7 Authentic Cambodian Dinner Recipes
Bold Flavors. Ancient Traditions. The Hidden Gem of Southeast Asian Cuisine.
Cambodian cuisine is one of Southeast Asia’s best kept secrets a rich, aromatic, and deeply satisfying food culture that has been shaped by centuries of tradition, royal palace cooking, and the incredible natural abundance of the Mekong River and Tonle Sap lake.
These 7 authentic recipes bring the soul of Cambodian cooking into your kitchen each one explained clearly, cooked with love, and absolutely worth every moment at the stove.
See Also: Microwave Dinner Ideas
Amok Trey (Cambodian Fish Curry Steamed in Banana Leaf)
Prep: 25 min | Cook: 25 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Medium
Cambodia’s most iconic and beloved dish — silky, custard-like fish curry steamed in fragrant banana leaf cups with a deeply aromatic kroeung spice paste, coconut milk, and fresh herbs. Amok is considered the national dish of Cambodia and is served at every celebration and family gathering. The texture is unlike any other curry — light, mousse-like, and utterly extraordinary.
Ingredients
- For the kroeung paste: 3 stalks lemongrass, white part only + 4 kaffir lime leaves + 3 dried red chilies, soaked + 4 garlic cloves + 3 shallots + 1 tsp galangal, chopped + 1 tsp turmeric powder + 1 tsp shrimp paste
- For the amok: 600g firm white fish fillets (catfish or snapper), sliced + 400ml coconut milk + 2 eggs + 2 tbsp fish sauce + 1 tbsp palm sugar + 1 cup fresh spinach or noni leaves + banana leaves for cups (or use ramekins)
- Fresh kaffir lime leaves, red chili, and coconut cream to top
Instructions
Make the kroeung paste by blending lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, soaked chilies, garlic, shallots, galangal, turmeric, and shrimp paste with a splash of water into a very smooth, fragrant paste. A traditional stone mortar produces the best texture but a blender works well.
Combine kroeung paste with coconut milk, eggs, fish sauce, and palm sugar. Whisk until completely smooth and well combined. Fold in the fish slices gently so they are coated but not broken up.
Shape banana leaves into cup forms by folding and securing with toothpicks. Line each cup with spinach or noni leaves. Ladle the fish mixture into each cup, filling three-quarters full.
Steam over boiling water for 20–25 minutes until the mixture is set and firm like a soft custard. Top with a spoonful of thick coconut cream, sliced kaffir lime leaves, and a strip of red chili. Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice.
Pro Tip: The eggs are what give amok its distinctive custard-like texture — do not reduce or skip them. The mixture should look like a thin, fragrant batter before steaming and firm up beautifully in the steam.
Samlor Korko (Cambodian Stirring Soup)
Prep: 20 min | Cook: 40 min | Serves: 4–6 | Difficulty: Medium
Samlor Korko — literally meaning stirring soup — is one of Cambodia’s oldest and most deeply traditional dishes. It is a hearty, nourishing soup of mixed vegetables, fish, pork, and a distinctive roasted rice powder that gives it a uniquely nutty, slightly thick consistency. Every family has their own version and every version is delicious.
Ingredients
- 300g pork spare ribs or pork belly, cut into pieces
- 200g catfish or any firm fish, cut into chunks
- 2 cups mixed vegetables: green papaya, eggplant, pumpkin, green beans — all cut into chunks
- 1 cup banana blossom, sliced (optional but traditional)
- 3 tbsp toasted rice powder (dry roast raw rice in a pan until golden, then grind)
- For the kroeung: 2 lemongrass stalks + 3 kaffir lime leaves + 3 shallots + 3 garlic cloves + 1 tsp galangal + 1 tsp turmeric — blended to a paste
- 2 tbsp prahok (Cambodian fermented fish paste) or fish sauce
- 1 tbsp palm sugar
- Fresh Vietnamese mint and Thai basil to serve
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add pork and simmer for 15 minutes, skimming any foam that rises to the surface.
Add the kroeung paste and prahok to the pot. Stir well — this is where the name stirring soup comes from, as the paste must be stirred through properly. Cook 5 minutes.
Add the harder vegetables first — green papaya and pumpkin — and cook 10 minutes. Add eggplant, green beans, and banana blossom and cook another 8 minutes.
Add fish pieces in the last 5 minutes of cooking so they remain tender. Stir in toasted rice powder and palm sugar. The rice powder will slightly thicken the broth and add a beautiful nutty depth. Adjust seasoning with fish sauce or prahok and salt. Serve in deep bowls with fresh herbs and steamed rice.
Pro Tip: Toasting and grinding the rice powder fresh makes a significant difference — pre-packaged versions work but freshly ground toasted rice has a far more fragrant and nutty character that defines this soup.
Lok Lak (Cambodian Shaking Beef)
Prep: 20 min + marinate | Cook: 15 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy
One of Cambodia’s most popular and beloved everyday dishes — tender cubes of beef marinated in a savory sauce, flash-fried at high heat until caramelized and sizzling, served over a bed of fresh tomatoes, lettuce, and red onion with a tangy Cambodian lime and pepper dipping sauce. Fast, bold, and endlessly satisfying.
Ingredients
- For the beef: 600g beef tenderloin or sirloin, cut into 3cm cubes + 2 tbsp oyster sauce + 1 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tbsp fish sauce + 1 tsp sugar + 4 garlic cloves, minced + 1 tbsp vegetable oil + black pepper
- For the dipping sauce: juice of 3 limes + 1 tsp Kampot black pepper, coarsely ground + 1 tsp salt + 1 tsp sugar — mixed together
- To serve: shredded iceberg lettuce + 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced + 1 red onion, thinly sliced + steamed rice or a fried egg on top
Instructions
Combine beef cubes with oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, oil, and a generous amount of black pepper. Toss well and marinate for at least 30 minutes — up to 2 hours in the fridge for deeper flavor.
Arrange shredded lettuce, tomato slices, and red onion on a large serving plate. Set aside. Make the dipping sauce by combining lime juice, Kampot black pepper, salt, and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves.
Heat a wok or heavy skillet over the highest possible heat until smoking. Add beef in a single layer — do not crowd the pan. Let it sear without moving for 60 seconds to build a deep crust, then shake and toss the pan vigorously for another 2 minutes. The beef should be charred on the outside and still slightly pink inside.
Tip the sizzling beef directly over the prepared salad base. Serve immediately with the lime pepper dipping sauce on the side and steamed rice or a runny fried egg placed on top of the beef.
Pro Tip: The signature move of lok lak is cooking the beef over the absolute highest heat possible and actually shaking the pan — this gives the dish its name and creates that essential caramelized crust. A medium flame produces stewed, gray beef, not lok lak.
Bai Sach Chrouk (Cambodian Pork and Rice)
Prep: 15 min + marinate | Cook: 15 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Very Easy
The dish that every Cambodian grows up eating — thinly sliced pork marinated in coconut milk and garlic, grilled slowly over charcoal until caramelized and fragrant, served over broken rice with a fresh cucumber pickle and a clear ginger broth on the side. Simple beyond measure, perfect beyond expectation. This is Cambodia’s soul food.
Ingredients
- For the pork: 600g pork shoulder or pork neck, sliced very thinly + 4 tbsp coconut milk + 4 garlic cloves, minced + 2 tbsp sugar + 1 tbsp fish sauce + 1 tbsp soy sauce + salt and pepper
- For the cucumber pickle: 1 large cucumber, thinly sliced + 2 tbsp rice vinegar + 1 tbsp sugar + 1 tsp salt + 1 red chili, sliced
- To serve: 2 cups broken jasmine rice, cooked + fresh ginger broth (simmer water with sliced ginger, salt, and a little fish sauce) + sliced spring onions + fried shallots
Instructions
Combine pork slices with coconut milk, garlic, sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix well to coat every piece. Marinate for at least 1 hour — overnight produces the most flavor.
Make the cucumber pickle by tossing cucumber with rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and red chili. Stir until sugar dissolves and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
Grill the marinated pork over charcoal or on a hot griddle pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes per side. The sugar in the marinade will caramelize into a gorgeous golden glaze — watch carefully so it caramelizes without burning.
Serve over broken jasmine rice with cucumber pickle on the side, a small bowl of clear ginger broth, sliced spring onions, and crispy fried shallots scattered generously over the top.
Pro Tip: Broken rice jasmine rice that has been intentionally broken into smaller pieces during milling is traditional for this dish and absorbs the pork juices and broth differently than whole grain rice. Look for it in Asian grocery stores or use regular jasmine rice as a substitute.
Samlor Machu Trey (Cambodian Sour Fish Soup)
Prep: 15 min | Cook: 25 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy
A bright, tangy, deeply aromatic sour soup that is one of the everyday staples of Cambodian home cooking — fresh fish simmered in a fragrant tamarind and lemongrass broth with tomatoes, pineapple, and bean sprouts. Light yet deeply satisfying, this soup is the taste of a Cambodian family kitchen on any given evening.
Ingredients
- 600g whole fish or fish fillets (catfish, tilapia, or snapper)
- 3 tbsp tamarind paste dissolved in 1 cup warm water
- 1 litre water or light fish stock
- 2 lemongrass stalks, bruised
- 3 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
- 2 ripe tomatoes, quartered
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 2 shallots, halved
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- Fresh cilantro, Thai basil, and sliced red chili to garnish
- Steamed rice to serve
Instructions
Bring water or fish stock to a boil in a large pot. Add lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and shallots. Simmer for 10 minutes to build an aromatic base.
Add tamarind water, fish sauce, and sugar. Stir and taste — the broth should be tangy, slightly sweet, and deeply fragrant. Adjust balance with more tamarind for sourness, more sugar for sweetness, or more fish sauce for saltiness.
Add pineapple and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add fish pieces and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes until just cooked through — do not boil vigorously or the fish will break apart.
Add bean sprouts right at the end and cook just 1 minute so they retain their crunch. Serve immediately in deep bowls over steamed rice with fresh cilantro, Thai basil, and sliced red chili on top.
Pro Tip: The balance of sour, sweet, and salty is the heart of this soup — taste as you go and adjust each element gradually. Cambodian sour soup should have a bright, assertive tanginess with sweetness underneath, not just a flat sour flavor.
Nhoam Svay Kroeung Sach Ko (Cambodian Green Mango Beef Salad)
Prep: 25 min | Cook: 10 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy
A vibrant, crunchy, explosively flavorful Cambodian salad of shredded green mango, tender sliced beef, fresh herbs, roasted peanuts, and a deeply savory-sweet dressing. This dish perfectly captures the Cambodian love of layering textures and contrasting flavors in a single bowl — refreshing, bold, and completely addictive.
Ingredients
- For the salad: 300g beef sirloin, grilled and thinly sliced + 2 green mangoes, peeled and julienned + 1 large carrot, julienned + ½ red onion, very thinly sliced + large handful fresh mint + large handful fresh cilantro + large handful Thai basil + ½ cup roasted peanuts, roughly crushed + 2 tbsp fried shallots + 2 tbsp fried garlic
- For the dressing: 3 tbsp fish sauce + 3 tbsp lime juice + 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar + 2 garlic cloves, minced + 1–2 red chilies, finely sliced
Instructions
Make the dressing first by combining fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, garlic, and chili. Stir until sugar fully dissolves. Taste and adjust — it should be tangy, salty, sweet, and spicy in equal measure.
Season beef with salt and pepper and grill over high heat for 2–3 minutes per side. Rest for 5 minutes then slice very thinly against the grain.
Combine julienned green mango, carrot, and red onion in a large bowl. Add the fresh herbs and toss gently.
Pour dressing over the salad and toss well to coat everything. Add sliced beef on top. Finish with crushed roasted peanuts, fried shallots, and fried garlic scattered generously over the entire bowl. Serve immediately.
Pro Tip: Green mango should be firmly unripe — the crunch and acidity of unripe mango is completely essential to this dish. A ripe mango will be too sweet and soft and will not hold its texture in the dressing.
Kuy Teav (Cambodian Pork Noodle Soup)
Prep: 20 min | Cook: 1.5 hrs | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Medium
Cambodia’s most beloved breakfast and late-night comfort bowl — a crystal-clear, deeply savory pork bone broth poured over rice noodles and topped with tender sliced pork, bean sprouts, spring onions, fried garlic, and a squeeze of fresh lime. This is Cambodian soul food at its most pure and most beautiful.
Ingredients
- For the broth: 1kg pork bones + 300g pork shoulder, whole + 1 daikon radish, peeled and halved + 1 onion, halved and charred + 6 garlic cloves + 1 tbsp sugar + 3 tbsp fish sauce + 1 tsp white pepper + 2 star anise + salt
- For the bowls: 400g dried rice noodles, cooked and drained + 200g pork liver or extra pork shoulder, thinly sliced + 1 cup bean sprouts + 4 spring onions, thinly sliced + 3 tbsp fried garlic in oil + fresh cilantro
- To serve: lime wedges + sliced red chili + fish sauce + sugar + chili sauce on the table for individual seasoning
Instructions
Place pork bones in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Boil hard for 5 minutes then drain and rinse the bones thoroughly — this removes impurities and produces a cleaner, clearer broth.
Return cleaned bones to the pot with fresh cold water, pork shoulder, charred onion, daikon, garlic, star anise, sugar, and fish sauce. Bring to a boil then reduce to the gentlest possible simmer. Cook for 1.5 hours, skimming occasionally, until the broth is clear, fragrant, and deeply flavored.
Remove pork shoulder and slice thinly. Strain the broth through a fine sieve and return to the pot. Adjust seasoning with fish sauce, sugar, and white pepper.
Divide cooked rice noodles between four deep bowls. Arrange sliced pork and bean sprouts over the noodles. Ladle the boiling hot broth over everything. Top with spring onions, cilantro, and a generous spoonful of fried garlic in oil. Serve with lime, chili, and condiments on the side for individual seasoning at the table.
Pro Tip: Charring the onion directly over a gas flame or in a dry pan until blackened on the outside before adding to the broth is the traditional technique it adds a subtle sweetness and smokiness that defines authentic kuy teav broth.
