Description
This authentic Thai Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang) recipe features marinated boneless, skinless chicken thighs infused with lemongrass, garlic, and traditional Thai seasonings. Grilled to perfection, the chicken is juicy, flavorful, and best served with coconut rice, lime wedges, and a spicy dipping sauce like Nam Jim Jaew or sweet chili sauce for a delightful Thai meal.
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 oil (vegetable, canola, or any neutral flavored oil)
To Serve
- Nam Jim Jaew (traditional Thai dipping sauce)
- Lime sweet chili sauce
- Lime wedges
- Red chili, finely sliced (optional)
- Cilantro / coriander leaves (optional)
- Coconut rice
Instructions
- Blitz the Marinade: 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: Pour the marinade into a bowl, add the oil, and stir. Add the chicken thigh fillets and toss thoroughly to coat. Cover and refrigerate to marinate overnight for best flavor, or at least 3 hours. If short on time, slice the chicken thinly, toss in marinade, and cook immediately like in a stir-fry.
- Prepare Grill or Pan: Heat your outdoor BBQ grill on high or preheat a non-stick pan on the stove over high heat.
- Cook the Chicken: Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the remaining marinade (unless baking in the oven, see notes). Place the chicken on the BBQ or in the pan, then reduce heat to medium to prevent burning due to the sugar content. Cook the chicken until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes per side. If it starts to burn, flip immediately and continue to turn as needed for even cooking.
- Rest and Serve: Let the chicken rest for 3 minutes after cooking. Serve alongside steamy coconut rice, lime wedges, fresh sliced chilies, coriander leaves, and your choice of dipping sauce such as Nam Jim Jaew or sweet chili sauce.
Notes
- Skinless, boneless chicken thighs provide tender, juicy meat suitable for quick grilling.
- The white part of lemongrass is used for its more aromatic and tender qualities. If unavailable, lemongrass paste is a good substitute.
- If baking the chicken instead of grilling or pan frying, you may use the leftover marinade as a baste or sauce after boiling it to ensure safety.
- Marinating overnight intensifies flavor but a minimum of 3 hours is sufficient for good taste.
- If short on time, thinly slicing chicken and stir-frying with the marinade will still give a tasty result.
