Smoky Filipino grilled chicken with calamansi, coconut vinegar, lemongrass, and annatto oil
Chicken Inasal is one of the clearest examples of how Filipino grilling builds deep flavor without a heavy sauce. Bacolod City formally declared the dish a cultural property in 2022, and the city remains closely associated with smoky, vinegar-bright chicken from its celebrated inasal stalls. In this low-carb version, I keep the chicken true to the Bacolod flavor profile—calamansi, coconut vinegar, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and annatto oil—while leaving out added sugar and soy sauce. Instead of rice, I serve it with a crisp cucumber and tomato salad, grilled eggplant, and spiced vinegar. The result is tangy, aromatic, gently smoky, and properly charred without turning the dish into generic sweet barbecue.
- Prep
- 25 mins
- Cook
- 35 mins
- Rest
- 5 mins
- Marinate
- 8 hours
- Total
- 9 hours 5 mins
- Serves
- 6
The recipe
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Before you start
Marinate the chicken for 8 hours so the calamansi, coconut vinegar, aromatics, and seasoning penetrate the meat. Prepare a separate annatto oil for safe basting; never baste with the used raw-chicken marinade. Set up a two-zone charcoal fire so the chicken can cook through over moderate indirect heat before it is moved closer to the coals for its final char. Prepare the spiced vinegar and low-carb salad while the chicken marinates or while the grill heats.
Ingredients
For the chicken and marinade
For the annatto basting oil
For the spiced vinegar
For the low-carb cucumber and tomato salad
Quantities change with servings; cooking times stay the same.
Equipment
- Charcoal grill paid link
- Chimney starter paid link
- Long-handled grill tongs paid link
- Instant-read thermometer paid link
- Stainless-steel mixing bowl paid link
- Small saucepan paid link
- Fine-mesh strainer paid link
- Pastry brush paid link
- Chef’s knife paid link
- Cutting board paid link
- Serving platter paid link
Method
Prepare the chicken. Pat the chicken dry. Make one shallow cut through the thickest part near each joint without cutting through the bone so the marinade can reach the meat evenly.
Mix the marinade. Combine the coconut vinegar, calamansi juice, grated garlic, ginger, chopped lemongrass, salt, and black pepper in a non-reactive bowl.
Marinate for 8 hours. Add the chicken and turn every piece to coat it thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours. Do not exceed 24 hours because the acid can make the surface texture mealy.
Make the annatto oil. Combine the neutral oil, annatto seeds, crushed garlic, lemongrass, and salt in a small saucepan. Warm over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes until the oil becomes deep orange. Do not let the seeds blacken. Remove from the heat, cool slightly, and strain into a clean bowl.
Prepare the accompaniments. Mix all the spiced-vinegar ingredients in a small serving bowl. In a separate bowl, toss the cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, coconut vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Refrigerate the salad until serving.
Build a two-zone charcoal fire. Heat the grill to approximately 190°C, banking most of the coals on one side. Clean and lightly oil the grate.
Start over indirect heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade, let the excess drip away, and discard the marinade. Place the chicken bone-side down on the cooler side of the grill. Cover and cook for 18 to 20 minutes.
Turn and baste. Turn the chicken skin-side down and brush it lightly with the strained annatto oil. Continue cooking over indirect heat, turning and basting with clean oil every 5 minutes. Keep the lid closed between turns.
Finish over direct heat. Move the chicken over the hotter coals for the final 3 to 5 minutes, turning frequently until the skin is caramelized and lightly charred. Control flare-ups by moving the chicken back to the cooler zone. Cook until the thickest part reaches at least 74°C without touching the bone.
Rest and serve. Transfer the chicken to a clean tray and rest for 5 minutes. Serve with the cucumber and tomato salad, grilled eggplant if desired, and the spiced vinegar on the side.
Chef’s notes
Use a two-zone fire rather than placing the chicken over intense heat from the beginning. Bone-in chicken needs time to cook beside the coals before its skin is finished directly over them.
Keep the annatto basting oil in a clean bowl with a clean brush. Do not dip a brush that touched raw chicken back into oil intended for later use.
Annatto seeds should release their color over low heat. Burnt seeds make the oil bitter and muddy brown instead of clear orange.
An instant-read thermometer is the safest guide. Insert it into the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone and confirm at least 74°C.
The skin may cause flare-ups. Move the chicken to the cooler side and close the grill briefly rather than spraying water onto the coals.
Tips and variations
For the most characteristic smoky aroma, use lump charcoal. A gas grill works, but keep one burner low and use a smoker box if available.
Chicken thighs and drumsticks may replace whole leg quarters. Begin checking smaller pieces after 22 minutes.
Fresh calamansi gives the most recognizably Filipino citrus character. If it is unavailable, use equal parts lime and mandarin juice, understanding that the flavor will be slightly different.
Cane vinegar may replace coconut vinegar. Avoid strongly flavored balsamic or malt vinegar.
Do not add bottled barbecue sauce, ketchup, or sweet chili sauce; these change the Bacolod-style profile and add unnecessary sugar.
For a stricter ketogenic serving, reduce the tomato to 100 g and serve extra grilled eggplant or leafy greens.
Serve with
Serve one chicken portion per person with the chilled salad and a small dish of spiced vinegar. For a communal Filipino-style meal without rice, arrange the chicken on banana leaves with grilled eggplant, cucumber, tomato, fresh herbs, and calamansi halves. Cauliflower rice can be offered for guests who want the familiar rice-bowl format while keeping the meal low carb.
Storage
Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days. Store the chicken, salad, and spiced vinegar separately. Reheat the chicken in a 180°C oven or air fryer until the center reaches 74°C and the skin is hot. Freeze cooked chicken without the salad for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Do not save or reuse the raw-chicken marinade.
Nutrition per serving (estimated)
- 455 kcal
- Calories
- 35 g
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 34 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
Values are estimates and vary with the chicken cut, edible yield, and amount of basting oil absorbed.
Allergens
The recipe contains no intentionally added gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, or shellfish. Coconut vinegar and annatto products can be processed in shared facilities, so check package labels when cooking for someone with a severe allergy. Coconut itself can cause an individual allergy even though its regulatory classification differs by country. Prevent cross-contact by using clean utensils for the cooked chicken and serving sauces.
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Questions
Is Chicken Inasal naturally low carb?
The chicken, vinegar, citrus, aromatics, and annatto oil are naturally low in carbohydrate. This version omits added sugar and soy sauce and uses a vegetable side instead of rice, giving an estimated 5 g net carbohydrate per serving.
Why does this recipe contain no soy sauce or brown sugar?
The Bacolod-style profile can be built with coconut vinegar, calamansi, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, salt, pepper, and annatto oil. Leaving out soy sauce and sugar keeps the flavor bright and the recipe low carb.
Can I cook Chicken Inasal without a charcoal grill?
Yes. Use a two-zone gas grill and cook with the lid closed, but the dish will have less smoke aroma. An oven or air fryer can cook the chicken safely, although the result will not have the same charcoal character.
How long can I marinate the chicken?
Eight hours gives balanced seasoning. You may marinate it for 4 to 12 hours, but avoid going beyond 24 hours because prolonged acid exposure can soften the surface excessively.
Can I reuse the marinade as a sauce?
No. Discard marinade that has held raw chicken. Prepare the annatto basting oil and spiced vinegar separately so they remain safe for cooking and serving.
What gives Chicken Inasal its orange color?
Annatto seeds, called atsuete or achuete in the Philippines, tint the basting oil orange. Warm them gently and remove them before they darken to avoid bitterness.
