Lemongrass-Marinated Grilled Chicken with Jaew Dipping Sauce
Whole butterflied chicken marinated overnight in a fragrant paste of lemongrass, garlic, cilantro root, and white pepper, then grilled over charcoal until the skin blisters and caramelizes into a mahogany glaze. Served Isaan-style with sticky rice and a punchy roasted chili dipping sauce, this is Thai street food royalty.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (3-4 lbs), butterflied (spatchcocked)
- 4 stalks lemongrass, tender parts only, sliced
- 8 cloves garlic
- 4 cilantro roots or 1/2 cup cilantro stems
+ 10 more ingredients
Instructions
Using a mortar and pestle, pound the white peppercorns into a powder. Add the lemongrass, garlic, and cilantro roots, pounding into a rough paste.
Transfer the paste to a bowl and mix in the oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, palm sugar, turmeric, coconut milk, and oil to form a marinade.
Place the butterflied chicken in a large dish. Rub the marinade all over the chicken, getting it under the skin wherever possible. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for best results.
Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before grilling to bring it to room temperature.
Set up a grill for indirect heat (medium, around 350F). If using charcoal, bank the coals to one side.
Place the chicken skin-side up on the cooler side of the grill. Cover and cook for 25 minutes.
Flip the chicken skin-side down and move it closer to the heat source. Grill for another 10-15 minutes until the skin is deeply caramelized and the thickest part of the thigh reads 165F on a thermometer.
Rest the chicken for 10 minutes before chopping into pieces with a cleaver.
Serve on a platter with sticky rice, fresh herbs, raw vegetables, and jaew dipping sauce on the side.
Nutrition Estimate
Per serving • Estimated by Blinner AI