Grilled Annatto Chicken

Name: Grilled Annatto Chicken (Chicken Inasal)
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 3 h
Yield: Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients: ⅓ cup [80 ml] coconut vinegar or apple cider vinegar; 1 Tbsp kosher salt; 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1 cup [240 ml] vegetable oil or lard; ¼ cup [60 ml] calamansi juice, sour orange juice, or equal parts tangerine and fresh lime juice; ½ cup [34 g] minced lemongrass; 2 Tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger; 1 Tbsp dark brown sugar; 3 Tbsp annatto seeds (achiote) (see Tips); 3 lb [1.4 kg] chicken leg quarters; 2 medium shallots, minced; 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Chicken Inasal

Preparation info

Yield:
4
servings

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
3 hr

Appears in

Islas

By Von Diaz

Published 2024

About

This citrusy, smoky chicken is as pretty as it is tasty. That’s thanks to annatto oil, which gives the chicken a vibrant orange-red hue while keeping the meat moist and crisping the skin. If you don’t have access to annatto seeds, simply use vegetable oil, as annatto doesn’t impart any flavor. But for true inasal, annatto oil is a must.

Ingredients

Annatto Oil

1 cup [240 ml] vegetable oil or lard
3 Tbsp

Asia
Philippines
Main course
Gluten-free
South East Asia

Method

To make the annatto oil: In a small saucepan over medium-high, heat the oil and annatto seeds. Once the oil comes to a simmer, remove the saucepan from the heat, stir to combine, and let rest for 5 minutes. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the oil into a heat-safe container and set aside.

To make the chicken: Dry the chicken pieces with paper towels. Gently, using your fing