Lechon Manok is basically the American version of the French original, rotisserie chicken recipe. It’s a dish that’s easily available in many grocery stores. Similarly, this Filipino rotisserie chicken which we call lechon manok, is considered a street food and readily available to purchase in many roadside restaurants and food trucks, nationwide. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that many people became familiar with how the dish is done, and many have learned to prepare their own version, the craze for lechon manok has slightly died down, but this palatable Filipino rotisserie chicken remains a popular street food.
Here, we have an example of our juicy and delicious, charcoal grilled, homemade lechon manok, courtesy of Janis’s hubby, Lynley. He has a meticulous way of preparing many unique Filipino cuisines, and preparing for this palatable Filipino rotisserie chicken recipe, is just one of them.
Ingredients: 3-4 servings
1 medium size whole chicken
1 gallons of water(1.5 gallons if needed)
1 cup of salt(1.5 cups depending on the chicken size)
1 tbsp. of peppercorns
3 dried bay leaves
1/8-1/4 cups of sugar(optional)
Cooking Preparation:
- Wash and clean one whole chicken, remove any internal organs, Set aside.
- On a large gallon or bucket, apply all ingredients in water. Whisk to combine, then submerge the whole chicken into the marinated water to brine for 24 hours.
- Set up your rotisserie charcoal griller when brined chicken is ready. Remove chicken from the brine, pat it dry with a clean towel or paper towel.
- Position the chicken with its breast facing you as it lays on a clean, flat surface. Truss the chicken legs and wings together with a kitchen twine, to prevent them from falling apart and burning while in the process of grilling.
- Skewer chicken with a strong metal or wooden skewer. Place the skewered chicken directly on the middle part of the spit fire. Rotate the skewered chicken occasionally as you slow cook this juicy, delicious homemade lechon manok for 3-4 hours.
- Brush the chicken with butter while it is charcoal grilling. This will allow the chicken to brown and have that crispy skin texture when cooked.
- Remove from the spit when done. Place it on a large serving plate, untie this homemade lechon manok and serve with steamed rice and other side dish of your choice.
Tip: Best tasting Filipino rotisserie chicken is when you wrap it with heated banana leaves prior to consumption. Use 3-4 slices of Calamansi juice, a tiny drop of fish sauce and pressed siling labuyo as a dip.