Thai cooking techniques for meat, fish and seafood
- InFusion
- 23 hours ago
- 8 min read
Understanding Thai cooking techniques for meat, fish and seafood
This article focuses on dishes where the main element is meat, fish or seafood and examines them through the lens of cooking techniques. These Thai cooking techniques for meat fish and seafood play a central role in the way meals are structured, since the chosen method determines texture, the composition of sauces and the overall balance of flavours. The aim is not to provide an exhaustive catalogue, but to show how a selection of representative recipes illustrates the use of these techniques in different regions of the country.
Six families of techniques are discussed here, deep frying, steaming, slow cooked dishes from Sino Thai traditions, braising and gentle heat cooking, dry heat cooking and grilling, and finally sausages, which form a distinct category because of their specific preparation methods and strong regional identity. These techniques complement those presented in our articles devoted to salads, curries, soups and stir fried dishes.
Deep frying in Thai cuisine
Deep frying holds a central place in many Thai dishes. It creates a crisp surface while keeping the flesh tender.
Fried chicken is perhaps the most representative example of this technique and one of the country’s most popular dishes. The meat is first marinated, with countless variations, although fish sauce, sugar, coriander seeds and roots, cumin, white pepper and garlic are commonly found. It is then coated in a light batter made from crispy flour or starch before being plunged into hot oil to produce a crisp skin that contrasts with the soft meat. Fried chicken is served with a dipping sauce made from sweet chillies. Although similar to certain fried snacks, it is considered a full meal because it is usually eaten with sticky rice. It is especially popular at breakfast time.
The same principle applies to fried fish. In this case, the fish is often fried whole, butterflied beforehand. Firm fish such as king mackerel are cut into thick slices, while small fish like sand fish are simply gutted and eaten whole.
There are several variations based on this frying technique. The basic principle remains the same. The fish may or may not be marinated or seasoned. It is then dusted lightly with flour before being immersed in hot oil. The aim is to achieve a very crisp texture, which means the fish is technically overcooked, although when the technique is applied correctly it does not become dry. Once cooked, the fish is served with a dipping sauce, as in the case of king mackerel fried with fish sauce, pla insee tod nam pla, a speciality of the South. Other recipes use a simple sauce that is poured over the fried fish, such as pla jian, which is served with a sweet and sour sauce made from ginger and tamarind.
In some cases the technique becomes hybrid. The fish is cut into bite sized pieces, fried, then briefly stir fried with other ingredients. In the popular family of recipes known as pla sam rot, fish with three flavours, the dish may be prepared either with a whole fried fish topped with sauce, or with bite sized pieces that are fried then mixed or quickly stir fried with the sauce.
Steaming
Steaming plays an important role in Thai cuisine and is used for many preparations, from starters to desserts.
For fish and seafood, it helps maintain a tender texture. This technique relies on short cooking times and on seasoning added either after steaming or directly onto the ingredients so that the flesh absorbs the flavours gently without being altered.
One of the most emblematic dishes in this category is steamed fish with lime, pla neung manao. The fish is steamed for a few minutes, often with spring onion and ginger, which lightly perfume the flesh. Once cooked, it is covered with a mixture of lime juice, fish sauce, garlic and fresh chillies. Poured over the hot fish, this dressing creates a refreshing balance of acidity, saltiness and aromatic heat.
Steaming is less common for meat, although it does exist. An example is steamed herb chicken, kai muang neung samun prai, a particularly interesting recipe from Northern Thailand. The whole chicken is first rubbed with a chilli paste, a portion of which is also placed inside the cavity. The chicken is then steamed with a bowl placed underneath to collect the cooking juices. Once cooked, the chilli paste inside the chicken is mixed with these juices and served with the chicken as a spiced sauce.
These two recipes illustrate the versatility of steaming in Thai cuisine.
Slow cooked dishes in Sino Thai traditions
Slow cooking occupies a marginal place in contemporary Thai cuisine. Most Thai dishes rely on fast cooking methods and when a slow cooked preparation appears, it usually reflects external influences, particularly Sino Thai traditions.
These influences are presented in more detail in our article dedicated to Sino Thai cuisine.
The best known example is moo palo. This dish combines pork belly, marinated hard boiled eggs, cinnamon, star anise, shiitake, sugar and both light and dark soy sauce. The slow cooking process produces tender meat and a concentrated, aromatic sauce. Although it is not part of ancient Thai culinary tradition, the dish is now common throughout the country.
Stewed pork hock, khao kha moo, follows the same principle. The meat cooks slowly in a broth flavoured with galangal, garlic, cardamom and shiitake. The final reduction of the broth creates a sauce rich in umami, similar to preparations found in sinicised cuisines of East Asia. As with moo palo, this dish is not representative of most Thai culinary practices but has become part of modern home cooking.
In both cases these dishes are served with rice. For khao kha moo, a sour and spicy dipping sauce is often served alongside the meat.
Beyond these emblematic examples, few Thai dishes rely on slow cooking except for certain soups or curries whose ingredients require longer cooking times. This includes recipes made with kai baan, a firm textured free range chicken, or certain regional dishes such as mackerel simmered in a sweet and salty reduction, pla tu tom wan, from the Central Plain, and spiced braised pork, chin hum, from the North.
Braising and gentle heat cooking
Braising is used to enhance cuts that are naturally firmer and require a long cooking time to become tender. Beef is not widely used in Thailand, but certain pork cuts lend themselves particularly well to this method. Pork ribs are a good example. They are first seared over high heat until evenly coloured, then combined with aromatic and moist ingredients such as onions and a balance of sweet and salty seasonings, as in caramelised pork. The cooking then continues, covered, until the meat becomes tender.
Other techniques combine an initial sear over high heat with very gentle cooking in a covered pot, without adding liquid. A good example is pork tenderloin with lime, moo manao. This recipe is especially interesting because its method varies depending on the main ingredient. The steamed version uses fish, pla neung manao, while the grilled version uses squid, pla muek yang manao. For pork tenderloin, the meat is cooked on its own over gentle heat to preserve its tenderness, then served with a sour, sweet and spicy sauce made from garlic, chilli, lime and fish sauce.
A third group of recipes begins with a quick sear, followed by gentle cooking with added liquid in an uncovered pot. The most emblematic example comes from Southern Thailand. This is moo oong, a Sino Thai speciality from Phuket. Sliced pork belly is marinated with herbs, spices, sugar and soy sauce, then seared over high heat until lightly caramelised. Liquid is then added and the dish is cooked very gently until the liquid has evaporated and the meat becomes soft and flavourful.
Dry heat cooking and grilling
Crispy pork belly is the most emblematic illustration of dry heat cooking. To prepare this immensely popular dish, the meat is first boiled to relax the fibres and begin the cooking process. It is then dried, ideally in the sun in a well ventilated place, which prepares the skin to crisp. The pork is then roasted at a moderate temperature so that the fat melts gradually while the rind firms up and turns golden. This produces the distinctive texture of very crisp skin over tender meat. The pork belly is then served on its own or incorporated into other dishes, such as stir fried preparations. Traditionally the dish was cooked in large clay jars, which provided steady, even heat. This method still exists today although it is far less common.
Grilling is used in every region of Thailand and applies equally to fish, seafood and meat. Among the most representative regional dishes are grilled river prawns from Ayutthaya, kung maenam yang, from the Central Plain. The prawns are split lengthwise and grilled only on the shell side so that the flesh cooks gently without drying out. Another popular example comes from Isan, grilled pork shoulder, ko mu yang. Here the pork is marinated before cooking with a mixture of sweet and salty seasonings and milk. From the North come more enigmatic preparations, such as the family known as "ep", in which animal proteins, whether fish, very young frogs, tiny freshwater shrimp, minced pork or even pork brain, are mixed with a chilli paste and grilled in banana leaf parcels.
No overview of Thai grilling would be complete without mentioning salt crusted grilled fish, pla pao, a true icon of Thai street food found across the country. Freshwater fish such as grey or pink tilapia are typically used. The fish is gutted through the gills, and herbs such as lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves are inserted through the mouth and pushed down into the abdomen. The fish is then covered with a mixture of salt and flour and grilled. The salt crust allows the fish to cook while remaining very moist.
Sausages
Sausages form a distinct family within Thai cuisine. They are defined less by a single cooking method than by the composition of the filling, the use of natural casings or banana leaves, and their strong regional identities.
The Chiang Mai sausage, sai ua, is essential for anyone wishing to discover the culinary culture of Northern Thailand. It is made from minced pork mixed with a chilli paste that can range from simple to highly complex, depending on local variations, along with aromatic herbs such as finely sliced kaffir lime leaves. The sausage is traditionally grilled, although baking is increasingly common.
The Isan sausage, sai krok isan, typical of the Northeast, combines minced pork, garlic, cooked rice and fish sauce. The mixture is packed into casings and then baked or grilled. Its flavour depends on a simple balance of garlic, white pepper and a touch of sugar. It is always served with fresh ginger, cabbage and chillies.
Fermented sausage, nem moo, also from Isan, follows a different process. The filling, made from minced pork, cooked sticky rice and garlic, is wrapped in banana leaves and left to ferment for several days. This short fermentation creates a natural acidity that defines the preparation. Nem can be eaten on its own, incorporated into salads or used as an ingredient in stir fried dishes.
Further exploration
To deepen your understanding of the techniques presented here, you can consult our book Meat, Fish and chilli sauce, which brings together several of the recipes mentioned in this article. Regional variations are covered in dedicated blog articles and recipe books.
If you would like to explore these techniques through hands on practice, our Thai cooking classes on Koh Samui offer the opportunity to work with deep frying, steaming, grilling and slow cooked preparations through a wide selection of traditional dishes.
For preparations based on stir frying techniques, which are not covered in this article, you can read our dedicated article on stir fried dishes in Thai cuisine. This completes the overview of cooking methods used for meat, fish and seafood.
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