Thai Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang) Recipe
Thai Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang) is a flavorful, juicy Thai barbecue chicken recipe that’s easy to make at home using a fragrant lemongrass and garlic marinade. Perfect for grilling or stovetop cooking, it delivers authentic street food tastes without the fuss of pastes or whole chickens. Serve with coconut rice and optional traditional dipping sauces for a complete meal.
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 1 day 20 minutes
- Yield: 5 servings
- Category: Grilling
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 lb / 1 kg chicken thigh fillets (skinless, boneless)
Marinade
- 1 large lemongrass stalk, white part only, sliced 5mm thick
- 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 brown sugar or palm sugar (tightly packed)
- 2 tbsp vegetable, canola, or neutral flavoured oil
Sauce options (choose one, optional)
- Nam Jim Jaew – traditional Thai dipping sauce for meat (recommended)
- Lime Sweet Chilli Sauce from Thai Beef Bowls recipe (quick to make)
- Bottle of sweet chilli sauce
Garnishes / Sides
- 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 stick blender head. 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 all marinade ingredients.
- Marinate: Pour marinade into a bowl, add oil and stir to combine. Add chicken thigh fillets and toss well to coat. Cover and marinate overnight for best flavor, minimum 3 hours. If short on time, slice chicken thinly, toss in marinade and cook it like a stir-fry.
- Heat grill or pan: Preheat an outdoor BBQ grill to high heat or heat a non-stick pan over high heat on the stove.
- Cook: Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade (unless baking in oven, see notes). Place chicken on grill or pan, then reduce heat to medium to prevent burning due to the sweet marinade. Cook about 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. If edges burn, flip immediately; feel free to flip frequently to avoid burning and ensure even cooking.
- Rest and serve: Let the chicken rest for 3 minutes after cooking. Serve alongside steamy coconut rice with lime wedges and optionally garnished with sliced chilies and coriander leaves. Add your choice of dipping sauce if desired.
Notes
- Chicken thighs (skinless, boneless) are preferred for juiciness and caramelization. For chicken breasts, slice or pound thinly and add a bit of oil during cooking.
- For bone-in, skin-on chicken, cook longer with frequent flipping or bake at 200°C/400°F (180°C fan) for about 45 minutes, basting near the end for caramelization.
- Lemongrass: use only white/pale green parts of stalk; outer green layers are tough and woody. Lemongrass tube paste can be substituted using about 1 tablespoon but is milder in flavor.
- Soy sauce substitutions: You can substitute dark soy sauce with more light soy sauce but do not substitute light soy sauce with dark soy as it will overpower the dish.
- Oven method: For broiling/oven grilling, use a rack and cook at high heat for around 15 minutes, turning as needed. For regular baking, bake at 200°C/375°F (180°C fan) for 20-25 minutes turning once and basting with marinade to get caramelization.
- Nutrition values are calculated assuming half of the marinade is discarded.
