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Filipino Chicken Inasal

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Filipino chicken inasal with steamed rice, calamansi, and vinegar.
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Chicken inasal is a beloved Visayan grilled chicken associated especially with Bacolod and its lively outdoor grilling tradition.

A tart calamansi-and-vinegar marinade seasons the meat while annatto oil gives the finished chicken its characteristic warm color.

Keep one cooler side of the grill so the chicken can finish cooking without burning the skin.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with steamed rice, calamansi halves, soy-calamansi sauce, and spiced vinegar.

A single Filipino chicken inasal leg quarter grilling over charcoal.

Recipe Notes

Store cooked chicken for three days and reheat gently before briefly crisping the skin.

Filipino chicken inasal with steamed rice, calamansi, and vinegar.

Filipino Chicken Inasal

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Visayan grilled chicken marinated with calamansi, coconut vinegar, lemongrass, ginger, and garlic, then basted with annatto oil.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Marinating 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Filipino
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
 
 

Chicken and Marinade
  • 3 lb bone-in chicken leg quarters
  • 1/2 cup coconut vinegar
  • 1/3 cup fresh calamansi juice or lemon juice
  • 2 stalks lemongrass tender inner parts finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh ginger finely grated
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp fine salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
Annatto Baste
  • 1/3 cup neutral oil
  • 2 tbsp annatto seeds
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp fresh calamansi juice

Equipment

  • Large nonreactive bowl
  • Charcoal grill or grill pan
  • Small saucepan
  • Instant-read thermometer

Method
 

Marinate:
  1. Whisk the vinegar, calamansi juice, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken, coat well, and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
  2. Drain the chicken and discard the used marinade. Pat the skin lightly dry.
Make the Baste:
  1. Warm the oil and annatto seeds over low heat for 5 minutes without frying the seeds. Strain, then stir in the butter and calamansi juice.
Grill:
  1. Prepare a medium charcoal fire with a cooler zone. Grill chicken skin-side down until browned, then move to indirect heat.
  2. Turn and baste lightly every few minutes until the thickest part reaches 175 F, about 25 to 30 minutes. Rest 8 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 560kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 43gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 180mgSodium: 890mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6g

Notes

  • Baste only with the separate cooked annatto mixture, never with marinade that touched raw chicken.
  • Serve with steamed rice, calamansi, and spiced vinegar; refrigerate leftovers for three days.

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