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Thai Grilled Chicken

Thai grilled chicken with a pounded lemongrass-garlic-cilantro paste marinade that penetrates for hours and grills smoky until the skin is deeply charred. The result is crisp golden mahogany skin with juicy meat and a finish of lime and fresh herbs.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
marinating 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Thai
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

chicken pieces
  • 3 lb bone-in chicken pieces Use bone-in pieces for the best char and juiciness.
lemongrass
  • 3 stalk stalks lemongrass, minced
garlic
  • 6 clove cloves garlic
cilantro roots or stems
  • 2 tbsp tablespoons cilantro roots or stems, chopped If you only have stems, use them; if unavailable, use additional cilantro stems or finely chopped cilantro.
white peppercorns
  • 1 tbsp tablespoon white peppercorns
fish sauce
  • 3 tbsp tablespoons fish sauce
soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp tablespoons soy sauce
dark sweet soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp tablespoons dark sweet soy sauce
palm sugar
  • 2 tbsp tablespoons palm sugar
water
  • 2 tbsp tablespoons water
garnish
  • 1 sesame seeds, fresh chiles, and cilantro, for garnish
lime wedges
  • 1 lime wedges, for serving

Equipment

  • 1 grill

Method
 

Make the lemongrass paste and marinade
  1. Grind the white peppercorns into a powder, then add the minced lemongrass, garlic, and chopped cilantro roots or stems and pound into a fine paste.
  2. Whisk the paste with fish sauce, soy sauce, dark sweet soy sauce, palm sugar, and water until the marinade looks smooth and well combined.
  3. Add the bone-in chicken pieces to a bag or dish, pour the marinade over, and coat well.
  4. Marinate at least 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Grill and finish
  1. Preheat the grill to medium heat, then place the chicken skin-side up and move to cooler spots if flare-ups occur.
  2. Grill, turning occasionally, until the skin is deeply charred and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
  3. Rest the chicken for a few minutes, then garnish with sesame seeds, fresh chiles, and cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Notes

For maximum flavor, marinate uncovered in the refrigerator for the first hour, then cover once the chicken looks evenly coated. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; freeze cooked chicken up to 2 months. For a gluten-free swap, use gluten-free soy sauce and gluten-free dark sweet soy sauce in the marinade.