Hailing from southern Thailand, Thai Tumeric Chicken (Gai Yang Khamin) is lip-smackingly delicious street food that’s sweet, sticky and savoury. The marinade is unbelievably simple: garlic, fish sauce, oyster sauce, turmeric powder and sugar. The turmeric really makes it!
Southern Thai Turmeric Chicken (Gai Yang Khamin)
This is a great one to marinade tonight and bake tomorrow, to bring authentic Thai flavours to your dinner table! It’s sweet but has layers of savoury, and is incredibly delicious for something so simple.
With the excellent street food in Thailand, it will come to no surprise that I found this during my travels. It’s a street food that hails from the south called Gai Yang Khamin, and is one of those recipes that tastes like it has way more ingredients in it than it does.
At the time I tried it, I didn’t know what it was called, though the mystery was solved through furious Googling for “yellow Thai grilled chicken” in my determination to replicate it back at home.
Street vendors grill this over smokey coals and use butterflied whole chicken. I bake it in the oven and use chicken thighs instead to make it Monday-night-friendly. This does not, however, compromise flavour – it is still ridiculously delicious!
Ingredients in Thai Turmeric Chicken
This is one of those recipes that tastes like it’s got way more ingredients in it that it does. I get a secret thrill out of finding recipes like this!!
For the juiciest, stickiest chicken with the best glaze, bone-in thighs are best. But I’ve provided directions for breast and other cuts.
Chicken – As noted above, skin-on, bone-in thighs are best because the time it takes for the skin to go sticky and golden is the same time it takes for the inside to cook through to juicy perfection. Leaner, boneless cuts, like breast and boneless thigh, cook through faster, before the surface has a chance to caramelise. However, I’ve provided directions for these – and you could always pan fry instead! Drumsticks are also an excellent, economical option – these work perfectly as a direct substitute.
Turmeric powder – Key flavour and colour for this dish. This is what makes this Thai Turmeric chicken!!
Fish sauce – Secret ingredient! Adds salt with extra layers of flavour so this otherwise simple marinade isn’t bland.
Oyster sauce – Second secret ingredient! Adds sweetness with savoury undertones.
Sugar – For extra sweetness.
Garlic – Quite a decent wack!
Pepper – I like the flavour white pepper brings to this but you can substitute with black pepper.
How to make Thai Turmeric Chicken
Pop this in the marinade tonight then bake it tomorrow! Marinade for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. Then bake and baste until golden and sticky (45 minutes).
Mix the marinade in a bowl – garlic, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and turmeric.
Marinade the chicken for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
Bake on a lined tray for 50 minutes until the surface is sticky and delicious.
Baste using the tray juices at the 30 minute mark….
Then baste again at the 40 minute mark and pop it back in for a final 10 minutes to caramelise the surface.
Garnish with fresh coriander/cilantro leave if you want (it’s just for looks), then serve using the pan juices as a sauce!
What to serve with Thai Turmeric Chicken
Serve this with a pile of steaming jasmine or coconut rice and plain chunks of cucumber and tomato, something you commonly see served as a vegetable side all over Thailand. The fresh crunch of cucumber and juiciness of tomato is a nice contrast to the sweet-savoury-meatiness of the chicken, with the added bonus that you don’t have to bother with a dressing. I’m not going to argue with that!
Though, if you are a better person than me and would like to make more of an effort for your side salad, you could toss any fresh or steamed greens with Asian Sesame Dressing (for a quick option). For a more substantial side salad, try Thai Chicken Salad minus the chicken, or Thai Beef Salad minus the beef (I love the dressing of these salads).
And here are some more options for things to serve on the side:
Suggestions for sides
Or, eat it street food style – just grab the chicken with your hands and munch it on the go. You know I did! (Though the vision is slightly different – in my kitchen at home in my scruffy apron, rather than the bustling streets of Thailand.😂)
– Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Back to the old-style hands only video for this one! Ran out of time to do the new style with me and Dozer in it. 🙂
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Thai Turmeric Chicken (Gai Yang Khamin)
Ingredients
- 5 large chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in (~1.2kg/2.4lb) (Note 1)
Marinade
- 4 garlic cloves , finely minced or crushed using garlic press
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp white pepper , ground (sub black)
- 1 tbsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (tightly packed cup)
Instructions
- Marinade chicken – Mix Marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Marinade for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced).
- Prepare – Line a tray with baking paper/parchment paper. Place chicken on the tray, skin side up. Scrape all Marinade out of th bowl and dab onto chicken.
- Bake for 40 minutes, basting at the 30 minute and 40 minute mark using the tray juices to make it golden brown and sticky, and rotate the tray as needed for even colour.
- Increase the oven temperature to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan-forced). Pop the chicken back in for a final 10 minutes to caramelise the skin.
- Rest for 3 minutes before serving with jasmine or coconut rice, and plain chunks of tomato and cucumber the Thai way!
Recipe Notes:
- Stove – Heat a skillet over medium heat. Place skin side down and cover with a lid. Cook for 5 minutes or until the skin is dark golden. Then turn and cover with a lid again. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until cooked through, basting the skin with the residual marinade in the bowl.
- BBQ – use medium heat and cook for around 15 minutes in total, basting the skin with the marinade in the bowl).
- Other cuts:
– Drumsticks: Bake 50 minutes.
– Skinless boneless thighs: Bake 20 – 25 minutes, or stove/BBQ for 5 minutes each side on medium.
– Breast: Bake for 20 minutes, or stove/BBQ for around 5 minutes on each side on medium.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published November 2015. Updated with sparkling new photos with a recipe video added and most importantly, Life of Dozer section added!
Life of Dozer
When Dozer sings.
(Aka annoying, persistent bark that he quickly realised is a highly effective way to get me to play with him, on command. #sucker)
You are my go-to for the best recipes! Tried this for the first time for my son and he loved it! Will be a regular in the rotation! Many thanks!
Delicious! Although I had to make it with chicken breasts as my family won’t eat chicken legs/thighs. Yes, that makes things tricker (and gets me very cross!) I served it with some steamed rice and chopped salad with your Asian sesame dressing and baked corn on the cob. Empty plates all round. I might be able to get around the chicken issue by using a spatchcocked chicken next time.
Almost forgot, I made your lemon yogurt cake again. Since it was a Thai themed dinner tonight, I switch the lemon for lime zest and juice. Absolutely beautiful. Thank you as always, Nagi! X
I made this tonight and we both enjoyed it. White pepper and turmeric helped with my sick husband’s appetite. Next time I’ll halve the white pepper & add more sweetness. Very strong for my taste but definitely keeping in my favourites.
I keep forgetting the stars!
Hi Nagi, if I use smaller bone-in skin-on chicken thighs with the SAME total weight (1.2kg), do I need to reduce the cooking time? I have 1.2kg of chicken thighs but there are 7-8 small ones instead of 5 five ones. Thanks!
10 out of 10, really easy to make but so flavourful, served with rice and salad, mwuah x
This has become one of my favorite dishes – so tasty and easy. We use just chicken breast and its juicy in the oven on over coals. I love it with the Nagi’s Israeli couscous salad
This is delicious and so easy!!! Will definitely be making this again! Thanks 😊 😋
oh yea……this was absolutely delish and oh so easy peasy. So full of flavour and once again every ingredient was in the pantry (not the chicken) lol.
thanks Nagi, you’re brilliant.
Nagi, you have done it again! This was so delicious there were no leftovers. I think I may double the recipe next time. Keep posting your favorite foods from your exciting adventures. 😋
This is now my go to recipe when we have guests. Simply delicious with coconut rice. Thanks Nagi you’ve done it again!
Just cooked this and I’m amazed! I won’t lie, the marinade didn’t smell the best (hello, fish sauce) and I wasn’t convinced as I put it into the oven. Well, I was wrong because it’s absolutely delicious! So much flavour for so little effort that I feel like I’m cheating at cooking.
A great and really simple recipe. The chicken leftovers were excellent cold in a salad and another time in Thai fried rice.
Could I paint it on salmon?
This Thai chicken was absolutely delicious. My family devoured it. Definitely making this again. Thanks for the amazing recipe, yet again!
This is an easy recipe. The only ‘hard’ part is to marinate for more than 3 hours or overnight. Other than that, it’s easy. Thank you.
I made this with the coconut rice. It was delicious and easy to make. Thankyou for sharing Nagi.
I stuck this on the barbie instead of baking it. Glorious! Basted it twice and garnished with chopped scallions and salted peanuts. Once again the hero in my house. Thanks Nagi!
So delicious and simple. It will definitely be on rotation in my household.
Ngl, I came for Dozer. The recipe was second. 🤣 Going on my meal plan for the month.
Liked recipes alot. Tried them all. Yum