Thai Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang) Recipe
Thai Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang) is a flavorful and aromatic dish featuring boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets marinated in a vibrant blend of lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauces, and brown sugar, then grilled to juicy perfection. Served traditionally with coconut rice and lime wedges, it makes a perfect meal that balances sweet, salty, and savory tastes with a touch of Thai authenticity.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 27 minutes (including minimum marinating time)
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Grilling
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Marinade
- 2 lb / 1 kg chicken thigh fillets (skinless, boneless)
- 1 large lemongrass stalk, white part only, sliced 5mm thick (or 1 tbsp lemongrass paste)
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 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 (such as canola or any neutral-flavored oil)
Accompaniments
- Nam Jim Jaew (traditional Thai dipping sauce for meat) – recommended
- Lime sweet chili sauce
- Sweet chili sauce (bottle)
- Lime wedges
- Red chili, finely sliced (optional)
- Cilantro / coriander leaves (optional)
- Coconut rice
Instructions
- Blitz: 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 to combine.
- Marinate: 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 in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate to marinate overnight for best flavor, or at least 3 hours. If short on time, finely slice the chicken, toss with marinade, and cook immediately like a stir-fry.
- Heat Grill or Pan: Preheat your outdoor BBQ grill on high heat or heat a non-stick pan over high heat on the stove.
- Cook: Remove the chicken from the marinade, discarding the marinade (unless baking in the oven as per notes). Place chicken onto the hot grill or pan, then reduce heat to medium to avoid burning due to the sugar content. Cook the chicken for about 5 to 6 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. If the chicken begins to burn, flip immediately. You can flip multiple times as needed to prevent charring.
- Rest and Serve: Let the grilled chicken rest for 3 minutes to allow juices to redistribute. Serve with a mound of steamy coconut rice, lime wedges, fresh sliced chilies, coriander or cilantro leaves, and your choice of dipping sauces such as Nam Jim Jaew or sweet chili sauce.
Notes
- If you don’t have fresh lemongrass, substitute with 1 tablespoon of lemongrass paste.
- The marinade contains sugar which can burn easily when grilling; lowering the heat after placing chicken on the grill helps prevent burning.
- If baking in the oven (alternative method), the discarded marinade can be boiled and used as a basting sauce to keep the chicken moist.
- Marinating overnight provides the best flavor, but a minimum of 3 hours will suffice.
- Skinless boneless chicken thighs are recommended for juicy, tender results.
Keywords: Thai grilled chicken, Gai Yang, lemongrass chicken, Thai BBQ chicken, marinated grilled chicken, coconut rice, Thai dipping sauce
Find it online: https://thefoodrecipe.com/thai-grilled-chicken-gai-yang-recipe/
