30-Minute Chicken Laksa Recipe: Flavorful Coconut Noodle Soup

This quick chicken laksa is a fragrant, spicy soup with tender chicken, noodles and a rich coconut broth flavored by laksa paste, lemongrass, ginger and garlic. Topped with fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime, it balances heat, creaminess and depth of flavour. Ready in under 20 minutes!

“Have made this a number of times — well pleased with the results, thanks Brett”

– Brett

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Close up picture of some quick chicken laksa in a dark bowl, topped with crispy onions, chilli crisp and fresh coriander.

Nicky’s Notes

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Laksa is a richly spiced, aromatic soup and one of my favourite comfort dishes. This quick version is packed with shredded chicken, noodles and beansprouts, making it a satisfying weeknight dinner.

To speed things up I use store-bought laksa paste and rotisserie chicken — both save time while still delivering great flavour. If you prefer, you can use leftover roast chicken and homemade stock for a deeper taste.

I also have a slightly more involved seafood laksa where I make the paste from scratch; that version still only takes around 30 minutes.

Table of Contents

  • Nicky’s Notes
  • 📋 Ingredients for Chicken Laksa
  • 🧑‍🍳 Abbreviated Recipe
  • Pro Tips
  • 🍽️ Serving Suggestions
  • 📺 Watch how to make it
  • Quick Chicken Laksa Recipe
  • 🍲 More Amazing Soup recipes

📋 Ingredients for Chicken Laksa

Full recipe with quantities is provided in the recipe card below.

Ingredients for quick chicken laksa on a wooden chopping board.

If you have time, leftover roast chicken and homemade stock make an excellent base. For a quicker version, good-quality store-bought laksa paste, rotisserie chicken and stock cubes mixed with water deliver wonderful results without a long prep time.

The Laksa Paste

I recommend using an authentic Malaysian, Singaporean, Indonesian or Thai laksa paste for the most authentic flavour. These pastes tend to be more flavourful than generic supermarket jars. You can also make your own paste if you prefer — see my seafood laksa recipe for a homemade option.


🧑‍🍳 Abbreviated Recipe

Fry the aromatics, stir in the laksa paste, then add coconut milk and chicken stock to form a fragrant broth. Add shredded chicken, cooked noodles and beansprouts to heat through, then serve with fresh toppings.

Pro Tips

  • Choose a good-quality laksa paste for depth of flavour. Authentic Malaysian, Singaporean or Thai brands usually deliver the best results.
Overhead picture of a black textured bowl full of chicken laksa topped with some chilli crisp and a sprinkling of fresh coriander and some lime wedges and an orange linen cloth in the foreground.

The aroma while this cooks is wonderful — warm, spicy and inviting.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

I like to finish laksa with a variety of toppings to add texture and brightness.

The toppings to go onto a chicken laksa soup all sat on a wooden chopping board

Typical toppings for this quick chicken laksa:

  • Fresh coriander (cilantro)
  • Chilli crisp in chilli oil
  • Crispy fried onions
  • Fresh lime wedges

It’s so tasty I always make extra paste on hand. Enjoy this comforting, quick laksa whenever you need a fast, flavourful meal.

Close up picture of some black chopsticks picking up some chicken and noodles from a bowl full of chicken laksa soup.

📺 Watch how to make it

Overhead picture of a black textured bowl full of chicken laksa topped with chilli crisp and coriander.
5 from 4 votes

Quick Chicken Laksa Recipe

By Nicky Corbishley
This quick chicken laksa is a fragrant and spicy soup with tender chicken, noodles and a rich coconut broth. Ready in about 20 minutes.
Prep Time:
5 mins
Cook Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
20 mins
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Asian, Malaysian, Singaporean, Thai, Indonesian

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 tsp ginger paste
  • 1 tsp lemongrass paste
  • 1 small red chilli, finely chopped (adjust to taste)
  • 1 tsp fish sauce
  • 200 g (7 oz) laksa paste
  • 400 ml full-fat coconut milk
  • 300 ml chicken stock
  • 1 small cooked rotisserie chicken, meat shredded (about 480 g / 1 lb)
  • 300 g cooked fresh vermicelli noodles
  • 200 g fresh beansprouts
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice (to taste)

To serve

  • Fresh coriander (cilantro)
  • Fresh lime wedges
  • Chilli crisp in chilli oil
  • Crispy fried onions

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat.
  • Add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass paste, chopped chilli and fish sauce. Fry, stirring, for about 2 minutes.
  • Stir in the laksa paste and fry for a further 2–3 minutes until fragrant.
  • Add the coconut milk and chicken stock, stir together, then increase the heat and bring to a boil.
  • Add the shredded chicken, cooked noodles, beansprouts and lime juice.
  • Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring or tossing, until everything is heated through.
  • Turn off the heat and divide between four bowls. Top with fresh coriander, lime wedges, chilli crisp and crispy onions. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

I recommend using a good-quality authentic laksa paste for the best flavour. Nutritional information below is approximate per portion (recipe serves 4).

Nutrition

Calories: 640 kcal |
Carbohydrates: 40 g |
Protein: 41 g |
Fat: 34 g |
Saturated Fat: 21 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.

Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!

This quick chicken laksa recipe was first posted in Feb 2024 and has been updated since with improvements.

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