Best Filipino Dishes You Should Not Miss

When you visit the Philippines, you’ll find that Filipinos love to eat. We’re not just talking about breakfast, lunch, and dinner—we mean all day long! And no matter what time of day it is, our best Filipino Dishes are always best paired with rice.

Key Takeaway

Whether or not it is your first time seeing the Filipino Dishes below, I’m sure your mouth will water because the looks of these dishes are so inviting that you would want to travel to the Philippines immediately.

From veggies to pork, to chicken, to beef, to seafood, whether fried, sauteed, with sauce, or soup, this list has them all!

• Pakbet
• Bagnet
• Longanisa
• Bistek Tagalog
• Caldereta

Read on to know more about the dishes that you should try with rice when you visit the Philippines because these are our top Filipino dishes:

Adobo

This is one of the Philippines dishes that has been around for a long time and is still very popular today. It is made from chicken or pork marinated in vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt, and crushed chili peppers. It is then simmered in soy sauce and water until tender.

Sinigang

Sinigang na Hipon is one of the popular Filipino dishes. Stewed large shrimp dish made with tamarind broth and vegetables. The name literally means “sour soup of shrimp,” but you can make it with other kinds of meat as well!

Lechon

Lechon is a roasted pig that’s been marinated in garlic, saltwater, and vinegar before being cooked over charcoal or firewood. It’s a popular holiday dish in the Philippines and is often eaten during Christmas celebrations! If you are making a list of the top 10 Filipino dishes, Lechon should be in it.

Laing

Laing is another popular Filipino dish that originates from the Bicol and is one of the most popular Bicol Foods. It’s made with dried taro leaves cooked in coconut milk, and can be topped with red chili which makes it delicious and healthy—the perfect combination for any meal!

Bulalo

Bulalo is a soup made from beef shanks and bone marrow, slow-cooked for hours to create a thick, rich broth accented with garlic and onion. It is cooked with fresh corn and vegetables like Baguio beans, cabbage, and potatoes.

Sisig

Sisig is made from chopped pork cheeks and ears and onions, then cooked in vinegar and spices. It’s usually served with boiled egg, shrimp paste, and hot chilies and it will make your taste buds go crazy.

Chicken Inasal

This is a very popular dish in the Philippines, and it’s made by grilling chicken over charcoal. You’ll find this dish on most menus in the Philippines.

Rellenong Bangus

Grilled milkfish stuffed with herbs, onions, tomatoes, and garlic. It is served with soy sauce and calamansi as a dip and you will surely eat a lot of rice if this is the dish.

Crispy Pata

Crispy Pata is deep-fried pork hock that has been braised for hours until tender before being dipped into batter and fried until golden brown—perfection!

Tinola

Tinola is a soup made from whole young ginger roots, chicken broth, and lemongrass stalks—the soup itself is not spicy but you can add chili peppers if you like it hot!

Kare-kare

This national dish is made with vegetables, meat, and peanut sauce. It’s usually served with beef ox tripe, but sometimes it’s just veggies! This dish is best paired with rice and served with a side of shrimp paste (bagoong).

Tapa

If you think jerky only comes from cowboys then think again because Tapa is a Filipino beef jerky that has been marinated in soy sauce, vinegar, black pepper, and garlic and then dried. You can commonly see it on breakfast menus of most of all restaurants and is commonly served with fried or garlic rice.

Pakbet or Pinakbet

Pinakbet: A traditional Filipino vegetable dish consisting of several different types of vegetables such as eggplant, okra, string beans, and squash sauteed in garlic oil with soy sauce added at the end for flavor. It’s usually served with white rice on top of which each person adds their own pinakbet ingredients before eating together as a family unit—so this dish really brings everyone together!

Bagnet

Deep-fried pork belly strips coated in flour and spices then served with vinegar dip on the side. This dish originated in Bulacan province where it’s called “bagnet” but other regions have adopted their own versions of this popular Filipino dish such as Bagnet Ilonggo (Iloilo), Bagnet Bicolano (Bicol), Bagnet Visayas (Visayas), Bagnet Sorsogon (Sorsogon) and Bagnet Cebuano (Cebu).

Longanisa

Longaniza is a type of sausage made from pork meat seasoned with a lot of garlic and spices which are stuffed into casings and then smoked over wood or charcoal fire to give it its unique flavor. Longaniza can be eaten alone, as a dish, or used as an ingredient in Filipino snacks like Macaroni Soup.

Bistek Tagalog

This is a dish of thinly sliced beef steak that has been cooked in soy sauce and calamansi or lemon juice and topped with onions. If you want something more than just your average steak and potatoes meal, this is it!

Caldereta

Caldereta is a stew made with beef or chevon, potatoes, and tomatoes. It’s a hearty meal that’ll keep you going all day long!

If you’ve been to the Philippines and you’ve tasted any of this list of Filipino dishes, let us know which one is your favorite!

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