What is "Nam Tok"?

Nam tok literally means "falling water" or "waterfall," so you might have seen this steak called "waterfall salad" on some menus. The name refers to the dripping (i.e., falling) of meat juices as it’s being grilled; so the one requirement for this dish is that the meat has to be grilled. There are two common types of nam tok: one made with pork, usually grilled pork jowl, and the other made with beef.

Ingredients and Notes

Ingredients for the Steak Marinade

This marinade is a simplified version of my ultimate steak marinade recipe because the steaks are going to get even more flavour from the salad.

• Grilling steaks. Pictured are picanha steaks, also known as "top sirloin cap," but any other grilling steaks can be used. In Thailand, tri-tip is quite common.
• Oyster sauce. Check out this post for how to choose the best oyster sauce.
• Soy sauce. Watch this video for a soy sauce 101.
• Sugar
• Water
• Neutral oil
• Black pepper

Ingredients for the Salad

• Uncooked jasmine or glutinous rice for making toasted rice powder
• Makrut lime leaf (optional, not pictured). This is for adding fragrance to the toasted rice powder.
• Cilantro
• Mint
• Shallots
• Lemongrass
• Shallots
• Sawtooth coriander (optional, not pictured)
• Roasted chili flakes - You can simply toast some plain chili flakes in a dry skillet over low heat for just a minute or so, until it darkens slightly and smells smoky. Or toast whole chilies, then grind.
• Fish sauce. Learn more about choosing the best fish sauce here.
• Lime juice
• Water
• Sugar
• Thai sticky rice, for serving. This salad is always paired with sticky rice and I highly recommend it. Check out this post for how to make sticky rice.

How to Make Thai Grilled Steak Salad

Here's a bird's eye view of how to make neua yang nam tok, but be sure to watch the video tutorial first to ensure success!

1. Make the marinade by combining all ingredients.
2. Marinade steaks for at least 2 hours.
3. Grill the steaks, flipping at least twice for more even cooking.
4. I recommend medium to medium-well doneness for this recipe. Rare steaks don't hold up as well in this salad.

5. Toast the rice with a makrut lime leaf in a dry skillet or wok until browned.
6. Grind into a powder.
7. Slice the steak and place into a mixing bowl, adding any juices collected during resting.
8. Add all dressing ingredients and the toasted rice powder and toss.

9. Toss in all the fresh herbs.
10. Serve immediately with sticky rice!

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What is Moo Ping หมูปิ้ง?

Moo means pork, and ping means to grill, so the name simple means "grilled pork." But there is much more to it than that. The pork is marinated in a slightly sweet mixture of umami sauces, herbs, and coconut milk. They're then skewered and grilled, and always served with sticky rice.

In Thailand, you can find these sold by street carts outdoors, or inside malls where there are also plenty of food stalls. Nowadays, many of these vendors do not make their own moo ping, and instead buy them from a large supplier. In my opinion, the quality of the average moo ping in Thailand has gotten worse since this started happening. Mass produced moo ping are made from finely chopped pork, they use evaporated milk instead of coconut milk, and they always taste too sweet. So this is definitely one recipe I now prefer to make myself, so I can make them like the good old days!

Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

• Bamboo skewers, soak these for at least an hour before grilling, and up to overnight, to prevent them from burning on the grill. Though if you forget, you can use my other trick of placing a strip of foil down on the grill and making sure the exposed skewers rest on the foil to insulate them.
• Pork collar butt roast, or pork shoulder. You want to use a fatty cut for this for maximum juiciness.
• Garlic
• Cilantro roots or chopped cilantro stems
• Oyster sauce
• Soy sauce
• Black soy sauce to add a dark colour. You can sub Chinese dark soy, but you have to reduce the amount of regular soy sauce as Chinese dark soy is much saltier than Thai soy sauce.
• Palm sugar, or light brown sugar.
• Neutral flavoured oil
• Coconut milk
• Water, this is added to create a brine to make the pork juicier.
• White and black peppercorns, though you can use one or the other if you only have one.
• Corn starch
• Sticky rice for serving

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

How to Make Thai BBQ Pork Skewers

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.

1. For the marinade: Pound garlic, cilantro roots, peppercorns in a mortar until fine. Add palm sugar and pound until dissolved.
2. Add all remaining marinade ingredients, except cornstarch, and stir to mix.
3. If you see any silver skin on the pork, remove it, then cut pork into thin, bit-sized pieces. If you start with a roast, first cut the roast into long "cylinders" along the grain, about 1.5" wide by 1" tall.
4. Then slice each cylinder into 5 mm (¼ inch) thick pieces against the grain. See the video tutorial for a demo. Slicing thinly against the grain ensure that the muscle fibers are shortest, producing the most tender pork.

5. Pour the marinade over the pork and mix well. Let marinate overnight (8 hours) or at least 3 hours if you're in a rush.
6. After marinating, sprinkle cornstarch over the marinated pork and mix well.
7. Skewer the pork by simply poking through the middle of the piece, then lay them flat on a tray so that the pork pieces are laying flat, shingled on top of each other. Pack them tightly and neatly on top of each other and it'll help shape the skewers. If you have time, let the pork sit in the fridge on the skewers for another hour or longer to set the shape of the skewers, and the pork will not flop around as much when you grill.
8. Grill over medium to medium high heat, 1.5 - 2 minutes per side. I like to place a folded strip of foil on the grill under the exposed skewers; this prevents the skewers from burning, especially important if you did not soak the skewers. Serve with sticky rice!

Recipe Card

BBQ Pork Skewers หมูปิ้ง (moo ping)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 6 reviews

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Marinating time: 3 hours minimum
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 4 hours
• Yield: Makes about 24 skewers

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Description

Moo ping are grilled pork skewers that are the ultimate poster child of Thai street food. You can find these anywhere served along with sticky rice. They're quite easy to make at home, and it's even better than on the street!

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Ingredients

• About 24 bamboo skewers, soaked for at least an hour
• 1 ½ lb pork collar butt roast
• 5 cloves garlic
• 3 cilantro roots or 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro stems
• 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp black soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp (35 g) palm sugar
• 1 Tbsp neutral flavoured oil
• ¼ cup coconut milk
• 3 Tbsp water
• ¼ tsp white peppercorns
• ¼ tsp black peppercorns
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch

For serving: Sticky Rice

Ingredients & Kitchen Tools I Use

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Instructions

1. For the marinade: Pound garlic, cilantro roots, peppercorns in a mortar until fine. Add palm sugar and pound until dissolved. Add all remaining marinade ingredients, except cornstarch, and stir to mix.
2. Cut pork into thin, bit-sized pieces against the grain, about 5 mm thick (a little less than ¼ inch). If you see any silver skin on the pork, remove it. If needed, see blog post above for a visual for how to cut the pork.
3. Pour the marinade over the pork and mix well. Let marinate overnight (8 hours) or at least 3 hours if you're in a rush.
4. After marinating, sprinkle cornstarch over the marinated pork and mix well.
5. Skewer the pork, about 4-5 pieces per skewer, by poking the skewer right through the middle of the piece. Then lay the skewers down on a tray so the pork pieces are laying flat, shingled on top of each other. Pack them neatly and tightly on top of each other and it'll help shape the skewers. If you have time, let the pork sit in the fridge on the skewers for at least an hour before grilling to set the shape of the skewers and the pork pieces won't flop around as much.
6. Grill over medium to medium high heat, 1.5 - 2 minutes per side. Place a folded piece of foil under the exposed skewers to prevent them from burning.
7. Serve with sticky rice.

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Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Ingredients & Notes

Here are all the ingredients you'll need and important notes about them. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

• Pork loin, cut into 2-cm thick chops. Pork loin is common in Thailand but you can also use pork shoulder for a fattier cut, or pork tenderloin for something more tender. If you're using other kinds of meats, see my chicken satay recipe and my beef satay recipe. (see note)
• Coconut milk, for basting
• Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 2-3 hours. If you forget to do this, it's not a big deal, just make sure you place a strip of folded foil under the skewer handles to protect them from heat (see video tutorial), and make sure the tip is not exposed.
• White bread, for serving, yes! You might be surprised but in Thailand it is very common for satay to come with toasted white bread. You dip the bread in the peanut sauce and eat alongside the satay, and if there's any sauce left after the satays are gone, use the bread to sop up the rest!

Satay Marinade

• Coriander seeds, toasted
• Cumin seeds, toasted
• White peppercorns
• Lemongrass, finely chopped
• Galangal, minced (optional)
• Chopped fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
• Ground cinnamon
• Ground clove
• Brown sugar, or white sugar
• Salt
• White vinegar
• Coconut milk

Real Thai Peanut Sauce

• Red curry paste, store bought is just fine. I recommend Maeploy, Aroy-D or Namjai. See this post for my review of different Thai curry pastes. You can also try using panang curry paste or massaman curry paste for a sauce with aroma of dry spices.
• Coconut milk, see my post for how to choose the best coconut milk.
• Roasted peanuts. I highly recommend buying raw peanuts and roasting them yourself for the best flavour. You can roast them in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size, and stirring halfway in between. Check them early and often to prevent burning.
• Toasted white sesame seeds, this is optional for added aroma, you can also substitute more peanuts.
• Fish sauce
• Finely chopped palm sugar, learn more about palm sugar here.
• Tamarind paste, store bought in a tub or homemade using this recipe. If buying, make sure it is tamarind from Thailand, which may be labeled as "concentrate". Learn more about tamarind here.

Quick Cucumber Pickle (Ajaad)

Ajaad is a quick pickle that is served alongside satay as a palate cleanser to cut the richness of the satay. If you're feeling lazy you can also serve Western cucumber pickle or gherkins instead.

• Cucumber
• Shallots
• Slices of Thai chilies, jalapenos, serranos, or fresno chilies, any kind of peppers will work here, and you can choose spicy or mild ones.
• White vinegar
• Granulated sugar
• Salt

How to Make Thai Satay & Peanut Sauce

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success. The full recipe is in the recipe card below.

1. Cut the pork chops in half along the length of the fatty rind.
2. Then slice each piece along the short side into ¼-inch thick pieces.
3. Grind coriander, cumin seeds, and white peppercorns in a mortar and pestle until very fine, then add galangal, lemongrass and fresh turmeric (if using); pound until fine.
4. Add turmeric powder (if using), cinnamon, clove, brown sugar, salt, vinegar, coconut milk, and water; stir to mix well.

5. Pour the satay marinade over the meat, massage with your hands, making sure that no pieces of meat are stuck together. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours and up to overnight. (If you're in a rush, a 20 minute marinade will also be fine).
6. Meanwhile, make the peanut sauce by grinding the peanuts and sesame seeds (if using) into a fine meal in a food processor (do not let it become peanut butter).
7. Reduce ¼ cup of the coconut milk by about half, until it is quite thick.
8. A curry paste to the coconut milk and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes until it is very thick.

5. Stir in the rest of the coconut milk, ground peanuts and sesame seeds, fish sauce, palm sugar and tamarind paste.
6. Simmer for a few more minutes until it has thickened into a dip consistency, stirring frequently to prevent the bottom from scorching. You might even see red oil floating on top, that is a good sign. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
   *If you want to make the cucumber pickle, make the pickling liquid now by combining all ingredients and cook just until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool.
7. Skewer the meat onto bamboo skewers, about 3 pieces to each skewer, and lay them flat on a tray and brush the top side of the skewers with coconut milk.
8. Place the skewers on the grill, coconut-nut-milk-side-down, and brush the top side with coconut milk. Placing aluminum foil under the skewer handles will prevent the skewers from burning.

13. Flip the skewers and grill the other side just until done. These are small and thin skewers and should only take a couple of minutes to grill, so watch them carefully and do not overcook them!
14. If making ajaad, place the cucumber, shallots, and chilies into a small serving bowl and pour the cooled vinegar mixture over it.

Recipe Card

Pork Satay and Authentic Thai Peanut Sauce

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 12 reviews

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Marinating time: 20 mins minimum
• Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 55 mins
• Yield: 4-6 Servings
• Cuisine: Thai

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Description

99% of satays in Thailand are made from pork, and this easy recipe will get you the real taste of Thai street food in your own home! The peanut sauce is made with freshly ground peanuts, no peanut butter (not a thing in Thailand) and the flavour will blow you away!

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Ingredients

• 1 lb (454 g) pork loin, cut into 2-cm thick chops, chicken, or beef (see note)
• ¼ cup (60 ml) coconut milk for basting
• Small 6-inch bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 2-3 hours
• 4 slices white bread, optional for serving

Satay Marinade

• 1 ½ tsp coriander seeds, toasted
• ½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted
• ¼ tsp white peppercorns
• 1 Tbsp lemongrass, from the bottom half, finely chopped
• 1 tsp minced galangal (optional)
• 1 tsp chopped fresh turmeric or ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp ground clove
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ Tbsp white vinegar or rice wine vinegar
• ⅓ cup coconut milk
• ¼ cup water

Peanut Sauce

• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) Thai red curry paste, store bought or homemade (see note 1)
• 1¼ cup (300 ml) coconut milk
• ½ cup (70 g) roasted peanuts
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) toasted white sesame seeds (or substitute 2 tablespoon more peanuts)
• 1-2 teaspoon (5-10 ml) fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) finely chopped palm sugar
• 2-3 tablespoon (30-45 ml) tamarind paste, store bought or homemade (see note 2)

Quick Cucumber Pickle (Ajaad)

• ½ cup quartered and sliced cucumber
• 1 Tbsp thinly sliced shallots
• 8-10 slices of spur chilies, jalapenos, serranos, or fresno chilies,
• ½ cup white vinegar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• a pinch of salt

Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

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Instructions

Cut the pork chops in half along the length of the fatty rind. Then slice each piece, along the short side, into ¼-inch thick pieces so you end up with small rectangles. (If this is confusing, see video for a visual.) 

For the satay marinade:

Grind coriander, cumin seeds, and white peppercorns in a mortar and pestle until very fine, then add galangal, lemongrass and fresh turmeric (if using); pound until fine. Add turmeric powder (if using), cinnamon, clove, brown sugar, salt, vinegar, coconut milk, and water; stir to mix well.

Pour the marinade over the meat, massage with your hands, making sure that no pieces of meat are stuck together. Cover and marinate for at least 20 minutes, longer is better, and up to overnight. If marinating for longer than 1 hour, refrigerate.

For the peanut sauce:

In a food processor, grind the peanuts into a fine meal. If using sesame seeds, grind them into a fine meal using a spice/coffee grinder or a mortar and pestle, being careful not to over grind them into sesame butter.

In a small pot over medium heat, reduce ¼ cup of the coconut milk by about half. Add curry paste and cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes until it is very thick. If it thickens too quickly, add a splash of coconut milk to help loosen it up.

Stir in the rest of the coconut milk, ground peanuts, ground sesame seeds (if using), fish sauce, palm sugar and tamarind juice. Simmer for a few more minutes until it has thickened into a dip consistency, stirring frequently to prevent the bottom from scorching.

Taste and adjust seasoning with more sugar, fish sauce, and tamarind juice as needed.

For the Quick Cucumber Pickle (Ajaad):

In a small pot, combine vinegar, sugar and salt; bring to a boil and cook just until the sugar is completely dissolved. Let cool completely.

Place the cucumber, shallots, and chilies into a small serving bowl and pour the cooled vinegar mixture over it. Keep covered and refrigerated until ready to serve.

To Grill:

(Note: You do not have to grill these; I sometimes just sear the skewers on a skillet on both sides to get a nice browning on the meat.)

Preheat the grill to medium.

Skewer the meat onto bamboo skewers, about 3 pieces to each skewer, and lay them flat on a tray. Brush the top  side of the skewers with coconut milk, then place on the grill, coconut-nut-milk-side-down.

Brush the other side with coconut milk and grill for a minute or so just until it is halfway cooked.

Flip the skewers and grill the other side just until done. These are small and thin skewers and should only take a couple of minutes to grill, so watch them carefully and do not overcook them!

When ready to serve:

Finish the ajaad by pouring the cooled vinegar mixture over the vegetables. Place bread on the grill to toast (you can also just toast the bread in the toaster) and cut each piece of toast into 9 squares. Serve the grilled satay skewers on a platter alongside peanut sauce, ajaad, and toast.

Note: The toast is typically dipped into the peanut sauce, and the ajaad can be eaten in between bites as a palate cleanser or together with the satay.

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Notes

1. If using store bought curry paste, I recommend Maeploy, Aroy-D or Namjai brands. If using Maesri in little tins, increase the amount to 4 tablespoons.
2. If buying tamarind paste, make sure it is a product of Thailand or Vietnam, NOT INDIA. It should be a runny, brown paste. It is often labelled as "tamarind concentrate".

MARINATED CHICKEN

The chicken can be marinated up to one day in advance; but if you're in a rush, just let them sit while you make the peanut sauce. A minimum of 20 minutes is ideal.

• coriander seeds, preferably toasted, but if you're lazy it's fine not to.
• cumin seeds, also preferably toasted.
• white peppercorns
• brown sugar
• salt
• ground turmeric
• ground cinnamon
• tamarind paste, store-bought or homemade
• coconut milk
• boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs. I suggest seeing the video tutorial for a demo for how I cut chicken so it's clear, but for breasts, cut into long ½-inch thick strips diagonally against the grain. For thighs, trim off the fat and any dangly bits, then cut in half lengthwise.
• Jasmine rice and/or white toast, for serving, and optional. If you want to serve these as an appy, eating it with white toast is actually a classic in Thailand! But to make this a meal you can serve with rice.

• roasted peanuts, unsalted. I always buy raw peanuts and roast them myself because the flavour is just superior to pre-roasted peanuts. I also buy skin-on peanuts because they, too, taste better despite a lot of work to skin them after. Roast them in a 350°F oven for about 15-20 minutes (timing depends on the size) until they're lightly browned.
• coconut milk
• Red curry paste, see this post for my review of store-bought brands. You can also make your own red curry paste and freeze!
• tamarind paste, store-bought or homemade
• Palm sugar
• fish sauce

1. Pound the coriander, cumin and white peppercorns into a powder.
2. Add all remaining marinade ingredients and mix well. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
3. Cut the chicken breast against the grain, diagonally, into ½-inch thick strips. Once you get to the flat part of the chicken, you can make it wider to even out the size. For chicken thighs, trim off excess fat and any dangly bits and cut horizontally in half. (See video for a visual of how to do this.)
4. Mix well with the marinade and let sit for at least 20 minutes and up to one day. Meanwhile make the peanut sauce.

5. Grind the peanuts until mealy in a food processor or mortar and pestle. Do not turn them into peanut butter!
6. Cook ⅓ cup of the coconut milk with the red curry paste until thick, and the coconut oil starts to separate out from the paste.
7. Add the remaining coconut milk, the peanuts, tamarind and palm sugar and cook for about 5 minutes until it's thick.
8. Taste the sauce and add fish sauce as needed. If you want to serve with pickles, make the pickling liquid now; instructions are in the recipe card, but you simply have to dissolve the sugar and salt in the vinegar and let it cool!

9. Grill the chicken breast for a few minutes per side with the lid open. If using chicken thighs, you may close the lid as they tend to take longer. You can also pan sear the chicken on a nonstick skillet instead.
10. If serving with the instant pickle, pour the pickling liquid over the cucumber shortly before serving so the cucumber remains crisp.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

What is Gai Yang?

Gai yang literally means, "grilled chicken." So by definition it can be any kind of chicken on the grill. And while indeed there are different types of Thai grilled chicken, such as this one smothered in coconut milk and curry paste, when you say "gai yang" in Thailand, this classic version is the one people think of.

The marinade is a standard combination of basic Thai pantry staples, but the flavour it delivers is pretty unreal. The umami of fish sauce, soy sauce, and subtle infusion of lemongrass and coriander seeds...creates one of the most popular dishes in Thai cuisine. 

Tip: You can vary the herbs a bit. Some people skip the coriander seeds, others skip the lemongrass, some add coriander roots (cilantro roots). But do keep the garlic, pepper, and the ratio of all the soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar the same. 

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you need and important notes about them. For amounts, see the recipe card below. In Thailand, gai yang is usually made with whole chickens, but Thai chickens are also much smaller so it's much easier to grill and manage in general. Here, I like to grill them in parts, but I buy different parts that would almost make up a whole chicken, minus the wings!

The Chicken

If you're a dark meat lover, you can also use 8 chicken thighs instead.

• 1 whole bone-in, skin-on chicken breast, that's TWO sides of the breast on the rib cage
• 2 chicken legs, bone-in, skin-on (an equivalent of 2 drumsticks and 2 thighs)

The Marinade:

• White peppercorns, black pepper is fine too.
• Toasted coriander seeds
• Lemongrass, bottom half only, thinly sliced
• Garlic
• Soy sauce, I use Thai soy sauce but any soy sauce you have will do. 
• Fish sauce
• Thai black soy sauce or dark soy sauce. Confused by types of soy sauces? See my video about various Thai soy sauces here.
• Sugar
• Neutral oil

The Dipping Sauce - Nam Jim Jaew

Nam jim jeaw is a tart, spicy dipping sauce that goes with all of our barbecue meats. The sharp flavours cut the richness of grilled meats. If you are serving kids, or someone who doesn't eat spicy, you can also serve it with Thai sweet chili sauce, also known as nam jim gai which literally means dipping sauce for chicken!

• Tamarind paste, if buying store bought tamarind, it comes in a jar or tub and is often labeled as "tamarind concentrate." Be sure to use a product of Thailand of Vietnam; do not use Indian tamarind paste as it is much more concentrated and cannot be used in this recipe. You can also make your own tamarind paste from pulp, which yields a much better product and is what I do.
• Palm sugar, or substitute equal amount of light brown sugar
• Fish sauce 
• Lime juice
• Chili flakes, to taste
• Shallots, finely chopped
• Green onion, chopped
• Cilantro, chopped
• Toasted rice powder. This is made simply by toasting raw rice (glutinous rice or jasmine rice) until dark brown then grind into a powder in a mortar and pestle of coffee grinder. Instructions included in the recipe.

How to Make Thai BBQ Chicken

​If this is your first time making this chicken dish, be sure to check out the video tutorial first to ensure success!

1. Grind white peppercorns and coriander seeds into a powder using a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder. Add lemongrass and garlic and pound into a fine paste. Transfer into a bowl and add all remaining marinade ingredients; stir to dissolve the sugar.
2. Split the breasts in half so you have two split, bone-in breasts (see technique in the video) and separate the dums from the thighs. Trim off excess skin from the thighs, if any. 
3. Add chicken pieces to a zip-top bag or a casserole dish and pour the marinade over, making sure all the pieces are well coated. Press out as much air as possible and marinade for at least 2 hours or overnight, stir the chicken or flip the bag half way through to ensure even marinating.

How to make nam jim jeaw dipping sauce: 

1. Make the toasted rice powder by adding raw jasmine or glutinous rice into a dry skillet, then toast over high heat, stirring constantly, until the grains are dark brown. Remove from heat and pour the rice onto a plate to cool slightly. Once cool, grind in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle into a powder.
2. Combine the tamarind, fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar; stir until the sugar is dissolved (it will really help to make sure your sugar is very finely chopped prior to mixing). 
3. Add the chili flakes and shallots. Close to serving time, stir in the green onions, cilantro and toasted rice powder.

To grill the chicken:

1. About 45 minutes before cooking, pull the chicken out to room temperature so they're not too cold. 
2. Preheat the grill on medium heat, then place the chicken on the grill, skin-side up. Tip: If your grill has hot spots and cool spots, place the chicken on the cool spots to prevent the skin from burning, and you can move them to the hot spots later if more skin charring is desired.  
3. Turn the heat down to low or medium-low and cook with the lid closed, flipping every 5 minutes, until done, about 18-30 minutes depending on the size of the pieces. If you've got large pieces of chicken, keep the BBQ temperature between 275°F - 300°F so the outside doesn't burn too quickly. 
4. To check doneness, I highly recommend a good meat thermometer. Cook the chicken breast until the internal temperature reaches 160 °F or 72°C, and cook chicken drums and thighs until internal temp of 175°F (80°C).

Thai Recipes to Go with BBQ Chicken

You're going to need some sides to go with this juicy Thai chicken. I recommend sticking with the classic pairings below for the "authentic" Thai barbecue experience!

• Sticky rice. This is a must-have carb with any Thai BBQ. There are many different ways to cook sticky rice, but this method is my current favourite.
• Green papaya salad (som tam). The crunchy, tart salad will cut the grease of any barbecue. No green papaya? Substitute shredded cabbage and carrots, or make this corn and cucumber version.
• Laab. Laab is gai yang's best buddy as they're often found together on the same table. Try the classic laab with ground pork, or make a more modern version with my salmon laab.  

Recipe Card

Ultimate Thai BBQ Chicken ไก่ย่าง (gai yang)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 16 reviews

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Marinating Time: 2 hours
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 3 hours
• Yield: 4 servings

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Ingredients

• 1 whole bone-in, skin-on chicken breast (that's TWO sides of the breast on the rib cage)
• 2 chicken legs (thigh & drumstick combo), bone-in, skin-on (equivalent of 2 drumsticks and 2 thighs)

Marinade:

• 1½ tsp white peppercorns
• 2 tsp toasted coriander seeds
• 1 stalk lemongrass, bottom half only, thinly sliced
• 5 cloves garlic
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp black soy sauce (or another kind of dark soy sauce)
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• ½ cup water
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Dipping Sauce - Nam Jim Jeaw

• 2 Tbsp Thai tamarind paste, store bought or homemade (what is tamarind?)
• 1 Tbsp palm sugar, finely chopped, or light brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• Chili flakes, to taste
• 1 Tbsp shallots, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp green onion, chopped
• 3 sprigs cilantro, chopped
• 1 Tbsp toasted rice powder (see how to make it here, it's easy!)

Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

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Instructions

1. Grind white peppercorns and coriander seeds into a powder using a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder. Add lemongrass and garlic and pound into a fine paste. Transfer into a bowl and add all remaining marinade ingredients; stir to dissolve the sugar.
2. Split the breasts in half so you have two split, bone-in breasts (see technique in the video) and separate the dums from the thighs. Trim off excess skin from the thighs, if any. 
3. Add chicken pieces to a zip-top bag or a casserole dish and pour the marinade over, making sure all the pieces are well coated. Press out as much air as possible and marinade for at least 2 hours or overnight, stir the chicken or flip the bag half way through to ensure even marinating.

How to make nam jim jeaw dipping sauce: 

1. Make the toasted rice powder by adding raw jasmine or glutinous rice into a dry skillet, then toast over high heat, stirring constantly, until the grains are dark brown. Remove from heat and pour the rice onto a plate to cool slightly. Once cool, grind in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle into a powder.
2. Combine the tamarind, fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar; stir until the sugar is dissolved (it will really help to make sure your sugar is very finely chopped prior to mixing). 
3. Add the chili flakes and shallots. Close to serving time, stir in the green onions, cilantro and toasted rice powder.

To grill the chicken:

1. About 45 minutes before cooking, pull the chicken out to room temperature so they're not too cold. 
2. Preheat the grill on medium heat, then place the chicken on the grill, skin-side up. Tip: If your grill has hot spots and cool spots, place the chicken on the cool spots to prevent the skin from burning, and you can move them to the hot spots later if more skin charring is desired.  
3. Turn the heat down to low or medium-low and cook with the lid closed, flipping every 5 minutes, until done, about 18-30 minutes depending on the size of the pieces. If you've got large pieces of chicken, keep the BBQ temperature between 275°F - 300°F so the outside doesn't burn too quickly. 
4. To check doneness, I highly recommend a good meat thermometer. Cook the chicken breast until the internal temperature reaches 160 °F or 72°C, and cook chicken drums and thighs until internal temp of 175°F (80°C).

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