10 delicious Filipino family favorites to make at home

Every Filipino family has its own version of classic Filipino recipes, but here are some that are worth trying. Head to the kitchen and whip these up today!

Filipino family favorites to make at home

We Filipinos love to eat. It is not uncommon to see families gathered at the table during mealtime each day, bonding over favorite dishes.

Each family has its own favorite local dish, and, more often than not, its own signature way of preparing it, too. That is what makes each dish truly special.

If you plan to prepare such special Filipino dishes at home, then you're in luck — with our round-up of Filipino family favorites, you'll be making memories over the dinner table in no time!

Just click 'Next' to get started.

1. Adobo

Traditionally made with chicken, pork or a combination of both, adobo is prepared by stewing meat in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, peppercorn and bay leaf.

There are as many different variations of adobo as you can count. Some prefer theirs heavier on the soy sauce, while others prefer a sour, vinegar-filled flavor.

Other recipes call for sugar, and even cane or balsamic vinegar in place of the regular kind.

For a unique pork and chicken adobo recipe, try this one, inspired by celebrity mom and TV host Kris Aquino's version.

2. Sinigang

Sinigang is an easy to prepare one-pot dish, and one of mom blogger May Palacpac's family favorites.

It is made of a sour broth of tamarind, guava (bayabas), or miso.

Popular versions of this dish are made with pork, beef or seafood. Vegetables like radish, kangkong and string beans are also added.

If you want to serve your family this delicious soup dish here's a recipe that you can try.

3. Bistek

Bistek, or Filipino beef steak, is made with strips of beef marinated in soy sauce, calamansi, salt and pepper.

The beef is simmered in the sauce then topped with onion rings before serving.

Some bistek recipes include other ingredients, too, like this one, which contains liver spread.

4. Lumpiang Shanghai

Lumpiang Shanghai can be prepared ahead and frozen before cooking, making it a perfect viand for busy days. This is one of the reasons why mompreneur Em Tiquio has it on her list of favorites.

The lumpia filling is usually made with ground pork, but you can also make it with fish or chicken.

Minced carrots, jicama or singkamas, and onions are mixed into the filling for added flavor and nutrition. It is then wrapped in lumpia wrapper, fried and served with a dipping sauce.

5. Kaldereta

If you want to make traditional kaldereta, you'll need goat meat, which you will cook in tomato sauce with liver spread. However, most home cooks opt to make this dish with beef instead.

Potatoes, carrots, olives and bell peppers are added into the sauce, and some people add chili for an extra spicy kick.

6. Pork Barbecue

Pinoy pork barbecue is basically grilled meat on a stick that has been marinated in banana ketchup, lemon-lime soda, brown sugar, calamansi, soy sauce and garlic.

You could also opt to use pre-made barbecue mixes for your barbecue, making your prep time quicker and easier.

7. Kare Kare

A Filipino stew with a peanut sauce, kare kare can be made the traditional way using ground peanuts, or with peanut butter for simpler recipes.

Its main protein is beef or ox tail, with vegetables like green beans and eggplant mixed into the stew.

Normally served with shrimp paste on the side, kare kare is a fiesta staple, and a favorite in many homes, including that of mom blogger Celerhina Aubrey.

8. Afritada

Afritada is prepared by cooking chicken pieces, carrots, potatoes and green peas in a tomato sauce.

Onions and bell peppers are usually added to this dish for extra flavor.

9. Bulalo

Typically enjoyed in places with cool weather such as Tagaytay, bulalo can easily be prepared at home.

For this one-pot dish, beef shank (with the marrow still inside) is boiled in water with onions and peppercorn.

Cabbage and corn on the cob are added, while some families opt to put string beans and potatoes in their versions of this well-loved dish.

10. Tinola

Tinola is a popular soup-based dish among the Tagalogs and Cebuanos.

It contains chicken, green papaya, and leafy greens such as pechay, siling labuyo leaves or malunggay.

What's your family's favorite Filipino dish?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Patricia de Castro-Cuyugan

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Written by

Patricia de Castro-Cuyugan

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