Home ›› Thai Food Online Blog ›› Thai Chilli Pastes: A Quick Guide with Recommendations
Although most people are introduced to it when preparing homemade Tom Yum Soup, chilli paste is one of the most versatile and popular condiments used in Thai cuisine. Thai chilli paste is well known for its rich shrimp flavour (a key ingredient for an authentic paste), fiery spice and sweet taste. This makes it perfect for use in anything between stir fries to salad dressing and of course as a dip. In this blog, we’re sharing a quick guide to Thai chilli paste, our recommendations and some delicious ways to make the most of this ingredient in your recipes!
Type of Chilli Paste
The general term of Thai chilli pastes is ‘Nam Prik’ and there a wide variety of chilli pastes available in Thailand such as Nam Prik Ta Daeng which is on the spicier side of Thai chilli pastes and Nam Prik Pla Too which is enriched with the flavours of Mackerel fish. Each chilli paste has its own distinct ingredient which makes it unique from others when eating and cooking. The two main types of Thai chilli pastes we’ll be talking about however are Nam Prik Pao and Nam Prik Pla Yang which are a lot more accessible and readily available in the west.
- Nam Prik Pao (นำ้พริกเผา)
The most popular Thai chilli paste and used widely in restaurants for stir fry recipes. This chilli paste is the most versatile in terms of adding to recipes, using as a dip or spreading in sandwiches or on toast. You can also find this at street food vendors across Thailand. Key ingredients within this chilli paste include garlic, shallots, palm sugar and roasted chillies.
- Nam Prik Pla Yang (น้ำพริกปลาย่าง)
Grilled or smoked fish is one of the key flavours of Nam Prik Pla Yang and includes fish varieties such as shortfin, lizardfish and anchovy from the added flavours of fish sauce. This chilli paste is more savoury in taste and pairs well with rice recipes and cooked vegetables.
Homemade or Ready to Use?
One thing to note is that chilli pastes are also commonly made from scratch in Thailand. So arguably with all the right ingredients you could make the less common chilli pastes yourself from scratch; and the beauty in this is the bold and explosive flavours that can be achieved, however, this isn’t always the most convenient way to enjoy chilli paste and when a recipe is already time-consuming, it’s great to find ready made options that help you save the effort.
Nam Prik Pao and Nam Prik Pla Yang are also popular across the west because of the way they compliment western palettes. They are more sensitive to lower heat tolerance levels and generally have sweeter, less fishy flavours compared to other varieties. Of course this depends on the specific chilli paste, they all differ slightly in terms of ingredient ratios which might suit various preferences. Some like their chilli paste sweeter, others prepare it to have a strong shrimp flavour. Below are some of our recommendations for which chilli paste to go for depending on your taste buds.
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Thai Chilli Paste Recommendations:
Mae Pranom - Nam Prik Pao (228g)- For an all-rounder
- Medium spice level with 10% dried chillies
- Has a delicious full bodied shrimp flavour without being too strong
- Good balance of ingredients to use flexibly in stir fries, soup, salads and spreading
Mae Ploy Chilli Paste in Oil (400g)- For a sweeter taste
- A sweeter and less spicy chilli paste with less than 5% chillies
- Lower fish content than most other Thai chilli pastes
- Great option to add to Asian soups or in Thai fruit based salads such as Pomelo Salad
Maesri Pla Yang Chilli Paste (200g)- For a spicy fish-flavours
- Infused with the distinct fish flavour
- Ideal for use in savoury recipes or paired with rice and vegetables
- High heat level with 22% dried chillies
6 Great Uses of Thai Chilli Paste
- Add them to Asian soups such as Thai Tom Yum, Korean dakgaejang or Chinese hot pots.
- Spread it into sandwiches or on toast, sweeter chilli pastes make a good alternative to chilli jam while savoury pastes make for good toast toppings combined with other ingredients.
- Use chilli pastes alone or with other dried spices to marinade meats
- Pla Yang chilli pastes are great for enhancing the flavour of fish as a marinade.
- Mix chilli pastes with avocado, mayonnaise or sour cream for a delicious dip
- Similar to marinating fish or meat, you can use chilli paste to add flavour to vegetables when roasting.
FAQs
The Best Chili Paste Substitutes And When To Use Them
- Ketchup and Ground Cayenne Pepper. This is probably the fastest and simplest make-at-home alternative to chili paste. ...
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (Or Any Pepper Flake Blend) ...
- Franks Red Hot Hot Sauce. ...
- Sambal Oelek. ...
- Gochujang. ...
- Spicy Tomato Paste. ...
- Canned Chipotle Peppers.
Type of Chilli Paste
The two main types of Thai chilli pastes we'll be talking about however are Nam Prik Pao and Nam Prik Pla Yang which are a lot more accessible and readily available in the west. The most popular Thai chilli paste and used widely in restaurants for stir fry recipes.
What is the famous Thai chilli paste? ›
Nam Prik Pao (thai chili paste) is a common ingredient used in Thai cooking. It is spicy and sweet, with rich flavors of roasted vegetables and is often enriched with shrimp. I've used it in recipes on this site, and it is so common that you might be able to easily find in a jar outside of Thailand.
How to use Thai chilli paste? ›
Here are some ways to use Thai chili paste:
- In a Thai salad, like in this wing bean salad (you can sub the wing beans with green beans).
- In a stir fry, like in this eggplant stir fry.
- In a soup, like in tom yum mentioned above, or even try adding it to tom kha gai, which isn't traditional, but it's pretty tasty.
Thai chiles: A thin-skinned chile typically found in red and green, popular in numerous Asian dishes. (Bird chile is the name of the dried form; drying the chile gives it the hook shape, similar to a bird's beak.) Substitution: Fresh or dried cayenne peppers or serrano chiles.
What is the difference between Thai chili and chile de arbol? ›
These chiles are a must in spicy Asian cuisines. Thai bird chile is sometimes mistaken for chile de árbol, which looks very similar but is a lot milder. To differentiate between the two, look at the tip: Thai bird chiles have pointed tips, while chiles de árbol are more rounded.
What are the different types of Thai paste? ›
At the basic level, Thai curry paste is simply a mixture of ground herbs and spices - and there are tons of varieties: red, green, yellow, massaman, panang, etc. They're also used in many dishes beyond Thai curries, such as this cauliflower stir fry and Thai fish cakes.
What is the most popular Thai chili? ›
The most popular chili used in Thai cuisine is prik kee noo suan. The name translates to "mouse-dropping chili" because of its tiny size, and the pepper is known to be one of the spiciest found in Thailand. They're used in tom yum soup, spicy salads, and green curry.
Which Thai chili is hotter red or green? ›
While our fresh large green Thai chillies have a similar appearance to the fresh large red, also being elongated, slender and also tapered at their non-stem end, the large green chillies are slightly more spicy with a SHU scale ranking of 1,500.
Is gochujang the same as Thai chili paste? ›
While they share some similarities, gochujang and Thai red chili paste have distinct flavors. Gochujang is thicker, fermented, and has a richer taste, while Thai red chili paste tends to be thinner and focuses on the heat. Substituting one for the other may alter the flavor profile of the dish.
What are the differences between green and red Thai curry paste? very popular. Red is made of sun dried chilies and green is made of green unripened chilies. There are also other types of curry paste: yellow curry paste, jungle curry (very spicy), curry Massaman.
How long is Thai chili paste good for? ›
How long does Thai chili paste last? When stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, homemade Thai chili paste can last for up to one month. Yes, but make sure to double-check the labeling of your store-bought sauces.
How do I use store bought Thai curry paste? ›
The most universal way to use Thai curry paste is to make a curry. With homemade or store-bought Thai curry paste (my family swears by Maesri brand), the first step to use the paste in a curry is to heat about one to two tablespoons of oil with about two tablespoons of curry paste.
Why add tomato paste to chilli? ›
Tomato paste is a great way to add bonus tomato flavor, and thickness, to a chili recipe. To get the best flavor it needs to be browned. Add a couple tablespoons (or a whole can if you want a thicker soup base) directly to the pan after cooking the meat and onions. Stir the paste occasionally to prevent burning.
What do you put chili paste on? ›
Stir chile paste directly into yogurt, sour cream, tahini, or mayonnaise for a quick chilled sauce. Mix with a little olive or good-quality vegetable oil and brush on fish, chicken, meat, vegetables, or tofu as they come off the grill. Stir a little into nut pastes for a spicy spread for toasted bread.
What can I use instead of Thai red paste? ›
Other Thai / Malaysian curry pastes such as, yellow curry, laksa or Massaman also work well as substitutes. Indian curry pastes including madras, korma and vindaloo can also be used. Just watch out as the intensity. Start with less than the recipe calls for and taste and add as needed.
Can I substitute gochujang for Thai chili paste? ›
While they share some similarities, gochujang and Thai red chili paste have distinct flavors. Gochujang is thicker, fermented, and has a richer taste, while Thai red chili paste tends to be thinner and focuses on the heat. Substituting one for the other may alter the flavor profile of the dish.
Is Thai Kitchen Roasted Red Chili Paste the same as gochujang? ›
Thai Chili Paste
While it may appear similar, it does have some notable differences from gochujang in terms of flavor. Most importantly, Thai chili paste is usually heavy on the garlic. Gochujang doesn't have any garlic, so you may want to avoid this alternative if your recipe is garlic-free.
Is chili sauce and chili paste the same thing? ›
Sometimes, chili sauces are prepared with red tomato as primary ingredients. Many chili sauces may have a thicker texture and viscosity when compared to that of hot sauces. Chili paste usually refers to a paste where the main ingredient is chili pepper.
