Description
Thai Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang) features juicy, flavorful chicken thigh fillets marinated in a fragrant blend of lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, and soy sauces. This authentic Thai recipe is traditionally grilled to achieve a caramelized exterior while maintaining tender and juicy meat. Served with coconut rice, lime wedges, fresh chilies, coriander, and a tangy nam jim jaew dipping sauce or sweet chili sauce, this dish offers a perfect balance of smoky, savory, sweet, and zesty flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Marinade
- 2 lb / 1 kg chicken thigh fillets (skinless, boneless)
- 1 large lemongrass stalk, white part only, sliced 5mm / 1/5″ thick (or 1 tsp lemongrass 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 neutral flavored oil)
To Serve
- Nam Jim Jaew (traditional Thai dipping sauce for meat) – recommended
- Lime wedges
- Sweet chili sauce
- Red chili, finely sliced (optional)
- Cilantro / coriander leaves (optional)
- Coconut rice
Instructions
- Blitz Marinade: In a jug just large enough for a stick blender, combine the lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and brown sugar. Use a stick blender to puree until the lemongrass and garlic are fully broken down into a smooth mixture. If you don’t have a stick blender, finely grate the lemongrass and garlic before mixing them with the other ingredients.
- Marinate Chicken: Pour the pureed marinade into a bowl, add the oil, and stir well to combine. Add the chicken thigh fillets to the bowl, toss thoroughly to coat each piece evenly, cover, and marinate overnight for best flavor infusion (minimum 3 hours). If short on time, finely slice the chicken and toss in marinade, then cook quickly like a stir-fry.
- Preheat Grill or Pan: Heat your outdoor BBQ grill to high heat, or heat a non-stick pan or skillet over high heat on the stove top.
- Cook Chicken: Remove the chicken from the marinade, discarding the marinade (unless baking, see note 3). Place chicken fillets on the grill or pan, immediately reduce heat to medium to prevent burning since the marinade contains sugar. Cook the chicken for about 5 to 6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. If the marinade begins to burn, flip the chicken immediately; frequent flipping is fine to avoid charring.
- Rest & Serve: Allow the cooked chicken to rest for 3 minutes before serving. Serve with a generous mound of steaming coconut rice, lime wedges, fresh sliced chilies, coriander/cilantro leaves, and your preferred dipping sauce such as Nam Jim Jaew or sweet chili sauce for a complete meal.
Notes
- Use skinless, boneless chicken thigh fillets for juicier and more flavorful results.
- Lemongrass stalks have tough outer layers; remove these and use only the white part for best flavor and texture. Lemongrass paste can be substituted if fresh is unavailable.
- If baking instead of grilling or frying, you may keep the marinade to baste the chicken for extra flavor and moisture.
- Marinating for at least 3 hours is recommended but overnight marination enhances flavors greatly.
- Cooking over medium heat after placing chicken helps prevent the sugar in marinade from burning.
- Resting the chicken after cooking allows juices to redistribute for tender bites.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Thai
Keywords: Thai grilled chicken, Gai Yang, lemongrass chicken, Thai BBQ, marinated chicken, Thai cuisine, coconut rice, Nam Jim Jaew
