Thai Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang)

Thai grilled chicken, or gai yang, is one of the most flavorful grilled chicken recipes you’ll ever make. Traveling to Thailand (or Laos, where the dish is called ping gai) and having this chicken hot off the grill from a street vendor is definitely on my travel bucket list. Until that day, though, making this tasty Thai grilled chicken at home will have to do.

Luckily, the hardest part about making gai yang is locating fresh lemongrass and a good fish sauce. These two key ingredients, along with cilantro and lots of garlic, give this Thai grilled chicken the signature aromatic flavor that will raise the noses of hungry guests at any barbecue (when such things are safe once again!). If you have any doubts, then you must give this Thai grilled chicken a try. 

Make sure to do your prep work the night before to marinate the chicken overnight (or at least 12 hours)––an essential step. This recipe also includes a tasty nam jim jaew dipping sauce to serve on the side!

Notes on Preparing Ingredients:

• Lemongrass: Lemongrass can be quite woody, so peel away any dried outer layers, and trim off the harder green shoots at the top of the plant. The softer white and light yellow and green portions at the base are what you want. You can also freeze lemongrass for long-term storage so it’s available to use anytime you need it. 
• Fresh cilantro (coriander): Sometimes, we only use the more tender and attractive cilantro leaves and discard the stems. To marinate this Thai grilled chicken, however, you’ll need the intense flavor of the stems!
• Shallots: Shallots are similar to onions, but have a slightly sweeter and milder taste with a hint of garlic. If you don’t have shallots available, you can substitute onion (red, white, or yellow).
• Garlic: We call for 8 cloves for a whole chicken, but feel free to adjust this amount based on your own taste preferences. 
• Fish Sauce: Fish sauce has a funky taste and smell, but it’s an essential ingredient to Thai cooking—and this recipe. Red Boat Fish Sauce, if you can find it, is one of the best brands you can buy. Three Crabs is another common brand. Our local Asian market was only stocking Squid brand when we last visited. As of this writing, though, Red Boat Fish sauce is available online at Thrive Market (full disclosure: this is an affiliate link; if you sign up through it, you’ll be helping to support our blog), an online membership-based market with affordable organic and specialty products. 
• Turmeric powder: Turmeric is an optional ingredient. It adds a nice yellow color to the chicken, but it’s not necessary. 
• Pepper: For most Chinese dishes, white pepper is preferred, but we recommend using black pepper on this Thai grilled chicken.

Other Thai Recipes to Serve This Chicken With!

This Thai chicken goes great with a side of coconut rice or sticky rice. You could also serve it with a Thai noodle dish, like pad see ew, pad kee mao (drunken noodles), or these simple Thai noodles. Another great side to serve with it is Sarah’s Thai Green Papaya Salad. 

To round out the meal with a delicious dessert, try our Black Sticky Rice Mango Dessert. 

If you don’t have access to a grill, not to worry! Give these other satisfying Thai recipes a try: 

• Thai Basil Pork Belly
• Khao Soi (Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup)
• Thai Basil Chicken (Gai Pad Krapow) (or this vegan version of pad krapow)
• Green Curry Chicken
• Shrimp Pad Thai
• Thai Basil Beef

Thai Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang) Recipe Instructions

 Ok, on to the recipe! 

Marinate the chicken:  

Add the prepared lemongrass, cilantro (coriander), shallots, and garlic to a mortar and pestle, and pound until pulverized. It absolutely helps to chop these ingredients up a bit first! 

You can also use a food processor for this step.  

Add the oil, sugar, salt, black pepper, Thai soy sauces, fish sauce and turmeric (if using). Mix until well-combined.

You can butterfly or spatchcock your chicken for grilling like it’s done on the streets of Thailand. However, I cut the chicken into individual pieces to ensure they’d cook properly. This way, I can pull each piece off the grill once cooked. 

Rub the chicken with the marinade paste, ensuring every piece is thoroughly coated. 

Cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate overnight (or at least 12 hours). 

The next day, take the chicken out 1 to 2 hours before you’re ready to grill. (This lets the chicken warm up, so it doesn’t go on the grill cold, which may result in uneven cooking. Since you’re grilling chicken with the bone-in, this step is important, or you will risk your chicken being overdone and charred on the outside and undercooked on the inside.)

Make the Sauce: 

In a small bowl, mix the sugar and hot water until the sugar is dissolved. Mix in the rest of the ingredients, including the tamarind paste, fish sauce, and toasted sticky rice (it helps thicken the sauce and adds a nice toasted nutty flavor). For more details on how to make toasted rice, see Sarah’s recipe for Chicken Larb.

Also stir in fresh chopped cilantro, scallions and chili flakes or chopped fresh Thai chili peppers. Set aside. 

Cook the Chicken: 

Place the chicken on the grill, and use any remaining marinade to baste the chicken while grilling. Here are some quick tips for grilling your chicken: 

• Leave the marinade paste on the chicken, including any chunks of herbs as they will caramelize and add flavor. 
• Grill on natural hardwood lump charcoal for maximum flavor.
• Turn and baste the chicken often to create a nice flavorful outer crust. 
• Baste the chicken with the leftover marinade in the first half of the grilling process, but do not do this towards the end of cooking. The raw chicken marinade needs enough time to fully cook. 

Serve immediately with some coconut rice, your nam jim jeaw sauce, and lime wedges!