Recipe category

Filipino Ulam Recipes

Ulam is the center of the Filipino table. Start here for tomato stews, braises, peanut sauces, and rice-ready mains.

28 recipes in this collection.

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Chicken adobo in a dark bowl with glossy sauce, garlic rice, sawsawan with chili, and steamed rice on a rustic wooden table

Tagalog Ulam (Main Dishes)

Classic Chicken Adobo

Adobong Manok

The national dish—tender chicken braised in soy, vinegar, and garlic until gloriously glazed.

Bicolano Ulam (Main Dishes)

Laing

Laing (Ginataang Dahon ng Gabi)

Slow-cooked dried taro leaves in coconut milk with pork, bagoong, and chili—rich, creamy, and unmistakably Bicolano.

Cebuano Ulam (Main Dishes)

Pancit Canton

Canton na Guisado

Fiesta-style pancit canton with shrimp, pork, chicken, chicharo, and bell pepper—finished with fried garlic...

Kapampangan Ulam (Main Dishes)

Kare-Kare

Kare-Kareng Buntot

Kapampangan peanut stew with oxtail, honeycomb tripe, kalabasa, and achuete-orange sauce—served with bagoong and...

Ilocano Ulam (Main Dishes)

Dinuguan

Dinuguan at Puto

Ilocano pork blood stew with pork belly, liver, siling haba, and vinegar—thick, glossy, and meant for scooping with puto.

Filipino kinilaw with cubed fish, ginger, red onion, siling haba, and calamansi

Cebuano Ulam (Main Dishes)

Kinilaw na Tanigue

Kinilaw

Cebuano kinilaw—fresh fish cubes cured in vinegar and calamansi with ginger, red onion, siling haba, and...

Ilonggo Ulam (Main Dishes)

Chicken Inasal

Inasal na Manok

Bacolod chicken inasal—charcoal-grilled leg quarter basted in achuete oil with garlic rice, atchara, and...

Bicolano Ulam (Main Dishes)

Ginataang Gulay

Gulay sa Gata

Bicol-style ginataang gulay—chicken and vegetables in creamy coconut milk with kalabasa, sitaw, okra, labuyo...

Pork menudo in a shallow bowl: glossy tomato sauce coating pork cubes, hotdog rounds, potato, carrot, green and red bell pepper, peas, garbanzos, and raisins; wooden spoon on linen napkin

Tagalog Ulam (Main Dishes)

Classic Pork Menudo

Menudong Baboy

Handaan-style pork menudo—1 cm cubes of pork and liver in thick tomato sauce with hotdog, potato, carrot, bell peppers, peas, garbanzos, and raisins.

Chicken afritada with drumsticks, potato, carrot, red and green bell pepper, and green peas in thick tomato sauce

Tagalog Ulam (Main Dishes)

Classic Chicken Afritada

Afritadang Manok

Filipino chicken afritada—seared drumsticks braised in a deep tomato-garlic sauce with potato, carrot, bell pepper, and green peas.

Beef caldereta with bone-in beef chunks, potato, carrot, red and green bell pepper in thick reddish-brown sauce served with steamed rice

Tagalog Ulam (Main Dishes)

Classic Beef Caldereta

Kalderetang Baka

Filipino beef caldereta—bone-in beef braised in rich tomato sauce with liver spread, peanut butter, potato, carrot, and bell pepper until fork-tender.

Beef salpicao in a wok with thick seared beef strips, whole garlic cloves, toasted garlic chips, parsley, and green onions

Tagalog Ulam (Main Dishes)

Classic Beef Salpicao

Bistek Salpicao

Filipino beef salpicao—thick seared beef strips in a glossy garlic-butter sauce with whole garlic cloves, toasted garlic chips, and fresh parsley.

Tagalog Ulam (Main Dishes)

Ginisang Munggo

Ginisang Munggong Habol

Thick Filipino ginisang munggo with crispy pork belly, malunggay, chicharon, and toasted garlic—served with rice and patis-calamansi sawsawan.

Tagalog Ulam (Main Dishes)

Bistek Tagalog

Bistek na Baka

Filipino bistek tagalog with thin seared beef, glossy soy-calamansi sauce, sweet onion rings, and green onion—served with rice and fresh calamansi.

Tagalog Ulam (Main Dishes)

Caramelized Onions

Sibuyas na Karamelo

Slow-cooked jammy caramelized onions with a deep mahogany glaze—perfect for bistek, burgers, sandwiches, and Filipino ulam toppers.

Tagalog Ulam (Main Dishes)

Pork Adobo

Adobong Baboy

Filipino pork adobo with glossy soy-vinegar sauce, pork belly, bay leaf, peppercorns, fried garlic, and green onion—the rich adobo half of the great d

Bicolano Ulam (Main Dishes)

Bicol Express

Bicol Express sa Gata

Spicy Bicol express with pork belly, coconut milk, shrimp paste, and siling labuyo—the iconic Bicolano gata dish.

Tagalog Ulam (Main Dishes)

Giniling

Giniling na Baboy

Giniling na baboy with ground pork, potatoes, carrots, bell pepper, peas, and quail eggs in a savory tomato sauce—the classic Filipino picadillo ulam.

Steaming bowl of Ilonggo KBL: dark kadyos beans, pork belly and rib chunks, pale yellow langka wedges, wilted talbos ng kamote, and murky brown batwan broth; steamed rice and calamansi with siling labuyo on the side

Ilonggo Ulam (Main Dishes)

Kadyos Baboy Langka (KBL)

KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, Langka)

Ilonggo KBL—dark kadyos pigeon peas, pork belly and ribs, unripe langka wedges, and talbos ng kamote in sour batwan broth, with rice and patis-calaman

Maranao Ulam (Main Dishes)

Chicken Piaparan

Piaparan a Manok

Maranao chicken piaparan—drumsticks and thighs coated in golden turmeric papar (sautéed coconut), with palapa, coconut milk sauce, and chili-chive gar

Chavacano Ulam (Main Dishes)

Satti

Satti (Zamboanga Skewers)

Zamboanga satti—grilled beef, chicken, and liver skewers in thick orange peanut-chili sauce with yellow ta'mu rice cubes, fried shallots, and aromatic

Cebuano Ulam (Main Dishes)

Inun-unan na Bangus

Inun-unan na Bangus (Cebuano)

Cebuano inun-unan na bangus—thick milkfish steaks in clear vinegar-ginger broth with tomato, ampalaya, garlic, and siling haba; sour, clean, and perfe

Maranao Ulam (Main Dishes)

Beef Randang

Randang na Baka

Maranao beef randang—slow-braised beef in spiced coconut milk with lemongrass and turmeric until the sauce clings dark and rich; Mindanao's answer to

Tagalog Ulam (Main Dishes)

Estofadong Batangas

Estofado ng Batangas

Batangas pork estofado—chunks braised in soy, tausi, and fresh sugarcane juice with a splash of soft drink until the sauce turns thick, glossy, and...

Tagalog Ulam (Main Dishes)

Mechado

Mechadong Baka

Mechadong baka—large seared beef chunks in thick glossy tomato-soy sauce with potato, carrot, and bell pepper; bay leaf simmered in, finished with fre

Bicolano Ulam (Main Dishes)

Ginataang Alimango

Alimango sa Gata

Whole crab in creamy gata with sitaw, kalabasa, ginger, and chili—thick Bicolano ulam made for rice, messy fingers, and second helpings.

Tagalog Ulam (Main Dishes)

Paksiw na Isda

Isda sa Suka at Gata

Paksiw na isda—whole fish simmered in vinegar, ginger, and pepper until the broth is sharp and the meat flakes clean; the everyday Luzon ulam with ric

Tagalog Ulam (Main Dishes)

Kalderetang Batangas

Kaldereta ng Batangas

Batangueño kaldereta—beef braised without tomato sauce in soy, vinegar, liver spread, pickle relish, peanut butter, and cheese until the sauce is thic