Chicken Inasal
Bacolod-style grilled chicken, marinated in calamansi, lemongrass and ginger, then basted with annatto oil until it turns deep orange. Best eaten with rice and a dipping sauce.
- Time
- 40 mins + marinating
- Serves
- 4
- Steps
- 7
- Ingredients
- 10
Method
- 01
Mix the calamansi, vinegar, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper into a marinade.
- 02
Marinate the chicken at least 3 hours, ideally overnight. This is where all the flavour comes from, so do not shorten it.
- 03
Warm the annatto seeds in the melted butter over low heat for 3 minutes until the butter turns deep orange, then strain the seeds out.
- 04
Grill the chicken over medium coals, skin side down first, for about 8 minutes.
- 05
Turn and baste generously with the annatto butter, then keep turning and basting every few minutes for 20 to 25 minutes.
- 06
Keep the heat moderate - the sugar in the marinade burns quickly over a fierce fire.
- 07
Serve with rice, the remaining annatto butter, and a dip of vinegar, soy and crushed chilli.
Cooking Tips
- Marinate at least three hours, ideally overnight. This is where all the flavour comes from.
- Keep the coals at a steady medium - the sugar in the marinade burns quickly over a fierce fire.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Annatto powder works in place of seeds; steep it in the melted butter the same way.
- Lime or lemon stands in for calamansi.
What to Serve With It
- Serve with rice, extra annatto butter, and a dip of vinegar, soy and crushed chilli.
Storage and Reheating
- Keeps 3 days. Reheat under a grill rather than a microwave to keep the charred edges.
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