Description
This Thai Grilled Chicken, known as Gai Yang, is a flavorful and juicy street food classic marinated in a blend of garlic, lemongrass, and spices, then grilled to perfection. Perfect served with sticky rice and dipping sauce.
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg / 3 lb chicken (whole or bone-in pieces like thigh or drumsticks)
- 2 stalks lemongrass (white part only, finely chopped)
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 small shallot (roughly chopped)
- 1 tbsp coriander/cilantro stems (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp white pepper (or black pepper)
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
- 1 tbsp oil (vegetable or canola)
Instructions
- Combine lemongrass, garlic, shallot, coriander stems, and pepper in a mortar and pestle or food processor and pound/grind into a rough paste.
- Add fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and oil. Mix well to form the marinade.
- Rub marinade all over the chicken, ensuring it’s well coated. Marinate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight in the fridge.
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat. If using charcoal, let coals burn until white-hot.
- Grill chicken skin-side down first, cooking for about 8–10 minutes per side, or until golden and cooked through, reaching an internal temp of 75°C/165°F.
- Let rest for a few minutes before serving. Slice and serve with sticky rice and dipping sauce if desired.
Notes
- You can use boneless chicken but bone-in yields more flavor.
- Marinating overnight gives best results.
- Grill can be substituted with oven (200°C/390°F for 35–40 minutes, broil at end).
- Great served with Thai sticky rice and sweet chili sauce or nam jim jaew.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus marinating time)
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Thai
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 375g)
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 42g
- Cholesterol: 135mg
