Chicken Inasal
User Reviews
4
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Total Time
50 mins
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Servings
8 Servings
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Calories
450 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Filipino
Chicken Inasal
Description
This Chicken Inasal recipe highlights a marinade of lemongrass, garlic, ginger, palm vinegar, calamansi juice, brown sugar, salt, and black pepper, blending tangy, citrusy, and aromatic elements. The chicken, quartered whole birds, is marinated for several hours to absorb these flavors before grilling. The distinctive annatto oil is prepared separately by rendering chicken skin with annatto seeds, garlic, and bay leaf, producing a richly colored and flavorful oil used both for basting the chicken and serving.
The grilling process cooks the chicken until it develops crisp skin and fully tender meat, with basting ensuring moisture and the characteristic deep orange hue. The marinade’s acidity balances the smoky flavors from the grill, yielding a balanced, zesty grilled chicken dish.
Serve Chicken Inasal alongside rice and traditional Filipino condiments. The annatto oil can be used both during cooking and as a finishing touch for added flavor and color.
Marinate chicken in a non-reactive container or resealable bags and do not exceed 8 hours to prevent meat becoming mushy from the acid. Use a thermometer to ensure internal temperature reaches 165°F for safe consumption. Divide the annatto oil for basting and serving to maintain freshness and flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 talks lemongrass
- 1 head garlic peeled and minced
- 1 ginger thumb-size, peeled and grated
- ½ cup palm vinegar
- ¼ cup calamansi juice
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 chicken whole, quartered, about 3 to 4 pounds each
For the Annatto Oil
- 1 pound chicken skin bottoms and/or fat
- ¼ cup annatto seeds
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and pounded
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Peel and/or cut away the dark, fibrous parts of the lemongrass until you get to the white and light green portions. Using a knife, finely chop lemongrass.
- In a large bowl, combine vinegar, calamansi juice, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, sugar, salt, and pepper. Whisk until well-blended.
- Add chicken and cover bowl. Marinate in the refrigerator for at 2 to 4 hours.
- In a wide pan over medium heat, place chicken fat and cook, turning as needed, until crisp and renders oil. Using a slotted spoon, remove skin and bottoms.
- Lower heat and add annatto seeds, crushed garlic, and bay leaf. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, turning as needed to prevent seeds from burning.
- Remove the pan from the heat and allow the oil to steep for about 1 hour or until oil is infused with deep orange color. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain oil. Discard aromatics and set aside oil.
- Lightly grease grill grates and heat over hot coals.
- Drain chicken from marinade and scrape off any stray aromatics. Arrange chicken in a single layer over hot grates with skin side up.
- Grill chicken, turning once or twice and basting regularly with the half of the chicken oil, for about 30 to 40 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of chicken registers 160 F.
- Remove from heat, cover, and allow to rest for about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve hot with the remaining chicken oil and steamed rice.
Notes
- Use a non-reactive container or resealable bags for marinating the chicken to preserve the marinade's flavor.
- Marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours; avoid exceeding 8 hours to prevent meat texture deterioration due to acid.
- Divide the annatto oil into halves: use one for basting during grilling and the other for serving to preserve its quality.
- Check doneness by using a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken without touching bone; 165°F is the safe temperature.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 450 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 450kcal | 23% |
| Carbohydrates | 10g | 3% |
| Protein | 31g | 62% |
| Fat | 31g | 48% |
| Saturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Cholesterol | 122mg | 41% |
| Sodium | 554mg | 23% |
| Potassium | 367mg | 8% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 229IU | 5% |
| Vitamin C | 7mg | 8% |
| Calcium | 32mg | 3% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4
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