Gai Yang Recipe (Thai Grilled Chicken)
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This authentic gai yang recipe delivers juicy Thai grilled chicken with smoky char and bold flavor. It’s made for summer BBQs and fills the air with that unmistakable aroma of Thai street food.
What is gai yang?
Gai yang is Thai grilled chicken marinated with garlic, coriander root, white pepper, fish sauce, and palm sugar. It’s grilled over charcoal until juicy with smoky, savory flavor and lightly charred skin, and is commonly sold at roadside stalls, especially in northeastern Thailand (Isan).
In Thai, gai means chicken, and yang means grilled.
How it’s made in Thailand
In Thailand, gai yang is traditionally grilled as a whole chicken over charcoal. Bamboo skewers are threaded through the meat so it stays flat on the grill and cooks evenly over the coals.
But don’t worry, you don’t need a whole chicken for this recipe!
When I grill chicken myself, I always use easier cuts like chicken wings, thighs, or legs, so I’ve made sure the marinade tastes delicious with any cut you choose.
Learn Thai cooking step by step
My cookbook is a combination of authentic Thai recipes and Western dishes cooked with Thai flavors and ingredients. It’s a great starting point if you’re new to Thai cooking or want to cook it more often.
Ingredient notes & substitutes
✱ Here you’ll find ingredient tips and possible substitutions. See the recipe card for the exact measurements
- Chicken – This gai yang marinade works with whole chicken, wings, drumettes, or thighs; grilling with skin-on pieces gives the best flavor and juiciness.
- White peppercorns, cilantro root, garlic – These are pounded into a paste and form the staple aromatic base, with an earthy, slightly peppery flavor.
- Light soy sauce – Adds saltiness without overpowering the other flavors.
- Oyster sauce – Brings mild sweetness and rounded umami that helps the chicken caramelize on the grill.
- Fish sauce – Adds salty, fermented depth and enhances the natural chicken flavor; use a good-quality Thai brand like Megachef.
- Palm sugar – Softens the salty flavors and helps the skin caramelize as it grills.
- Whole milk – A simple trick I use to tenderize the chicken and keep it juicy on the grill.
- Oil – Helps the marinade coat the chicken evenly.
You may notice this recipe doesn’t include lemongrass, which is normal in Isan-style grilled chicken. Many traditional versions rely on garlic, coriander root, fish sauce, and charcoal smoke for flavor, with lemongrass being optional rather than essential.
How to make Thai grilled chicken
- Pound the aromatics. Add the white peppercorns, garlic, and cilantro roots to a mortar. Pound until everything breaks down into a rough paste. It shouldn’t be perfectly smooth, a little texture is exactly what you want.
- Mix the marinade. Transfer the pounded paste to a bowl. Add the light soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, palm sugar, whole milk, and oil. Stir well until the sugar dissolves and the marinade looks smooth and glossy.
- Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken thighs to the bowl and massage the marinade into the meat. Make sure every piece is well coated, including under the skin if possible. Let it rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Grill low and slow. Remove the chicken from the fridge and let it lose the chill. Grill over medium heat, turning regularly so the skin doesn’t burn. You’re looking for slow caramelization and gently crisp skin. Brush with leftover marinade during the first half of grilling for extra flavor.
- Rest and serve. Once cooked through, let the chicken rest briefly before serving. This keeps it juicy and lets the flavors settle.
How to serve Thai chicken
- With sticky rice or jasmine rice
- Alongside som tam (Thai papaya salad)
- With nam jim jaew, a spicy dipping sauce
Tips for making this recipe
❥ Marinate long enough. Four hours is the minimum, but overnight gives you much deeper flavor.
❥ Don’t skip the pounding step. Crushing the aromatics releases their oils and makes a big difference in how the chicken tastes.
❥ Use medium heat, not high. Gai yang is about slow grilling, not blasting the chicken and burning the skin.
❥ Turn often. Flip the chicken regularly so it browns evenly and doesn’t scorch in one spot.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Freeze the chicken after marinating but before grilling. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before cooking.
- Reheat: Warm gently on a grill, in a pan over medium heat, or in the oven until heated through. Avoid the microwave.
Gai Yang Recipe (Thai Grilled Chicken)
Equipment
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Grill
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken thighs
- ½ tsp white peppercorns
- 2 cilantro roots
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1½ tbsp palm sugar
- 2 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tbsp oil
Instructions
- Pound the aromatics. Add the white peppercorns, garlic, and cilantro roots to a mortar. Pound until a coarse, fragrant paste forms. It doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth, a little texture is perfect.
- Make the marinade. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Add the light soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, palm sugar, whole milk, and oil. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves and the marinade looks smooth and glossy.
- Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken thighs and massage the marinade into the meat, making sure everything is well coated. For deeper flavor, work some marinade under the skin. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Grill the chicken. Let the chicken sit at room temperature briefly before grilling. Grill over medium heat, turning often to prevent burning, until the skin is nicely caramelized and the meat is cooked through. Brush with leftover marinade during the first half of grilling.
- Rest and serve. Remove from the grill and let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving to keep it juicy.
Notes
- Use the nutrition card in this recipe as a guideline.
- The marinade tastes delicious with any cut of chicken you choose.