Chicken Inasal

Serves 12

Tangy and smoky, chicken inasal is one of the most popular BBQ dishes in the Philippines. It’s served at roadside grills and fast-food chains like Mang Inasal across the country.

Soda is often used in Filipino BBQ marinades - a trace of the American influence on Pinoy cookery after 48 years of colonisation in the early twentieth century. I use ginger beer in the marinade for my other favourite BBQ dish, pork belly skewers (will share the recipe soon!). Soda adds a baseline sweetness to marinades and its acidity tenderises the meat.

From Visayas, chicken inasal is traditionally basted with atsuete oil, made from red annato seeds, which has a slightly nutty flavour and gives the dish its distinctive orange hue. But as atsuete is hard to come by in London in general, and during a pandemic in particular, I’ve substituted with margarine. This recipe doesn’t usually feature chillis either. In fact, preferring to max out on sour/salty/sweet flavours, spiciness is not a major component of Filipino food at all. So it’s optional here. One day I hope calamansi will be readily available in the UK, but, for now, I use lemon or lime to add a fruity tartness to the marinade. 

Cane vinegar is usually available at Asian supermarkets and the most popular brand is Datu Puti. If that’s not available, cider or rice vinegar would make suitable replacements.

 VEGETARIAN SUBSTITUTIONS: This marinade works well as a baste for grilled vegetables, eg green beans, asparagus and pak choi. I’d love to hear of new combinations you come up with!

INGREDIENTS

MARINADE

50g lemongrass (3 sticks), topped and tailed and roughly chopped

30g garlic cloves (¾ large bulb), peeled

25g ginger (about 2 thumb-sized pieces), roughly chopped

80ml fizzy lemonade like 7up or Sprite 

75ml cane vinegar

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

½ lemon, juiced

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp black peppercorns 

2 tsp brown sugar 

1 green chilli - optional - roughly chopped

 

BASTE

1 tbsp margarine (or atsuete oil)

½ lemon, juiced

1 tsp salt

Marinade

 

12 chicken thighs

 

METHOD

  1. Blitz marinade ingredients in a food processor (I use a Nutribullet for this) or crush in a pestle and mortar.

  2. Marinate chicken thighs for 4 hours or leave overnight up to 24 hours in the fridge. A large freezer bag is the best option for storing as it’s compact and will ensure the chicken will be completely submerged in the marinade.

  3. An hour before cooking, take chicken out of the fridge. Pour off marinade into a pan and simmer for 15-20 minutes with a teaspoon of salt until slightly reduced. Stir in 1 tablespoon of margarine to form the baste. Take off the heat and squeeze in half a lemon and stir. 

  4. Light charcoal 20 minutes before cooking. When the flames have died down and the charcoal is white, oil the grill. Place chicken skin side down and grill 5 minutes with the cover on and vents open. Take cover off and baste each side before flipping. Grill the other side for 5 minutes. Cook until thigh meat registers 79 °C on a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat.

Serve with rice and sides:

  • Green beans grilled with garlic, lemon and extra virgin olive oil

  • Ensaladang talong - grilled aubergine, peeled, chopped and dressed with extra virgin olive oil, chopped garlic, chilli, plum tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion and lime juice

  • Atchara (green papaya pickle, recipe coming soon) 

  • Dip in toyomansi (soy sauce mixed with chopped chilli and calamansi) or sawsawan (spicy seasoned vinegar)

Maria Garbutt-Lucero