Ingredients
- 1 3 lb medium sized chicken cut into serving sizes, bone in, skin on
Marinade
- 1/2 cup olive oil extra for oiling the grill racks
- 1/2 cup fish sauce
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 4 stalks lemon grass stalk chopped or 3 tablespoons of prepared lemon grass paste
- 1 small bunch cilantro stems chopped leaves reserved for garnish
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup whole black peppercorns
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds or 3 tablespoons of ground coriander
- 8 cloves garlic
Instructions
Gather all ingredients before starting recipe.
- Cut 1 3 lb medium sized chicken into serving sized pieces.
- Combine 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup fish sauce, 1 tbsp kosher salt, 4 stalks lemon grass stalk, chopped into 1" pieces, 1 small bunch cilantro stems chopped, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup whole black peppercorns, 3 tbsp light soy sauce, 2 tbsp coriander seeds, and 8 cloves garlic in a food processor. Pulse contents until it forms a coarse purée.
- Place chicken pieces in a plastic resalable bag and add about 1/2 to 3/4 of the marinade. Message chicken pieces in the bag to make sure that all the pieces are evenly coated.
- Marinate the chicken for 3-4 hours or up to overnight.
Grilling
- Remove chicken from refrigerator an hour before grilling.
- Pre heat grill to 500 °F
- Oil the BBQ grill using a pair of tongs and a paper towel generously drizzled with olive oil.
- Remove chicken pieces to paper towel and pat dry.
- When the grill has reached 500 °F, place chicken pieces on the grill, skin side down, and grill for 5-6 minutes. Do not try to turn the chicken before the time is up.
- Heat reserved marinade in a small pan. I used an aluminum tin that I placed on the grill next to the chicken.
- After 6-8 minutes, turn the chicken pieces. Brush with reserved warm marinade, close the grill cover, and grill for 8-10 minutes.
- Turn the chicken again after 8-10 minutes, skin side down again, and grill for another 4-5 minutes.