Ultimate Thai BBQ Chicken (Gai Yang)

Name: Ultimate Thai BBQ Chicken ไก่ย่าง (gai yang)
Prep time: 2 h 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 3 h
Ingredients: 1 whole bone-in, skin-on chicken breast (that's TWO sides of the breast on the rib cage); 2 chicken hindquarter (thigh & drumstick combo), bone-in, skin-on (equivalent of 2 drumsticks and 2 thighs); 1½ tsp white peppercorns; 2 tsp toasted coriander seeds; 1 stalk lemongrass, bottom half only, thinly sliced; 5 cloves garlic; 3 Tbsp soy sauce; 3 Tbsp fish sauce; 1 Tbsp black soy sauce (or another kind of dark soy sauce); 1 Tbsp sugar; ½ cup water; 2 Tbsp neutral oil; 2 Tbsp Thai tamarind paste, store bought or homemade (what is tamarind?); 1 Tbsp palm sugar, finely chopped, or light brown sugar; 1 Tbsp fish sauce; 1 Tbsp lime juice; Chili flakes, to taste; 1 Tbsp shallots, finely chopped; 1 Tbsp green onion, chopped; 3 sprigs cilantro, chopped; 1 Tbsp toasted rice powder (see how to make it here, it's easy!)

Published: May 8, 2023 · Modified: Jun 12, 2025 by Pailin Chongchitnant · This post may contain affiliate links

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When it comes to Thai barbecue, there is no dish more iconic than gai yang. This is one of the most popular street foods in Thailand. Here in Canada, it's become my go-to chicken recipe for summer BBQ because it's easy, can be made in advance, and is a guaranteed success for any crowd. The marinade is awesome, but the nam jim jeaw dipping sauce will take it to the next level.

To complete the meal, serve with sticky rice and green papaya salad (som tam).

a plate of grilled chicken thighs with lime wedges on the side and a bowl of dipping sauce.

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What is Gai Yang?

Gai yang literally means, "grilled chicken." So by definition it can be any kind of chicken on the grill. And while indeed there are different types of Thai grilled chicken, such as this one smothered in coconut milk and curry paste, when you say "gai yang" in Thailand, this classic version is the one people think of.

The marinade is a standard combination of basic Thai pantry staples, but the flavour it delivers is pretty unreal. The umami of fish sauce, soy sauce, and subtle infusion of lemongrass and coriander seeds...creates one of the most popular dishes in Thai cuisine.

Tip: You can vary the herbs a bit. Some people skip the coriander seeds, others skip the lemongrass, some add coriander roots (cilantro roots). But do keep the garlic, pepper, and the ratio of all the soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar the same.

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you need and important notes about them. For amounts, see the recipe card below. In Thailand, gai yang is usually made with whole chickens, but Thai chickens are also much smaller so it's much easier to grill and manage in general. Here, I like to grill them in parts, but I buy different parts that would almost make up a whole chicken, minus the wings!

The Chicken

Traditionally, gai yang is always grilled whole so you get all the parts. To make it easier to grill, I'm calling for the parts separately, but if you're a dark meat lover, you can also use 8 chicken thighs, or whatever combo you want, instead of a mix.

1 pair of bone-in, skin-on chicken breast, that's TWO sides of the breast on the rib cage.
2 chicken hindquarters, bone-in, skin-on (an equivalent of 2 drumsticks and 2 thighs)

The Marinade:

White peppercorns, black pepper is fine too.
Toasted coriander seeds
Lemongrass, bottom half only, thinly sliced
Garlic
Soy sauce, I use Thai soy sauce but any soy sauce you have will do.
Fish sauce
Thai black soy sauce or dark soy sauce. Confused by types of soy sauces? See my video about various Thai soy sauces here.
Sugar
Neutral oil

The Dipping Sauce - Nam Jim Jaew

Nam jim jeaw is a tart, spicy dipping sauce that goes with all of our barbecue meats. The sharp flavours cut the richness of grilled meats. If you are serving kids, or someone who doesn't eat spicy, you can also serve it with Thai sweet chili sauce, also known as nam jim gai which literally means dipping sauce for chicken!

Tamarind paste, if buying store bought tamarind, it comes in a jar or tub and is often labeled as "tamarind concentrate." Be sure to use a product of Thailand of Vietnam; do not use Indian tamarind paste as it is much more concentrated and cannot be used in this recipe. You can also make your own tamarind paste from pulp, which yields a much better product and is what I do.
Palm sugar, or substitute equal amount of light brown sugar
Fish sauce
Lime juice
Chili flakes, to taste
Shallots, finely chopped
Green onion, chopped
Cilantro, chopped
Toasted rice powder. This is made simply by toasting raw rice (glutinous rice or jasmine rice) until dark brown then grind into a powder in a mortar and pestle of coffee grinder. Instructions included in the recipe.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - you can also watch this video on my YouTube Channel!

How to Make Thai BBQ Chicken

If this is your first time making this chicken dish, be sure to check out the video tutorial first to ensure success!

Grind white peppercorns and coriander seeds into a powder using a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder.
Add lemongrass and garlic and pound into a fine paste.
There should be no big chunks like so.
Transfer into a bowl and add all remaining marinade ingredients; stir to dissolve the sugar.

Process shots for making gai yang steps 5-8

Split the breasts in half so you have two split, bone-in breasts (see technique in the video) and separate the drums from the thighs. Trim off excess skin from the thighs, if any.
Add chicken pieces to a zip-top bag or a casserole dish and pour the marinade over, making sure all the pieces are well coated. Press out as much air as possible and marinade for at least 2 hours or overnight, stir the chicken or flip the bag half way through to ensure even marinating. Pull the chicken out of the fridge about 45 mins - 1 hour before cooking so the chicken isn't cold and won't take too long to cook.
Preheat the grill on medium heat, then place the chicken on the grill, skin-side up. If your grill has hot spots and cool spots, place the chicken on the cool spots to prevent the skin from burning - mine are around the edges of the grill. Because the marinade has sugar, it'll burn quickly if the heat is too high.
Turn the heat down to low and cook with the lid closed, flipping every 5 minutes, until done, about 18-30 minutes depending on the size of the pieces. If you've got large pieces of chicken, keep the BBQ temperature between 275°F - 300°F so the outside doesn't burn too quickly. Cook the chicken breast until the internal temperature reaches 160 °F or 72°C, and cook chicken drumstickss and thighs until internal temp of 175°F (80°C). A good meat thermometer will be very helpful here.

You should let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes before digging in. While the chicken rests, you can make the dipping sauce!

How to make nam jim jeaw dipping sauce:

Make the toasted rice powder by adding the rice into a dry skillet, then toast over high heat, stirring constantly, until the grains are dark brown. Remove from heat and grind in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle into a powder.
Combine the tamarind, fish sauce, lime juice, chili flakes, shallots and palm sugar; stir until the sugar is dissolved
At serving time, stir in the green onions, cilantro and toasted rice powder.

Thai Recipes to Go with Thai BBQ Chicken

You're going to need some sides to go with this juicy Thai chicken. I recommend sticking with the classic pairings below for the "authentic" Thai barbecue experience!

a plate of green papaya salad with a wedge of lime and chilies on the side. — Green papaya salad is a classic pairing with Thai BBQ chicken.

Sticky rice. This is a must-have carb with any Thai BBQ. There are many different ways to cook sticky rice, but this method is my current favourite.
Green papaya salad (som tam). The crunchy, tart salad will cut the grease of any barbecue. No green papaya? Substitute shredded cabbage and carrots, or make this corn and cucumber version.
Laab. Laab is gai yang's best buddy as they're often found together on the same table. Try the classic laab with ground pork, or make a more modern version with my salmon laab.

FAQ

Can boneless chicken thighs be used instead?

Yes! Absolutely. For a quick weeknight meal, you can use boneless chicken thighs. You can reduce marinating time to 30-60 minutes because they're so thin, and also reduce cooking time accordingly.

Can boneless skinless chicken breast be used instead?

In theory, yes, but as boneless skinless chicken breasts dry out quickly, in that case I'd split each breast in half horizontally so it takes less time to cook, which promotes more even cooking.

How can I make Thai barbecue chicken without a grill.

You can also bake the chicken. Bake the chicken at 400°F/200°C (375°C/190°C on convection). Once the skin dries, after about 20 minutes, take it out and brush the skin with oil to give it some shine. Check chicken breast at 30 minutes, and check thighs/drums at 40 minutes.