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).
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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
If you're a dark meat lover, you can also use 8 chicken thighs instead.
- 1 whole bone-in, skin-on chicken breast, that's TWO sides of the breast on the rib cage
- 2 chicken legs, 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. 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.
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. Transfer into a bowl and add all remaining marinade ingredients; stir to dissolve the sugar.
- Split the breasts in half so you have two split, bone-in breasts (see technique in the video) and separate the dums 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.
How to make nam jim jeaw dipping sauce:
- Make the toasted rice powder by adding raw jasmine or glutinous rice into a dry skillet, then toast over high heat, stirring constantly, until the grains are dark brown. Remove from heat and pour the rice onto a plate to cool slightly. Once cool, grind in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle into a powder.
- Combine the tamarind, fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar; stir until the sugar is dissolved (it will really help to make sure your sugar is very finely chopped prior to mixing).
- Add the chili flakes and shallots. Close to serving time, stir in the green onions, cilantro and toasted rice powder.
To grill the chicken:
- About 45 minutes before cooking, pull the chicken out to room temperature so they're not too cold.
- Preheat the grill on medium heat, then place the chicken on the grill, skin-side up. Tip: If your grill has hot spots and cool spots, place the chicken on the cool spots to prevent the skin from burning, and you can move them to the hot spots later if more skin charring is desired.
- Turn the heat down to low or medium-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.
- To check doneness, I highly recommend a good meat thermometer. Cook the chicken breast until the internal temperature reaches 160 °F or 72°C, and cook chicken drums and thighs until internal temp of 175°F (80°C).
Thai Recipes to Go with 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!
- 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
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.
In theory, yes, but they will dry out quickly and easily and I don't recommend it.
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.
Recipe Card
Print
Ultimate Thai BBQ Chicken ไก่ย่าง (gai yang)
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Marinating Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 whole bone-in, skin-on chicken breast (that's TWO sides of the breast on the rib cage)
- 2 chicken legs (thigh & drumstick combo), bone-in, skin-on (equivalent of 2 drumsticks and 2 thighs)
Marinade:
- 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 vegetable oil
Dipping Sauce - Nam Jim Jeaw
- 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!)
Instructions
- 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. Transfer into a bowl and add all remaining marinade ingredients; stir to dissolve the sugar.
- Split the breasts in half so you have two split, bone-in breasts (see technique in the video) and separate the dums 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.
How to make nam jim jeaw dipping sauce:
- Make the toasted rice powder by adding raw jasmine or glutinous rice into a dry skillet, then toast over high heat, stirring constantly, until the grains are dark brown. Remove from heat and pour the rice onto a plate to cool slightly. Once cool, grind in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle into a powder.
- Combine the tamarind, fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar; stir until the sugar is dissolved (it will really help to make sure your sugar is very finely chopped prior to mixing).
- Add the chili flakes and shallots. Close to serving time, stir in the green onions, cilantro and toasted rice powder.
To grill the chicken:
- About 45 minutes before cooking, pull the chicken out to room temperature so they're not too cold.
- Preheat the grill on medium heat, then place the chicken on the grill, skin-side up. Tip: If your grill has hot spots and cool spots, place the chicken on the cool spots to prevent the skin from burning, and you can move them to the hot spots later if more skin charring is desired.
- Turn the heat down to low or medium-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.
- To check doneness, I highly recommend a good meat thermometer. Cook the chicken breast until the internal temperature reaches 160 °F or 72°C, and cook chicken drums and thighs until internal temp of 175°F (80°C).
David says
Pai, THANK YOU!!! I first discovered you when I was looking for a red curry recipe. Thank you, not only for the incredible recipe but by listing the exact best products to use, made all the difference. I live in Houston and found everything at a Vietnamese store. My friends and family love it and request it all the time. I think I make it better than most restaurants around me.
Then I tried your green papaya salad and it too is amazing. I couldn't have done it without your videos so thank you so much for your great, entertaining and comprehensive videos.
Then, I just did your grilled chicken and dipping sauce. Again, incredible recipe and your video really helped me.
I am a huge fan and will be trying many more of your recipes.
THANK YOU!!
David
Ann Tan says
Hi , can I replace the white sugar with honey? Or palm sugar?
Luke says
Hi Pai!
The weather is not so great here right now, is there a possibility of making this recipe in the oven? If yes what would the timing an temperature be?
Thank you,
Luke
Pailin Chongchitnant says
Yes 400F (200c) and I would then choose one cut so you can take them out all at the same time. Bone in thighs take about 40 minutes
Samantha says
lovely dish, haven't tried it yet but mu kiddos are ready and hungry.
Martin says
Dear Pai
Just did the BBQ Chicken for lunch today. The ultimate smell of the chicken - when I put it on grill - remembered me being in Thailand enjoying the street food. It was very tasty, crispy and juicy.
The dipping sauce is divine. Sabai arrived finally and I'm studying it. Great book, congrats.
Pailin Chongchitnant says
Thank you so much!!! So glad the smell brought you back to Thailand!
Penny Bowman says
This is my second time making Thai Barbeque Chicken. Having travelled to Thailand, this is my very favorite website since the recipes are authentic. Many thanks for sharing your knowledge!
mike keck says
my wife is from udon thani and i never seen her use tamarind.she says she dont use it ooops she says she might use a little in pad thai
B.F. says
your video links seem to have disappeared on several recipes i've tried today...not sure if it is a tech glitch or what
Klaudia says
Oh my, it was BOMB. I’ve used regular chicken breast. I’ve never ever eaten such a good chicken breast in my life. I paired it with sticky rice and your papaya salad. Everything was incredible! Thanks for an amazing recipe!
Pailin Chongchitnant says
Thank you!! So glad to hear!
Martha says
I made this BBQ chicken. I spatchcooked it and grilled it whole. I would include the photo but there isn’t a link and I don’t do instagram. I am too old. Ha ha. This chicken recipe and sauce was delicious! Thank you. I served it with a jasmine rice, Thai green bean salad, a Thai pickled red cabbage, grilled corn on the cob, grilled zucchini and fresh strawberries. I make a lot of your recipes.
Dan says
I used this recipe on a whole spatchcocked chicken and grilled over charcoal. It turned out fantastic. I held back on the water addition to the marinade and added extra lemongrass to make it chunkier. This made it much easier to massage into the meat and tuck up under the skin. Served with the dipping sauce, sticky rice, lettuce and herbs, and a cold Chang over ice. Flavor wise I was transported back to Udon Thani. Thanks Pai for the excellent recipe!
Daniel says
Found this recipe a couple days before my new Traeger Ironwood was delivered and this recipe was selected for the maiden voyage. Instead of grilling, smoked it with pecan pellets at 300(F) until the probe read 165 at the breast. The result was some of the tastiest juicy chicken I’ve ever had!
Steph says
We love it, I use it when I skewer chicken. Only thing we had to do was cut way back on the pepper since it is extremely peppery for us. I had gai yang in the isaan area and don’t remember the pepper taste so cutting back is recommended 🙂 maybe it’s more of a south Thailand thing? Thank you for this version of the recipe we love it minus too much pepper.
Tim Doughty says
I have to leave a follow-up review to say that this has become my standard marinade for pork ribs. I can dress them with a BBQ sauce at the end, but the favor of the meat after the marinade is outstanding. Also, the first time I made it I used a Chinese dark soy sauce which turned out too salty. If you use a Chinese brand I suggest cutting back on the other soy sauce. Once I bought the Thai brand the flavor balance is perfect.
Darin says
Outstanding!
Leigh says
Hello! I'd like to make this recipe soon. I have both Chinese black vinegar and Taiwanese black vinegar. Can you please let me know which I should use?
Pailin Chongchitnant says
Hi! So the recipe doesn't call for any black vinegar, just black soy sauce, which you can sub with dark soy sauce 🙂
Leigh says
Thank you for your reply; I realised later that I had misinterpreted. I'm looking forward to trying this recipe this weekend!
Tobias Ackermann says
I am very looking forward to try this recipe out.
One thing is remaining unclear: I only have indian tamarind concentrate from TRS at home. The colouring is totally different, it's not brown it's raster black.
Can I use it for this recipe as well?
Your feedback would be highly appreciated 🙂
Pailin Chongchitnant says
Hi Tobias! So sorry I missed this! The Indian tamarind is much more concentrated so if you were to use it you would have to dilute it by a lot...and I'm not sure how much. So I'd try to look for Thai/Vietnamese tamarind if possible.
Tim says
I’ve tried different marinades for Gai Yang in the past, but this one delivers the flavor! I actually barbecued Baby Back Ribs with this because that’s what I had in the freezer. The tartness of the dipping sauce helps cut through any fattiness in the meat. Two more successes!
Stephen Chan says
I've made it quite a few times, both for the two of us and feasting guests, and everyone loves it. I've made it both with a whole chicken and also just with hind quarters, both resulting great!
Esther Hastings says
I've made this recipe several times now and we ALL love it!! It's so incredibly tasty. I've also deboned an entire chicken and cut into pieces and then marinade to use for stir fry. Served with white jasmine rice. I've also cooked the chicken pieces in an air fryer. Let me tell you, ALL methods result in a very, very tasty dish. But, the crowning jewel is the Nam Jim Jeaw. The dipping sauce. OMGosh!!!!! So good. Last time I made a quadruple batch and bottled it in my fridge, just to have on hand. Truly, delish. Try this one. I can't imagine that you'll be disappointed!