Ilonggo Visayas 30 min prep · 30 min cook 1h total Medium

Chicken Inasal

Name: Chicken Inasal (Inasal na Manok)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients: 1 kg chicken leg quarters (thigh and drumstick attached); 0.5 cup calamansi juice; 0.25 cup coconut vinegar or cane vinegar; 3 pieces lemongrass stalks, bruised and chopped; 8 cloves garlic, crushed; 1 thumb ginger, sliced; 2 tbsp brown sugar; 1.5 tsp fine sea salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp achuete (annatto) seeds; 0.33 cup neutral oil (for achuete oil basting); 3 tbsp soy sauce (for sawsawan); 3 tbsp vinegar (for sawsawan); 4 pieces siling labuyo, sliced; 4 cups cooked rice (for garlic rice); 6 cloves garlic, minced (for garlic rice); 2 stalks green onions, sliced; 0.5 cup atchara (pickled papaya), for serving (optional); 4 pieces calamansi halves, for serving

Inasal na Manok

Bacolod chicken inasal—charcoal-grilled leg quarter basted in achuete oil with garlic rice, atchara, and...

Serves 4 · 1h total

The Story

From Bacolod in Negros Occidental—<em>inasal</em> means grilled, and the city's chicken houses built a national obsession. Bacolod inasal is charcoal chicken basted with annatto oil, citrus, and garlic, served with rice and sharp sawsawan.

The dish grew from provincial grilled chicken culture elevated by Manokan Country—a strip of open-air restaurants where locals and travelers eat the same way. Achuete gives the signature orange stain; constant basting keeps the skin glossy and smoky.

When inasal chains spread to Manila and abroad, Bacolod claimed identity through this single dish. It stands apart from generic Filipino barbecue by the basting rhythm and the pairing ritual—rice, atchara, soy-vinegar with calamansi and chili on the side.

Best paired with

Garlic rice, atchara, soy-vinegar sawsawan with calamansi and siling labuyo

Lola's Tips

✦Baste with achuete oil every 2–3 minutes—the orange gloss in your photo comes from repetition, not one brush.
✦Leg quarters only for beginners—breast dries out fast on open flame.
✦Marinate overnight when you can; 30 minutes is the bare minimum.

Substitutions

achuete seeds → paprika + turmeric in oil for color
coconut vinegar → cane vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar
lemongrass → lemon zest + minced ginger

Ingredients

Servings

(recipe for 4)

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Instructions

1
Pat chicken dry. Score the skin lightly in a crosshatch so the marinade penetrates and fat renders—leg quarters like your photo (thigh + drumstick attached) stay juicier than breast.
2
Marinate: combine calamansi, vinegar, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Toss chicken and refrigerate at least 1 hour (overnight is best). Reserve a few tablespoons of marinade for basting (discard any that touched raw chicken after use).
3
Make achuete oil: warm oil over low heat, add annatto seeds, swirl 2–3 minutes until oil turns deep orange-red. Strain into a bowl. This is your basting oil—the glossy orange skin in the photo.
4
Preheat charcoal grill to medium (you can hold your hand 10 cm above grates for 4–5 seconds). For oven: broil on a rack at 220°C (425°F) with a foil-lined tray underneath.
5
Grill skin-side down first 12–15 minutes without moving—build char and render fat. Flip, grill 10–12 minutes more, basting with achuete oil every 2–3 minutes on both sides until internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F) at the thickest part.
6
Rest chicken 5 minutes so juices settle. Meanwhile, stir-fry minced garlic in 2 tbsp oil until golden, toss with hot rice and green onion for sinangag (garlic rice).
7
Plate chicken on banana leaf if you have it. Serve with garlic rice, atchara, calamansi halves, and sawsawan: mix soy sauce, vinegar, and siling labuyo in a small bowl—dip each bite like the photo.