If it has a tasty marinated brown skin covering its juicy tender meat, then you cannot expect to get another round of Chicken Inasal. It will be snatched away the moment it is served on the family table!
FRIED CHICKEN
Chicken Inasal is one of the most famous dishes to be seen on a wide table of Filipino cuisine. Since it is very simple and speedy to make, it is considered a go-to dish to partner with hot white rice. This recipe includes a chicken soaked in a marinade of calamansi, soy sauce, and seasonings. Then, it is air-fried or pan-fried to cook into a juicy and flavorful dish.
As someone who loves chicken recipes, I become meticulous in terms of the cooking process. For me, even if the recipe requires seasoning and frying only there should be a special touch to it. For instance, lining foil in the air fryer basket is just a small requirement but it can greatly affect the meat texture of the recipe.
Of course, we want the easy procedure but we prefer the one which does not compromise any of the quality taste. In this recipe, prepare yourself with some clever yet still very easy cooking!
How to Fry Chicken 2 Ways
To begin, cut slits (but not through) on the chicken to make it fully seasoned and cooked. Now for the marinade, combine the lemon or calamansi juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, minced garlic, chopped onions, salt, pepper, and liquid seasoning. Soak in the chicken and let it sit for half an hour. Even if the liquid seasoning is optional, I prefer adding some because I notice that this subtle flavor contributes big time to the taste.
Now, there are two ways to cook this well-marinated chicken:
The first one requires an air fryer basket. Preheat this with lined foil to 200°C for 8-10 minutes before putting the chicken quarter leg inside. The foil will cause the chicken to be moist and juicy. Then, let it be air fried for 30 minutes with flipping sides in between (after 15 minutes) for balanced cooking until it brings out a perfectly moist brown skin.
If an air fryer basket is not available, you can opt to do the second way which makes use of pot and pan. Let the marinated chicken simmer in its sauce in a pot over low-medium heat. Cover with a fitted lid for 20-25 minutes then set aside to cool completely. Finally, fry it in a pan with enough oil to sink half of the chicken parts to yield extra crispy skin and juicy meat. Flip the other side after some time to evenly cook the chicken until it is entirely golden brown.
2 Ways to Cook Fried Chicken
4
servingsIngredients
1 kg chicken quarter leg (2lbs)
3 cups or 20 pcs small calamansi
1 ½ tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce for the colorings
5 cloves minced garlic
1 medium chopped onions
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tbsp Knorr liquid seasonings (optional)
Directions
- USING AIR-FRYER
- Cut slits (but not through) with the chicken quarter legs. This will let the insides be perfectly marinated and cooked when frying the chicken.
- For the chicken marinade, juice the sour flavoring or the calamansi. In a separate bowl, pour the calamansi juice, fish sauce, and soy sauce. Add the minced garlic, chopped onions, black pepper, and if available, liquid seasonings. Give it a good mix.
- Then, soak the chicken quarter legs in the marinade for a good half an hour.
- Prepare the air fryer basket by laying foil at the bottom. This will make the flavorful chicken extra moist and juicy. Preheat to 200°C for 8-10 minutes.
- After that, transfer the marinated chicken into the air fryer and leave it for half an hour. Take note to flip it once in between the cooking time or after 15 minutes. Transfer onto a platter and enjoy!
- USING PAN-FRY
- Follow the same procedure of making slits on the chicken. Put the chicken in the marinade of the same ingredients as that of the first way for 30 minutes until it is well-soaked.
- Instead of using an air fryer, prepare a pot and heat it over a low-medium level. Put into it the marinated chicken quarter leg with its complete marinade. Cover with a fitting pot lid.
- Let it sit to simmer for 20-25 minutes until the chicken meat has absorbed some of the marinades. Do not forget to flip once in between the cooking time.
- After that, lift the now tender brown meat out from the pan and cool completely through either airdrying or chilling.
- Next, heat the pan over a medium-high level for frying. Put enough oil to sink at least half of the chicken parts. Fry the chicken quarter leg long enough until it turns to a crispy golden brown. Flip the other side to cook evenly. Transfer onto a platter and enjoy!
Watch how to Cook Fried Chicken 2-ways
