Thai Grilled Chicken Marinade
Very balanced, full of traditional Thai flavors, this marinade will take your grilled chicken to a new level.
Very balanced, full of traditional Thai flavors, this marinade will take your grilled chicken to a new level.
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh thai basil ((or use regular basil))
- 1 stalk ((white part only minced))
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
- 1 1-inch piece of ginger root ((peeled and mince
- 3 cloves garlic ((minced))
- 2 tbsp of minced regular hot red chili))
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce ((or substitute with regular soy s
- 2 tbsp thai fish sauce
- 2 tbsp palm sugar ((or brown sugar))
- 1 shallot ((minced))
- Carbohydrate 47.1420000993272 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 15.7039200108353 g
- Fiber 12.8375999723798 g
- Protein 23.8795200474216 g
- Saturated Fat 2.07828000124578 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (835g)
- Sodium 2855.21400017947 mg
- Sugar 34.3044001269474 g
- Trans Fat 1.37250000245444 g
- Calories 369 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine all of the ingredients for the marinade in a medium bowl or a Ziploc bag and mix thoroughly, making sure that the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the chicken and marinate overnight. I find that 24 hours of marination gives the chicken optimal flavor.
- If you are pressed for time, marinate for at least 2 hours. You may also want to make small slits in the meat or make small holes with a fork as this will allow for quicker marinade penetration inside the meat.
- After marination, remove excess marinade from the chicken pieces and grill over direct heat on a grill preheated to about 325F. As there is sugar in the marinade, make sure to keep an eye on the chicken and flip frequently to avoid burning. If using a charcoal grill, grill with a lid on to avoid flareups.
Understanding Sugar and Heat Management
Many cooks fail to dissolve palm sugar fully before adding meat, which leaves gritty pockets that scorch instantly over hot coals. Because this blend contains both palm sugar and dark soy sauce, monitor grill temperatures closely around 325 degrees Fahrenheit and flip the pieces frequently to prevent premature charring. Piercing dense cuts with a fork accelerates flavor penetration, but excessive surface marinade will drip and cause flare-ups on charcoal grates.
Navigating Ingredient Substitutions
Substitutions alter the final chemistry of the dish in distinct ways. Replacing palm sugar with standard brown sugar introduces more moisture and a slightly lighter caramel profile, requiring a strict one-to-one replacement ratio. When dark soy sauce is unavailable, regular soy sauce functions as an adequate substitute, though it lacks the deep molasses notes and viscous body that help the coating adhere to poultry skin during cooking.
Fresh Versus Dried Elements
Fresh herbs and aromatics deliver volatile compounds that elevate the paste, whereas preserved or bottled alternatives introduce flat, one-dimensional acidity. Mincing fresh lemongrass, galangal, or ginger releases essential oils that interact with the salt in the fish sauce, chemically breaking down exterior proteins over a twenty-four-hour resting window in the refrigerator.
