Thai🥩 Meat

Thai-Style Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang)

Name: Thai-Style Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang)
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken; 2 tsp white peppercorns; 2 tsp coriander seeds; 6 garlic cloves; ~½ cup cilantro stems and leaves; ~2 stalks lemongrass; 2 tbsp fish sauce; 1 tsp dark soy sauce; 3 tbsp brown sugar; 3 garlic cloves; ~2-3 Thai bird chilies; ~1 tsp brown sugar; ¼ cups fish sauce; ~2-3 tbsp fresh lime juice

⏱ 75 min🍽 Serves 2

This Thai-style grilled chicken uses a specialized spatchcock technique with a two-zone grill method to ensure the breast and leg meat cook perfectly at the same time. The chicken starts skin-side up on the cool side of the grill, then is flipped to the hot side to finish with a crispy exterior. Served with a sweet and spicy fish sauce dipping sauce.

Adapted from a video by J. Kenji López-Alt

The Secret to Better Grilled Chicken: Gai Yang

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

whole chicken1
white peppercorns2 tsp
coriander seeds2 tsp
garlic cloves6
cilantro stems and leavesuse the fatter end of stems as a substitute for cilantro root~½ cupest.
lemongrassapproximately 2-inch segment, outer harder layers removed~2 stalksest.
fish sauce2 tbsp

Steps

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1
Using poultry shears, cut along both sides of the chicken spine, similar to spatchcocking. Flip the chicken over, press gently to straighten the breastbone, then slice through the sternum to split the chicken in half.
2
Trim excess fat. Insert two wooden skewers through the thigh bone and breast meat on each half to keep the chicken flat and easy to maneuver on the grill.
3
Grind the white peppercorns and coriander seeds in a food processor until powdery.
4
Add peeled garlic cloves (about 6), cilantro stems and leaves, chopped lemongrass, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, and brown sugar. Blend until smooth and paste-like.
5
Using your hands, rub the marinade evenly all over both halves of the chicken. Can start grilling immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to overnight for enhanced flavor.
6
Prepare the dipping sauce: In a mortar and pestle, crush 3 garlic cloves and thinly sliced Thai bird chilies, add brown sugar and continue pounding until paste-like. Add about a quarter cup fish sauce and fresh lime juice, then mix well. The sauce should balance sweetness, heat, and sourness.
7
Set up a two-zone fire on the grill: one side high heat, one side low heat. Scrape the grill clean with paper toweling. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken breast.
8
Place the chicken skin-side up on the grill with the legs facing the hotter side. Cover the grill lid. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 140°F, approximately 45 minutes.
9
When the internal temperature reaches 140°F, carefully flip the chicken skin-side down onto the hot side of the grill, with the breast pointing toward the cool side. Continue grilling for 2-3 minutes until the skin is crispy.
10
Monitor the grill and rotate the chicken as needed for even cooking. After 3-5 minutes, check that the breast reaches 149°F internally and the legs reach at least 165°F (preferably 173°F).
11
Remove the skewers. Carve the chicken by grabbing the end of the drumstick and slicing gently through the skin; the chicken will separate naturally at the joints. Serve with the sweet and spicy fish sauce dipping sauce.

Thai-Style Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang)

Ingredients

Steps

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