut chicken soup next time you have a cold and need something to get your appetite going. It's creamy, savory, and ultra flavorful, thanks to the addition of galangal (Thai ginger), curry paste, and fish sauce.

    Get the recipe: 15-Minute Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

    8. Banana Roti

    hot-thai-kitchen.com

    What is it: Roti is crispy flatbread, and this dessert version is filled with banana and drizzled with sweetened condensed milk. Roti carts are popular all around Thailand — but you can recreate these treats at home with a bit of practice.

    Get the recipe: Banana Roti

    9. Khua Kling (Dry Meat Curry)

    eatingthaifood.com

    What is it: This versatile dry curry proves that there's more than one way to do minced meat. In this case, the meat is cooked with Thai chili paste and made fragrant with citrus-forward kaffir lime leaves, chilies, and a bit of sugar.

    Get the recipe: Khua Kling

    10. One Pot Pad Thai

    tasty.co

    What is it: A convenient one-pot variation on the classic stir-fried noodle dish made with bean sprouts, eggs, crushed peanuts, and the hallmark sweet and savory sauce. Cleanup is a breeze for this one.

    Get the recipe: One Pot Pad Thai

    11. Beef Salad

    rasamalaysia.com

    What is it: If you're a fan of steak salads, try this one out for size. It comes together with perfectly seared top sirloin and a spicy dressing made with fish sauce and lime juice.

    Get the recipe: Beef Salad

    12. Pineapple Fried Rice

    rasamalaysia.com

    What is it: Pineapple pizza lovers, unite! This perfect fried rice dish rewards those who know that sweet and savory go perfectly together every time.

    Get the recipe: Pineapple Fried Rice

    13. Tom Yum Goong Soup

    cookingwithnart.com

    What is it: You might know this dish as one of your favorite take-out items. It's hot and sour, savory and sweet, and combines some of Thai cuisine's staple ingredients, like fish sauce, fresh lime juice, and spicy chilies — all of which you can likely grab at your local grocery store.

    Get the recipe: Tom Yum Goong Soup

    14. Chicken Laksa

    ohhappybear.com

    What is it: A noodle soup made with wheat noodles and (most commonly) chicken, laksa is also a common dish in other Southeast Asian countries — including Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

    Get the recipe: Chicken Laksa

    15. Kai Jeow (Omelette)

    cookingwithnart.com

    What is it: This omelette is made extra flavorful with chopped onions and a bit of fish sauce. (And if you already own a bottle of fish sauce, you probably know by now that it makes everything just that much better.)

    Get the recipe: Kai Jeow (Omelette)

    16. Sweet Chili Sauce

    hot-thai-kitchen.com

    What is it: Made with chilies, garlic, white vinegar, and starch, this slightly spicy (and extremely versatile) sauce goes perfectly with fried foods. It's worth making a batch and stashing in the fridge.

    Get the recipe: Sweet Chili Sauce

    17. Squid with Black Pepper and Shrimp Paste

    eatingthaifood.com

    What is it: If you can get your hands on some fresh squid, this six-ingredient stir-fried dish keeps it simple and lets the squid really come through. (If you can't find squid, try this with prawns or crab.)

    Get the recipe: Squid with Black Pepper and Shrimp Paste

    18. Som Tam (Green Papaya Salad)

    eatingthaifood.com

    What is it: One of the most popular Thai dishes out there, papaya salad combines sweet, spicy, crunchy, and nutty into the perfect year-round dish. Just be careful not to confuse sweet orange papayas with more neutral-tasting green papayas. This latter is what you need for this recipe.

    Get the recipe: Som Tam (Green Papaya Salad)

    19. Larb (Meat salad)

    eatingthaifood.com

    What is it: While larb comes in many variations, the one many people are familiar with is a recipe popular in Isaan, or Northern Thailand. It's made with minced meat, toasted sticky rice, a sweet and savory sauce, and loads of mint leaves.

    Get the recipe: Larb (Meat salad)

    20. Red Curry Noodle Soup

    damndelicious.net

    What is it: Who said curry could only go with rice? This noodle soup dish combines your favorite curry flavors with rice noodles and plenty of fresh herbs.

    Get the recipe: Red Curry Noodle Soup

    21. Caramel Custard Cake

    hot-thai-kitchen.com

    What is it: It's a rule of thumb that if two desserts are perfectly tasty on their own, they'll probably go pretty well together. In the case of this Thai dessert — with rich custard and light chiffon cake — the theory definitely holds up. 😋

    Get the recipe: Caramel Custard Cake