Gai yang — Thailand’s iconic grilled chicken from the northeastern Isan region — is one of those dishes so irresistible it has swept across the entire country and well beyond. Butterflied, skewered, and slow-grilled over charcoal (or a gas grill), the chicken emerges with gloriously crisp, golden skin wrapped in a richly charred crust of toasted spices, cilantro, white pepper, and fish sauce — one of the tastiest things you’ll ever pull off your grill.
It’s extraordinary on its own. But dipped into a sweet and spicy chile sauce? Absolutely mind-blowing. That sauce is what we’re here for — the bright, punchy, perfectly balanced counterpart that takes every bite of that smoky, savory chicken to another level entirely.
A butterflied bird has all of its skin on one side, in more or less a single plane. This makes crisping it evenly much easier, and, with plenty of space for rendering fat to escape, it gets crisper than it ever could were the bird left whole. This flat shape also makes it easier to maneuver and flip as it cooks on the grill.
NOTES: Because we were unable to source a few of the ingredients, we made a few substitutions, specifically, red pepper flakes in lieu of Thai Chiles and lemon grass paste instead of the stalks.
Thai-Style Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang)
Ingredients
- 6 cloves garlic
- 12 sprigs cilantro, including thick stalks
- 3 Tbsp. palm or light brown sugar
- 2 tsp. ground white pepper
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
- 2 tsp. dark soy sauce
- 2 3-inch segments lemongrass (see above note)
- 1 whole chicken, spine removed, split in half along the breastbone
- 1 recipe Thai-style sweet chile dipping sauce (see below)
Directions
- Combine garlic, cilantro, sugar, white pepper, coriander, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, and lemongrass (if using) in the bowl of a food processor. Process until a rough paste is formed. Set aside.
- Place chicken halves flat on a cutting board. Insert 2 metal skewers into each chicken half, running parallel through legs and breasts. Transfer chicken to a baking dish that just fits them. Rub on all surfaces with marinade. Cover, transfer to refrigerator, and allow to marinate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
- When ready to cook, light 1 chimney full of charcoal. When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread coals evenly over half of coal grate. Alternatively, set half the burners of a gas grill to high heat. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil grilling grate.
- Place chicken, skin side up, on cooler side of grill, with legs facing toward hotter side. Cover grill, with vents on lid open and aligned over chicken. Open bottom vents of grill. Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 140°F, about 45 minutes. Carefully flip chicken and place, skin side down, on hotter side of grill, with breasts pointed toward cooler side. Cover and cook until skin is crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 145 to 150°F, about 3 minutes longer. (Be careful, as the skin is very prone to burning.) If chicken threatens to burn before temperature is achieved, carefully slide to cooler side of grill, cover, and continue to cook until done. Do not leave lid off for longer than it takes to check temperature, or chicken will burn.
- Transfer chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Carve and serve with chile dipping sauce.
Thai-Style Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 to 12Â red Thai bird chiles, finely minced, OR 1 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced (about 4 tsp.)
- 1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
- 1/2 cup palm or light brown sugar
- 3Â Tbsp. distilled white vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a small sealable container. Shake well, set aside, and allow sugar to dissolve, shaking every 10 minutes or so. When sugar is fully dissolved, store in refrigerator until ready to use. Sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Adapted from a recipe by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt for Serious Eats
