Description
Chicken Inasal is a popular Filipino grilled chicken dish known for its vibrant marinade made with achuete oil, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, vinegar, and citrus juices. This recipe involves marinating spatchcocked poussins in a flavorful blend, pan-searing over a griddle to crisp the skin, and finishing in the oven while basting with a garlic-lemon butter mixture. Served traditionally on toasted banana leaves with pickled atchara and dipping sauces, it’s a delicious and aromatic meal full of tangy, smoky, and savory flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Marinade
- 2 poussins, spatchcocked
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 garlic bulb, roughly chopped
- 1 piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 red onion, roughly chopped
- 2 lemongrass stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- Juice of 1 lime
- Juice of 1 lemon (or 100ml calamansi juice to replace both lemon and lime)
- 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 3 tbsp cane vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt, to taste
- Achuete oil (see tip below), for coating and basting
Basting Butter
- 60g salted butter, softened
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp soft dark brown sugar
- 1 tbsp achuete oil
Additional Marinade Ingredients
- 1 bird’s-eye chilli, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp finely chopped shallot or red onion
- 3 tbsp cane vinegar
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
For Serving
- Banana leaf, cut into 25 x 12 cm rectangles and toasted
- Spring onion, sliced
- Soy vinegar, to serve
- Achuete oil, to serve
- Atchara (pickled papaya), to serve
Tip: Achuete Oil
- 1 tbsp annatto seeds
- 150ml olive oil
Instructions
- Make the Achuete Oil: Place 1 tablespoon of annatto seeds in a small pan with 150ml olive oil. Heat and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat and let the oil infuse for 3 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean jar and set aside.
- Prepare the Marinade: In a bowl, combine the roughly chopped garlic bulb, peeled ginger, red onion, lemongrass stalks, black peppercorns, lime juice, lemon juice (or calamansi), soft brown sugar, cane vinegar, bay leaves, crushed garlic cloves, finely chopped bird’s-eye chilli, ginger, garlic, shallot or red onion, cane vinegar, and peppercorns. Mix well.
- Marinate the Chicken: Score the legs of the spatchcocked poussins and remove the wishbones. Place the chicken in the marinade, ensuring it is well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to absorb all the flavors.
- Prepare the Basting Butter: Mix softened salted butter with finely chopped garlic, lemon juice, soft dark brown sugar, and achuete oil until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
- Crisp the Chicken Skin: Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/gas mark 5 and heat a griddle pan over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry thoroughly. Season lightly with salt and coat with achuete oil. Place the chicken skin-side down on the griddle and cook for 5 minutes until the skin is crispy and golden.
- Roast the Chicken: Flip the chicken and transfer the griddle pan or chicken to the preheated oven. Roast for 20-30 minutes, basting occasionally with the prepared basting butter to keep it moist and flavorful, until the chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.
- Rest the Chicken: Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes to allow juices to redistribute and ensure moist meat.
- Prepare the Sinamak (Dipping Sauce): While the chicken is cooking, in a bowl, mix together soy vinegar, achuete oil, and additional seasonings as desired to create the sinamak. Set aside.
- Toast the Banana Leaves: Cut banana leaves into 25 x 12 cm rectangles. Rinse under cold water, pat dry, and toast lightly in a dry pan, with a blow torch, or on a grill until fragrant and slightly shiny. This releases oils and enhances aroma.
- Serve the Chicken Inasal: Place toasted banana leaf on serving plates, top each with a poussin, a spoonful of atchara, and a scattering of sliced spring onions. Serve alongside sinamak, soy vinegar, and achuete oil for dipping.
Notes
- Achuete oil is essential for authentic flavor and color; if unavailable, substitute with annatto powder infused in oil.
- Marinating for at least 4 hours is crucial for deep flavor absorption; overnight is even better.
- Removing the wishbone helps the chicken cook more evenly and makes carving easier.
- Use fresh banana leaves if possible for serving to impart a subtle aroma.
- Adjust chilli quantity according to your spice tolerance.
- Make sure to pat the chicken dry before grilling to achieve a crispy skin.
- Sinamak is a tangy dipping sauce; feel free to customize with garlic, chili, and herbs.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Filipino
Keywords: Chicken Inasal, Filipino grilled chicken, achuete oil chicken, spatchcock poussin, grilled poussin, Filipino cuisine, grilled chicken recipe, banana leaf serving, atchara, sinamak
