Thai Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang)

Name: Thai Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang)
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 2 lb / 1 kg chicken thigh fillets ((skinless, boneless) (Note 1)); 1 large lemongrass stalk (, white part only, reedy outer layers removed, sliced 5mm / 1/5" thick (Note 2 tube paste sub)); 4 cloves garlic (, peeled (whole)); 2 1/2 tbsp fish sauce; 1 tbsp light soy sauce (, or any all-purpose soy or tamari (Note 3)); 2 tsp dark soy sauce ((Note 3)); 3 tbsp (tightly packed) brown sugar or palm sugar; 2 tbsp oil (, vegetable, canola, or any other neutral flavoured oil); Nam Jim Jaew (- traditional Thai Dipping Sauce for meat *RECOMMENDED*); Lime Sweet Chilli Sauce; Bottle of sweet chilli sauce; Lime wedges; Red chili (, finely sliced (optional)); Cilantro / coriander leaves ((optional)); Coconut rice

Instructions

Prep:8minCook:12min

Recipe video above. This Thai Chicken recipe is an easy way to make Gai Yang at home, Thailand’s famous barbecue chicken. It uses a fragrant Thai marinade that delivers street-stall delicious – without pounding pastes, lighting coals or wrestling a whole chicken! Cook on the stove though it's especially great on the BBQ.A dipping sauce isn’t essential because the marinade already brings big flavour and keeps the chicken super juicy. But in Thailand it’s traditional, so why not? Spoon it over or dunk away!Serve with Coconut Rice and swoon!

Updated at: Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:36:28 GMT