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

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

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

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

Recipe: Arroz Caldo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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)

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)

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

Recipe: Dinuguan

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

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

Recipe: Leche Flan Cheesecake

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

Recipe: Oven-Fried Chicharon

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

Recipe: Sinigang

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

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