Chicken Inasal (Filipino Grilled Chicken) Recipe (2024)

Why It Works

Marinating the chicken in vinegar, citrus juice, and lemon-lime soda tenderizes the meat.
Brushing the chicken with annatto oil gives it an added layer of flavor and aroma and keeps the chicken from drying out.
Making slits in the skin and poking holes in the chicken ensure that the marinade penetrates the meat.

Chicken inasal is the signature dish of my birthplace, Bacolod City, the capital city of the central Philippines' Negros Occidental province. Marinated in coconut vinegar with lemongrass, ginger, and muscovado raw brown sugar (a product Negros Occidental is known for) and then basted with an annatto-infused oil over a hot grill, this charred chicken is smoky, tangy, and savory-sweet. It’s decadent street food that’s usually served with white rice, or if you want to be extra, garlic rice and sawsawan, a vinegary dipping sauce.

In my dialect, Hilgaynon, inasal means "skewered" or "grilled." Its origins date back to pre-colonial times; the word inasal is derived from the Spanish word asar which means “to grill.” During much of Spanish colonization in the 16th through 19th centuries, land was organized into an encomienda system where it was granted to Spanish friars and the rich. The encomenderos (the grant holders) assigned different export-focused industries like Manila hemp, sugarcane, and pearls to different islands. Negros Occidental became a center of sugar production due to its high concentration of sugar plantations (sugar was one of the major exports of the Philippines during the galleon trade), eventually earning it the nickname "Sugarlandia."

After the 1898 Treaty of Paris, in which Spain sold the Philippines and its other colonies to America, the sugar industry began to dwindle. During President Ferdinand Marcos’s martial law in the 1970’s, he enacted a policy of land reform that took land from his wealthy opponents and reassigned or redistributed it to his cronies. This move left a lot of small farmers without land or a form of income. The farmers started selling chicken inasal by the piece along the roadside because few could afford to buy a whole grilled chicken. Around 1983, Alfredo Montelibano Jr., the governor of Negros Occidental at the time, designated a complex called Manokan Country (Chicken Country) with stalls for the farmers to sell their inasal. From that point on, chicken inasal became the unofficial dish of Bacolod City. Its popularity has spread from Negros Occidental to the city of Iloilo on the nearby Panay Island, where I was raised. There is even a friendly rivalry of which place has the best chicken inasal.

Until I developed this recipe, I didn’t know the origins of my birthplace’s signature dish. I just took it for granted, and ate it without question. If there was one good thing that came out of Marcos’s corruption, it was chicken inasal, which was borne of our people’s sheer will to survive. In inasal, we trust.

Chicken Inasal (Filipino Grilled Chicken) Recipe (1)

This recipe is a mixture of both my Iloilo and Bacolod heritage, with some minor adaptations. I start by making the marinade, which consists of coconut vinegar, calamansi juice, lemon-lime soda, muscovado sugar, Maggi seasoning (a liquid flavor enhancer), lemongrass, ginger, and garlic. In Negros Occidental and Iloilo, we use a local fermented coconut vinegar called tuba. You can use cane or distilled white vinegar in place of the coconut vinegar since its level of sourness is similar. The vinegar, calamansi juice, and soda tenderize the meat, add another layer of sweetness, and help caramelize the meat as it cooks, while muscovado sugar adds a deeper caramel flavor. I also opted to use Maggi seasoning because it packs more of an umami punch and deepens the color of the inasal. You can substitute with soy sauce, Bragg’s liquid aminos, or coconut aminos in place of Maggi, just take note that Maggi’s flavor is highly concentrated so you may need to add more of the substitute to compensate.

Once the marinade is ready, I slit the skin on the chicken and poke holes on the underside to ensure that the marinade penetrates its flesh. Then, while the chicken is marinating, I prepare the annatto oil by heating coconut oil and annatto seeds together. Once the oil takes on the color of the annatto, I strain out the seeds, set it aside to cool, then whisk in salt and calamansi juice.

Since chicken inasal is mostly enjoyed as street food, it’s usually served skewered for easy eating, but you can do without, which is my method here. I cook the chicken on a hot grill, liberally brushing it with the orange-red annatto oil as it cooks, which imparts a distinctive vermillion color and infuses the chicken with a slightly sweet and nutty flavor and aroma. If you prefer, I’ve provided an alternate method for cooking the inasal in the oven and finishing it on the stovetop.

Serve your inasal with rice and a quickly put-together sawsawan, whose base calls for sinamak, a spiced coconut vinegar. You can dip your inasal in that alone or punch it up with soy sauce, calamansi juice, and fresh Thai chiles.

June 2012

Serious Eats originally published a chicken inasal recipe in 2012 by Joshua Bousel, who adapted his version from a recipe that appeared in the cookbook Memories of Philippine Kitchens. The current recipe you see here has since been completely rewritten and redeveloped by Yana Gilbuena.

Recipe Details

Chicken Inasal (Filipino Grilled Chicken)

Prep10 mins

Cook75 mins

Active75 mins

Marinating Time6 hrs

Total7 hrs 25 mins

Ingredients

For the Marinated Chicken:

2/3 cup (150ml) coconut vinegar
1/2 cup (120ml) fresh lemon juice (from 3 to 4 lemons) or calamansi juice (see note)
1/4 cup (60ml) Maggi seasoning
1/2 cup (115g) packed dark muscovado sugar (see note)
1/2 cup (120ml) lemon-lime soda, such as Sprite
3 stalks lemongrass, bottom 4 to 5 inches only, outer leaves discarded, tender core finely chopped (about 50g)
One 2-inch knob peeled fresh ginger (25g), grated
8 medium garlic cloves (40g), minced
1 tablespoon (9g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; if using table salt, use half as much by volume or the same weight
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds (1.4kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or leg quarters

For the Annatto Oil:

2 tablespoons (20g) annatto seeds
1 cup (235ml) refined coconut oil (see note)
1 teaspoon (3g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; if using table salt, use half as much by volume or the same weight
1 tablespoon (5ml) fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon) or calamansi juice (see note)

For the Sawsawan Dipping Sauce:

Directions

For the Marinated Chicken: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together coconut vinegar, lemon or calamansi juice, Maggi seasoning, muscovado sugar, lemon-lime soda, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, salt, and black pepper until sugar and salt are completely dissolved, about 1 minute. Set aside.
Using a sharp knife, make two 1-inch long slits, about 1/4-inch deep, across the skin of each chicken thigh. Flip chicken over, and, using the tines of a fork, poke holes all over the underside of each piece. Add chicken to the marinade and, using your hands, toss to thoroughly coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 8 hours.
For the Annatto Oil: In a small pot, heat coconut oil and annatto seeds over medium-low heat until the oil turns bright orange-red, about 10 minutes. Strain oil through a fine mesh strainer set over a medium heatproof bowl, discarding seeds. Let oil cool to room temperature. Once cool, whisk in salt and lemon or calamansi juice and set aside.
For the Sawsawan Dipping Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together sinamak, lemon juice or calamansi juice (if using), soy sauce (if using), and chiles (if using) until combined and set aside.
To Grill: Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over half of coal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Alternatively, set half the burners of a gas grill to the highest heat setting, cover, and preheat for 10 minutes. Clean and oil grilling grate.
Remove chicken from marinade, allow excess marinade to drip off, and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet; discard marinade. Brush chicken all over with annatto oil, then place chicken skin side up on cooler side of grill. Cover grill (if using a charcoal grill, open vents on lid, aligned over chicken, and open bottom vents) and cook for 5 minutes. Flip chicken, brush all over with annatto oil, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Continue to cook chicken, flipping and brushing with annatto oil every 5 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of the thigh registers 140°F (60°C), about 20 minutes total.
Brush chicken all over with annatto oil and set, skin side down, over hotter side of grill. Cover and cook until skin is crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F (74°C), about 5 minutes longer; only lift lid long enough to take the temperature, as the extra oxygen can encourage flair-ups and burning. If chicken threatens to burn before internal temperature is achieved, transfer to the cooler side of the grill, cover, and continue to cook until done. Transfer chicken to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and let rest for 5 minutes.
To Use the Oven/Stovetop: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 425°F (218°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top. Remove chicken from marinade, allow excess marinade to drip off, and set chicken skin side down on prepared wire rack; discard marinade. Brush chicken all over with annatto oil and cook for 10 minutes. Flip chicken to skin side up, brush all over with annatto oil, and cook for 10 minutes. Continue to cook chicken, flipping and brushing with annatto, until lightly browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F (74°C), about 10 minutes longer. Remove chicken from oven, brush both sides with annatto oil, and set aside.
Heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan over high heat until lightly smoking. Rub skillet lightly with oil, then sear chicken skin side down until lightly charred, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a wire rack set over rimmed baking sheet and let rest 5 minutes.
To Serve: Transfer chicken to a serving platter, garnish with scallions and fried garlic, then serve immediately with sawsawan dipping sauce and white rice or garlic fried rice alongside.

Special Equipment

Charcoal or gas grill, chimney starter (optional)

Notes

Calamansi is difficult to source fresh in the US, but occasionally Filipino groceries located in California or Florida will have them. You can also buy frozen calamansi juice from a well-stocked Asian or Filipino market; it has a better flavor than bottled options. If you’re not able to find calamansi, substitute by following a formula of one part freshly squeezed lemon juice to one-half part freshly squeezed lime juice to one-quarter part granulated sugar (by volume).

You can use light or dark brown sugar in place of dark muscovado sugar.

You can use vegetable or canola oil, or even schmaltz, instead of coconut oil.

Spiced coconut vinegar, also known as sinamak, can be found in Asian markets and online (it can also be labeled as pinakurat, which is an extra-spicy version). If you can’t find coconut vinegar, cane vinegar, which can be found in Asian markets or online, or distilled white vinegar are acceptable substitutes.

Make-Ahead and Storage

You can prepare the annatto oil, without the salt and calamansi juice, ahead of time and keep it refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Before using, melt oil over medium-low heat then let cool to room temperature. Once cool, whisk in salt and lemon or calamansi juice.

The marinade, without the lemon-lime soda, can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Whisk in soda right before marinating chicken.

Leftover chicken inasal can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.