Chicken Inasal Grilled Chicken
Recipe Guy
Filipino | Grilling | Weeknight Dinner
Lemongrass, calamansi, cane vinegar, garlic, and ginger give this grilled chicken its aromatic edge. Annatto oil appears in both the marinade and the finishing baste, building color while frequent turns help the skin brown without leaving the thick leg quarters over fierce heat.
About This Recipe
Bone-in leg quarters make this a substantial grill recipe, with the marinade working around skin, joints, and thick meat. Mince the tender lemongrass centers finely so they distribute through the oil and acidic liquid instead of remaining in large fibrous pieces.
Keep the basting mixture separate from the marinade. Its annatto oil, butter or rendered chicken fat, garlic, and salt go on during the final stage. If the surface browns before the center is ready, a cooler part of the grill gives the chicken room to finish.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken cut
Bone-in dark meat stays juicy on the grill. Boneless thighs work for skewers and cook faster.
Acid
Calamansi gives the most Filipino flavor; lemon or lime works when calamansi is not available.
Sugar
A small amount of honey or brown sugar helps browning, but too much can burn over direct heat.
Cooking Notes
- Let excess marinade drip off before grilling and remove large loose aromatic pieces from the skin. They can darken quickly while the thick chicken pieces still need cooking.
- Prepare both hotter and cooler grill areas. Turn the chicken regularly, and move it away from direct heat when its color develops faster than its internal temperature.
Chicken Inasal Grilled Chicken Recipe
A Bacolod-inspired chicken inasal with cane vinegar, calamansi, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, and annatto oil.
Shopping List
- chicken leg quarters or bone-in pieces
- cane vinegar
- calamansi juice
- annatto oil
- lemongrass
- garlic
- ginger
- brown sugar
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- butter or rendered chicken fat
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 chicken leg quarters or 3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces
Marinade
- 1/3 cup cane vinegar
- 1/4 cup calamansi juice
- 1/4 cup annatto oil
- 2 lemongrass stalks, tender centers minced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Basting Oil
- 3 tablespoons annatto oil
- 1 tablespoon melted butter or rendered chicken fat
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Combine marinade ingredients and coat the chicken well.
- Marinate for 4 to 8 hours in the refrigerator at 40 F or below, then drain and discard the raw-contact marinade.
- Keep chicken refrigerated until the grill is ready; drain well before placing it on the grate.
- Grill over medium heat, starting skin-side down.
- Turn often to prevent scorching.
- Brush with basting oil during the final 10 minutes.
- Cook until every piece reaches at least 165 F in its thickest meat, avoiding bone; check large leg quarters in more than one place. Browning is not the doneness test.
- Rest and serve with rice, chicken oil, and vinegar dip.
Nutrition Estimate
Approximate values per serving based on the listed ingredients and yield. Actual nutrition will vary by brand, exact portion size, and cooking changes.
Tips For The Best Chicken Inasal Grilled Chicken
- Pat the chicken dry: Dry surfaces brown better and pick up cleaner grill marks.
- Marinate cold: Keep the chicken refrigerated while it absorbs salt, acid, and aromatics.
- Use two zones: Sear over direct heat, then finish over indirect heat if the pieces are thick.
- Rest before serving: Five minutes of resting keeps juices in the meat.
How To Serve And Store
Serve with garlic rice, sliced tomatoes, cucumber, sawsawan, and extra calamansi. Refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days.
Common Questions
Can I bake this instead?
Yes. Bake on a rack at 400 F until cooked through, then broil briefly for color.
Can I use bottled calamansi juice?
Yes, but taste first. Some bottled versions are sweeter or sharper than fresh juice.
How do I know chicken is done?
Use a thermometer: 165 F for breast meat and 175 F for dark meat if you like it more tender.
Can I marinate overnight?
Keep this vinegar-and-calamansi marinade to 4 to 8 hours in the refrigerator, whether you start in the morning or the evening. Do not leave it for 24 hours.
How do I know bone-in inasal is cooked through?
Use a thermometer in the thickest meat without touching bone; chicken must reach at least 165 F. Dark skin and grill marks do not establish doneness. Check more than one spot on large leg quarters.
When should I start brushing on the annatto baste?
Use the separate basting oil during the final ten minutes, as directed. Keep turning the pieces and watch the garlic in the baste so it does not scorch against the hottest part of the grill.
Technique and food-safety references: kawalingpinoy.com; ask.fsis.usda.gov.
