What are 10 Must-try Filipino Dishes

Filipino cuisine is gaining popularity around the world due to its rich flavors and unique textures. Pinoy dishes create a memorable dining experience while satisfying your cravings. With such a diverse choice of meat, seafood, vegetables, and rice, as well as delectable Pinoy desserts, a Filipino menu offers a little bit of everything for everyone.

There is more to Filipino cuisine than just the ever-famous Filipino exotic food balut (duck embryo) and world-renowned Filipino dish Adobo. There are still a lot of local delicacies to explore! With such a diverse selection of food choices and a rich culinary tradition, it was challenging to narrow this list to only 10 Filipino dishes – but we can share with you here the best dishes that everyone just cannot miss!

1. Kare-Kare

Kare-Kare is a rich stew with thick peanut sauce. Its marigold color comes from annatto powder or achiote oil. It’s packed with various meats which may be a choice between oxtail or beef. Add vegetables like eggplant, string beans, pechay, banana hearts, and more. It’s one of the most loved dishes in the Philippines. To truly enjoy this dish, put a dab of shrimp paste (sweet or spicy bagoong). Serve with a side of steaming white rice, and it will undoubtedly be an unforgettable meal!

2. Chicken Inasal

Satisfy your cravings with Chicken Inasal. Prepared by marinating chicken pieces in a special spice blend and grilling them until done. It sounds like a typical chicken grilling recipe, don’t you think? Although it may appear to be one, the particular marinade and basting sauce make this grilled chicken extra special.

Originating from Bacolod City, Chicken Inasal is a flavorful grilled chicken dish that is marinated in calamansi juice, ginger, and lemongrass, basted with annatto oil as it roasts over an open flame, it is served with steamed rice and a dip of soy sauce with hot chilis and chicken oil. This simple but great-tasting chicken recipe is fresh, healthy, and perfect for the very discriminating palate.

3. Sinigang

This dish is perhaps the second most popular in the country after adobo, deserving of the national dish title! Sinigang is a famous tamarind-based sour and savory soup dish in the Philippines. It gives a sour and tangy flavor, making it stand out from the other dishes.

Sinigang consists of meat, which can be beef, fish, pork, or shrimp – along with vegetables such as radish, taro, okra, onions, water spinach (kang kong), daikon (labanos), string beans, and eggplant. Depending on the cook’s preference, the tamarind can be replaced with guava, santol, tomato, kamias, calamansi, or even unripe mango.

To give the dish a unique and delightful flavor, you can mix and match the ingredients however you prefer. The secret is the delicious broth soured by tamarind, tomatoes, and sometimes, kamias which will truly give you that authentic Sinigang experience!

4. Bicol Express

If you like hot and spicy food, you will surely fall in love with Bicol Express! A popular Filipino food consists of thinly sliced pork covered in a rich coconut-based sauce and spiced with hot chili peppers. Bicol Express was named after a railway line along the Manila to Bicol. This spicy dish is thought to have originated from the Bicol region.

This creamy yet savory viand is rich in flavor with that spicy kick that makes it a great choice for ‘pulutan’ during those chill moments drinking a glass of cold beer.

5. Bulalo

Every time the weather turns colder, people crave this hot stewed meal because it serves like a warm blanket that gives a sense of comfort.

Bulalo is made by simmering the beef shanks and bone marrow until the collagen and fat are dissolved into the broth. Additionally, it is mixed with a variety of vegetables, like corn, pechay, string beans, cabbage, potatoes, taro, and more.

The beef shank with the marrow still in the bone is always the highlight of the best Bulalo. Once you savored the beef broth, a slurp of the marrow will make you love the dish even more! Bulalo meat is famous for its tenderness – melting in your mouth and almost falling off the bone! For a hearty meal, eat it with rice, soy sauce, fish sauce (patis), and a little lemon squeeze (calamansi).

6. Adobo

You can never afford to miss having a taste of the famous Adobo!

Certainly the most popular Filipino cuisine and is a favorite of all people, including those with a western palate. In the most popular version of adobo, chicken or pork is used as the main ingredient. Marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns, this dish can be cooked with some sauce or with little oil. Although it is a staple, people also enjoy it when it is served on special occasions. Adobo can be enjoyed with salted duck egg, fresh tomatoes, or with some steamed kangkong.

7. Caldereta

A must-try dish, this tomato-based meat is a favorite in buffets in any celebration in the Philippines. The combination of delicate meat, vegetables, and tomato-based sauce is truly mouthwatering!

The key ingredients in this dish are your choice of meat—chicken, beef, or pork, along with potatoes, carrots, and green bell pepper. Other ingredients include garlic and onion spices, coconut milk, black ground pepper, tomato paste, water, salt, soy sauce, and sugar. Sometimes butter and liver spread are added to give more taste to its savory sauce. All of these ingredients come together to give you that awesome taste! Caldereta is simple, easy to prepare, but hearty and flavorful. Perfect for special occasions and family gatherings!

8. Crispy Pata

Like Lechon, Crispy Pata is a must-try! A mouthwatering, savory, deep-fried pork leg that is a crowd favorite on special occasions. To get the perfect crispiness, the entire pig’s leg is deep-fried to perfection. It is served with a soy-vinegar dipping sauce, along with some minced garlic and chili. The Crispy Pata is flavorful without being too salty. Its sauce must have the right amount of soy sauce and vinegar to keep everything in balance.

A pork lover’s delight, Crispy Pata has soft, savory meat behind its crispy skin. If you like pork, you simply couldn’t resist the temptation of this indulgent dish even during those drinking bouts with family and friends!

9. Sisig

When you hear sizzling and see steam coming off of the cast-iron skillet, you’ll know someone has ordered sisig. It’s a huge hit in the Philippines! Crispy, chewy, spicy, and flavorful textures that all complement one another. Sisig is everything you want on a sizzling platter.

The most popular type of Sisig is made with chopped pig ears, liver, and jowls, together with onions and chili peppers. It is typically served on a sizzling hot skillet with chicharon, some mayonnaise, and a raw egg on top. Some prefer to squeeze some calamansi or lemon juice on a sizzling sisig to balance its taste.

Other versions of Sisig include seafood, tofu, chicken, tuna, and anything else you can think of to serve on a sizzling hot platter.

This Pinoy classic is a top choice among many Pinoy at heart. This mouthwatering combination of pig’s liver, belly, and all the tasty parts of the pig’s head. Mix these with chicharon (pork rinds) seasoned with calamansi, soy sauce, and chili peppers. Sisig can be the best pulutan for a cold beer and the ideal ulam to go with tons of rice.

10. Lechon

Iconic and mouth watering Filipino dish where a whole pig or piglet (cochinillo) is spit-roasted slowly over charcoal for hours. Lechon is a world-class Filipino food unlike any other, best served with lechon sauce.

The most delicious part of Lechon is its crispy skin. As the pig roasts, the skin absorbs the salt marinade and turns crispy from the fire’s heat. The tender, juicy meat and crunchy skin do not need sauces as eating it plain reveals the richness of natural tastes from the meat, smoke, and fire. However, dipping it in a spicy sauce takes the dish to the next level! Pair this with steamed rice and a side of vegetables for a delicious, well-balanced meal.

Typically the star of festivities and celebrations, a Lechon on the table will be the center of the feast. From the juicy meat to the crispy skin, there’s no doubt that everyone will love this awesome dish.

Takeaway

What sets Filipino cuisine apart from all others? It is because Pinoy dishes continue to surprise anyone with its distinct flavor, creativity, and diversity. Filipino cuisine includes a variety of dishes, to suit different tastes.

Pinoy food recipes are sure to bring a one-of-a-kind experience to the table. Only when perfectly delectable Filipino meals are offered at celebrations are they guaranteed to be a success.

All of your favorite Filipino meals will be catered by Manila Food Mart, and we promise that your guests will feast!

For a unique dining experience visit Manila Food Mart at Lake Forest, Orange County. and have a gastronomic experience with our authentic Filipino dishes and other treats! Good food has never tasted better! Satisfy your Pinoy food cravings now!