29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (2024)

It's Filipino American History month. Let's eat!

29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (2)

Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed

October is Filipino American History month. 🇵🇭

And while I'm big advocate of celebrating Filipino culture year-round (👋), I'll never pass up an opportunity to highlight one of its finest features: the food!

So whether you're already a total pro when it comes to Filipino cuisine, or you're just getting started, here are some favorites to feast on — from dinners, to desserts, to drinks. Kain tayo!

1. Pancit

29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (3)

tasty.co

Pancit is the blanket term for Filipino noodle dishes. This version from Jeepney in New York City is pancit bihon — with thin rice noodles, lechon (pork), and vegetables, all cooked in soy sauce and citrus, and garnished with crispy chicharrón.

Recipe: Pancit

2. One-Pot Chicken Adobo

29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (4)

tasty.co

If you haven't tried Filipino food yet, adobo is a great place to start. The tangy marinade of soy sauce, vinegar, and plenty of garlic is a solid introduction to the flavors of the cuisine. (It's also incredibly simple to make!)

Recipe: One-Pot Chicken Adobo

3. Arroz Caldo

29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (5)

tasty.co

This classic chicken and rice porridge is incredibly comforting and flavorful — thanks to things like fresh ginger and fish sauce.

Recipe: Arroz Caldo

4. Bistek With Onion and Bay Leaves

29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (6)

bonappetit.com

Chef Angela Dimayuga shared her Filipino Christmas menu here — and one of the centerpieces is this simple (yet incredibly flavorful) steak and onion dish.

Recipe: Bistek With Onion and Bay Leaves

5. Calamansi Whiskey Sour

29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (7)

Jun Belen

Calamansi — also known as Philippine lime — is one of the most commonly used fruits in the cuisine. Combine it with whiskey and honey over ice for an amazing three-ingredient cocktail.

Recipe: Calamansi Whiskey Sour

6. Lumpia

29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (8)

food52.com

The filling of these Filipino-style spring rolls may vary, but one thing remains the same: You can (and will) inhale them by the dozen. Don't forget the sweet chili and vinegar-soy dipping sauces!

Recipe: Lumpia with Pork

7. Ube Donuts With Coconut Milk Glaze

29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (9)

burntlumpiablog.com

Ube — or purple yam — has definitely been having a ~moment~ as of late. (See: Trader Joe's churning out ube ice cream.) Adding to that list of ube-centric dessert glory? These homemade glazed donuts.

afamilyfeast.com

Many countries have their version of picadillo — and here, the Filipino edition is made with ground beef and pork, veggies, tomato sauce, fish sauce, and a fried egg. (Over rice, of course!)

Recipe: Filipino Picadillo

9. Instant Pot Kare Kare

29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (10)

cupsofrice.com

Traditionally, kare kare is a rich stew made with slow-simmered oxtail and savory peanut sauce. But this version swaps oxtail for easier-to-find beef chunks — then tosses everything into the Instant Pot so you can get all the same flavors in much less time.

Recipe: Instant Pot Kare Kare

alwaysorderdessert.com

Calamansi juice is really good. Calamansi juice spiked with tequila is even better. 😋

Recipe: Calamansi Margaritas

kawalingpinoy.com

Roast pig is a party favorite, but the traditional spit-roasted preparation takes a *ton* of work. If you want all the best things about lechon — shatteringly crispy skin, tender and juicy meat inside — try this clever weeknight-friendly version, which starts in a Crock Pot and finishes in the oven.

Recipe: Easy Slow Cooker Lechon

12. Hopia

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foxyfolksy.com

Hopia are little moon-shaped pastries with sweet, paste-like fillings like ube or mung bean. Fair warning that they're a bit of work when you make them from scratch. (But they're worth it!)

Recipe: Hopia

13. Filipino Barbecue Pork Skewers

29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (12)

kawalingpinoy.com

With a marinade that includes soy sauce, vinegar, chili peppers, and (low-key Filipino pantry favorite 🚨) 7Up, these are equal parts salty, sweet, and spicy.

Recipe: Filipino Barbecue Pork Skewers

14. Chicken Afritada

29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (13)

salu-salo.com

This all-purpose dish — braised meat in tomato sauce — works with any protein as the base, though this version uses chicken.

Recipe: Braised Chicken in Tomato Sauce (Chicken Afritada)

15. Mushroom Adobo

salu-salo.com

If you want the flavors of adobo *without* the meat, these are perfect as a side dish — or a main, served over rice and veggies.

Recipe: Mushroom Adobo

16. Shortcut Sisig

29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (15)

food52.com

Sisig — or chopped pork that's been boiled, grilled, and fried — is a staple of the cuisine. And here, Amelia Rampe shares the breakfast version she makes every year for Christmas. She uses pork belly (instead of pork bits), streamlines the cooking method, and tops it all with fried eggs.

Recipe: Shortcut Sisig

17. Turon

thelittleepicurean.com

Think of fried banana and brown sugar rolls — or turon — as the dessert version of lumpia. Dip them in honey, chocolate sauce, or ice cream.

Recipe: Turon

18. Shrimp in Coconut Milk

29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (16)

theskinnypot.com

Ginataan translates to "done [or cooked] with coconut milk." This version spikes shrimp with garlic and chili —but you can swap in any protein or vegetable you'd like.

Recipe: Shrimp in Coconut Milk (Ginataan na Hipon)

19. Beef Tapa, Garlic Rice & Fried Egg

29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (17)

thelittleepicurean.com

Tapsilog is a popular Filipino breakfast that includes beef, garlic fried rice, and fried eggs. Serve it with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, or a lime or vinegar dipping sauce.

Recipe: Beef Tapa, Garlic Rice & Fried Egg (Tapsilog)

20. Siopao

blog.junbelen.com

Like many dishes on this list, you can find cross-cultural variations everywhere — and steamed buns are no exception. The Filipino version is siopao, often filled with pork.

Recipe: Siopao

21. Dinuguan

29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (18)

theskinnypot.com

Dinuguan — or pork blood stew — is rich, savory, and similar to European-style blood sausage.

Recipe: Dinuguan

thelittleepicurean.com

Think of this as a Filipino variation on cinnamon rolls or even babka. A sweet paste of coconut and purple yam is swirled into flaky dough, then baked.

Recipe: Swirled Ube Bread

23. Filipino Spaghetti

29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (19)

cupsofrice.com

Filipino spaghetti is sweeter than what you're used to. That's because the sauce often contains banana ketchup, a favorite condiment of the cuisine. (If you want to go real homestyle, you gotta add sliced hot dogs, too.)

Recipe: Filipino Spaghetti

24. Leche Flan Cheesecake

29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (20)

adorasbox.com

Leche flan is a favorite Filipino dessert — and this modern variation combines it with cheesecake for something extra-decadent.

Recipe: Leche Flan Cheesecake

25. Oven-Fried Chicharon

29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (21)

adorasbox.com

Think of these oven-fried pork rinds as the best bar snack ever.

Recipe: Oven-Fried Chicharon

26. Sinigang

29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (22)

kawalingpinoy.com

Perfect for cooler weather, sinigang — or hot and sour soup — is packed with protein, vegetables, and a comforting tamarind broth.

Recipe: Sinigang

27. Bibingka

29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (23)

zestuous.com

This sweet coconut cake is typically saved for the holiday season. (But TBH, it's so good that you should eat it year-round. 🙃)

Recipe: Bibingka

28. Tocino

29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (24)

angsarap.net

Often called Filipino bacon, tocino is pork that sits for several hours (or days) in a mixture of sugar, salt, garlic, and oil. Then it's fried up in a hot pan until the coating caramelizes.

Recipe: Tocino

29. Halo-Halo

thelittleepicurean.com

Halo-halo means "mix mix" in Tagalog, and that's exactly what you're supposed to do with it. The dessert is a hodgepodge of ingredients, including shaved ice, sweet beans, fruit, and ube ice cream.

Recipe: Halo-Halo

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    29 Filipino Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Feasting On (2024)

    FAQs

    What is the most eaten food in the Philippines? ›

    Staples. As in most Asian countries, the staple food in the Philippines is rice. It is most often steamed and always served with meat, fish and vegetable dishes. Leftover rice is often fried with garlic to make sinangag, which is usually served at breakfast together with a fried egg and cured meat or sausages.

    What is the unique dishes in Philippines? ›

    10 Weird Filipino Dishes That Might Scare Foreigners .. and Filipinos!
    • Balut. Probably the most recognizable of the Philippines' "scary" cuisine, balut is an 11-day old duck boiled to perfection. ...
    • Soup Number 5. ...
    • Sundot kulangot. ...
    • Chicken feet. ...
    • Kamaru. ...
    • Pinikpikan. ...
    • Tuslob-Buwa. ...
    • Lepeg.
    Oct 30, 2017

    What is the Philippines famous meal? ›

    Adobo. No lineup of Philippine cuisine would be complete without the national dish adobo. Adobo is a stewed pork dish predating the arrival of the Spanish in Cebu. The dish involves gently stewing meat in soy sauce, vinegar, bay leaf, and peppercorns until the meat is fork tender.

    What is the quintessential Filipino dish? ›

    Pandesal

    Pandesal is one of the most quintessential Filipino foods, served often as a snack, appetizer or quick breakfast dipped in coffee. For many people, pandesal has a sentimental value as well, reminding them of time spent with family and preparing meals.

    What is the signature dish of the Philippines? ›

    1. Adobo. No list of the top 10 Filipino foods can begin without the famous Adobo on top. The unofficial Philippines national food is made with pork or chicken simmered in soy sauce and vinegar with loads of black pepper and crushed garlic.

    What do the poor eat in the Philippines? ›

    The word in the Tagalog language literally means "to shake off the dust or dirt". Pagpag can be eaten immediately after it is found, or can be cooked in a variety of ways. The act of eating pagpag arose from the challenges of hunger that resulted from extreme poverty.

    What is the most eaten fruit in the Philippines? ›

    While mangoes in the Philippines are arguably the best in the world, the distinction of the most popular fruit in the Philippines goes to bananas. Bananas have tens of different varieties in the Philippines and unlike mangoes, are not seasonal, therefore it's availability is all year round.

    What is the Philippines' national dish? ›

    The unofficial national dish of the Philippines, adobo is a vinegary, garlicky, addictive dish that's worth celebrating every day.

    What is the street food in the Philippines? ›

    Street Food in Manila: Traveler's Guide
    • Isaw.
    • Siomai.
    • Hopia.
    • Kikiam.
    • Kwek-Kwek.
    • Turon.
    • Lechon Manok.
    • Adobo.

    What do Filipinos eat for breakfast? ›

    9 Typical Filipino Breakfast Dishes To Try
    • Lugaw.
    • Tuyo.
    • Champorado.
    • Silog.
    • Taho.
    • Tortang Talong.
    • Puto Bumbong.
    • Bibingka.
    Feb 3, 2022

    What are the top 5 Filipino dishes? ›

    10 Foods You Must Try in the Philippines
    • Chicken Adobo – the good stuff!
    • Lechon – one of the best Filipino dishes.
    • Sisig – a national favourite!
    • Sinigang – the delicious tamarind broth.
    • Balut – just a boiled duck egg, right?
    • Pork Barbecue – a must in the Philippines!
    • Silog – the heart of Filipino breakfast.
    Sep 3, 2019

    What is the big Filipino dinner? ›

    Kamayan is a communal-style buffet of delicious Filipino food: it features seafood, grilled meats, vegetables and garlic rice served on fresh (or frozen and thawed) banana leaves. In Tagalog, kamayan means “by hand” — and refers to how the meal is eaten.

    What is the Philippines main dish? ›

    Main dishes
    NameRegionType
    AdoboNationwideMeat/Seafood/Vegetable dish
    AfritadaTagalogMeat dish
    Barbecue (Inihaw, Inasal, Satti)Nationwide
    BopisBatangasMeat dish
    38 more rows

    What is the national dish of the Philippines? ›

    In the Philippines, adobo is considered the unofficial national dish, taking many forms across the country, but the base ingredients for the stew are typically the same: vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, black pepper and bay leaves, along with some kind of marinated meat or vegetables.

    What is the most delicious snack in the Philippines? ›

    Let's discover some of Filipino's most popular and mouth-watering snacks you must try!
    • #1 Lumpias. Lumpias typically come in numerous variations but the average lumpia is filled with a savory filling made from ground pork, carrots, and cabbage. ...
    • #2 Taho. ...
    • #3 Kwek Kwek. ...
    • #4 Proben. ...
    • #5 Lugaw.
    Sep 8, 2023

    Why is Filipino food so delicious? ›

    Another reason why Filipino food is so good is that the ingredients are usually of very high quality. This is especially true of fish and seafood fresh in the Philippines. The country is known for its delicious seafood, which is often served grilled, fried, or in soup.

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