Sure, the Lechon Manok–or Filipino Roasted Chicken–nowadays can be seen almost everywhere, because almost every corner you go into along the main roads in busy cities here in the Philippines, there’s always a shop that sells lechon manok (litson manok).
But why not make it special even only for once and try to make this superb dish at home? This is completely doable, and it is not as hard as it seems! Continue to read this recipe article below and see for yourself how to make this, and learn some tips and some trivia as you go through.
What is Lechon Manok?
The lechon manok is basically a whole chicken that is roasted along with essential ingredients to add flavor such as garlic, onions, fish sauce, soy sauce, calamansi juice, sugar and some common seasonings like salt and pepper.
This is similar to roasted chicken in other countries but is quite unique because of its distinct flavor and is usually roasted using a charcoal spit.
The story of the lechon manok is quite peculiar. It is said that during the 1980s, there was this certain person who placed skewers in a bicycle chain placed over coals and put up a whole chicken to roast there.
This type of cooking the whole chicken spread like wildfire all over the Philippines and it especially spread in the city of Cebu, where there are stores and stands with vendors selling their own version of the famous lechon manok.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Chicken
We will be using whole (uncut) chicken for this recipe and we will be roasting it whole as well.
Spices
The ingredients included in this recipe are the most commonly used spices and flavorings to make the lechon manok. This will result in an absolutely delicious homemade lechon manok, but feel free to add spices and seasonings of your choice.
Aside from these, we will also be using several pantry ingredients like onion, garlic, lemongrass, fish sauce, soy sauce, calamansi juice, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, bay leaves, and cooking oil. If you are filling up your pantry, here’s a handy shopping guide:
Equipment You’ll Need
- Oven- The oven is the single cooking equipment we will be using for this dish. You may opt to use a rotisserie oven, but a basic convention oven will do. Make sure the oven you will be using can be used for a longer cooking time and that it’ll fit the size of your whole chicken.
In need of kitchen tools and equipment? Read this before you buy:
How to Cook Lechon Manok
There are a lot of ways you can roast the chicken and make lechon manok, but in this recipe, we are only going to use our handy oven, which is readily available in most of the households. There’s no need for charcoal or rotisserie when you have your oven.
To start with cooking the lechon, let us break down the process into two easy main procedures. First, you have to marinate the whole chicken, and this will take overnight. Second part is the roasting of the chicken in the oven.
When roasting the chicken, it is important to keep the chicken moist and avoid drying. It is essential that you baste the chicken with oil and the leftover liquids from the marinade every now and then, so keep an eye on the chicken while it is in the oven.
Some ovens have the rotisserie function included, so if your oven has that, be sure to use that function so the job will be easier for you.
Cooking Tips
- If you happen to have a spit roaster available with you, you can use that since it is more close to the traditional way of cooking the lechon manok.
- Once you’re done with marinating the chicken overnight, the next step is to prepare the chicken by skewering the whole chicken and then securing it on the grill.
What Goes Well With Lechon Manok?
While lechon manok is good in itself, it is best served alongside other complementary food items for the best dining experience.
Lechon manok goes well with hot steamed rice, a dipping sauce (lechon sauce/ sarsa/ soy sauce/ vinegar), a vegetable side (like atsara or ginisang munggo), and a cold drink (like soda, beer, or juice).
People tend to have difference preferences among these food pairs especially with the dipping sauces. I personally like to pair it with the commercially available “all-around sarsa”, how ’bout you? Feel free to comment below.
How to Store and Reheat Lechon Manok
In case you have leftovers, you can either store it in a refrigerator and make it last longer for a few days or store it in a freezer, and make it last for months.
To reheat, you need to place the leftover lechon manok in a 200 C (392 F) convention oven or air fryer and wait until the skin gets crispy again.
Another popular option is to create a whole new dish with the leftover meat. One popular option is the chicken sisig or chicken sandwich.
Other Lechon Recipes
For a quick reference about this recipe, see the recipe table below:
Lechon Manok (Filipino Roasted Chicken) Recipe
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 pc onion, chopped
- 1 head garlic, minced
- 2 stalks lemongrass, pounded
- 4 pcs bay leaves (laurel leaves)
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ cup calamansi juice
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add-in the chopped onion, minced garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, calamansi juice, brown sugar, and salt and pepper. Combine well until incorporated.
- Place the chicken in a resealable bag and then pour-in the marinade. Seal the bag and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Take out the chicken and reserve the marinade.
- Stuff the lemongrass and the bay leaves inside the chicken cavity.
- Place chicken in a wire rack on a baking tray and then put inside the oven. Roast for 60 to 90 minutes.
- Combine the reserved marinade with the vegetable oil and then baste the chicken every 20 minutes while roasting until cooked.
- Transfer to a serving tray or serving plate. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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