Chicken Inasal

What it really is

Chicken inasal is a Filipino charcoal-grilled chicken preparation strongly associated with Bacolod in the Western Visayas. The word inasal refers to roasting or grilling, and local versions are recognized by their marinade and basting rather than by a single required cut. The chicken is commonly marinated with calamansi, coconut vinegar, black pepper and annatto, then grilled over hot coals and basted with the marinade.

Chicken pieces are marinated before grilling. A common marinade uses calamansi, black pepper, coconut vinegar and annatto, and the chicken is basted as it grills. The Bacolod form is described as more sour than the sweeter Iloilo style. Cooks may adjust the balance of marinade and basting, so the exact house version should be named. A piece may be served bone-in, and the cut should be specified because breast, thigh and leg portions differ in richness and cooking time.

Inasal should not be confused with any chicken simply cooked over a grill. The marinade and repeated basting distinguish the preparation, while charcoal contributes smoke and char. Restaurants may offer their own spice blend or dipping sauce, so a menu description should not claim a canonical recipe where the kitchen uses a house version.

How it's served

• Serve freshly grilled, with the cut and portion stated.
• Rice and a dipping sauce of soy, vinegar and calamansi are common accompaniments; annatto-tinted rice and palm-vinegar sinamak are also described. Sides differ by establishment.
• Some versions are finished or basted with annatto oil; mention it when relevant to the guest's expectations.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the cut and explain that it is marinated and charcoal-grilled.
• List the actual marinade ingredients and any dipping sauce, particularly if it contains soy, fish or other allergens.
• Distinguish a house variation from a traditional-style preparation without presenting one recipe as universal.
• Check marinades, basting oil and grill practices before making allergen or dietary claims.

The ingredients, allergens and nutrition shown here describe grilled chicken with a representative vinegar-citrus marinade per 100 g. They are indicative estimates, not lab analysis; cut, skin, oil and basting amount change the values.