This is a list of selected dishes found in the Philippines. While the names of some dishes may be the same as those found in other cuisines, many of them have evolved to mean something distinctly different in the context of Filipino cuisine.
Main dishes NameImageRegionTypeDescriptionAdoboNationwideMeat/Seafood/Vegetable dishTypically pork or chicken, or a combination of both, is slowly cooked in vinegar, cooking oil, crushed garlic, bay leaf, black peppercorns, and soy sauce, and often browned in the oven or pan-fried afterward to get the desirable crisped edges.AfritadaTagalogMeat dishChicken or pork and potatoes cooked in tomato sauce.Barbecue (Inihaw, Inasal, Satti)NationwidePhilippine English term for Inihaw. Grilled or skewered meat (mainly pork or chicken) marinated in a sweet soy-garlic mixture, grilled, basted with the marinade and then served with either a soy-vinegar dip or a sweet brown sauce. Variants also use offal, such as isaw.BopisBatangasMeat dishA spicy dish made out of pork lungs and heart sautéed in tomatoes, chilies and onions.Camaron rebosadoSeafoodDeep fried battered shrimps. Similar to Tempura, but with a heavier batter. Chicken pastelManilaMeat dishFlavorful thick cream dish in cheese casserole. Cooked with Hotdog, Chorizo, Potatoes, Carrots and saute spices that complements with chicken.Crispy pata NationwideMeat dishDeep fried portions of pork legs including knuckles often served with a chili and calamansi flavored dipping soy sauce or chili flavored vinegar for dipping.Crispy tadyang ng bakaMeat dishCrispy beef ribs often served with a chili and calamansi flavored soy sauce or chili flavored vinegar for dipping.Curacha ZamboangaSeafoodBoiled or steamed sea crab.DaingTagalogFish dishFish (especially milkfish) that has been dried, salted, or simply marinated in vinegar with much garlic and then fried.EmbutidoMeat dishA meatloaf shaped in the form of a sausage, with eggs stuffed in the center.EscabecheFish dishReferring to both a dish of poached or fried fish that is marinated in an acidic mixture before serving, and to the marinade itself. Can refer broadly to sweet and sour dishes.Giniling (Picadillo / Chili con Carne) TagalogMeat DishGround pork or beef cooked with garlic, onion, soy sauce, tomatoes, and potatoes and frequently with carrots, raisins, and bell peppers.Halabos na hiponSeafoodShrimps steamed in their own juices and cooked with a little oil.Hamonado Meat dishAlso called endulsado in Zamboanga City. Pork cooked in a sweet sauce with pineapple juice and sugar. Tomato sauce is also sometimes added. It is named after the Spanish glazed ham (jamón and endulzado mean "ham" and "glazed" in Spanish, respectively). It is also the name of a type of sweet Philippine sausage noted for its ham-like taste.Humba Visayas RegionMeat dishA Visayan slow-cooked sweet pork dish based on the Chinese dish Hong-ba (red-braised pork belly). It is similar to pork adobo and hamonado except that it characteristically uses fermented black soybeans (tausi).Inasal na manokNegros OccidentalMeat dishGrilled chicken marinated in a vinegar marinade. Often served with a side of atchara and soy-vinegar dip, and with garlic rice and yellow atsuete oil.Inihaw na liempoMeat dishGrilled pork belly.Inun-unanVisayasSeafoodVisayan variant of fish paksiw. Fish cooked in a broth of vinegar, ginger, and other spices. Unlike northern paksiw na isda, it does not include vegetables.Kadyos-Baboy-LangkaIloiloMeat dishThe name refers to the three main ingredients used in the dish: kadyos (pigeon peas), baboy (pork) and langka (jackfruit). The broth is soured with batwan, a fruit native to Southeast Asia.Kadyos Manok UbadIloilo, Negros OccidentalMeat dishThe name refers to the three main ingredients used in the dish: kadyos (pigeon peas), manok (chicken) and ubad (the edible inner layers of a banana stalk).Kaldereta (Caldereta)LuzonMeat dish A dish made with cuts of pork, beef or goat simmered in tomato paste or tomato sauce, with liver spread added to it.KinunotBicolSeafoodFrom the word kunot which literally means shred. A dish made up of either shredded meat of pagi (stingray) or baby shark cooked in coconut milk with malunggay (moringa) leaves.Kinilaw (Kilawin)NationwideSeafood/Meat/Vegetable dishA cooking process that relies on vinegar to denature the ingredients, similar to ceviche. Usually used to prepare raw seafood. It can also be used to prepare lightly cooked meat or vegetables.LechónNationwideMeat dishA dish made by roasting a whole pig over charcoal. It is often cooked during special occasions. A simpler version has chopped pieces of pork fried in a pan or wok (lechon kawali). A variant that is popular in the Visayas region is lechon de leche, which is a whole roasted suckling pig.
Also refers to the manner of cooking, i.e., spitted and charcoal-roasted, for example, lechon manok (roasted chicken).Lengua estofadaMeat dishBraised ox tongue.Lumpia nationwideMeat/Vegetable dishA variant of spring rolls, either deep or pan fried (prito), or fresh (sariwa). Popular versions include lumpiang shanghai, a fairly narrow fried roll usually with a meat filling, often accompanied by a sweet chili dipping sauce, and lumpiang ubod, a wider, fresh spring roll filled with raw vegetables local to the area.MechadoMeat dishName derived from mitsa meaning "wick" which is what the pork fat inserted into a slab of beef looks like before the larded beef is cooked, sliced, and served in the seasoned tomato sauce it is cooked in.MorconMeat dishA beef roulade often prepared for special occasions it consists of thin sheets of cooked eggs and marinated beef layered one on top of the other, then wrapped and tied around carrots, celery, cheese, pork fat, and sausage. This is then cooked in seasoned tomato sauce.PaksiwGenerally means to cook and simmer in vinegar. Common dishes bearing the term, however, can vary substantially depending on what is being cooked. Paksiw na isda is fish poached in a vinegar broth usually seasoned with fish sauce and spiced with siling mahaba and possibly containing vegetables. Paksiw na baboy is pork, usually hock or shank, cooked in ingredients similar to those in adobo but with the addition of sugar and banana blossoms to make it sweeter and water to keep the meat moist and to yield a rich sauce. Paksiw na lechon is roasted pork lechon meat cooked in lechon sauce or its component ingredients of vinegar, garlic, onions, black pepper and ground liver or liver spread and some water. The cooking reduces the sauce so that by the end the meat is almost being fried.PalapaLanao del Sur, Lanao del NorteVegetable dishA popular spicy Maranao condinment also served as an ulam with rice. Made of pounded sakurab, ginger, chillies and salt. After pounding into a rough mix the palapa is briefly fried to release its rich and spicy flavor. A variant mixed with grated coconut and turmeric is also made. Palapa is mostly used as a condiment alongside meat, chicken or fish, or is used in the main dish Piaparan, a famous dish of the Lanao region of Mindanao.Pata timMeat dishBraised pork leg dish similar to Paksiw na Pata, Chinese style. Simmered in a sweet soy sauce flavored by Chinese herbs such as star anise, banana blossoms, etc.PiaparanLanaoChicken, Fish or Vegetable dishA popular spicy Maranao main dish made of palapa, grated coconut, bell peppers, poultry or fish, turmeric, chilli, and vegetables. Served with a soup made of the same ingredients and served over white rice.PinakbetIlocosVegetable dishA popular Ilocano dish made of different vegetables like okra, eggplant and bitter gourd cooked in fish sauce.Pinangat, Natong, or LaingBicolVegetable dishIn Bicol refers to a dish of taro leaves, chili, meat, and coconut milk tied securely with coconut leaf. In Manila the dish is known more commonly as laing. Pinangat or pangat also refers to a dish or method of cooking involving poaching fish in salted water and tomatoes.RellenoStuffed meat, seafood, or vegetable dishes like rellenong bangus (stuffed milkfish), rellenong manok (stuffed chicken), and rellenong talong (stuffed eggplant) also known as tortang talong (see below).SarsiadoTagalogFish dishFish that is cooked with tomato sauce and real tomatoes.SinanglayBicolFish A dish wherein fish, preferably Tilapia, is wrapped in pechay or mustard leaves and is simmered in rich coconut milk.SisigPampangaMeat/Fish dishFried and sizzled chopped bits of pig's head and liver, other versions using tuna or milkfish, usually seasoned with calamansi and chili peppers and sometimes topped with an egg.TapaMeat dishDried, cured, or marinated sliced beef that is fried or grilled.TortaNationwideEgg and meat dishA variation on an omelette, often referring to one made out of ground beef and potatoes. Other common variations include tortang alimasag, made with crab meat, and tortang talong, made with whole long eggplants roasted prior to adding the eggs.UkoyVegetable dishShrimp fritters often accompanied by vinegar as dipping sauce.
Soups and stews NameImageRegionTypeDescriptionBatchoyIloiloNoodle soupA noodle soup which originated in the district of La Paz, Iloilo City in the Philippines.Bicol expressPopularized in the district of Malate, ManilaStewA stew made from long green chilies, coconut milk, alamang (shrimp paste) or daing (dried fish), onion, sliced or cubed pork meat, and garlic.BulaloBatangas