Ultimate Thai BBQ Chicken (Gai Yang)

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).

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 - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

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

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!

1. 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.
2. 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. 
3. 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: 

1. 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.
2. 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). 
3. Add the chili flakes and shallots. Close to serving time, stir in the green onions, cilantro and toasted rice powder.

To grill the chicken:

1. About 45 minutes before cooking, pull the chicken out to room temperature so they're not too cold. 
2. 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.  
3. 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. 
4. 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

Ultimate Thai BBQ Chicken ไก่ย่าง (gai yang)

★★★★★ 5 from 11 reviews

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Marinating Time: 2 hours
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 3 hours
• Yield: 4 servings

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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!)

Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

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Instructions

2. 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.
3. 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. 
4. 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: 

1. 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.
2. 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). 
3. Add the chili flakes and shallots. Close to serving time, stir in the green onions, cilantro and toasted rice powder.

To grill the chicken:

1. About 45 minutes before cooking, pull the chicken out to room temperature so they're not too cold. 
2. 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.  
3. 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. 
4. 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).

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Keywords: BBQ, chicken, BBQ chicken, grilling,

The post Ultimate Thai BBQ Chicken (Gai Yang) appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.