9 Chiang Mai Street Food You Cannot Miss: From Khao Soi to Jackfruit Curry

Think that all Thai food is the same? Think again! Thailand, in general, is famous world wide for its street food.

A few things to note about Northern Thailand’s cuisine. There are a lot of curries, but unlike the South and Central parts of the country, the curries and even soups are a lot milder. They’re fragrant in a different way. The North is cooler, so warm spices like star anise and cardamom are favored. 

Like many Thai cities, the night markets are the best place for sampling Chiang Mai street food, and the night markets in Chiang Mai are next level. My best night market experiences have always been in this city.

Of course, the iconic khao soi dish hails from this region, but there are also plenty of other scrumptious foods to test out. And because we’re nowhere near the ocean, seafood is not as popular in these parts, naturally. It’s more meaty vibes. 

So, before I start properly drooling, here is my guide to the ultimate street foods to eat your way through in Chiang Mai! 

1. Khao soi 

I’ll never stop dreaming of khao soi, no matter how many bowls of my favorite Thai dish (ever) I consume…I always thought Southern Thai cuisine had a hold on me, until I began extensively exploring the North. And then, I tasted khao soi… 

What a flavor bomb of note! It’s textural, hearty, nutty, and doesn’t blow your head off spice-wise. Key ingredients include cardamom (which is what gives it its unique flavor), ginger, and coconut milk. Many think it’s made with peanuts, but it ain’t. It’s my number one Chiang Mai street food.

My best bit is the crunchy wonton noodles that finish off this dish. Traditionally, this Northern curry is cooked using chicken drumsticks, to be exact. But many places substitute this for chicken breast. While it’s not the usual, you can also find beef khao soi around Chiang Mai. 

This dish also feels very nostalgic for me. I’m Hungarian, and it always reminds me of a Hungarian dish my grandmother would make, chicken paprika. 

Best place to try khao soi in Chiang Mai: Khao Soi Khun Yai, Khao Soi Maesai, and Khao Soi Lung Prakit Kad Kom (for beef Khao Soi)

2. Gai Yang 

When living in Phuket, I soon noticed how popular fried chicken was. The more time I spent in Thailand, I realized, it’s popular across the country! 

In Chiang Mai, fried chicken is found everywhere, especially at the markets. But I have to say, grilled chicken, as simple as it may sound, is an even more in-demand Chiang Mai street food! 

Always cooked over flames, this lends a BBQ’d, smoky taste. The skin is crisped over the grill (so it’s not deep-fried), and the meat is soft and succulent. Buy it still on the bone, deboned, or some vendors even do whole baby chickens. 

Best place to try gai yang in Chiang Mai: SP Chicken and Cherng Doi

3. Gaeng Hung Lay 

After khao soi, pork curry, i.e., hung lay, is the next most famous curry in the Chiang Mai street food category. The curry is rich, dark, and quite thick. 

It’s a prime example of the Northern style of cooking. When I first visited the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, I bought a few spice packs, containing cardamom, star anise, coriander seeds, galangal, cumin seeds, and kefir lime — hero ingredients of many Chiang Mai street food and dishes, including this one. 

Other key notes are a lot of garlic (right up my alley), shallots, ginger, chili, and turmeric. The sauce gets its rich color from the dark soy sauce. The pork is soft and fatty and yummy as ever! It should kind of melt in your mouth. 

Best place to try gaeng hung lay in Chiang Mai: Sorn Chan

4. Sai Ua 

The first time I spotted sai ua (Chiang Mai sausage) was at the night market. Could it be…boerewors…in Thailand? Impossible. The similarities between this Chiang Mai street food and one of South Africa’s most iconic sausages are nuts. Even the way it’s curled into a circle, and then cooked over the flame! 

However, the Thai version contains different herbs and spices (not the coriander-infused version we favor in South Africa). It’s mixed with galangal (from the ginger family), lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves. The sausage meat itself is made from minced pork. 

Sai ua are served straight off the grill, and the best place to taste it is 100% at the night markets. Also, find the sausage cut up into pieces and then skewered. Speaking of skewers, another one of the most popular Chiang Mai street food bites is skewered sticks containing vegetables or other meat-y bits, sometimes even seafood (but usually the processed kind).

Best place to try sai ua in Chiang Mai: Chiang Mai Gate Market and Chiang Mai Night Bazaar

5. Kaeng Khanun 

Word of advice to our plant-based friends: don’t be fooled by kaeng khanun, or green jackfruit curry. 

Jackfruit (yes, it’s a fruit which is often mistaken for durian) is not only a versatile fruit, but it’s often used in vegan/vegetarian cooking because it lends a “meaty” texture. It’s favored for replacing meat counterparts in dishes, from steak to chicken. But in Chiang Mai, this fruit-based curry is most times accompanied by pork ribs. So, unfortunately, it’s not vegetarian. If you are at a vegan/vegetarian restaurant, though, it is a popular dish, just minus the ribs. 

The broth also contains shrimp paste. 

For this Chiang Mai street food curry, Northern-style, young jackfruit is used, hence its green color. It also features wild betel, which is often mistaken for basil, and is tomato-y, too. 

Best place to try kaeng khanun in Chiang Mai: Warorot Market

6. Phuek Tod

Have you seen these deep-fried rounds on the street corners or at the markets and wondered what type of Chiang Mai street food it is? Are they deep-fried bananas? Although they look very much like little bits of chopped-up fried banana, it is, in fact, taro. 

Taro is a root vegetable, not a fruit. It’s a common ingredient in Asian desserts, and has a slightly sweet taste. But it’s very creamy. Here in the north, taro is cubed/cut into rounds, battered in rice flour, and then deep-fried until golden, crisp, and delicious. 

Choose between a sweet dipping sauce made from peanuts or a more savory option. Your dipping sauce changes the flavor profile. Do you want something more sweet or savory? That’s the awesome thing about taro; it lends itself to both. 

Best place to try phuek tod in Chiang Mai: Tue Ka Kho Na Prince

7. Khao Kha Mu

Across Southeast Asia, where the street food game is on a whole other level in itself, you will sometimes stumble upon a must-try dish because one street vendor has boosted it to new popularity heights. 

While stewed pork leg (khao kha mu/moo) is a very common Chiang Mai street food, there is one stall at the North Gate Market that brought it onto everyone’s radar. The owner/cook is known as the “cowboy hat lady.” 

Actually, during my first trip to Chiang Mai, I noticed this “Western” trend the city has got going on. There are even second-hand stores entirely dedicated to cowboy hats, boots, and leather jackets (which is amazing, by the way). 

It’s easy to locate this iconic street food vendor as Noi is always donning her cowboy hat!

Best place to try khao kha mu in Chiang Mai: Chang Phueak Pork Leg Rice 

8. Som Tam 

Olala, how I love som tam/som tum. I know that som tam is not just a beloved Chiang Mai street food, but one appreciated throughout Thailand. But I couldn’t resist adding it to this list. Moreover, it’s a very common side dish in Chiang Mai that often accompanies other street food curries, stews, and meats. I guess for its freshness. 

One popular way of eating som tam in Chiang Mai is with nam prik ong — a minced pork relish that makes me think of bolognese. 

Compared to even Bangkok, I feel like som tam is more of a regular foodie star over here in the north. It grows in abundance in Northeast Thailand, so this could be another reason why. 

It sounds super simple: some slivers of shredded green papaya, garlic, chopped long green beans, and tomatoes. These are all slightly pounded, which is also what releases flavor. But there’s just something so insanely moreish about this dish! And the light sauce (lime, palm sugar, and fish sauce) that drizzles over it, wow! In the North, many places add freshwater crab to the salad. 

Best place to try som tam in Chiang Mai: It‘s Good Kitchen (ครัวลำดี) and Som Tam Udon

9. Pa Thong Ko

If you thought eating dough on a stick was strange, just think about all the dough-only treats we consume in various cultures…Donuts, churros, jalebi, koeksisters… 

The Thai rendition is known as pa thong ko, and is nicknamed “Thai-style Chinese crullers.” Crullers are another type of deep-fried pastry… 

Some Chiang Mai street food vendors even shape theirs into cutesy characters, like dinosaurs. 

Dip into coffee, or even better, condensed milk! 

Best place to try pa thong ko in Chiang Mai: Gor Neng

Planning on spending a couple of days in Chiang Mai? Dive into our ultimate 3-day itinerary! Wondering where to grab brekkie during your time in the Northern capital city? Here are 10 lovely cafes to get your day going right. And if you’re heading further than Chiang Mai City to Pai, discover the top things to do in this hippy wonderland. 

Moving away from Chiang Mai, chances are you’re stopping over in Bangkok at some point. Whilst talking street food, discover the must-try street food in Bangkok. 

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