Thai Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang)

The formula

Every ingredient resolved to grams, expressed against the recipe's own base — next to the median of all 78.

	this recipe	typical
fat	1%	2%
salt	3%	0%
aromatics	2%	0%
sweetener	1%	0%
liquid	1%	0%

Adapts cleanly: dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free (documented swaps, applied on the dish page)

Ingredients

Weights computed by us.

50 g	1 stalk lemongrass ((base of stalk, cut into small pieces; 50g))
25 g	1/2 cup cilantro ((also known as fresh coriander—stems and leaves, chopped; 25g))
35 g	2 shallots ((chopped; 35g))
35 g	8 cloves garlic ((chopped; 35g))
27 g	2 tablespoons vegetable oil ((30 ml))
25 g	2 tablespoons palm sugar ((or light brown sugar; 25g))
4 g	3/4 teaspoon salt ((or to taste))
1 g	1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
64 g	1/4 cup Thai thin soy sauce
11 g	2 teaspoons Thai sweet soy sauce ((or black soy sauce))
34 g	2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 g	1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder ((optional))
2495 g	1 whole chicken ((about 5-6 pounds; 2.2-2.6 kg))
12 g	1 tablespoon palm sugar ((or light brown sugar; 12g))
15 g	1 tablespoon hot water
	1 tablespoon tamarind paste or concentrate
34 g	2 tablespoons fish sauce
12 g	1 tablespoon toasted sticky rice ((kao khua; ground to a powder, optional))
6 g	1 tablespoon cilantro ((chopped))
6 g	1 tablespoon scallions ((chopped))
	2 teaspoons dried chili flakes ((or fresh Thai chili peppers, optional))

Method: 7 steps, published by thewoksoflife.com — open the original ↗ or use bake mode for a follow-along with a screen that stays on.

“Really tasty. I made it with boneless skinless thighs and they were delicious. I will warn everyone that the dipping sauce is HOT! Bill definitely didn't dial down the heat :) We like spicy food, but I just can't take the heat like I used to in my younger days” — a cook, 4.0★

“Made this yesterday and let it marinate overnight. So good! Love all your recipes and they've never failed to make my family happy!” — a cook, 5.0★