Skip to:
6 Traditional Filipino Food Recipes & Twists on These Classics
What better way to celebrate Independence Day than by making traditional Filipino food for your friends and family? We’ve rounded up a list of six of our all-time favorite traditional Filipino recipes plus a few surprising twists to these classics for those who want something a bit more adventurous when it comes to food. Whether you’re making food for lolo, bunso, or your balikbayan cousin, we’re sure to have something in the list that’ll satisfy every craving. Just make sure to not forget the rice!
1. Adobo
Traditional Filipino Food: Chicken and Pork Adobo
What can be more classic than chicken and pork adobo? This traditional Filipino recipe uses both meats for a satisfying and flavorful bite. While you can make this adobo in less than an hour, we recommend simmering for longer to get those deep flavors that adobo is known for.
Twist on the Classic: Korean-Style Adobo
Add a K-twist to the classic adobo by adding popular Korean ingredients Gochujang and Gochugaru into the mix. These flavor bombs take classic adobo and make it extra special and spicy, perfect for the K-Drama addicted titas!
2. Pancit Palabok
Traditional Filipino Food: Pancit Palabok
Make delicious and crowd-favorite palabok in under an hour with this easy-to-follow recipe. This recipe uses both Knorr Pork Cube & Shrimp Cube for an extra meaty and umami-rich palabok that’ll have lola asking for the recipe.
Twist on the Classic: Spaghetti Palabok
Try something new and make traditional palabok with spaghetti noodles. Kids and adults alike will love this twist on the classic!
3. Sinigang
Traditional Filipino Food: Shrimp Singang
No list of traditional Filipino food can be complete without everyone’s favorite sour soup, sinigang. This shrimp sinigang recipe uses Knorr Sinigang sa Sampalok Mix Original for that sour and savory taste minus the effort.
Twist on the Classic: Kimchi Sinigang
With a bit of gochujang and kimchi slices, this Kimchi Sinigang will spice up your independence day celebrations.
4. Kaldereta
Traditional Filipino Food: Classic Kaldereta Recipe
Melt-in-your-mouth beef, a rich tomato sauce, and a healthy dose of vegetables, what’s not to love with classic Kaldereta? Using Knorr Complete Recipe Mix Kaldereta, this recipe has very little hands-on time, freeing you up to do other things for your independence day celebration!
Twist on the Classic: Baked Kaldereta Mac and Cheese
This twist on the classic has all of the things we Filipinos love about kaldereta and more! Instead of rice, kaldereta is served with perfectly cooked pasta and finished with a rich bechamel sauce that takes this dish to the next level. Trust us, you’ve never had kaldereta this way before.
5. Crispy Pata
Traditional Filipino Food: Crispy Pata Recipe
All diets go out the window once crispy pata is served. This recipe teaches you how to get that crispy skin we all love plus an umami-rich dipping sauce made with Knorr Liquid Seasoning to complete the dish. Serve this with piping hot rice and you’ll have everyone flocking to the dinner table.
Twist on the Classic: Bagoong Rice Stuffed Crispy Pata
This festive dish will have everyone talking about your Independence Day handaan for weeks. While this takes a bit more effort than the usual handa, it’s well worth the effort once you taste that bagoong rice flavored with the juices of perfectly-cooked crispy pata.
6. Bicol Express
Traditional Filipino Food: Classic Bicol Express
There’s not a lot of spicy food in classic Filipino food but Bicol express always tops the list of our favorites. Spicy, creamy, and meaty, the explosion of flavors in this dish is unparalleled. This recipe takes under an hour to make thanks to Knorr Ginataang Gulay Recipe Mix.
Twist on the Classic: Crispy Bicol Express
If there’s one thing in common about Filipino celebrations, we all love a crispy dish. This recipe takes all the flavors we love from traditional bicol express and makes it more indulgent by adding deep fried pork into the mix. Serve this as a main dish or as pulutan for Independence Day.
Independence Day is a great day to celebrate with both traditional Filipino food and classics with a twist. Mix and match from this list of delicious recipes and make it a handaan to remember. To complete the experience, check out this article for easy Filipino appetizers. You can never have too much food for a Filipino party!
