YIELD: 4 to 6 servings | PREP TIME: 20 minutes | STOVETOP: 45 minutes
• 1¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) coconut sugar
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) paprika
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) coconut oil
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• Pinch of salt
• 6 cups (1440 ml) Chicken Broth
• 2 (14-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) tapioca starch
• 1 batch cooked Homemade Noodles or 8 ounces cooked tapioca noodles
• 4 to 6 hard-boiled eggs (1 per serving), sliced, for garnish
• Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
• 6 lemon wedges, for serving
1. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken, fish sauce, coconut sugar, paprika, turmeric, and cayenne pepper until the chicken is evenly coated. Set aside.
2. Heat the coconut oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add a pinch of salt, and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes, until the onions are soft.
3. Add the coated chicken and any marinade that’s left in the bowl to the pot with the onions and turn the heat up to medium-high. Cook until the chicken is just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Add the broth and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. In a small bowl, mix ½ cup of the hot soup broth with the tapioca starch to create a slurry. Stir the slurry into the soup and simmer for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until thickened slightly.
5. Divide the noodles among serving bowls and pour in a ladleful of the soup. Top each bowl with a sliced hard-boiled egg and some chopped cilantro, and serve with a lemon wedge on the side.
AIP Modification: Omit the paprika and cayenne pepper, add 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of peeled and grated fresh ginger, and use veggie noodles instead of Homemade Noodles or tapioca noodles.
Lower-Carb Modification: Omit the coconut sugar and use veggie noodles (instead of Homemade Noodles or tapioca noodles.
Egg-Free Modification: Omit the hard-boiled eggs and use tapioca noodles instead of Homemade Noodles.
More Recipes You'll Love
Burmese chicken noodle soup is a coconut-rich, golden bowl with chicken thighs marinated in turmeric, paprika, and fish sauce. Slow-cooked onions turn sweet in the pot before the broth and coconut milk simmer together into a silky, slightly thickened soup. A sliced hard-boiled egg and lemon wedge on each bowl is the traditional, perfect finish.
Pro Tips
- Marinate the chicken in the fish sauce and spice mixture while the onions cook. Those 10 minutes give the turmeric time to coat and color the meat.
- Cook the onions the full 12-14 minutes until golden and soft — the caramelized onion base is what separates this from a generic chicken soup.
- Make the tapioca starch slurry with hot broth before stirring it in. Dumping starch directly into the hot soup creates lumps that no amount of stirring fixes.
- Add the hard-boiled egg and lemon wedge at serving, not in the pot — the squeeze of lemon over the rich coconut broth is what balances the whole bowl.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Burmese chicken noodle soup spicy?
Gently — the cayenne adds warmth rather than real heat. The garnish options let each person adjust at the table.
Can I use store-bought noodles?
Yes, tapioca noodles are the easiest substitute for the homemade noodles, and they keep the soup gluten-free and grain-free.
How long does this soup keep in the fridge?
About 4 days. Store the noodles and egg separately so they don't soak up the broth, and add them fresh when reheating.
What is the AIP version of this recipe?
Omit the paprika and cayenne, add 2 teaspoons of grated fresh ginger instead, and serve with veggie noodles as the recipe notes direct.
Recipe Card
- 1¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
- Pinch of salt
- 6 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 (14-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tbsp tapioca starch
- 1 batch cooked Homemade Noodles or 8 ounces cooked tapioca noodles
- 4 to 6 hard-boiled eggs (1 per serving), sliced, for garnish
- 6 lemon wedges, for serving
- In a medium bowl, toss the chicken, fish sauce, coconut sugar, paprika, turmeric, and cayenne pepper until the chicken is evenly coated. Set aside.
- Heat the coconut oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add a pinch of salt, and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes, until the onions are soft.
- Add the coated chicken and any marinade that’s left in the bowl to the pot with the onions and turn the heat up to medium-high. Cook until the chicken is just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the broth and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. In a small bowl, mix ½ cup of the hot soup broth with the tapioca starch to create a slurry. Stir the slurry into the soup and simmer for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until thickened slightly.
- Divide the noodles among serving bowls and pour in a ladleful of the soup. Top each bowl with a sliced hard-boiled egg and some chopped cilantro, and serve with a lemon wedge on the side.
[object Object]
[object Object]
