April 26, 2023

Thai-Style Grilled Chicken with Dipping Sauce

Gai Yang is a grilled Thai chicken dish that is loaded with flavor. In Thai-Style Grilled Chicken with Dipping Sauce, I’ve simplified and “westernized” some of the ingredients and instructions of this classic Thai street dish so that you too can enjoy this amazing recipe in your own home. You’re gonna love it because the flavor is insane! Whatever you do, don’t skip the dipping sauce, it’s integral to the overall awesomeness of the dish.

Jump to Recipe

Dipping Sauce

Mix all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl until the sugar is dissolved.

Mix sugar, fish sauce, distilled white vinegar, lime juice, red pepper flakes, and garlic together in a medium-sized bowl until the sugar is dissolved. (It’s best to let dipping sauce sit for an hour or so to allow the flavors to meld.) Place dipping sauce into a small serving bowl. Set bowl aside until ready to use.

Ingredients for Rub and Chicken

Chicken and Rub ingredients - 8 thighs or 4 chicken breasts, minced garlic and ginger, finely chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice, black pepper, neutral oil, and ground coriander.

Organize all of the ingredients – trimmed chicken, garlic, ginger, cilantro, lime juice, oil, black pepper, and ground coriander

Making the Rub

Place garlic, ginger, black pepper, ground coriander, cilantro, lime juice and oil in a medium-sized bowl.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. While grill is heating, mix the garlic, ginger, black pepper, ground coriander, cilantro, lime juice and oil together in a medium-sized bowl.

Applying the Rub

Use your fingers to gently press and spread the rub under the skin. Repeat with each piece of chicken

Working with one piece of chicken at a time, slide fingers between the skin and meat being careful not to detach the skin. Place about 1 tablespoon of the rub under the skin and then use your fingers to gently press and spread the rub under the skin. Repeat with each piece of chicken and then spread any remaining rub on the exterior of the chicken pieces. (Do ahead: Prepping the chicken with the rub can be done 2-3 hours in advance. Place chicken in a bowl or on a large plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.)

Grilling the Chicken

Then turn over chicken pieces and cook for an additional 10 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked, 160 degrees.

Once grill is heated, spray with cooking spray. Place chicken skin-side up on the grill and cook for 15 minutes. Then turn over chicken pieces and cook for an additional 10 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked, 160 degrees. (Cooking time will be longer if chicken pieces are large). When chicken is skin-side down, you may need to adjust the flame lower to avoid burning the skin.

Thai-Style Grilled Chicken with Dipping Sauce

To serve, place chicken pieces and dipping sauce onto a platter and garnish with lime and fresh herbs.

Print Recipe

Thai-Style Grilled Chicken with Dipping Sauce

Prep Time30

Cook Time25

Total Time55

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Asian, Thai

Keyword: black pepper, chicken breasts, chicken thighs, cilantro, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, gluten free, ground coriander, lime juice, red pepper flakes, sugar, white wine vinegar

Servings: 4 people

Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Ingredients

Dipping Sauce

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 small garlic cloves finely minced or grated in a garlic press or zested
1/4 cup distilled white wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice from 2-3 limes
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/3 cup sugar granulated

Chicken and Rub

8 chicken thighs or 4 chicken breasts bone-in, skin-on, trimmed
12 small garlic cloves finely mince or grated in a garlic press or zested (Trader Joe’s frozen garlic cubes can be used)
2 tablespoons fresh ginger minced (Trader Joe’s frozen ginger cubes can be used)
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons ground coriander
2/3 cup cilantro leaves finely chopped
2-3 limes juiced (approx. 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

Instructions

Dipping Sauce

Mix all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl until the sugar is dissolved. (It’s best to let dipping sauce sit for an hour or so to allow the flavors to meld.) Place dipping sauce into a small serving bowl. Set bowl aside until ready to use.

Chicken and Rub

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
While grill is heating, mix the garlic, ginger, black pepper, ground coriander, cilantro, lime juice and oil together in a medium-sized bowl.
Working with one piece of chicken at a time, slide fingers between the skin and meat being careful not to detach the skin. Place about 1 tablespoon of the rub under the skin and then use your fingers to gently press and spread the rub under the skin. Repeat with each piece of chicken and then spread any remaining rub on the exterior of the chicken pieces. (Do ahead: Prepping the chicken with the rub can be done 2-3 hours in advance. Place chicken in a bowl or on a large plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.)
Once grill is heated, spray with cooking spray. Place chicken skin-side up on the grill and cook for 15 minutes. Then turn over chicken pieces and cook for an additional 10 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked, 160 degrees. (Cooking time will be longer if chicken pieces are large). When chicken is skin-side down, you may need to adjust the flame lower to avoid burning the skin.
To serve, place chicken pieces and dipping sauce onto a platter and garnish with lime and fresh herbs.

Notes

A combination of dark and white meat can be used, if desired…4 thighs and 2 breasts.

Recipe from Cook’s Illustrated.

If you like this recipe, you may also like these other GFchow recipes. Roasted Broccoli with Thai-Style Dressing, Crunchy Thai Slaw, and Sesame-Lime Grilled Wings.

GLUTEN FREE DISCLAIMER

The recipes you find here are considered by me to be gluten free. However, it is up to you to make sure the ingredients you use are gluten free. Whenever possible, I will list specific brands of ingredients that I use, but always be sure to check the labels yourself to verify the item is gluten free.