This Ginger-Vinegar Marinade chicken recipe is inspired by the Filipino recipe, Chicken Inasal. The Filipino word “inasal” stands for roasted or char-grilled meat. The Chicken Inasal is one of my favorite chicken recipes and most Filipino’s love it as well. There is actually a big fast food restaurant chain in the Philippines, Mang Inasal, known for serving Inasal and that is the proof of how this chicken recipe has captivated the minds and taste buds of most Filipinos.
One day, my cravings for Chicken Inasal suddenly kicked-in and I knew that there was no restaurant near me where I could go to satisfy my cravings. I then began looking for a recipe online that I could replicate so I could make this dish for myself. Of course, I am going to share it with my husband.
However, most of the ingredients were not available in the local grocery store and sometimes not even in Asian stores. These hard to find ingredients were: native coconut vinegar, calamansi, annatto seeds, and lemon grass. So what I did is to recreate the recipe using ingredients that are all available in the local grocery stores.
I recreated this Chicken Inasal recipe using the substitution method wherein I used plain white vinegar instead of native coconut vinegar, combination of lemon and lime juice instead of calamnsi, a combination of paprika and turmeric powder instead of annato seeds and lastly, I used lemon zest instead of lemon grass. I have to say, it was a success! It is slightly different from the traditional Chicken Inasal recipe but it really satisfied my cravings and the most important thing is, my husband and I both loved it. The chicken is so tasty and is easy to make. It’s also healthier because I added spices such as paprika and turmeric powder, known for their health benefits.
How To Make Ginger-Vinegar Marinade Chicken Recipe Ala Chicken Inasal
The marinade and sauce are the key to delicious chicken because they give the chicken its distinct flavor and color. So do not skip the marinade process.
- Gather all the tools and ingredients such as garlic cloves, grated fresh ginger, brown sugar, lemon and lime juice, lemon zest, paprika, turmeric, vinegar, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Then mix them all together in a big bowl.
- Then stir in the chicken thighs and using a tong, coat the chicken with the marinating sauce and cover it. Place them into the fridge for 1 hour up to 12 hours maximum. Avoid marinating the chicken overnight because the acid of the vinegar will breakdown the enzyme of the chicken which will turn the meat into a chewy or rubbery texture.
- After marinating the chicken, in a small bowl mix all of the ingredients for the basting sauce such as the melted butter, olive oil, dark soy sauce or regular soy sauce, paprika and turmeric powder with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 420 degrees F.
- If you have a roasting rack, spray the rack and prepare for the chicken. If you do not have a roasting rack, you can improvise by covering a baking sheet with aluminum foil and then use several pieces of crumpled foil on top of the aluminum foil and spray with oil. Next, lay the chicken with the skin side down on the baking sheet with roasted rack sprayed with oil or use a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil with crumpled foil on top with sprayed oil as mentioned earlier. Next, sprinkle a tablespoon of basting sauce on top of the meat and rub the two chicken thighs together to spread out the basting sauce around it.
- Bake initially at 420 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and turn up the oven temperature to 450 degrees F.
- Then flip the chicken with the skin side up and brush with the remaining basting sauce. Bake it again for an additional 5 to 8 minutes or until the chicken’s internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- Serve the chicken immediately with steamed rice together with a dipping sauce made from soy sauce and lime juice.
I hope you give my Ginger-Vinegar Marinade Chicken Recipe Ala Chicken Inasal a try so you can discover why Filipinos fell in love with the recipe. This is a recipe that is packed with deliciousness and easy to make. Also try my other recipes that are inspired with by Filipino recipes:
Whole Chicken Soup With Vegetables: Filipino Chicken Tinola, One Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe: Asian Rice Porridge and Chicken With Potatoes And Carrots Recipe: Filipino Chicken Afritada.
Ginger-Vinegar Marinade Chicken Recipe Ala Chicken Inasal
Ingredients
- 6 pcs. chicken thighs bone in and skin on
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger peeled and grated
- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 10 cloves garlic peeled and pressed
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Basting Sauce
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce or regular soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Instructions
- In a large bowl, place the garlic, ginger, brown sugar, lemon and lime juice, lemon zest, paprika, turmeric, vinegar, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Mix all of the ingredients, then add the chicken thighs. Using tongs, rub the marinade until all the meat is well coated. Cover the bowl with chicken and put it into the fridge for at least 1 hour up to 12 hours maximum. Do not marinate the meat overnight because the acid of the vinegar will breakdown the enzymes of the chicken.
- After marinating the chicken, in a small bowl place the melted butter together with the remaining ingredients of the basting sauce and mix it all together. Then set aside.
- Preheat the oven at 420 degrees F.
- Spray the baking sheet and the baking rack with oil but if you do not have a baking rack, cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil with crumpled aluminum foil then spray oil on top of it. Then place the chicken with skin side down on top of the crumpled aluminum foil. And coat the top of meat with the basting sauce.
- Bake at 420 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Take the chicken out of the oven and turn up the oven temperature to 450 degrees F.
- Then flip the chicken with skin side up and brush with the with the remaining basting sauce. Then bake it again for an additional 5 to 8 minutes or until the chicken's internal temperature reaches to 165 degrees F.
- Serve the chicken immediately with steamed rice together with a dipping sauce made from lime juice and soy sauce.
