We need to talk, like, big time. This is the richest and best way I’ve ever celebrated Christmas EVER. Period. I’m not even going to beat around the bush about it, you need to know the secret to Filipino Noche Buena right this very second.
The secret is equal parts: rich , fatty , and hearty. (and a few cloves of garlic) . Ummm hi, that’s all. You won’t find anything low-carb or sugar-free here, just 20 traditional recipes for the ultimate comfort food holiday.
1. Filipino-Style Spaghetti
You can see this spaghetti from a mile away. Here’s why: it’s not your traditional Italian recipe, and honestly, some Italians might frown at it, but it’s a total crowd-pleaser in the Philippines. It’s a must-have for any celebration, especially for kids.
It has the classic components but with some fun additions. The meat sauce is much, much sweeter and has cut-up hotdogs right in there. Filipinos really love hotdogs, as you might be noticing!
It also gets a big handful of cheese on top to balance out the sweet sauce. You’ll usually see it made with cheddar since it’s easier to find and less expensive than parmesan.
2. Crispy Pata
This is such an amazing dish. It’s a whole pork leg that gets deep-fried. This process makes the skin unbelievably crispy, while the meat stays tender and juicy and rich.
It’s so rich, which is why it needs a dipping sauce. It’s sweet, salty, and tangy. The sauce has soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. You’ll often see this served with an ice-cold beer, which is a staple at any Filipino Christmas party.
3. Buko Pandan Salad
Let’s start with something sweet, because Filipinos are serious about dessert. Think of Buko and pandan as a classic pairing, like peanut butter and jelly.
Buko is young coconut. Pandan is a plant, and its leaves are super fragrant and smell sweet.
What’s in the salad? You get strips of sweet coconut mixed with jelly that’s flavored with pandan. It all gets tossed in a sauce that is sweet and creamy.
This dessert is so good. You’ll find it at Christmas, but really, it shows up for all special occasions.
4. Kare-Kare
I have to tell you, if you ask someone for a Filipino food recommendation, kare-kare is almost always at the top of the list. This stew is unbelievably rich and savory. It has a thick sauce that’s made from peanuts.
It’s loaded with beef and ox tripe that just melts in your mouth, plus veggies like bok choy, banana heart, and long beans.
You serve it with white rice and bagoong, which is a sweet shrimp paste. It is so, so good. I find it impossible to stop at just one bowl.
5. Embutido
Embutido means “small funnel” in English. It’s a Filipino Christmas dish that has a really distinct log shape.
Here’s what’s in it: ground pork, bread crumbs, minced carrots, bell peppers, grated cheese, sweet pickles, and raisins. Everything is formed into a log and then baked.
You can think of it as a Filipino meatloaf. But there’s a surprise inside! You’ll find a slice of hard-boiled egg and sausage right in the middle. YUM.
6. Buko Salad
If you’re a fan of fruit salad, you are going to love this. It’s similar to a regular fruit salad because it’s loaded with fruits and has a cream coating. But the Filipino version is just on another level for a couple of reasons.
First, there’s more in it than just fruit. This salad also has coconut strips and other popular Filipino items like palm sugar (kaong) and nata de coco.
Second, the creamy dressing gets sweetened with condensed milk. Needless to say, this one will definitely satisfy your sweet cravings.
7. Lechon Manok (Roasted Chicken)
Lechon manok, or roasted chicken, is probably what Filipinos grab most for lunch or dinner when they are short on time and can’t cook. In the Philippines, you’ll see shops selling roasted chicken and pork on just about every corner.
We don’t really have those shops here in the US, but making it at home is totally easy. The Pinoy version is so aromatic because of lemongrass.
It also has a fantastic sweet and savory flavor from fish sauce, soy sauce, bay leaves, and brown sugar all working together.
8. Filipino-Style Pineapple Glazed Ham
You can’t have a Christmas feast without hamon and queso de bola. These two are always on the table for Noche Buena, which is the big Christmas midnight feast in the Philippines.
The Philippine hamon, or Christmas ham, is covered in a crunchy sugar glaze and pineapple syrup, so it’s sweeter than what you might be used to.
This is why it’s so good paired with queso de bola, which literally just means a “ball of cheese.” Together, they give you a sweet and salty combo that’s perfect for eating as finger food or in a sandwich.
9. Lumpia (Filipino Fried Spring Rolls)
This is the Filipino take on Chinese fried spring rolls. They are little logs made of minced meat. They get covered in spring roll wrappers and fried until golden.
Just a heads up: these are SO addictive. I love them dipped in sweet and sour sauce, or even just ketchup if that’s all you have. I have so many memories of seeing moms wrapping just mountains of these on Christmas Eve morning!
10. Puto Bumbong
Along with bibingka, puto bumbong is another treat made from rice that you’ll see sold by street vendors during Simbang Gabi, the midnight masses.
Puto bumbong has a wonderful soft and chewy texture, a mildy sweet flavor, and a really distinct purple color. It’s served with a bit of butter, plus a mix of shredded coconut and muscovado sugar for extra sweetness and a little crunch.
11. Filipino-Style Fried Chicken
Pinoy-style fried chicken is just delicious. It’s super crispy on the outside and perfectly juicy on the inside. The flavor is totally unique, too.
Instead of the buttermilk marinade you might be used to, Filipinos soak the chicken in a mix of soy sauce, garlic, salt, pepper, and calamansi juice. Calamansi is a local citrus fruit that tastes a lot like a lemon.
This marinade gives the chicken a beautiful mix of savory, spicy, and earthy flavors, with a little bit of tartness to balance everything out.
12. Classic Menudo Recipe
Okay, yes, Menudo was that boy band from the 70s where Ricky Martin started. But in the Philippines, menudo is something else entirely. It’s a stew with a tomato base, full of pork, liver cutlets, and vegetables.
And wait for it… it’s also loaded with raisins and cut-up hotdogs. I know that might sound like a strange mix for a stew, but trust me, it just works.
The mix of sweet and savory ingredients creates a really wonderful flavor. This is perfect over white rice for your holiday lunch or dinner.
13. Leche Flan
The Philippines was a colony of Spain for more than 300 years, so it’s no surprise that there’s a major Spanish influence in the food. Dessert is a big one, and this recipe might look really familiar to you.
Leche flan is a custard that is smooth and creamy, made from milk, sugar, and egg yolks. It’s finished with a golden sugar syrup on top that gives it an extra-sweet, caramel flavor. Just gorgeous.
14. Filipino Pancit
China is a neighboring country, so it also has a huge influence on Filipino food. This is so true that Filipinos created their own version of Chinese noodles, or pancit.
There are a lot of ways to cook pancit in the Philippines. Some recipes use thick noodles, some use thin noodles, and some even use a mix of both. All of them are just delicious.
This recipe uses thin vermicelli noodles and is filled with pork cutlets and colorful veggies. YUM.
15. Lechon Kawali – Crispy Fried Pork Belly
Lechon is a Spanish word for “roasted pig,” and kawali is a Filipino word for “frying pan.” Normally, Lechon is roasted on a spit, but for this dish, pork belly cutlets are deep-fried in a pan until they are perfectly crispy.
But if you’re just thinking this is some normal deep-fried pork, you are mistaken. I’m telling you, you have never had fried pork this good until you’ve tried lechon kawali.
16. Chicken Macaroni Salad
Chicken macaroni salad is a total staple for Filipino Christmas. It’s a salad with a cream base that is just bursting with color. It has shredded chicken, elbow macaroni, carrots, bell peppers, cheese cubes, pineapple, and raisins.
If you haven’t picked up on it yet, Filipinos love putting raisins in their dishes. It’s not really an obsession, it’s just a super easy way to add sweetness to a dish that is otherwise just savory.
17. Filipino-style Pasta Carbonara
Next is a pasta dish we all recognize, but with a Filipino spin. Pinoy-style carbonara is different from the Italian classic. The sauce is made with heavy cream and cheese.
Italians might not love that idea, but this sauce is so much richer and creamier than the traditional one made with eggs and parmesan.
18. Lechon Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines that is famous for its amazing white-sand beaches, but also for its delicious food. One of the must-try dishes from Cebu is Lechon Cebu. This is a whole pig that’s roasted until it’s unbelievably crispy.
It’s flavored with lemongrass, anise, bay leaves, garlic, and onions. Lechon Cebu has such a unique and aromatic taste that you just can’t get from any other dish.
19. Filipino Pork BBQ
Here in America, BBQ usually means grilled or smoked meats like ribs or pulled pork. In the Philippines, BBQ is the name for pork cutlets put onto skewers.
They are marinated in a sweet BBQ sauce, then grilled until they’re smoky and perfect, and then glazed with more sauce.
It’s more common to see this sold as street food than made at home. But don’t worry, cooking Filipino BBQ yourself is just as easy as grilling any other meat.
20. Bibingka (Filipino Baked Coconut Rice Cakes)
Christmas celebrations might start in September, but the official start is December 16. That’s the first night of Simbang Gabi. This is a series of midnight masses that happens every night until Christmas.
There’s a legend that if you go to all nine masses, your Christmas wish will come true.
And you can’t have Simbang Gabi without bibingka. It’s a rice cake served warm. Toppings include a slice of salted egg, some butter, and shredded coconut.
You’ll always find street vendors selling bibingka right outside the churches. They set up there to tempt everyone with that sweet and buttery smell as they leave mass. So smart.