Description
Thai Grilled Chicken, or Gai Yang, is a flavorful and aromatic dish featuring tender chicken thigh fillets marinated in a vibrant mixture of lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauces, and brown sugar. Grilled to a perfect golden brown, this dish is served with fragrant coconut rice and traditional dipping sauces, embodying authentic Thai street food flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Marinade
- 2 lb / 1 kg chicken thigh fillets (skinless, boneless)
- 1 large lemongrass stalk (white part only, reedy outer layers removed, sliced 5mm / 1/5″ thick) (or 1 tbsp lemongrass tube paste)
- 4 cloves garlic (peeled, whole)
- 2 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce (or any all-purpose soy or tamari)
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 3 tbsp tightly packed brown sugar or palm sugar
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (canola or any other neutral-flavored oil)
To Serve
- Nam Jim Jaew (traditional Thai dipping sauce for meat) – recommended
- Lime sweet chili sauce
- Bottle of sweet chili sauce
- Lime wedges
- Red chili (finely sliced, optional)
- Cilantro / coriander leaves (optional)
- Coconut rice
Instructions
- Blitz the Marinade Ingredients – Place all marinade ingredients except the oil into a jug just large enough to fit the head of a stick blender. Blitz until the lemongrass and garlic are fully pureed. If you don’t have a stick blender, finely grate the lemongrass and garlic, then mix well.
- Marinate the Chicken – Pour the pureed marinade into a bowl, add the oil, and stir to combine. Add the chicken thigh fillets, tossing thoroughly to coat each piece evenly. Cover the bowl and marinate the chicken overnight for best flavor; a minimum of 3 hours is sufficient. If short on time, finely slice the chicken, toss in the marinade, and cook like a stir-fry.
- Preheat the Grill or Pan – Heat an outdoor BBQ grill on high or a non-stick pan on the stovetop over high heat to prepare for cooking.
- Cook the Chicken – Remove the chicken from the marinade, discarding the excess marinade (unless using the oven method). Place the chicken on the grill or pan, then reduce heat to medium to avoid burning because the sweet marinade can scorch quickly. Cook the chicken for about 5 to 6 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. If the chicken starts to burn, flip immediately. You may flip repeatedly as needed to prevent burning and ensure even cooking.
- Rest and Serve – Let the cooked chicken rest for 3 minutes before serving. Serve alongside a mound of steaming coconut rice, garnished with lime wedges, fresh chilies, coriander or cilantro leaves, and your choice of dipping sauce such as Nam Jim Jaew or sweet chili sauces.
Notes
- Using skinless, boneless chicken thigh fillets helps the marinade penetrate and keeps the chicken tender.
- If you don’t have fresh lemongrass, substitute with lemongrass paste as indicated.
- The sweet marinade can burn easily over high heat, so lowering the heat after placing the chicken on the grill or pan prevents charring.
- For a quicker option, slice the chicken thinly and stir-fry instead of grilling.
- Marinating overnight greatly enhances the depth of flavor but 3 hours is a minimum effective marinating time.
- Serve with traditional Thai dipping sauces like Nam Jim Jaew for authentic taste.
