The present invention relates to a method for generating nitric oxide, in particular for therapeutic applications, which comprises the steps of: guiding a process gas into a reaction chamber (12), wherein the process gas comprises nitrous oxide in a carrier gas in a concentration in the range of ≦2 vol-%, in particular in the range of ≧10-3 vol-% to ≦1 vol-%, and heating the process gas to a temperature which is sufficiently high to enable a reaction of nitrous oxide to form nitric oxide, thereby forming a gas which at least partly comprises nitric oxide. This method allows generating nitric oxide without remarkable concentrations of toxic nitrogen oxides, in particular of nitrogen dioxide. The method according to the invention is particularly suitable for therapeutic applications.