Filipino cuisine offers a vibrant mix of flavors that reflect the country’s diverse cultural influences. From savory stews to sweet desserts, Filipino recipes bring unique tastes to your table. These dishes blend native ingredients with influences from Spain, China, and other Asian countries.
You’ll discover a world of new flavors when you try exotic Filipino recipes. Many use ingredients like coconut milk, soy sauce, and vinegar to create rich, complex tastes. Popular dishes include adobo, sinigang, and kare-kare. Filipino food often combines sweet, sour, and salty elements in surprising ways. Trying these recipes lets you experience the warmth and creativity of Filipino cooking at home.
Adobong Pusit is a savory Filipinosquid dish. You’ll love its tangy, garlicky flavor. To make it, cook squid in soy sauce, vinegar, and water. Add garlic, onions, and black pepper for extra taste.
The cooking process is quick to keep the squid tender. Sauté the ingredients, then simmer the squid for just a few minutes. Some recipes include squid ink for a richer color and flavor.
You can adjust the sauce thickness to your liking. Serve Adobong Pusit with steamed rice for a delicious meal. It’s a popular choice for seafood lovers and a staple in Filipino cuisine.
Kare-Kare is a rich Filipino stew that will delight your taste buds. This classic dish features tender oxtail or beef tripe cooked in a creamy peanut sauce.
The sauce is made from ground peanuts, giving it a unique nutty flavor. Vegetables like eggplant, string beans, and banana blossoms are added for texture and nutrition.
You’ll love the contrast between the savory meat and the slightly sweet sauce. Kare-Kare is often served with bagoong (shrimp paste) on the side for an extra punch of flavor.
Try making this comforting stew at home for a taste of Filipino cuisine. Serve it with steamed rice for a complete meal that’s sure to impress.
Sinigang na Baboy is a classic Filipino sour soup. It features tender pork belly in a tangy tamarind-based broth.
The soup gets its signature flavor from tamarind, which gives it a sour kick. Vegetables like tomatoes, onions, and string beans add texture and nutrition.
To make it, you’ll simmer pork until tender in water with tamarind. Then add veggies like taro, radish, and eggplant. Fish sauce enhances the savory taste.
Sinigang na Baboy is perfect for rainy days or when you need comfort food. It’s often served with steamed rice on the side. The hot, sour broth will warm you up and leave you satisfied.
Bicol Express is a spicy Filipino dish that packs a flavorful punch. You’ll love this creamy pork stew made with coconut milk and chili peppers.
To make Bicol Express, start by sautéing garlic, onions, and ginger in oil. Add pork and cook until lightly browned. Pour in coconut milk and add shrimp paste for extra flavor.
The key to this dish is the spice. Add chopped chili peppers to your liking. Let everything simmer until the pork is tender and the sauce thickens.
Serve your Bicol Express hot with steamed rice. It’s a perfect meal for those who enjoy a bit of heat in their food.
Pancit Palabok is a tasty Filipino noodle dish. You’ll love its rich sauce and mix of toppings.
The dish uses rice noodles as its base. The sauce is made with shrimp broth, giving it a seafood flavor. It’s thickened with cornstarch or flour.
You’ll find a variety of toppings on Pancit Palabok. These often include cooked ground pork, shrimp, and hard-boiled eggs. Crushed pork rinds add a nice crunch.
To make it, you soak the noodles first. Then you cook the sauce and prepare the toppings. Finally, you pour the sauce over the noodles and add the toppings.
Chicken Inasal is a popular grilled dish from Bacolod City in the Philippines. You’ll love its tangy and savory flavors.
To make it, marinate chicken pieces in a mix of vinegar, calamansi juice, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass. This gives the meat its signature taste.
Grill the chicken over hot coals, basting it with a mixture of butter or margarine and annatto oil. This creates its distinctive orange color.
The result is juicy, flavorful chicken with a slightly charred exterior. Serve it with rice and a dipping sauce made from vinegar, soy sauce, and chili peppers for a true Filipino experience.
Laing is a creamy Filipino dish made with taro leaves and coconut milk. You’ll love its rich flavor and unique texture.
To make laing, start by simmering coconut milk with pork, shrimp paste, ginger, onion, and garlic. This creates a flavorful base for the dish.
Next, add dried taro leaves to the pot. Let them cook without stirring at first, allowing them to absorb the coconut milk. This step is key for the right texture.
Add some chili peppers for a spicy kick. Simmer everything together until the leaves are tender and the flavors meld. The result is a luscious, savory dish that’s perfect with rice.
Batchoy is a tasty Filipino noodle soup that comes from Iloilo City. You’ll love its rich broth made with pork and sometimes beef. The soup is filled with tender meat, offal, and egg noodles.
Two main types exist: La Paz batchoy and batchoy Tagalog. La Paz batchoy uses pork organs, crushed pork cracklings, and chicken stock. Batchoy Tagalog often includes pork blood and misua noodles.
To make batchoy at home, simmer pork and beef bones to create a flavorful broth. Add garlic, onions, and ginger for extra taste. Cook the noodles separately and add them to your bowl with the hot soup. Top with sliced pork, liver, and crushed chicharron for the perfect comfort food.
Inihaw na Liempo is a mouthwatering Filipino dish of grilled pork belly. You’ll love the juicy, flavorful meat with its crispy skin.
The pork is marinated in a tasty blend of soy sauce, citrus juice, garlic, and spices. This mix gives the meat its signature sweet and savory taste.
You can grill or bake the pork belly to achieve that perfect char. The dish works great as an appetizer or main course.
Serve your Inihaw na Liempo with a side of rice and dipping sauce for a true Filipino feast. It’s a popular choice for gatherings and special occasions.
Pinakbet is a colorful Filipino vegetable dish popular in the Ilocos region. It combines a variety of fresh vegetables with pork and shrimp paste.
To make pinakbet, start by sautéing garlic, onions, and tomatoes in a pan. Add cubed pork and cook until lightly browned.
Mix in shrimp paste for a salty, umami flavor. Then add an assortment of vegetables like bitter melon, eggplant, okra, and string beans.
Simmer everything together until the vegetables are tender but still crisp. The result is a hearty, flavorful dish that showcases the bounty of Filipino produce.
You can serve pinakbet as a main course with steamed rice for a satisfying meal. It’s a great way to enjoy a variety of vegetables in one dish.
Lumpiang Sariwa is a fresh Filipino spring roll that will delight your taste buds. Unlike its fried counterpart, this version uses uncooked crepe-like wrappers.
To make the filling, you’ll stir-fry a mix of vegetables and proteins. Common ingredients include pork, shrimp, tofu, carrots, and green beans.
The wrapper is made from a simple batter of eggs, flour, and water. Pour it into a hot pan and cook until set.
To serve, place the filling on the wrapper and roll it up. Top with a savory peanut sauce for extra flavor. The result is a light, healthy dish perfect for warm days.
Bulalo is a Filipino beef soup that will warm you up on chilly days. This hearty dish features tender beef shanks and marrow bones simmered in a flavorful broth.
To make bulalo, you’ll need beef shanks, marrow bones, and vegetables like corn, cabbage, and potatoes. Simmer everything in water with ginger and peppercorns until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender.
The result is a rich, comforting soup perfect for cold weather. You can enjoy bulalo with steamed rice or crusty bread to soak up the tasty broth. It’s a filling meal that’s popular in many parts of the Philippines.
Paksiw na Lechon is a tasty Filipino dish that makes use of leftover roast pork. You’ll love how it transforms yesterday’s lechon into a whole new meal.
To make this dish, you chop up the leftover pork and cook it in a mix of vinegar, garlic, and spices. The result is a sweet and tangy stew that’s full of flavor.
The sauce often includes lechon sauce, which adds a rich taste. Onions, peppercorns, and bay leaves give the dish extra depth.
You can serve Paksiw na Lechon over rice for a filling meal. It’s a great way to enjoy roast pork a second time around.
Dinikdikan is a tasty Filipino dish from the Ilocos region. It’s made with grilled pig parts like ears, face, and liver. These are chopped into small pieces and mixed with onions and chili peppers.
The meat is first boiled until tender, then grilled for a smoky flavor. Some versions deep-fry the meat for extra crispiness. The chopped mixture is tossed with a dressing made from pig brain or mayonnaise.
Ginger, garlic, and vinegar add zest to the dish. Salt and pepper enhance the savory taste. Dinikdikan is often served as a appetizer or paired with rice as a main course.
Pandesal is a beloved Filipino bread roll. It’s soft, fluffy, and slightly sweet. You’ll find it in bakeries across the Philippines.
To make pandesal, mix flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and milk. Knead the dough until smooth. Let it rise, then shape into small balls.
Roll the dough balls in breadcrumbs before baking. This gives pandesal its signature texture. Bake until golden brown.
Pandesal tastes best when fresh and warm. You can enjoy it plain or with butter and cheese. It’s a popular breakfast food, but Filipinos eat it any time of day.
Chicharrón Bulaklak is a crunchy Filipino snack made from deep-fried pork intestines. It’s a popular pulutan, or beer snack, enjoyed in many bars and gatherings.
To make it, you clean the pork intestines thoroughly and boil them with salt, peppercorns, and garlic. After boiling, you cut them into smaller pieces.
Next, you deep-fry the intestines until they’re golden brown and crispy. The frying process makes them puff up, resembling flowers – hence the name “bulaklak,” which means flower in Filipino.
Chicharrón Bulaklak is often served with a spicy vinegar dip. The contrast between the crunchy texture and tangy dip makes it a crowd-pleasing treat.
Tapa is a beloved Filipino breakfast dish of thinly sliced beef. You marinate the meat in a mix of soy sauce, garlic, and spices. This gives it a savory-sweet flavor.
To cook tapa, fry the marinated beef until it’s crispy and caramelized. Serve it with garlic fried rice and a sunny-side-up egg. This combo is called tapsilog.
You can add sliced tomatoes or cucumbers on the side for freshness. A small bowl of vinegar dipping sauce completes the meal. Tapa is a tasty way to start your day with a protein-packed Filipino breakfast.
Arroz caldo is a comforting Filipino rice porridge. It’s perfect for cold days or when you’re feeling under the weather.
To make it, sauté garlic, onion, and ginger in oil. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned. Stir in uncooked rice and fish sauce.
Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the rice is tender and creamy, about 30-40 minutes. Add more broth if needed.
Season with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lime or calamansi juice. Top your arroz caldo with scallions and crispy fried garlic for extra flavor and crunch.
Taho is a beloved Filipino street food dessert. It’s a warm, comforting treat made with silken tofu, tapioca pearls, and sweet syrup.
To make taho at home, start by heating silken tofu. You can steam it for 10-15 minutes or microwave it for a few minutes.
Next, cook some tapioca pearls according to the package instructions. They usually take about 5 minutes to prepare.
For the syrup, mix brown sugar, water, and vanilla. Simmer this mixture for about 5 minutes until it gets sticky.
To serve, scoop warm tofu into a cup. Add a spoonful of tapioca pearls and drizzle with the sweet syrup. Enjoy your homemade taho while it’s still warm!
Kwek Kwek is a popular Filipino street food made with quail eggs. You’ll love this tasty snack that’s both crunchy and creamy.
To make Kwek Kwek, you start by boiling quail eggs and peeling them. Then you dip the eggs in a bright orange batter made with flour, water, and food coloring.
Next, you deep-fry the battered eggs until they’re golden and crispy on the outside. The inside stays soft and creamy.
Kwek Kwek is often served with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce. You can make this sauce by mixing vinegar, ketchup, sugar, and soy sauce.
This fun and colorful snack is perfect for parties or as a quick bite on the go. Give Kwek Kwek a try for a unique taste of Filipino cuisine!
Inasal na Paa ng Manok is a tasty Filipino dish that features grilled chicken feet. To make it, you’ll marinate the chicken feet in a mix of vinegar, calamansi juice, garlic, and spices.
After marinating, grill the feet until they’re crispy and golden brown. Baste them with a blend of margarine, annatto oil, and lemon juice for extra flavor.
This dish is often served as a snack or appetizer. It pairs well with rice and a cold drink. Inasal na Paa ng Manok is popular in many parts of the Philippines, especially in the Visayas region.
Kalderetang Kambing is a hearty Filipino goat stew. You’ll love its rich flavors and tender meat.
To make it, marinate goat meat in calamansi juice, salt, and pepper. Then sauté garlic, onions, and tomatoes in oil. Add the marinated meat and cook until lightly browned.
Pour in tomato sauce and water. Simmer for 1-2 hours until the meat is tender. Add potatoes, carrots, and bell peppers.
For extra flavor, stir in some liver spread. This dish is often spicy, so you can add crushed chili to taste. Serve hot with steamed rice for a satisfying meal.
Inun-unan is a tangy Filipino fish dish popular in the Visayas region. You’ll love its unique flavor profile, combining sour and savory notes.
To make inun-unan, you start by marinating fish in vinegar, ginger, garlic, and spices. Then you cook everything together in a pot until the liquid reduces.
The dish gets its distinctive taste from the vinegar, which also helps preserve the fish. You can use different types of fish, but milkfish is a common choice.
Inun-unan is often served with steamed rice. It’s a practical dish that keeps well, making it perfect for busy households or as a packed meal.
Maja Blanca is a creamy Filipino dessert you’ll love. It’s made with coconut milk, cornstarch, and sugar. The result is a smooth, pudding-like treat.
You can make Maja Blanca easily at home. The ingredients are simple to find. Some recipes add corn kernels for extra texture and flavor.
To serve, cut the Maja Blanca into squares or diamonds. Top it with latik (toasted coconut curds) for a traditional touch. This dessert is perfect for special occasions or as a sweet snack.
Try making Maja Blanca for a taste of Filipino cuisine. Its cool, coconutty flavor is sure to please your taste buds.
Tamales Pampanga, also known as bobotu, is a tasty Filipino dish from the Pampanga region. You’ll love this unique take on tamales for breakfast or as a snack.
The base is made from rice flour, coconut milk, and peanut butter. This creates a creamy and flavorful foundation.
On top, you’ll find shredded chicken, salted egg, and garlic. These toppings add protein and extra savory notes to the dish.
The tamales are wrapped in banana leaves and steamed until perfectly cooked. This method keeps the tamales moist and adds a subtle leafy aroma.
Try making Tamales Pampanga at home for a taste of Filipino cuisine. It’s a filling and delicious treat you can enjoy any time of day.
Ingredients Commonly Used in Filipino Cuisine
Filipino cuisine uses a mix of tropical produce and unique flavorings. Many dishes feature fruits, vegetables, and spices that give Filipino food its distinct taste.
Tropical Fruits and Vegetables
Coconut is a star ingredient in Filipino cooking. You’ll find it used in many forms – as milk, cream, or grated flesh. Green mangoes add a sour kick to salads and side dishes. Banana leaves serve as wrappers for cooking and plating food.
Vegetables like eggplant, okra, and bitter melon are common in Filipino recipes. Taro leaves and water spinach give soups and stews a hearty texture. Bamboo shoots bring a crunchy element to many dishes.
Root crops play a big role too. Sweet potatoes, cassava, and purple yam are used in both savory and sweet recipes. These starchy veggies often replace rice as the main carb in meals.
Unique Spices and Flavorings
Calamansi, a small citrus fruit, adds a tangy flavor to marinades and dipping sauces. Its juice is often used instead of lemon or lime. Pandan leaves give a sweet, grassy aroma to desserts and drinks.
Filipino cuisine relies heavily on garlic, ginger, and onions as base flavors. Vinegar is another key ingredient, used for both cooking and as a condiment. Soy sauce and fish sauce add saltiness and depth to many dishes.
Bagoong, a fermented shrimp or fish paste, gives a strong umami flavor. It’s often used in small amounts to enhance sauces and stews. Annatto seeds provide a red-orange color to dishes like pancit and adobo.
Cooking Techniques in Filipino Cuisine
Filipino cooking uses unique methods to create flavorful dishes. These techniques bring out the best in local ingredients and reflect cultural influences.
Grilling and Roasting
Filipinos love grilled food. They often cook meat and seafood over hot coals. This gives food a smoky taste.
You’ll find lechon, a whole roasted pig, at big events. It’s crispy outside and juicy inside. Smaller cuts like liempo (pork belly) are also popular grilled items.
Fish gets wrapped in banana leaves before grilling. This keeps it moist and adds flavor. Chicken inasal is another grilled favorite. It’s marinated in vinegar, lemongrass, and spices.
Roasting happens in ovens too. Families roast chicken with lemon grass stuffed inside. They also make roasted vegetables as side dishes.
Stews and Soups
Stews play a big role in Filipino meals. You’ll often see a big pot simmering on the stove. These dishes mix meat, veggies, and rich broths.
Adobo is a famous Filipino stew. You cook chicken or pork in vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic. It’s tangy and savory.
Sinigang is a sour soup. You can make it with pork, fish, or shrimp. Tamarind gives it a tart taste. Vegetables like okra and taro root add texture.
Tinola is a ginger-based chicken soup. It has green papaya and chili leaves. This comforting dish is perfect when you’re feeling under the weather.
Cassie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Community. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book "Healthy Eating Through the Garden" will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Cassie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.
