Photo of variety of cooked food on banana leaf
Asian Cuisine

The Top 10 Most Popular Filipino Dishes Outside the Philippines

updated on
Spread the love

Filipino cuisine gains popularity worldwide, enjoyed by foodies and culinary enthusiasts outside Philippines.. This article explores some of the most popular Filipino dishes enjoyed outside the Philippines, where to find them and the rich flavours and unique ingredients that make Filipino cuisine stand out. Discover a dish for every palate, from savoury and tangy Adobo to comforting and hearty Sinigang. Discover the rich flavours and unique ingredients that make Filipino cuisine stand out.

1. Adobo

Adobo, a traditional Filipino dish, cooks meat (typically chicken or pork) in a marinade of soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic. Meat simmers until tender, creating a thick, savory glaze. Furthermore, it can also include seafood like squid or shrimp and be served with rice. Known for its tangy and savory flavor, Adobo is often considered the national dish of the Philippines. You can also use Adobo as a base for other dishes, such as Adobo Fried Rice. It is often served with vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and sometimes with hard-boiled eggs.

2. Sinigang

Sinigang is a traditional Filipino sour soup dish that typically consists of meat or seafood and vegetables cooked in a tamarind-based broth. Tamarind provides the dish with its sour and tangy flavor, while ingredients like onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, and fish sauce enhance the flavor. The most common meats used in Sinigang are pork, beef, shrimp, or fish. Common vegetables used in Sinigang include okra, eggplant, and water spinach. Sinigang is often served with rice and considered a comfort food. It is a staple dish in Filipino cuisine and can vary depending on region and the availability of ingredients.

3. Pancit

Pancit is a traditional Filipino dish that consists of stir-fried noodles with meat or seafood and vegetables. The noodles used in Pancit can vary and include bihon, canton, or miki. The most common meats used in Pancit are chicken, pork, or seafood like shrimp. Common vegetables used in Pancit include cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts. Often served as a main dish, Pancit is considered a comfort food. It can also be served as a side dish or for special occasions. It’s a staple dish in Filipino cuisine and can vary depending on the region and the availability of ingredients.

4. Lumpia

Lumpia is a traditional Filipino dish that consists of a thin, rolled crepe-like wrapper filled with a variety of savory fillings. The fillings can include meat such as ground pork, shrimp or vegetables like carrots, onions, and beans. The wrapper is typically made from flour or rice paper and is deep-fried until crispy. It can be served as an appetizer or a main dish and is often served with a dipping sauce such as sweet and sour or garlic sauce. Lumpia is a popular street food in the Philippines and is also commonly served at parties and special occasions. It can vary depending on the region and availability of ingredients.

5. Lechon

Lechon is a traditional Filipino dish that consists of a whole pig that is spit-roasted over charcoal. The pig is seasoned with a variety of spices, herbs, and sometimes stuffed with ingredients such as lemongrass and onions before roasting. The roasting process can take several hours and the result is a crispy skin and tender, juicy meat. Lechon is commonly served as a main dish at special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, and holidays. It is considered a delicacy and a staple in many Filipino celebrations.

6. Sisig

Photo of Sisig, Lechon Kawali and Dinakdakan by Nam Nam The Clumsy Chef

Sisig is a traditional Filipino dish that consists of a sizzling plate of chopped pork parts, usually the pig’s head, chicken liver, and chili peppers, mixed with onions and calamansi (a type of small, green citrus fruit). It is often served as a main dish, and is typically enjoyed as a pulutan (drinking snack) in bars and pubs. The dish has a unique texture, a combination of tender and crunchy, and has a tangy and spicy flavor. Sisig is a popular dish in the Philippines and has been adapted in different ways, with variations including chicken, tuna, and even vegetarian options.

7. Tapsilog

Tapsilog is a popular Filipino breakfast dish of cured beef, garlic fried rice, and an egg. It’s a comfort food often served at small local eateries and street vendors. It’s popular as a breakfast meal but can be eaten at any time of the day and can be modified with different meat options like chicken, pork and fish.

8. Chicken Inasal

Chicken Inasal is a traditional Filipino dish that is made by grilling marinated chicken on skewers. The marinade typically consists of annatto (achiote) powder, lemon or calamansi juice, and various spices such as garlic, ginger, and black pepper. The chicken is usually basted with the marinade while grilling, giving it a bright orange color and a slightly smoky flavor. It is commonly served with rice and a dipping sauce made of soy sauce, vinegar, and chili peppers. Chicken Inasal is a popular dish in the Philippines, particularly in the Visayas and Mindanao regions, and is often served in small local eateries and street vendors.

9. Kare-kare

Filipino culture prepares Kare-kare as a traditional stew by mixing a base of ground peanuts, onions, and garlic with a variety of meats such as oxtail, beef, pork, or seafood. Seasoned with fish sauce, shrimp paste, and other spices, the stew also includes vegetables like eggplant, long beans, and bok choy. It is often served as a comfort food with a side of bagoong (fermented shrimp paste) and steamed rice and is commonly served on special occasions and family gatherings.

10. Bistek

Bistek is a traditional Filipino dish that is made by marinating thin slices of beef in a mixture of soy sauce, calamansi juice, and onions. The beef is then cooked with the marinade and served with the onions. It is similar to the Spanish dish “bistec” which means “beef steak” in English. It is considered as a comfort food and is often served with steamed rice and sometimes paired with a side of vegetables.

Bonus: Pinakbet

Pinakbet is a traditional Filipino dish that is made by cooking a variety of vegetables such as eggplant, okra, tomato, bitter melon, and string beans in fish or shrimp sauce. The dish is usually seasoned with ginger, garlic, onions and sometimes meat such as pork or shrimp. The name “pinakbet” comes from the Ilocano word “pinak,” which means “shrunk” or “shrivelled,” referring to the way the vegetables shrink and become tender when cooked. It is a popular dish especially in Ilocano region, and often served with steamed rice.

Filipino cuisine gains popularity worldwide. Discover traditional dishes like Adobo, Sinigang, Pancit, Lumpia, Lechon, Sisig, Tapsilog, Chicken Inasal, Kare-kare, Bistek, and Pinakbet. Enjoyed by foodies, culinary enthusiasts and Filipino expats. Try it and discover the rich flavours and unique ingredients that make it stand out. Available in Filipino restaurants and food trucks, with variations depending on location.

Exclusive offers for our readers

Take advantage of these amazing deals for our readers from Amazon. Amazon Basics offers highly rated products at low prices.

Check out more offers from Amazon Basics.

truLOCAL connects you to high-end, locally-sourced meat products – delivered right to your doorstep across Ontario. 

Check out exclusive offers from truLOCAL.

Check out exclusive offers from The California Wine Club.

You may also like...

Photo of chicken feet by Image by jyleen21 (https://pixabay.com/users/jyleen21-738506/)

The Delightful and Nutritious World of Chicken Feet in Asian Cuisine

Photo of fish sauce with chilli on a wooden tray by FOX (https://www.pexels.com/@fox-58267/)

Discovering the Rich and Flavorful World of Filipino Dipping Sauces

Photo of fish balls by Kristian Ryan Alimon

The History of Fish Balls (in the Philippines)

chinese food lunch food

The Top 5 Westernized Chinese Dishes

Raw chicken breast with rosemary on the table

The Top 5 Most Common Ingredients in Filipino Cuisine

448 Comments

  1. I may need your help. I tried many ways but couldn’t solve it, but after reading your article, I think you have a way to help me. I’m looking forward for your reply. Thanks.

  120. My developer is trying to convince me to move to .net from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the costs. But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using WordPress on a variety of websites for about a year and am concerned about switching to another platform. I have heard very good things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can transfer all my wordpress content into it? Any kind of help would be greatly appreciated!

  129. What抯 Happening i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I have found It absolutely useful and it has helped me out loads. I hope to contribute & help other users like its helped me. Great job.

  131. Thanks for your exciting article. One other problem is that mesothelioma is generally due to the breathing of material from mesothelioma, which is a extremely dangerous material. It truly is commonly witnessed among employees in the engineering industry with long exposure to asbestos. It is also caused by living in asbestos protected buildings for years of time, Your age plays an important role, and some consumers are more vulnerable on the risk when compared with others.

  206. Pretty part of content. I just stumbled upon your web site and in accession capital to claim that I get in fact loved account your weblog posts. Anyway I抣l be subscribing in your augment or even I achievement you access constantly rapidly.

  215. I just like the helpful information you supply for your articles. I抣l bookmark your weblog and check once more here regularly. I am reasonably certain I will be informed plenty of new stuff right here! Best of luck for the next!

  249. I was suggested this blog by way of my cousin. I am now not certain whether this put up is written via him as no one else recognize such specific about my trouble. You’re amazing! Thank you!

  261. Thank you a lot for giving everyone an extremely splendid opportunity to read from here. It really is so pleasant and also full of amusement for me personally and my office fellow workers to visit your blog a minimum of 3 times in one week to find out the fresh issues you have got. Not to mention, we are actually happy with your effective hints served by you. Some 1 ideas in this posting are clearly the finest I’ve had.

  267. I was curious if you ever considered changing the layout of your site? Its very well written; I love what you’ve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better.You’ve got an awful lot of text for only having one or 2 pictures. Maybe you could space it out better?

  272. Thanks for the concepts you are sharing on this site. Another thing I want to say is that getting hold of some copies of your credit score in order to check out accuracy of the detail is the first step you have to conduct in credit score improvement. You are looking to cleanse your credit file from harmful details flaws that screw up your credit score.

  280. I do consider all of the concepts you’ve presented for your post. They’re very convincing and will certainly work. Nonetheless, the posts are too brief for starters. Could you please extend them a little from next time? Thank you for the post.

  319. Good site! I truly love how it is simple on my eyes and the data are well written. I am wondering how I might be notified whenever a new post has been made. I have subscribed to your RSS feed which must do the trick! Have a nice day!

  326. One other thing is that an online business administration course is designed for people to be able to easily proceed to bachelors degree programs. The 90 credit college degree meets the other bachelor diploma requirements so when you earn your current associate of arts in BA online, you will possess access to the latest technologies with this field. Several reasons why students want to be able to get their associate degree in business is because they can be interested in this area and want to find the general schooling necessary just before jumping in a bachelor education program. Many thanks for the tips you really provide as part of your blog.

  346. Unquestionably imagine that which you stated. Your favorite reason appeared to be at the internet the easiest thing to be aware of. I say to you, I definitely get annoyed while other folks think about concerns that they just don’t know about. You controlled to hit the nail upon the highest and defined out the whole thing without having side effect , folks could take a signal. Will likely be again to get more. Thanks

  353. I have come across that nowadays, more and more people are attracted to digital cameras and the area of pictures. However, being photographer, you need to first commit so much of your time deciding the model of video camera to buy plus moving out of store to store just so you could buy the least expensive camera of the trademark you have decided to pick out. But it doesn’t end right now there. You also have to consider whether you should purchase a digital photographic camera extended warranty. Thx for the good tips I acquired from your site.

  401. Wonderful items from you, man. I have take into account your stuff prior to and you’re just too excellent.
    I really like what you have bought right here, really like what
    you are stating and the way during which you are saying it.
    You are making it enjoyable and you continue to care for to
    keep it smart. I can not wait to read much more from you.
    That is actually a terrific web site.

  419. I am currently writing a paper and a bug appeared in the paper. I found what I wanted from your article. Thank you very much. Your article gave me a lot of inspiration. But hope you can explain your point in more detail because I have some questions, thank you. 20bet

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *