Burmese Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe (Ohn No Khao Swe)

Burmese Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup balances savory aromatics—garlic, ginger, and fish sauce—with a touch of creamy coconut milk for a comforting, flavorful bowl.

I don’t often find a dinner my whole family loves, but this Burmese Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup is one of those rare hits. It’s simple to prepare, but layered with flavor in a way that even picky eaters tend to enjoy.

The base of the soup relies on minced garlic, grated ginger, and fish sauce for deep savory notes, tempered by coconut milk for creaminess. Turmeric and paprika give the broth a warm golden color. Tender pieces of chicken and a hearty portion of noodles make this more substantial than a typical clear broth soup, so it’s especially satisfying on a cold night or when you’re under the weather.

How to make Burmese Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup

Start by prepping the chicken so it can briefly marinate with the aromatics while you finish other prep. Cut boneless skinless chicken (thighs or breasts) into bite-sized pieces, about 1/2″. Toss the diced chicken with minced garlic, grated ginger, turmeric, paprika, cayenne, part of the fish sauce, and part of the salt.

Warm a neutral oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add minced onion and a pinch of salt; cook until the onion is softened and beginning to brown. Add the seasoned chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside.

If you choose to thicken the broth with chickpea flour, whisk the flour into one cup of the chicken broth until smooth and set aside. Add the remaining chicken broth, the rest of the fish sauce, the can of coconut milk, and water to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then stir in the chickpea flour mixture and reduce to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for about 15 minutes so the flavors meld.

While the soup simmers, cook the dried noodles in a separate pot of boiling water according to package directions. Cook them until tender but still firm—they will soften further in the hot soup. Drain and rinse the noodles briefly with cold water to stop cooking and prevent sticking.

To serve, place a portion of noodles in each bowl and ladle the hot soup and chicken over them. Garnish with lime wedges, fresh cilantro, and chili garlic sauce or coarse chili powder if you like extra heat.

How to store Burmese Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup leftovers

Store the cooked noodles and the soup separately in airtight containers to prevent the noodles from becoming soggy. Reheat by placing noodles in a bowl and ladling hot soup over them, then garnish. Leftovers reheat well in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Burmese Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, trimmed and cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (pro tip: keep pieces of ginger in the freezer and grate from frozen)
• 4 tablespoons fish sauce, divided
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder (increase to 1/2 teaspoon for more heat)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or MSG-salt), divided
• 3 tablespoons neutral oil (canola or similar)
• 2 medium yellow onions, minced
• 6 tablespoons chickpea flour (optional, for thickening)
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 3 cups water (plus more for cooking noodles)
• 1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk (regular or light)
• 1 pound dried noodles — wheat noodles like ramen, udon, or chow mein, or rice noodles for a gluten-free version
• Lime wedges, cilantro, and chili garlic sauce for serving (optional)

Want more noodle soup recipes?

Burmese Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup — Nutrition notes

The nutrition information for this soup uses reduced-sodium chicken broth and includes the optional chickpea flour. This soup can be high in sodium depending on the broth and fish sauce used. To reduce sodium, choose reduced- or low-sodium chicken broth and reduce added salt to taste.

To lower total and saturated fat, use light coconut milk instead of full-fat coconut milk. For a gluten-free bowl, swap wheat noodles for rice noodles.

Recipe details

• Servings: 8
• Prep time: about 20 minutes
• Cook time: about 30 minutes
• Approximate calories per serving: 551 kcal

Instructions

1. Combine the diced chicken, minced garlic, grated ginger, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 2 teaspoons turmeric, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a bowl. Let the mixture sit while you prepare other ingredients.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the minced onions and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until the onions are softened and starting to brown.
3. Add the seasoned chicken to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside.
4. In a small bowl, whisk 6 tablespoons chickpea flour (if using) with 1 cup of chicken broth until smooth and set aside.
5. Add the remaining 3 cups chicken broth, the remaining 3 tablespoons fish sauce, the can of coconut milk, and 3 cups water to the pot. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir in the chickpea flour-broth mixture to thicken the soup, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, bring a separate pot of water to a boil and cook the dried noodles according to package directions until tender but still firm. Drain and rinse briefly under cold water, then drain again.
7. Divide noodles among bowls and ladle the hot soup and chicken over them. Serve with lime wedges, cilantro, and chili garlic sauce if desired.
8. Store leftover noodles and soup separately to keep the noodles from becoming soggy.

Notes

If using regular (not reduced-sodium) chicken broth, reduce the added salt by half to avoid an overly salty final dish. If you omit the chickpea flour, simply add all the chicken broth at once when combining liquids and simmer.