Dish guides
What is gai yang?
ไก่ย่าง · kai yang
Gai yang (kai yang) is marinated chicken grilled slowly over charcoal until the skin is golden and the meat stays juicy. The marinade is usually garlic, coriander root, white pepper and fish sauce, often with soy sauce. Shared by Laos and north-east Thailand (Isan), it's eaten with sticky rice, green papaya salad and a smoky chilli dipping sauce, and sold at street stalls all day.
- At a glance
- Gai yang
- Thai and Lao charcoal-grilled chicken in a garlic, coriander root and pepper marinade.
- Pronunciation
- Say it like guy yahng · IPA /kàj jâːŋ/
- Also written as
- kai yang, gai yaang, ไก่ปิ้ง (kai ping), ping kai (Lao), Thai grilled chicken, kai yang Isan, kai yang Wichian Buri, kai yang khrueng tua (half chicken)
What’s in it
Core ingredients
- chicken (halved and flattened, or in pieces)
- garlic
- coriander root
- white pepper
- fish sauce
- charcoal grill
Often added
- soy sauce or dark soy sauce
- lemongrass
- turmeric
- palm sugar
- oyster or hoisin sauce
- nam chim jaeo (dried chilli, toasted rice, fish sauce and lime or tamarind)
- sweet chilli sauce
- sticky rice
- som tam
Allergens
| Allergen | How likely |
|---|---|
| Fish | Typically contains |
| Soy | Often contains |
| Gluten | Sometimes contains |
| Molluscs | Sometimes contains |
| Sesame | Sometimes contains |
| Shellfish | Rarely contains |
| Eggs | Rarely contains |
| Dairy | Rarely contains |
| Peanuts | Rarely contains |
| Tree nuts | Rarely contains |
| Diet | Suitable? |
|---|---|
| Vegetarian | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Pescatarian | No |
| Halal | Depends — There's no pork in the dish itself, but ordinary stalls aren't certified; Thai Muslim versions of grilled chicken are common in the south and at halal-marked stalls. |
| Kosher | No |
| Gluten-free | Depends — Chicken, garlic, pepper and fish sauce are normally wheat-free, but many cooks add soy, oyster or hoisin sauce, which usually contain wheat (hoisin also contains sesame). Ask about the marinade. |
Allergen and calorie details are AI estimates based on the menu and typical recipes. They can be incomplete — if you have a serious allergy, always check with the staff.
How gai yang is made
A whole chicken is usually split, flattened and held in a bamboo clamp, or cut into pieces, then marinated in a paste of garlic, coriander root and white pepper with fish sauce, often with soy sauce, a little sugar and sometimes lemongrass or turmeric. It's grilled slowly over low charcoal so the fat renders and the skin crisps without burning.
The essential partner is nam chim jaeo, a dark dipping sauce of dried chilli, toasted rice powder, fish sauce, lime or tamarind and shallots. Many stalls also offer sweet chilli sauce. Gai yang is almost always eaten with sticky rice and som tam, the classic Isan trio.
How to order it
| Phrase | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ขอไก่ย่างครึ่งตัวครับ | Kho kai yang khrueng tua khrap. | Half a grilled chicken, please. (Women say kha instead of khrap.) |
| ขอข้าวเหนียวด้วยครับ | Kho khao niao duai khrap. | With sticky rice too, please. |
| น้ำหมักใส่ซีอิ๊วไหมครับ | Nam mak sai si-io mai khrap? | Is there soy sauce in the marinade? |
Not to be confused with
- Kai thot — Thai fried chicken, marinated and deep-fried, often with crispy garlic; not grilled.
- Mu ping — Grilled pork skewers in a sweet garlic and pepper marinade, a breakfast street food.
- Satay — Small skewers of turmeric-marinated meat served with peanut sauce and cucumber relish; contains peanuts.
Frequently asked questions
What do you eat with gai yang?
The classic combination is sticky rice (khao niao) and som tam, a spicy green papaya salad, with nam chim jaeo, a smoky chilli and toasted-rice dipping sauce. Larb, raw vegetables and grilled pork also often join the table. You eat the sticky rice with your hands, rolling it into small balls.
Is gai yang spicy?
Not usually. The marinade is garlic, coriander root, white pepper and fish sauce, which makes the chicken savoury and peppery rather than hot. The heat comes from the jaeo dipping sauce and the som tam served with it. Sweet chilli sauce, also common, is mild.
Is gai yang gluten free?
Sometimes. A marinade of garlic, coriander root, pepper and fish sauce is normally wheat-free, but many cooks add soy sauce, dark soy, oyster sauce or hoisin sauce, which usually contain wheat. Ask "Nam mak sai si-io mai?" (Is there soy sauce in the marinade?) and check the dipping sauces too.
How do you pronounce gai yang?
Say guy yahng: in IPA, [kàj jâːŋ]. Kai has a low tone and an unaspirated k, which is why it's often written gai, and yang has a falling tone and a long a. It means simply "grilled chicken", and in Lao the same dish is called ping kai.
