Thai Chicken Thighs
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Cilantro, Thai basil, fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar = best marinade ever. Grilled or cooked on a grill pan on the stovetop!
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why i love this recipe
- Make-ahead recipe. This is one of those great recipes to prep ahead of time for an even quicker weeknight meal. Marinate the chicken 2 hours in advance or overnight, throwing these on the grill (or cast iron grill pan) right before dinnertime.
- So much flavor. With a simple marinade of cilantro, Thai basil, fish sauce, lime juice, lime zest, brown sugar and ginger, you have a lovely blend of all the best Thai flavors, yielding the juiciest, most flavor-packed chicken ever.
- Versatile and flexible. This recipe will work well with any part of the chicken – breasts, thighs or tenderloins – whether it’s on the grill, on the stovetop or in the oven (more on that below).
tips and tricks for success
- An outdoor grill is not necessary. Too cold to grill outside? A cast iron grill pan can be used to get those favorited grill marks and charred flavor. These can also be baked at 400°F for 15-20 minutes (reaching an internal temperature of 165°F).
- Fish sauce is a hero. Fish sauce is a key ingredient here, balancing out the flavors, and adding saltiness and umami without overpowering it. A little bit goes a long way.
- Work in batches. An overcrowded grill or pan can lead to uneven cooking and poor browning. Work in batches to maintain high heat for a good sear and crispy crust on each chicken.
- Use an instant-read thermometer for the most accurate results. The internal temperature should reach 165°F.
- Let your meat rest. Let your chicken rest for at least 5 minutes prior to serving, allowing the juices to redistribute – this will allow for maximum flavor and juiciness.
- Reheat in the oven. Leftover chicken can be rubbery when reheated. For best results with leftovers, reheat in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through.
more favorited thai recipes
Tools For This Recipe
Cast iron grill pan or large cast iron skillet
Thai Chicken Thighs: Frequently Asked Questions
No grill, no problem. A cast iron grill pan or a large cast iron skillet will work beautifully here, especially during those winter months when it’s too cold to grill out!
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken.
Fish sauce has a strong, pungent “fishy” smell but when cooked, it brings in savory, salty, umami goodness.
Yes! Dark brown sugar will have a more pronounced molasses flavor, giving the chicken a slightly darker color but because this marinade requires such a small amount (1 TBS), dark brown sugar and light brown sugar can be used interchangeably here.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Thai Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- ¼ cup chopped Thai basil leaves
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine cilantro, basil, green onions, fish sauce, 2 tablespoons canola oil, lime juice, lime zest, brown sugar, ginger, salt and pepper.
- In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken and cilantro mixture, marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade.
- Preheat grill to medium high heat.
- Brush chicken with remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Add chicken to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 10 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
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I did have to do a few subs; oyster sauce, regular basil, and dried cilantro. It was absolutely fantastic; juicy and flavorful. Thank you for sharing such consistently good recipes.
Has anyone cooked this chicken in an air fryer?
It sure is, Damn Delicious!! This recipe is a great marinade whether you use thighs or breasts. I have found it best to grill the chicken for the charred taste. You will find it to be a crowd pleasure at bbq’s so make it to share or to impress! Recently I have gone the extra step to incorporate this chicken dish with Thai green curry as it will enhance and give extra depth to the curry (just serve the curry sauce over the chicken and rice).
SO DELICIOUS!! I hardly ever leave reviews, but I had to in this case. Marinated appx 5-6 hours and grilled. I forgot to zest my lime, but it was seriously still SO flavorful!! Thank you for sharing this fabulous recipe!!
This was so good! Used regular basil since no access to Thai basil, and marinated for about 6 hours before grilling. So tender and flavorful! Thank you!
This recipe was DELICIOUS! This one is going into our dinner rotation. The marinade is so good.
Delicious and easy to make.
This is spectacular!! I marinated for 8 hours. Used 4 thighs and a random breast. Started on stove top and moved to oven. I took Jeanne’s advice and added cornstarch and water to the marinade, I also added some thin soy sauce and some fresh basil leaves also a few small spoonfuls for the essence from the skillet. Plated it on top of spinach, arugula, slivers of basil, with 2 big spoonfuls of warm red quinoa and then spooned the warm ‘dressing’ over it all. Amazing! I felt it needed a bit of crunch from some type of nut or seed but spouse emphatically said it was perfect as it was. Thank you. This will def go into the rotation.
Delicious! I marinated the chicken thighs for 6 hours, then browned them on a stovetop grill pan. I finished cooking them in a 350 degree oven.
Also, I saved the leftover marinade and added cornstarch, simmering it to make a sauce to put on the rice which accompanied the chicken.
I’ll definitely make this again!
Delicious! Made these yesterday and the marinade was magic. Tender, juicy and very flavorful. Thank you for a terrific recipe.
It sounds delicious but replace canola oil with organic, grass fed chicken fat, coconut oil, avocado oil. Also beef tallow and pork lard are very healthy. Saturated oils are the healthiest. Canola, soy, safflower, sunflower, corn, peanut, even sesame oils are very unhealthy oils.
Mmmmm these look wonderful. I love your marinade. I need to grow Thai basil. I always forget.
I added garlic & then coconut milk to the marinade and put it on the stovetop too cook through. I also sautéed some onions and baby bella mushrooms & added them to the pot. I don’t think I would add the salt to the marinade next time as it was a bit salty for my taste due to the fish sauce, but just salt the chicken before putting it on the grill. I love the idea of lemongrass, chilis & kafir leaves like someone else posted! I’m wishing I had thought of that, but making a sauce for the dish was an afterthought once I had a bag of wonderful marinade leftover, I just couldn’t throw it out. It did need some heat though so I’ll chilis the next time! I also did not add the extra oil, salt & pepper to the chicken before grilling. Excellent dish that I will make again soon!
This chicken is so full of umami flavor which I suspect is my favorite flavor of all time! The fish sauce is what makes this so amazing…just don’t sniff the bottle as you are pouring it into the marinade. I also added a clove of garlic to the marinade because I am obsessed with garlic. I served this with a crunchy Thai coleslaw with a peanut salad dressing and it was absolute heaven.
Doubleplusgood.
Making again tonight.
Serving with cauliflower watermelon salad.
Thanks.
This was so easy to make, attractive, aromatic, tender and delicious. I am new to using fish sauce and was delighted to find that it adds a wonderful depth to the flavour of the grilled chicken. I will be adding it to other dishes. As mentioned by others, the smell of the fish sauce is not appetizing out of the bottle, but it completely transforms once on the grill.
This was so yummy. Pan fried the chicken thighs, and sauteed bok choy garlic and onions in the brown bits with some soy sauce. Added the thighs and their juices back to the pan at the end and served over basmati rice. Will DEFINITELY make again.
I couldn’t find thai basil, so added mint and basil to the marinade.
Thank you for the suggestion about adding mint and basil as a substitute for Thai basil! Now: For a cilantro-hating husband, any suggestions for replacing that ? I miss it!
Wow, so delicious! My family loved this recipe. Will be adding this to the rotation. Thank you!
Delicious! Marinated for about 2.5 hours then cooked in a cast iron and finished in the oven. The only problem is my boyfriend hates the smell of fish sauce but that is not the smell you are left with after this cooks. We served with a salad of fresh carrots, peppers, and cold diced sweet potato covered in peanut sauce. Super yummy!
Would this recipe work in an air fryer such as Philips or Ninja makes? Things come out of the air fryer pretty crispy.