Thai-Style Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang) is chicken marinated in garlic, lemongrass, cilantro, and fish sauce. The result is tender, golden brown, crispy skin chicken with layers of flavor. As the name implies, the chicken is usually grilled, but we’ve provided an oven roasting method that is nearly as good as grilling.
To kick off Thai food month this year, we’re taking a little trip through my favorite region of Thailand – Isan. Isan is a large region in the northeastern part of Thailand, and it is a paradise for people who love food. The food of Isan is intensely flavorful, fresh, and extra spicy! When Frank and I lived in Thailand, we frequently traveled throughout Isan for work and fun, so this entire week we’re going to recreate our favorite meal from the region, starting with grilled chicken. This is a great Thai dish for those who are sensitive to spice (it’s not at all spicy and even has a hit of sweetness) or just looking for a Thai-style meal that is more approachable. Read on for a few tweaks and tricks that make this version of Gai Yang easy to recreate in any home kitchen – including instructions for the grill and the oven! (All of these photos were taken with oven roasted chicken.)
What is Gai Yang?
Gai Yang means “grilled chicken” in Thai. The style of preparing chicken originates from the Northeastern Isan region of Thailand, but is served all over the country (and is an especially popular street food in Bangkok). It is made with whole chicken, often that has been spatchcocked. The chicken is marinated in garlic, lemongrass, cilantro roots, Thai soy sauce, and fish sauce and then grilled. It is often served with sticky rice and spicy dipping sauces.
Gai Yang Marinade Ingredients
- Lemongrass – This herb gives the dish authentic Thai flavor. Peel off the outer layers and use only the lower few inches of the stalk (there should be a hint of purple in the center).
- Cilantro roots (or stems and leaves) – Cilantro roots (literally the part of the cilantro plant that grows underground) are very common in Thai cooking. The trouble is that, short of growing your own cilantro, these are all but impossible to find in the United States. The roots are always cut off before the cilantro is sold. Cilantro leaves will give the dish a similar flavor. You can even leave the stems in the marinade for added flavor.
- Garlic and Shallot – We use both of these aromatics for extra flavor, but you can use just garlic if you prefer.
- Light or “White” Soy Sauce – This is a salty soy sauce that is light and thin in color and is probably close to the Japanese-style soy sauce you most often use for cooking. For Thai cooking, it’s worth seeking out a Thai brand of this soy sauce for the most authentic flavor, but you can also use whatever style of soy sauce you have on hand.
- Sweet Soy Sauce – This thick, sweet soy sauce gives Gai Yang a hint of sweet flavor. It’s available at any Asian / international market – a Thai brand will give the most authentic flavor. While there’s no real substitute that gives the dish quite the same flavor, you could substitute something else sweet like honey, molasses, or brown sugar. (I’d use half as much as the recipe indicates if using one of these subs.)
- Fish Sauce – This salty liquid made from fermented fish adds a deep savory “umami” flavor to the chicken. It smells stinky straight out of the jar, but the flavors mellow and blend right into the finished dish. I prefer Red Boat which has a great flavor and no added preservatives or other junk. Don’t be afraid – embrace fish sauce for your Thai cooking!
How to Make Gai Yang
Once you’ve got the ingredients, Gai Yang is so easy to make.
- Make marinade – Combine lemongrass, cilantro, garlic, and shallot. Finely chop them or, better yet, combine them in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add light soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, fish sauce, and cooking oil. Add chicken and marinate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
- Grill or Roast Chicken – Drain off marinade and throw that chicken on the grill or in the oven. See below for details, but that’s it!
- Eat – Serve Gai Yang on its own or like we do with spicy dipping sauce (Sweet Chili Sauce is a crowd favorite) and sticky rice.
Favorite Tools
- Pyrex Dish with Lid – These are my favorite for marinating meats. Easy to clean and the lids insure that no meat juices leak out into the fridge.
- Half Sheet Pan– Kitchen workhorse right here. I’ve had the same ones for nearly a decade. If grilling, I pile the chicken on here to take it out to the grill.
- Cuisinart Food Processor – Makes quick work of chopping for the marinade.
- 2 stalks Lemongrass (just use the lower few inches of the stalk, discard outer layers)
- ½ cup packed Cilantro stems and leaves
- 6 cloves Garlic
- 2 cloves Shallot
- 2 Tbsp Light or “White” Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Sweet Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Fish Sauce
- ¼ cup Cooking Oil (I use grapeseed or avocado)
- 2 lbs Bone-in and Skin-on Chicken pieces (wings, breasts, thighs, or legs)
- Lime wedges
- ¼ cup Cilantro leaves, chopped, for topping
- Marinate chicken: Combine lemongrass, cilantro, garlic, and shallot. Finely chop them with a knife or, better yet, combine them in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (roughly the size of sesame seeds). Stir in light soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, fish sauce, and cooking oil. Add chicken and marinate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
- Remove chicken from marinade (reserve marinade if cooking in the oven) and lightly season the chicken with some salt and black pepper.
- To grill chicken: Heat a grill, leaving one half over direct heat and one half over indirect heat. Brush the grates with some oil. Place chicken pieces over direct heat, cooking both sides until golden brown and lightly charred. Move the chicken to indirect heat, skin-side up, and close the lid. Continue grilling until an instant read thermometer reads 165° F (large, bone-in chicken breast, legs, and thighs can take 30-40 minutes; wings take 15 to 20). Remove each piece when ready.
- To oven roast chicken: Heat oven to 400° F. Line a sheet pan with foil (the drippings will burn, so this will make clean-up easy) and top it with an oven-safe cooling rack (the cooling rack is optional but will allow air and heat to circulate under the chicken, helping it to cook more evenly). Add chicken, skin-side up. Spoon marinade over of chicken. Roast until an instant read thermometer reads 165° F (large, bone-in chicken breast, legs, and thighs can take 30-40 minutes; wings take 15 to 20). Remove each piece when ready.
- Let chicken rest, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Serve on its own or like we do with spicy dipping sauce (Sweet Chili Sauce is a crowd favorite) and sticky rice.
Cilantro stems and leaves - Cilantro roots are most authentic. If you can find cilantro with the roots intact you can just use those (6 to 8 stems will be enough) or add them in alongside the stems and leaves. Leaving the stems in along with the leaves will also give the dish added flavor.
Light or “White” Soy Sauce - This is a salty soy sauce that is light and thin in color and is probably close to the Japanese-style soy sauce you most often use for cooking. For Thai cooking, it’s worth seeking out a Thai brand of this soy sauce for the most authentic flavor, but you can also use whatever style of soy sauce you have on hand.
Sweet Soy Sauce - This thick, sweet soy sauce gives Gai Yang a hint of sweet flavor. It’s available at any Asian / international market - a Thai brand will give the most authentic flavor. While there’s no real substitute that gives the dish quite the same flavor, you could substitute something else sweet like honey, molasses, or brown sugar. (I’d use half as much as the recipe indicates if using one of these.)
Fish Sauce - I prefer Red Boat.
We had a tiny break in the cold over the weekend. Just long enough for a day at the zoo (in outfits the four-year-olds picked for themselves). Cheetah in the background!
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