Can I shallow-fry the chicken?

No, shallow frying will not thoroughly cook the chicken wrapped inside the pandan leaves.

Can I make pandan chicken more spicy?

You can. However, famous Thai pandan chicken doesn't usually have a spicy flavor. The ground white pepper provides a subtle spice to the chicken, but typically, it's quite a mild dish.

Are you supposed to eat the pandan leaf?

No, the pandan leaf is used primarily for flavoring and aroma and is typically not eaten.

Is pandan chicken healthy?

While pandan chicken is delicious, it is typically deep-fried, so it may not be considered healthy. However, you can make healthier versions by air frying or baking the chicken instead of deep-frying.

The Best Pandan Chicken (Gai Bai Tuey)

Name: The Best Pandan Chicken (Gai Bai Tuey)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 8-10 pandan leaves; 1 pound chicken thigh. Cut into 2-inch pieces; 2 tablespoons oyster sauce.; 1 tablespoon fish sauce; 1 teaspoon light soy sauce.; 1 tablespoon sugar. Use brown, white, or palm sugar.; 1/2 teaspoon white pepper.; 4 cloves garlic.; 1/4 cup cilantro stems or 2 coriander root.; 20-30 toothpicks. Used to secure the pandan leaf packets.; Cooking oil for deep frying. Use neutral oil like avocado, vegetable, or canola oil for deep frying the chicken. Olive or sesame oil is not recommended.; 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce. This is a specific type of soy sauce found in the Asian markets. As the name implies, it adds a deep, smokey taste and a very dark color to the dipping sauce.; 1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce. Use the same light soy sauce used for marinating the chicken.; 1 tablespoon sugar. White, brown, or palm will work.; 1 teaspoon rice vinegar. Add a touch of tang for the dipping sauce.1-2 tablespoon sesame seeds. For sprinkling, garnish the sauce.

Description

Crispy Thai Pandan Chicken wraps the savory goodness of marinated chicken in fragrant pandan leaves, deep-frying them to perfection. An elegant appetizer, it delights with its wonderful aroma and flavorful taste.

Ingredients

Scale

8-10 pandan leaves
1 pound chicken thigh. Cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons oyster sauce.
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon light soy sauce.
1 tablespoon sugar. Use brown, white, or palm sugar.
1/2 teaspoon white pepper.
4 cloves garlic.
1/4 cup cilantro stems or 2 coriander root.
20-30 toothpicks. Used to secure the pandan leaf packets.
Cooking oil for deep frying. Use neutral oil like avocado, vegetable, or canola oil for deep frying the chicken. Olive or sesame oil is not recommended.

Pandan Chicken Dipping Sauce

1 teaspoon dark soy sauce. This is a specific type of soy sauce found in the Asian markets. As the name implies, it adds a deep, smokey taste and a very dark color to the dipping sauce.
1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce. Use the same light soy sauce used for marinating the chicken.
1 tablespoon sugar. White, brown, or palm will work.
1 teaspoon rice vinegar. Add a touch of tang for the dipping sauce.1-2 tablespoon sesame seeds. For sprinkling, garnish the sauce.

Mix the dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl until sugar dissolves.

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Instructions

Please see the detailed instructions in the blog post for step-by-step photo instructions on wrapping the chicken.

1. Make the paste for the marinade by pounding garlic cloves and cilantro roots until you have a fine paste.

2. Make the chicken marinade. Cut the chicken into 2-inch pieces for easy wrapping. Then, marinate the chicken thighs with oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Allow it to marinade for at least 30 minutes. Longer if possible. Up to 5 hours.

3. Prepare to wrap the chicken. Wash the fresh and pandan leaves with cold water, then dry them with paper towels.

4. Wrap each piece of chicken with a pandan leaf using either the traditional or easy method.

5. Deep-fry the wrapped chicken until golden brown and cooked through. Serve hot with the dipping sauce on the side.

Notes

If able, try to wrap two chicken pieces with one pandan leaf. This is especially doable if you have fresh pandan leaves.
Be gentle with frozen pandan leaves, which can be brittle and break easily.
Gently rinse the frozen leaves with cold water to clean them before wrapping. Never use hot water on frozen leaves.
Remove excess oil by draining the cooked chicken on paper towels before serving.
Add a few drops of pandan essence to the marinade for a fragrant aroma.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10
Category: Thai Appetizers
Method: deep frying
Cuisine: Thai