Chicken Inasal
intro
Smoky, tangy Ilonggo-style grilled chicken marinated in calamansi and lemongrass, basted with vibrant annatto butter for juicy, charred, deeply flavorful bites.
Ingredients
Steps
Make the chicken marinade
In a large non-reactive glass or plastic bowl, combine 120ml freshly squeezed calamansi juice, 60ml coconut vinegar, 45ml light soy sauce, 25g light brown sugar, 30g finely chopped tender lemongrass, 20g grated fresh ginger, 18g minced garlic, 2.5g (1/2 tsp) kosher salt, and 1g (1/2 tsp) ground black pepper. Stir continuously for 1 minute until the brown sugar fully dissolves into the liquid.
Marinate the chicken
Pat 1.2kg of bone-in, skin-on chicken leg quarters completely dry with paper towels, then cut two shallow 2cm slits across the thickest part of each thigh to help marinade penetrate evenly. Submerge all chicken pieces fully in the prepared marinade, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour, flipping each piece once at the 30-minute mark to ensure even coating.
Make annatto basting sauce
While the chicken marinates, heat 80ml neutral cooking oil in a small saucepan over low heat (120°C/250°F). Add 8g annatto powder, stir continuously for 2 minutes until the oil turns a deep, vibrant tangerine orange, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any undissolved powder solids. Stir in 28g melted unsalted butter, remaining 2.5g (1/2 tsp) kosher salt, and 1g (1/2 tsp) ground black pepper, then set the basting sauce aside to cool slightly.
Prep two-zone grill
When 10 minutes of marination time remain, preheat a charcoal or gas grill to medium heat (175°C/350°F), and set up a two-zone cooking area: bank hot coals or turn on burners on only one half of the grill for direct heat, leaving the other half unheated for indirect heat. Scrub grill grates clean, then wipe lightly with an oil-dipped paper towel to prevent chicken from sticking during cooking.
Grill over indirect heat
Remove chicken from the marinade, letting excess marinade drip off each piece, and arrange the pieces skin-side up on the unheated indirect heat zone of the grill. Close the grill lid and cook for 15 minutes, flipping each piece once at the 7.5 minute halfway mark, until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reads 60°C/140°F on a meat thermometer.
Baste and char chicken
Move the partially cooked chicken pieces to the hot direct heat zone of the grill. Baste generously with the annatto butter sauce every 2 minutes, flipping pieces frequently to avoid burning, for 8–10 minutes total, until the chicken skin is lightly charred, glossy deep orange, and the internal temperature reaches a food-safe 75°C/165°F. Move pieces back to the indirect zone immediately if large grease flare-ups occur.
Rest and serve chicken
Transfer the fully cooked chicken to a clean serving platter, brush with one final light coat of annatto basting sauce, and let rest uncovered for 5 minutes to allow internal juices to redistribute. Serve hot with steamed white rice and spiced coconut vinegar dip on the side, if desired.
Tips
2.If fresh calamansi is hard to source, substitute it with a 3:1 mixture of fresh lime juice and orange juice to closely match calamansi’s signature bright, tart-sweet flavor profile.
3.Keep a spray bottle filled with plain tap water near the grill to quickly douse large, high flare-ups caused by dripping fat, which can char chicken skin black and leave a harsh, bitter aftertaste.
OMG this inasal is a total game changer! I was nervous to track down annatto oil but my local Asian market had it no problem, and that tangy, citrusy marinade? *Chef’s kiss* My whole family went back for seconds at our Sunday dinner, even my super picky 7 year old! Cook time was exactly what the recipe said too, no surprises.
SO good! I prepped a big batch of this on Sunday for weekday lunches, and it held up perfectly all week. The annatto gives it that gorgeous golden color and the lemongrass + calamansi flavor is out of this world. I did add a tiny extra splash of soy sauce to the marinade because we love salty flavors at our house, no regrets.
Tried this last night for my roommate’s birthday — he’s Filipino and said it tasted exactly like the inasal his lola used to make! I was worried the difficulty level marked medium would be too much for me as a casual griller, but the steps were super straightforward, even with making the annatto oil from scratch. 10/10 will make again.
Has anyone tried making this on an indoor grill pan instead of an outdoor grill? Our apartment complex doesn’t allow balcony grills and I’m dying to make this after seeing all the rave reviews!
Made this for our church potluck last weekend and people were asking me for the recipe before we even finished serving! The only swap I made was using regular lime juice instead of calamansi because I couldn’t find it, and it was still incredible. That basting sauce with the annatto oil and vinegar? I could drink it tbh.
Solid recipe, great protein option for when I’m sick of plain grilled chicken. The flavor is so bright and it doesn’t feel like ‘diet food’ at all. I skipped the sugar in the marinade to cut a few calories and it was still bomb. Will be adding this to my regular rotation.
Wait, the cook time says 1 hour 25 minutes total — is that including marinating time? I want to make this for my grandson’s graduation party but I don’t want to be running behind the day of!
Quick question — is this recipe gluten free as written? I have celiac so I have to be super careful with soy sauce containing wheat, want to make sure I don’t miss anything!
Absolutely knocked this out of the park for our Father’s Day cookout. I used chicken leg quarters like my local Filipino spot does, basted every 5 minutes with that annatto butter sauce, and got that perfect crispy skin everyone fights over. Even my father in law, who swears he doesn’t like ‘foreign food’, had two pieces.
Came out so good! I will say, if you’re new to working with annatto seeds, don’t heat the oil too hot when you’re infusing it — I burned my first batch and it got super bitter, had to run to the store for more seeds. Once I got the oil right though? *Chef’s kiss*
Wait, has anyone tried this marinade on tofu or cauliflower? I don’t eat meat but the flavor combo sounds insane, wondering if it would work for a veggie version!
I was skeptical that a grilled chicken recipe marked medium difficulty would be worth the effort, but man, I was wrong. That calamansi, lemongrass, garlic marinade penetrates the chicken so well, and the annatto gives it that beautiful deep orange color that looks so good on a plate. My only note is I added a little smoked paprika for extra depth, personal preference.
Made this in my dorm’s shared kitchen last night and everyone on my floor wandered over to ask what smelled so good! I used pre-made annatto oil from the Asian market down the street to save time, and it still turned out amazing. Way better than the boring frozen chicken tenders I usually eat for dinner.
Game. Changer. I brought this to our neighborhood block party and it was the first dish gone! People were going back for thirds, and I had three people text me the next day asking for the recipe. The only thing I did different was serve it with a side of that traditional sinamak dipping sauce, which paired perfectly.
Made this after a long day hiking last weekend and it hit so hard. The bright citrus flavor was exactly what I was craving, and the leftovers made the best post-hike snack the next day cold straight out of the fridge, no lie. 10/10, will be making this all summer long for camping trips too.
I’ve tried so many inasal recipes online and this is by far the closest to what I had when I visited Bacolod a few years back. The balance of tangy, savory, and that subtle earthy note from the annatto is spot on. I didn’t have to adjust a single thing in the recipe, it was perfect as written.
My kids loved it! I was worried the lemongrass would be too strong for their picky palates, but they ate every last bite and asked if we could have it again next week. I served it with garlic rice and pickled papaya, just like the local Filipino restaurant near us does, and it felt like a special takeout night at home for way cheaper.
Solid recipe, but I will say make sure you oil your grill grates really well before cooking! I had a little bit of the chicken skin stick when I first put it on, even after preheating the grill for 15 minutes. Once I gave the grates an extra wipe with oiled paper towels, the rest cooked perfectly with no sticking, and that crispy skin was *unreal*.