An overnight marinade—or 4 hours, if you can’t wait—gives bone-in chicken quarters enough flavor to turn them into stovetop Filipino-style chicken barbecue. A pan can’t reach soaring temperatures like an outdoor grill, but it can get hot enough to achieve a good sear. This creates those deliciously charred bits where the tangy-sweet marinade has caramelized.
Why does chicken barbecue always come with Java rice? Why is it called Java rice? Why is it orange? What you can’t question is its importance to the whole experience. Plus points if you shape it with a cup, like a tiny mountain. On the side, consider adding some atchara and your sawsawan of choice—peanut sauce or Java sauce, if you grew up on Aristocrat.
Why a paper towel helps in marinating chicken
When marinating large cuts of chicken, it's common to have the top parts exposed and unsubmerged. To distribute the marinade evenly, cover the chicken with a paper towel. Make sure it touches the marinade, so the paper towel can soak it up and spread the marinade to the top of the chicken.
Ingredients
Chicken Barbecue
- 1 kg chicken thigh quarters
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 tbsp vinegar
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp crushed garlic
- 2 tbsp patis or fish sauce
- 2 tbsp calamansi juice
- 1 tsp black pepper
Java Rice
- 1 cup neutral oil
- 4 tbsp atsuete (annatto) seeds
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 tbsp margarine
- 4 tbsp minced onion
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 4 cups leftover cooked white rice
Special Equipment
- instant-read thermometer
Make Filipino chicken barbecue
Prepare chicken: Score chicken thigh quarter on the skin side, going across the leg thigh around 2–3 times all the way to the bone. Transfer scored chicken to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Marinade chicken: In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients to create the chicken marinade. Pour marinade over the chicken quarters. Massage marinade into the chicken, making sure to turn and evenly coat all pieces.
Place a piece of kitchen towel over the chicken—it will absorb some of the marinade and help it transfer to the exposed, non-submerged parts of the chicken. Cover with cling wrap and let marinate in the fridge, at least 4 hours to overnight.
When you’re ready to cook, take chicken out of the marinade, letting excess drip back onto the bowl. Don’t discard the leftover marinade!
Cook chicken: Heat up 2 tbsp neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken skin-side down to the pan. Sear chicken on the first side, about 3–5 minutes.
Once the first side is browned, flip chicken and pour some of the leftover marinade in the pan. As the chicken cooks on the second side, carefully tip the pan towards you and baste chicken with marinade.
Cook until chicken is well-coated in marinade and cooked through; the time will vary depending on the size of your quarters. To check for doneness, pierce the chicken with a paring knife—juices should run clear and meat should not be pink. With an instant-read thermometer, internal temperature from the thickest part of the chicken should register 160°F (71°C).
Make Java rice
Make atsuete oil: Combine neutral oil, atsuete seeds, black peppercorns, and bay leaves in a small saucepan over medium heat. As the oil warms up, it will slowly take on the color of atsuete. Once the oil is a dark orange color, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Strain into a heatproof container and store.
Make Java rice: Melt margarine in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent and everything smells good. Add leftover cooked rice. Mix and toss in the melted margarine, breaking up any clumps of rice. Add 2 tbsp atsuete oil. Continue mixing to evenly distribute atsuete oil into the rice. Serve with chicken barbecue.
