Spicy Keto Thai Chicken Soup
Published June 20, 2020 • Updated June 22, 2026
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I started making this keto Thai chicken soup for camping trips and now it's how I make it at home too. Steam the chicken and vegetables in a foil packet, pour it all into a coconut milk bone broth, and you have a full bowl in about 15 minutes.
I came up with this method on a camping trip a few years ago. I needed something hot, filling, and easy to clean up, so I threw diced chicken thighs and vegetables into a foil packet and grilled it. When I poured the steamed contents into coconut milk broth, the flavor was better than anything I’d made on the stovetop. The enclosed steam keeps the chicken thighs tender and juicy in a way that simmering in a pot just doesn’t.
Now I make it this way every time, even at home. The foil packet does all the heavy work. You get perfectly cooked chicken, wilted spinach, and softened zucchini without a single pot to scrub afterward. If you like Thai-inspired keto meals, try my Thai chicken salad for a cold version of that same flavor profile.
The heat level is real. Thai chilies and chili garlic sauce inside a sealed foil packet concentrate the spice more than you’d expect. I like it that way, but if you’re sensitive to heat, start with one chili instead of two or three. You can always add red pepper flakes at the table.
This is one of the few low carb soups I make that works just as well outdoors as it does in my kitchen. The foil packets travel well in a cooler, the broth heats up in a small pot over any heat source, and cleanup is basically crumpling up foil. If you’re into grilling chicken, my keto grilled chicken tenders use a similar high-heat approach. And if you want another bowl-style meal, the keto ramen scratches that same itch on cold nights.
For garnishes, I squeeze a lime wedge over the top and throw on some fresh cilantro. Chopped peanuts add a nice crunch if you have the carb room. A few thin slices of Thai chili on top look great and add one more layer of heat.
One thing I want to mention: if you’ve never tried foil packet cooking, don’t press the foil down tight onto the food. Leave a gap inside for steam to circulate. That air pocket is what cooks everything evenly. Fold the top and sides snugly but loosely. My buffalo chicken stuffed avocados are another good option when you want bold flavor without a complicated method.
Ingredients
1/3 cup caulifower rice -
2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced
-
salt & pepper
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1 cup baby spinach leaves
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1/2 cup zucchini sliced into half moon shapes
-
1/4 cup carrots, julienned
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2-3 thai chile peppers or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
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2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
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1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
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1/2 cup chicken broth
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat grill
Preheat grill to high (about 400 to 500 degrees). If using an oven, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Lay down foil
To a double-lined sheet of foil, lay down cauliflower rice into the center. Add diced chicken thighs on top and season with salt and pepper.
Make a foil pack
Top with remaining vegetables, seasoning and chili garlic sauce.
Fold the pack
Bring the long edges of the foil to meet at the center and fold a crease together at the top and roll down, but do not press the foil all the way down onto the food. Leave a gap inside the foil for air to circulate around the food. Fold in the sides to the top.
Grill
Grill over direct high heat or bake at 400 degrees until chicken is no longer pink and cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Make soup
Heat 1/2 cup of coconut milk and 1/2 cup chicken bone broth in the microwave or over the stovetop until warmed through.
Pour over grill vegetables
Once the chicken foil pack is done cooking, remove from the grill and pour contents of the foil pack into the coconut milk broth. Stir and enjoy!
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Does this work on a campfire, or does it need a grill?
I've made it both ways. A campfire works fine as long as you have a grate to set the foil packet on. The heat is less consistent than a grill, so I give it a few extra minutes and check the chicken before pulling it off. One of my readers pulled his packet at 12 minutes on a hot grill and the thighs were already falling apart, so the 15-minute mark has some buffer built in. For the broth, I just heat it in a small pot next to the fire. This is genuinely one of my favorite keto camping meals.
Can I make the foil packets ahead and cook them at camp?
I do this every time I go camping. I assemble the foil packets at home with the diced chicken, cauliflower rice, vegetables, and chili garlic sauce, then keep them in the cooler until I'm ready to cook. They hold up fine for 1-2 days. I pack the broth packets separately and heat the broth on-site while the foil packets grill. Cuts my camp cooking time down to basically just waiting.
Can I freeze the broth without the chicken and vegetables?
I freeze the coconut milk broth by itself all the time. It holds up well for about 3 months in a freezer-safe container. I don't freeze it with the vegetables because the spinach and zucchini get mushy after thawing. When I want to meal prep, I'll make a big batch of the broth, freeze it in portions, then assemble fresh foil packets the day I want to eat. Thaw the broth overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove.
What garnishes work well on top?
My usual finish is a lime wedge squeezed over the top and a handful of fresh cilantro. I also like chopped peanuts for crunch when I have the carb budget. Thinly sliced Thai chilies on top look great and add more heat. A drizzle of sesame oil is another option I reach for sometimes. If you like that garnish style, my sesame chicken salad uses a similar finish.
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
I've made it with breast and it works, but you have to watch the timing more closely. Thighs stay juicy in the foil packet because the steam and the fat content protect them. Breast can dry out if you go past 15 minutes. I pull breast packets at 12-13 minutes and check with a thermometer. If you like working with chicken breast, my bacon wrapped chicken tenders are another way I keep lean cuts moist.
How do I tone down the heat?
I love the heat level as written, but my husband doesn't. When I make it for both of us, I skip the Thai chilies in his packet and only use 1 teaspoon of chili garlic sauce instead of 2. The coconut milk broth mellows things out naturally, so even the regular version isn't as aggressive as it sounds. You can always add red pepper flakes at the table if you want more.
Can I make this entirely on the stovetop?
I've done it on the stovetop when I didn't want to fire up the grill. Dice the chicken, sear it in a pan until cooked through, then add the vegetables and let them soften for a few minutes. Pour in the broth and simmer for 5 minutes. It works, but I'll be honest, the flavor isn't quite the same. The foil packet concentrates the chili garlic sauce and steams everything together in a way that a pan can't replicate. If you want a soup you can do entirely on the stove, my keto bread bowl is built for that.
Now that summer is finally here and camping season is underway, I figured I should share a solid camping recipe. To make a foil packet, pile all the ingredients into a double lined sheet of foil (or use heavy duty aluminum foil), wrap them up, and place on hot coals in the campfire or on a grill. Don’t place the packets directly on flames or you’ll burn your food!
The nice thing about foil packets is that they’re easy to assemble and require almost no pots or pans. Everything goes into a sheet of aluminum foil and cooks on the grill or in the oven.
You can prep the spicy chicken and vegetables ahead of time, which makes meal prep easy – especially for a camping trip. Assemble your foil packet ahead of time and place in a Ziploc bag, or just put all the ingredients in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator or cooler until ready to cook.
The Thai coconut bone broth soup is ready to prepare as well. Power Provisions soups are ready-to-cook and come in a convenient to-go cup that only takes about a cup of hot water.
I do Sunday meal prep and this is exactly what I want in rotation. Can I assemble the foil packets the night before and refrigerate til I'm ready to grill, or does the cauliflower rice get weird sitting with raw chicken overnight? Or would it just be easier to cook everything Sunday and reheat through the week?
I've found cauliflower rice doesn't get soggy in the packet.
broth is unreal, cauliflower rice needs to double
Pre-portion the foil packets before you leave the house, this thing presents beautifully tableside. Brought it to a backyard dinner last Friday and watching people pour the broth out of the foil into their own bowls converted the skeptics faster than anything I've served lately. Four stars because three Thai chiles is a real commitment and I forgot to warn anyone.
8g carbs. Brought it to a cookout, outlasted the burgers.
8g and it outlasted the burgers. That's the whole review.
Ha, yeah. Two people texted me asking for the recipe before we even got home.
Third time making this in the last month. I keep coming back to it on hot days when I don't want to heat up the kitchen (I know, soup in summer, but the spice makes it work). The foil packet on the grill is my favorite part, everything steams together and when you pour it into the coconut broth it just comes together. Been adding an extra Thai chile each time and I think I've finally landed on my heat level. Trying it with the full bone broth package next time instead of the sub.
The full packet is worth it. The sub works but you lose some of the Thai spice depth that's already built in. And the extra chile thing, I keep thinking I've landed too and then I go one more.
I grew up eating Thai food every Friday night and genuinely thought that part of my life was over when I went keto. Made this with the Power Provisions broth last week and it tasted like something I hadn't had in two years. Already planning a double batch.
Two years without Friday night Thai is a long time. Power Provisions holds up well in this one. Freeze the broth separately when you do the double batch, it keeps for about 3 months.
Was skeptical about cooking soup in a foil packet but the chicken comes out way juicier than my usual Thai soup. The chili garlic sauce steaming into everything made a real difference. Nothing else I've tried for a quick Thai fix has come close.
The camping workaround that ended up being the actual best method. Chicken thighs in there basically can't dry out.
Every keto Thai soup I've tried came out watery, but this one actually has depth. I'd go heavier on the chiles next time though.
Yeah, 3 chiles and extra chili garlic sauce at the end. The broth picks up heat fast once the foil packet opens.
My husband has a nightshade sensitivity so both the chile peppers and chili garlic sauce are out. Is there anything that would give this similar depth, or will it just taste like plain coconut chicken soup?
Fish sauce covers most of what the chili garlic sauce contributes, and white pepper has real heat without the nightshade problem. Bump up the ginger too. Different, but not boring.
I prep the foil packets uncooked on Sunday, then just grill fresh batches all week.
Three or four days in the fridge raw and they're fine. Grilling fresh beats reheating every time.
My 10-year-old is the world's most suspicious eater, so when I said 'Thai soup for dinner' he immediately started negotiating his way out of the kitchen. He ate the whole bowl without a word, then looked up and said 'that's not soup, that's like... a whole thing.' No idea what he meant but I'll take it. I'd never cooked chicken in a foil packet before and it came out so soft it was practically dissolving into the broth when I poured everything in. I used red pepper flakes instead of Thai chiles because that's what I had, and it still had enough heat that my nose was running by the end (not complaining). Going back in the rotation next week. Thinking about taking it camping since apparently that's what it was designed for.
'That's not soup, that's like... a whole thing.' I want that on a shirt. For camping, assemble the foil packets at home, keep them in the cooler, and cook on a grate when you get there.
I've tried at least four or five keto Thai soups over the past year and kept hitting the same wall (watery broth, rubbery chicken). The foil packet step here is what makes the difference. Everything steams together before it hits the broth and the chicken comes out actually tender instead of just cooked. Taking off one star because I couldn't track down the Power Provisions broth and used the coconut milk plus chicken broth sub instead, but even that version beat everything else I've made.
The foil packet is what I keep coming back to. For the sub, add a splash of fish sauce and a squeeze of lime to the broth and it gets a lot closer to the packet version.
Swapped the Thai chile peppers for sambal oelek and it fixed the heat distribution problem I've had with every Thai soup I've made. Whole chiles give you random spicy bites and then flat broth, but sambal integrates completely, so there's this steady building heat all the way through. I also threw the chili garlic sauce into the foil packet the night before to let it work into the chicken and vegetables, and the depth of flavor on a 15-minute soup is genuinely impressive. Four stars until I track down the Power Provisions broth.
The even heat thing is real. Whole chiles give you one spicy bite and then flat broth. Sambal makes so much more sense.
Overnight foil packet is happening next time I make this.
Went with dried Thai chiles instead of fresh, crushed them right into the foil pack before sealing, and the slow-release heat while it steams is noticeably different. Second batch I hit the broth with a small splash of fish sauce right at the end and it pulled everything into focus.
Fish sauce is in my notes for the homemade broth swap but I probably should put it in the main recipe. Haven't tried dried crushed, only whole.