Glistening, glazed, tender Filipino bbq chicken skewers are so next level. These popular skewers, aka inihaw Filipino barbecue, are always invited to the party! The post Filipino BBQ Chicken Skewers All-NATURAL (Inihaw Filipino Barbecue) appeared first on ASIAN and...
Filipino BBQ chicken skewers are the party! This delectable finger food is savory-sweet, and also known as Inihaw Filipino barbecue. Skewered meat is grilled to total tender, tongue-hugging perfection. Make a lot…this is always a foodie favorite.
Glistening, glazed, tender chicken skewers are so next level. These popular skewers, aka inihaw Filipino barbecue, are always invited to the party!
Table of contents
What’s Good About Filipino BBQ Chicken SkewersWhat are Filipino BBQ SkewersINGREDIENTS in Filipino BBQ Chicken SkewersEQUIPMENTHOW TO MAKE Filipino BBQ Chicken SkewersNOTESADD INS AND VARIATIONSWHAT TO SERVE WITH Filipino BBQ Chicken SkewersQuestionsWhen I was growing up there was this one event several hours away from my house that we would go to every single year for many years.
It wasn’t really a kid’s thing, however, the food area was awesome! Sticky donuts, noodle stalls, and Filipino BBQ skewers!!
I remember a lot of food tents with grills, that bbq smoke, and most of all, the smell of inihaw Filipino barbecue.
Oh my gosh. These were the best.
As an adult, if I couldn’t make these at home, I would probably drive hours to find me some. They were so good, that perfect charring and yummy sweet coating on the outside.
Inihaw Filipino barbecue has ever since been a favorite, and nostalgic craving of mine.
What’s Good About Filipino BBQ Chicken Skewers
The smell of BBQ is inviting. Once grilling starts, it’s fast. Skewers are the ultimate gathering food. Chicken is leaner and a healthier option of protein choice. This recipe is all natural with tongue-hugging flavor. Filipino skewers bring happy vibes. Inihaw Filipino barbecue is delicious savory, zesty, and sweet. Marinating only takes less than two hours.What are Filipino BBQ Skewers
Filipino BBQ skewers (Inihaw Filipino barbecue) are a lip-smacking Filipino dish made with marinated and grilled meat or poultry on bamboo skewers.
Inihaw is a Filipino cooking method that involves grilling or barbecuing meat, seafood, or vegetables.
It is a popular way of cooking in the Philippines, especially during outdoor gatherings and street food stalls.
“Inihaw” literally means “grilled” in Filipino.
The Marinating Special Sauce
The meat is typically marinated in a delicious combination of sweet, tangy, and savory ingredients such as soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, sugar, and more seasonings.
These skewers are known for their charred and caramelized exterior, offering a perfect balance of smoky and sweet flavors.
They are often served as an appetizer or main course and are enjoyed at family gatherings, parties, and street food stalls in the Philippines.
Filipino skewers really are an amazing finger food and they always get the party started. Meat on a stick is always a winner.
Making Filipino BBQ All Natural
There are a lot of things, as I feed my children foods from my childhood, that I realize are wonderful and also need a little change in order to give them what I see as the best in eating more natural, wholesome foods.
I want them to experience the familiar flavors, and with that, have seen how certain ingredients can be easily substituted to create the same food memories, just without the additives.
Omit Soda
Inihaw Filipino barbecue, during my childhood, usually included 7-up or Sprite soda. Sometime Pepsi soda.
For this recipe, the soda is eliminated. After all, it is cornsyrup.
Replacing soda with real, fresh lime and using natural sugar does the trick and is so much better.
Omit Banana Ketchup
For the classic banana ketchup which contains no tomatoes, and also has lots of red food coloring…it is easily replaced with the other ingredients like vinegar and brown sugar for a similar effect.
Use natural Oyster Sauce
Find an oyster flavored sauce you love, and you’ll be good to go with a natural version of Filipino BBQ chicken skewers that are very flavorful and have that similar delicious inihaw taste.
For oyster flavored sauce, I even use a gluten free style, no msg, and it is so good and works very well. I also like vegan oyster sauce.
INGREDIENTS in Filipino BBQ Chicken Skewers
boneless skinless chicken thighsfilipino bbq Chicken marinade
soy sauce fresh garlic oyster sauce brown sugar coconut vinegar or white vinegar ground black pepper fresh lime juiceBasting Sauce
soy sauce brown sugar oyster sauceEQUIPMENT
cutting board chef’s knife big glass bowl bamboo skewers food safe gloves grill bbq tongsHOW TO MAKE Filipino BBQ Chicken Skewers
To make Filipino BBQ skewers, follow these steps:
Instructions:
In a large glass bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients. Mix well. Cut the boneless chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken pieces to the marinade bowl, making sure they are well coated. Cover the bowl and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but not more than 3 hours. While the chicken is marinating, soak the bamboo skewers in water for about 30 minutes. This prevents them from burning during grilling. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Thread the marinated chicken pieces onto the soaked bamboo skewers. In a small bowl, mix together the basting sauce ingredients. Once the grill is hot, place the skewers on the grill and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is cooked through and slightly charred. While grilling, continuously brush the basting sauce onto the skewers, turning and basting each side. Once the chicken is cooked through and has a nice glaze, remove the skewers from the grill. Serve the Filipino BBQ skewers right off the grill and enjoy!Note: Be careful not to overcook the skewers to keep them tender. The internal cooked temperature for chicken thighs should reach 165°F.
Enjoy Natural made Filipino BBQ Chicken skewers!
MARINATE AND SKEWER THE CHICKEN
TURN AND BASTE, BASTE, BASTE
KEEP TURNING AND BASTING
SERVE RIGHT OFF THE GRILL. ENJOY!
NOTES
Do not use too much vinegar in your Filipino bbq chicken marinade. Do not over marinate! This is important. Up to three hours is enough. Do NOT marinate your chicken over the three hours mark. Keep basting. It’s very important to baste every turn to get that nice glaze. The flame of your bbq has to be medium high, but also keep the chicken high enough so it doesn’t char all over and turn black. You want cooked meat, not burnt meat. Soak the skewers for half an hour in water. When skewering, do not stuff each piece of chicken too tight. This way the chicken will cook well and evenly. Do not over cook your skewers so they stay tender. Using food gloves makes skewering easier and cleaner.ADD INS AND VARIATIONS
Baste on chili oil at the very end to make it spicy skewers. Try making Filipino pork BBQ skewers with the same Filipino barbecue marinade.WHAT TO SERVE WITH Filipino BBQ Chicken Skewers
These skewers are great by themselves, but rice is always a perfect backdrop to some savory sweet BBQ.
Other dishes to serve alongside Filipino skewers include the following:
Mango Salsa with Ginger (my favorite) Filipino Macaroni Salad Pancit Canton or Pancit Bihon Stir-fry Vegetables Chinese Chicken SaladQuestions
How long do I cook the skewers for?
About 8-10 minutes over a very hot grill, the inside should be cooked through and opaque. The internal cooked temperature for chicken thighs is 165 F.
Can I use less sugar?
You can use a little less sugar and more oyster sauce for the Filipino bbq chicken marinade, however the caramelizing is from the sugar and is the balancing ingredient to the savory and tangy marinade.
Is this Gluten Free?
Use gluten free sauces and you can certainly make this gluten free.
Can the meat sit in the Filipino chicken bbq marinade overnight?
No. Anything over three hours is going to start to “cook” even before the chicken hits the grill. The vinegar breaks the proteins down in the chicken, but will also make it stringy if you over marinate the meat. It’s not good, nor necessary.
Filipino BBQ Chicken Skewers
Equipment
Ingredients
Filipino BBQ Marinade
½ cup regular soy sauce¼ cup oyster sauce regular; vegan; gluten free are all fine¼ cup brown sugar3 tbsp coconut vinegar or white distilled vinegar3 tbsp fresh lime squeezed 7 garlic cloves crushed/smashed1 tsp ground black pepperBasting Sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce2 tbsp oyster sauce1 tbsp brown sugar3 tsp squeeze of limeInstructions
Video
Notes
Nutrition
The post Filipino BBQ Chicken Skewers All-NATURAL (Inihaw Filipino Barbecue) appeared first on ASIAN and FILIPINO Recipes for All.