Chicken inasal
Filipino-style chicken marinated in lemongrass, ginger and lime, air fried until charred at the edges and brushed with orange achiote butter.
- 65 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $2.97 a serving
- 680 calories
- Good the next day
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 2 tbsp lemongrass paste
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 limes, juiced, divided
- 2 lb boneless chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
- 1½ cups jasmine rice
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp achiote paste
From your pantry
- ⅓ cup white vinegar, divided
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 cups water
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Each serving has about 680 calories, 51 g protein, 71 g carbs and 19 g fat, and costs about $2.97 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No limes? Lemons work.
- No boneless chicken thighs? Chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins work.
- No jasmine rice? Long-grain white rice or basmati rice works.
- No butter? Ghee works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Stir the lemongrass paste, ginger, garlic, ¼ cup of the vinegar, the juice of 1 lime, the brown sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken, turn to coat, cover, and in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Marinate. Marinating means letting food sit in a flavorful liquid, called a marinade, before you cook it. Always marinate in the fridge, and never reuse marinade from raw meat unless you boil it first.
How you’ll know: The food is coated all over, sealed in a bag or covered dish, and chilling in the fridge.
Timer: 30 min
Dolly’s tip: Overnight is even better. Wash your hands after handling the raw chicken.the rice and bring it in a with the water.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
High heat
Stir once, cover, turn the heat to low and cook 15 minutes, then leave it covered off the heat.
Low heatTimer: 15 min
Microwave the butter in a small bowl 30 seconds, until , then mash in the achiote paste with a fork until smooth and orange.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Timer: 30 sec
the air fryer to 380°F. Lay the chicken in one layer, smooth side down, and air fry 8 minutes.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Timer: 8 min
Dolly’s tip: Cook in two batches if the pieces overlap. Crowded chicken steams instead of charring.Flip the chicken, brush it with the orange butter, and air fry 6 to 8 minutes more, until at the edges and 165°F in the thickest piece.
Char. Charring means cooking over very high heat until some spots turn black. Those dark spots add a smoky, slightly bitter flavor that balances sweet or rich food.
How you’ll know: You see black spots and blisters in places, while most of the surface keeps its own color.
Timer: 7 min
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
Stir the soy sauce, the rest of the vinegar, the juice of the second lime and the pepper flakes together for dipping.
Brush the chicken with the last of the butter and serve it over the rice with the dipping sauce.
Dolly’s tip: At inasal stalls in Bacolod, people spoon the orange chicken butter right over their rice. Do it.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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