Best Chicken Inasal
This is seriously the easiest and tastiest chicken inasal recipe! Chicken Inasal is the Philippines’ famous barbecue or grilled chicken. The marinade made from vinegar, lemon and sprite permeates the entire chicken making it both tender and tasty. The basting sauce not only adds vibrant color to the meat but also a lot of flavors that you'll want to eat all of the chicken skin that gets so crisp and delicious! This can be roasted in the oven or grilled.
Ingredients
- 4-5 pieces chicken legs (thighs and drumsticks intact) or 1 spatchcock chicken
Marinade
- 1 cup rice or white vinegar
- 1 (20 oz) bottle lemon lime soda like Sprite
- 2-inch piece ginger, peeled, sliced and slightly crushed
- 1 whole garlic, cloves peeled and crushed
- 1 large lemon, juiced
- 1-2 tablespoons salt, (This measurement is correct! The original recipe from the Philippines calls for 2 tablespoons salt (probably the coarse kind as that's the common salt there). I used 2 TBSP real salt or pink salt, and it's good). It's a lot of marinade with lots of acid and sweetness so you need a lot of salt to balance it out. I suggest adding 1 tablespoon first especially if you're using a very fine salt like iodized or table salt and adjust from there - taste the marinade to adjust saltiness to the level you like. It all depends on the type of salt you use as well as some are saltier than others so taste the marinade and adjust as needed.
- 2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground
Basting Sauce
- 1/4 cup oil of choice
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons achuete (achiote) or annatto powder
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
Dipping Sauce
- 1 dipping sauce, equal amounts of spiced vinegar and soy sauce
Instructions
- Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Take the chicken pieces and pierce a few times on the meaty side. This will allow the chicken to absorb more flavor from the marinade. Place the chicken meat side down in a non-reactive baking dish (like a 9x13 pyrex). Pour in the marinade all over the chicken. Marinate for 3-4 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Make the basting sauce or ready it while the chicken is roasting. Remove the meat from the marinade and place in a roasting tin. Roast the chicken for 45 minutes, basting it every 5 minutes for the last 10-15 minutes or so. Chicken is done when a meat thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the chicken registers 165F. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes.
- Alternatively, you can also grill the chicken, threading each piece in a wooden skewer, and use the sauce to baste. If grilling the chicken, make about two to three 1-inch slashes on the chicken legs just before grilling so the chicken cooks faster and more evenly. If using a gas grill, preheat the grill then place all the chicken legs in the middle of the grill. Use only the burners on either side of the grill adjusted to between 350-375 F temperature (don't go higher than 400 F). The gas burner(s) in the middle should be completely turned-off. Grill the chicken low and slow for about 30-40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches about 165 F. Grilling this way would ensure the chicken to cook properly without burning the outer skin and undercooking the inside.
- Traditionally, this chicken is eaten with a dipping or drizzling sauce on the side. Simply combine equal amounts of spiced vinegar (available at Asian stores - get Filipino brand, if possible or simply add 1-2 sliced Thai red chilies) and soy sauce in a small bowl. Drizzle a little of the sauce as you eat the chicken. Enjoy with rice.
Notes
Tips & Tricks
The salt measurement is correct! The original recipe from the Philippines calls for 2 tablespoons salt and I used 2 TBSP real salt or pink salt and it's good for me. It's a lot of marinade with lots of acid and sweetness, so you need a lot of salt to balance it out. I suggest adding 1 tablespoon salt first and adjust from there - taste the marinade to adjust saltiness to the level you like. It all depends on the type of salt you use as well as some are saltier than others.
Nutrition
Calories: 843kcalCarbohydrates: 183gProtein: 2gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 3305mgPotassium: 78mgFiber: 1gSugar: 176gVitamin A: 127IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 1mg
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