Thai Grilled Chicken with Lime & Avocado Basil Sauce
The special aspect of BBQ, is that it is enjoyed in every country, with different ingredients and different flavor profiles. BBQ is a universal food experience. Grilled meats are not isolated to North America, Asia loves it too! It was so much fun to consider a Thai BBQ recipe and enjoy a different style of barbecue. 😉 This dinner was also an opportunity to spend more time cooking on a kettle grill with lump charcoal to change it up. I like old school grilling. Simple, classic and so many opportunities to pair with various sauces and tastes. I can see why this dish is so common in Thailand.
Gai Yang (the direct Thai translation for Grilled Chicken), is a two part dish. Grilled marinated chicken is part one. Part Two includes the wide variety of dipping sauces to choose from. There are so many options – often with spicy or sour components. I loved the Avocado Basil Sauce from my Avocado Basil Pheasant Salad Rolls recipe last week so much, voila! Dual purpose sauce that is magnificent in salad rolls AND grilled chicken. The basil is so fragrant and fresh, it adds a very different element to the BBQ chicken.
Alternatively, a simple squeeze of lime balances the richness of grilled meats. I highly recommend it! Which dressing do you prefer on Gai Yang?
Taste: Seasoned grilled chicken with the fresh zing of lime or a creamy Avocado Basil Dipping sauce is a tasty contrast in flavors to help enjoy just one more piece!
Texture: What’s not to love? Crispy sizzled chicken skin and succulent juicy meat
I had so much fun with “Thai” for this week’s Supper Challenge. If you enjoy Thai, my Thai Basil Chicken (or Pheasant) recipe is pretty fantastic, especially for a weeknight meal!
Thai Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang) with Lime or Avocado Basil Sauce
Equipment
- Large freezer bag
- Small food processor or mortar and pestle
- Grill
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken or 6 chicken legs cut into drumsticks and thighs
- Thai Marinade Paste
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 piece of fresh ginger about 1 teaspoon or the size of a large garlic clove
- 6 inches of inner stem of lemon grass remove and discard the dry outer leaves
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¾ cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems
- 1 green thai chili – seeds removed
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground white or black pepper
- 1 +2 tablespoons coconut or light brown sugar
- 1 lime sliced in half, optional
Avocado Basil Dipping Sauce
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup coconut milk
- ½" ” piece of ginger ~1 teaspoon
- 1 clove of garlic
- ½ teaspoon sea salt more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons ripe avocado
- Juice of ½ lime
Instructions
- In a small food processor or mortar and pestle, place all the marinade items together and grind into paste.
- Transfer the Thai Marinade Paste onto the chicken and place into a large freezer bag. Marinate for 2-12 hours in the refrigerator.
- Warm up grill. If using charcoal, light the charcoal on one side of the grill and cook the chicken on the cold side of the grill to cook indirect. Flip and move every 5 minutes or so to ensure even cooking for a total cook time around 40-45 minutes. Dark meat should be cooked to 180F.
- Rest chicken for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Serve with grilled or fresh squeezed lime and Avocado Basil Dipping Sauce
- Avocado Basil Dipping Sauce
- Add all ingredients to the same small food processor (no need to wash out) and pulse until combined into a smooth sauce.
- Add additional salt to taste.