Recipe: A Barbeque-Friendly Thai Chicken by Masterchef Winner Nat Thaipun

Across Thailand, there are countless ways to eat grilled chicken. “Sometimes it’s served with sticky rice, som tum thai (green papaya salad) and nam jim jaew (roasted ground rice chilli sauce) in restaurants,” writes Nat Thaipun in her debut cookbook Thai: Anywhere and Everywhere.

It’s a dish the Masterchef winner and Melbourne-based cook knows intimately. Since taking out the title in 2024, she’s cooked under Jamie Oliver in London and hosted pop-ups at venues like the Hot-Listed Baba’s Place in Sydney and two-Michelin-starred Evett in Seoul – but this is one of the comforting staples she loves to come home to.

“Most of the time when we eat [grilled chicken] at home with my family it’s a lot simpler, just the barbequed chicken with some salad, jasmine rice and soy, sweet chilli or even some sriracha-type sauce,” she writes.

In this versatile recipe, a fragrant paste of coriander root, white pepper and garlic is rubbed over a whole chook before it’s grilled to crisp, burnished perfection. And if you have leftovers (a big if), Thaipun offers plenty of ideas – from chicken salad and fried rice to a quick coconut soup – plus clever ways to use up the bones in broths and stocks.

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Gai yarng or whole barbequed chicken by Nat Thaipun

Serves 4–6

Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus minimum one hour marinating

Cooking time: 45–60 minutes

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (about 1.5kg)

Coriander root, white pepper and garlic marinade

4–5 coriander roots, washed well and roughly chopped

5 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tsp white peppercorns

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce (optional)

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

In a mortar and pestle or food processor, pound or blend the coriander roots, garlic and white peppercorns into a coarse paste. Transfer to a bowl and add the light soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce (if using), sugar and vegetable oil. Mix well. Use the marinade immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Coat the chicken inside and out with the marinade. Let it marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour or preferably overnight.

Preheat the barbeque or grill (broiler) to medium–high. If using a charcoal barbeque, wait until the coals are ashed over for even cooking. Cook the chicken for about 20–30 minutes on each side, turning occasionally, until the skin is crispy, golden and the internal temperature reaches 75°C. You can also baste the chicken with leftover marinade as it cooks.

Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving the meat but keeping bones like thighs and drumsticks whole.

Suggestions for leftover barbequed chicken

Yum gai yang (chicken salad): shred the cold chicken and toss it with sliced onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, fresh herbs (mint, coriander/cilantro) and a dressing made from lime juice, fish sauce and chilli.

Chicken fried rice: chop the cold chicken and fry it with day-old rice, garlic, vegetables and eggs. Season with fish sauce, soy sauce and a squeeze of lime for a quick meal.

Tom kha gai twist (chicken soup): shred leftover chicken and add it to a quick coconut milk soup with lemongrass, makrut lime leaves, galangal and mushrooms. Heat it all through and you’ve got a flavourful soup.

Suggestions for leftover barbequed bones

Thai chicken stock: use the bones to make a rich chicken stock by simmering them with water, lemongrass, makrut lime leaves, galangal and coriander (cilantro) roots for 2–3 hours. Strain and freeze for soups or curries.

Tom yum soup base: use the chicken stock for tom yum by adding chilli paste, fish sauce, lime juice and your choice of protein or vegetables.

Bone broth: roast the bones in the oven until dark and caramelised, then simmer them with vegetables (onion, carrot, celery) and aromatics (lemongrass, garlic, ginger) for 6–8 hours to make a concentrated, collagen-rich bone broth.

This is an edited extract from Thai: Anywhere and Everywhere by Nat Thaipun (Hardie Grant Books, $50). Available in stores nationally.

Additional reporting by Audrey Payne.