Top 18 Favorite Breakfasts of Filipinos

We Filipinos love to eat. Aside from breakfast, lunch and dinners, we also eat in-between meals like a ‘pampa-init’ in the morning before the actual breakfast with rice, snacks before lunch and merienda during mid-afternoon and there are even some who would still grab a quick midnight snacks.

Since rice is the staple food for us Filipinos, I did not include it in my list of favorite Filipino breakfast anymore. Instead, I listed the usual food that we would usually see in a Filipino breakfast table.

Here are the top 18 foods you would usually see in a Pinoy’s breakfast table:

1. Pandesal and hot coffee

Pandesal (Bread of Salt) is probably the most in demand bread in the Philippines because it is one of the most favorite breakfast foods for most Pinoys.

It can be eaten with “palaman” or filling such as my personal favorite, scrambled or sunny side up egg, peanut butter, Cheez Whiz or a slice of cheese. As for my father, he simply dips the pandesal in a hot coffee or “chokolate” made from “tableya” (pure cocoa).

Pandesal is so in demand that you will not be able to buy this if you do not wake up early. You would normally see people lining up in front of a bakeshop every morning just to buy pandesal for breakfast. This is also a top seller during Christmas season especially in bakeshops near a church because people would usually buy this bread after the “Simbang gabi” or night mass which is actually celebrated early in the morning also called “Misa de gallo in Spanish.

2. Champorado

Champorado is another personal favorite of mine. It is a sweet chocolate rice porridge and “tableya” as main ingredients. A more traditional approach would be using instead of cocoa powder.

It can be eaten during breakfast or “meryenda” (snacks in the afternoon). Most people prefer to eat champorado with “tuyo” or salty dried fish but me and my nephews like it with milk on top. I even design it with smiley face or mickey mouse sometimes.

3. Bangusilog

One of the most favorite Pinoy breakfast is Bangusilo which is a combination of Sinangag rice, fried breaded bangus and a sunny side up egg.

Usually, Filipinos make sinangag out of the leftover rice from the night before because it is less sticky. The simplest fried rice is just leftover rice with garlic and a pinch of salt. Others add potato cubes or green peas like in that picture. As for me, instead of using real garlic, I use garlic powder and cheese for a bit salty taste.

4. Beef Tapa

Tapa is a thinly sliced dried beef meat added with salt and spices. It is designed as an easy to prepare breakfast food, you can simply grill or fry it in oil.

It is called Tapsilog if served with fried rice and egg.

5. Tocino

Tocino is the Spanish version of bacon and is another favorite breakfast of Filipinos. It is easy to prepare; you can either boil it in a small amount of water or fry it in oil. It has that delectable smell that would surely awaken your taste buds.

It is also a popular partner of sinangag and egg called, Tocilog.

6. Longanisa

Longanisa is the Filipino version of chorizo. Breakfast is perfect if this is served with sinangag and sunny side up egg and a hot coffee. This is a favorite in most regions in the country. There are other varieties of langonisa, but the most in demand are the ones made from ground pork meat.

7. Paksiw

Paksiw is a simple Filipino dish commonly served during breakfast, but it can also be eaten for lunch and dinner. This is usually served with newly cooked rice and hot tsokolate.

You simply cook fish in a pot with vinegar and garlic, but for a better taste, you can add lard while it is still boiling hot. It likewise goes well with fried rice. Aside from fish, you can also paksiw lechon or roasted pig and other meat.

8. Karne Norte

Karne Norte is one of my personal favorites for breakfast especially if it is mixed with egg. Sautéed corned beef also goes well with fried rice and plain rice. Plus you can also use it as “palaman” of pandesal or sliced break.

It is one of the most frequently served breakfast in every Filipino household because it is easy to prepare, perfect for people who are always in a hurry every morning like students and those who needs to go to work early in the morning.

For a tastier karne norte, other people would add cubed potatoes or green peas.

9. Fried eggs

Eggs are popular Pinoy breakfast. May it be a boiled egg, sunny side up or “tortilla” (scrambled eggs), Filipinos would never say no to that for breakfast. My mother usually put chopped tomatoes and union to their tortilla, but I prefer a plain scrambled egg. Actually, my favorite is the sunny side up, I like it with bread or rice for breakfast.

The sunny side up is commonly served with a combination of sinangag + karne norte (corned beef) or longanisa or tapa or tocino. They are called, cornsilog, longsilog, tapsilog and tosilog among other silogs.

They are so in demand that you can find establishments who specializes on silogs called “tapsilogan” all over the Philippines. Their usual customers are the working sector who no longer have the time to make breakfast on their own.

10. “Tuyo” or “bulad” (Dried salted Fish)

Pan-fried Tuyo dipped in native vinegar + sinangag + hot tsokolate or coffee is equals to a perfectly appetizing Filipino breakfast.

Tuyo is a sun-dried fish usually served during breakfast, but it can also be served during snacks to pair with champorado or during other meals such as lunch and dinner.

It is easy to prepare and the crunchy fish would make you want to eat more rice. So if you are trying to lose some weight, this might not be ideal for you.

11. Puto

Puto is a variety of steamed rice cake. It is usually eaten during breakfast, served with “pancit” or “dinuguan” (blood stew) and hot coffee or tsokolate.

Puto is also ideal for merienda and is also present during every Filipino occasion such as birthdays and fiestas and during wakes or “parosaryo” for our loved ones who have already passed away.

12. Bibingka

Bibingka is another type of rice cake here in the Philippines usually served after the early morning mass during Christmas season. It is not easy to prepare, but you can just buy a cooked bibingka right outside the church. The smell of the burnt banana leaf lining makes it more appealing to eat than puto.

It is best served warm with a cup of coffee.

13.  Pancit Canton

Pancit Bihon is the number one noodle dish here in the Philippines. This has obviously a dish from china which Filipinos have localized. Its main ingredients of pacit bihon are of course, bihon, pork, chicken and vegetables.

You can eat this as is or with puto, bread or rice.

It is always present in any Filipino occasions like fiestas, Christmas and most especially during birthday celebrations because it is believed to grant a longer life “pampahaba ng buhay.”

14. Instant noodles

If talking about breakfast meal, it must be quick to prepare, something to warm your empty stomach and should be filling. You can find all that characteristics in instant noodles. You simply put a noodle block in briskly boiling water for at least 3 minutes, stir in the seasonings and pour it in a bowl. Breakfast is solved!

15. Tortang Talong

Tortang talong is an eggplant omelet. It is simple but yummy Filipino food. You can make this in less than 30 minutes. All you have to do is; grill the eggplants then soak it in a beaten egg mixture and then fry. Just like other Filipino dishes, this can be served during breakfast, lunch and dinner served with plain rice. For a tastier tortang talong, dip it in a soy sauce with calamansi.

16. Tsokolate

Tsokolate made with real cocoa seed is one of the most favorite drinks of Filipinos in the morning. It goes well with almost anything; suman, puto, pandesal and some even pour it on plain rice. This is the best hot drink when you are eating tuyo or paksiw.

My mother has a “tsokolatihan” a utensil specially intended for making tsokolate, she also has a wooden whisk called “moronillo.” How I miss waking up to the smell of freshly prepared tsokolate in the morning.

17. Hard-boiled egg and milk

Hard-boiled eggs and a glass of milk is not just easy to prepare but nutritious too. You can fix your glass of milk while boiling the egg.

Hard-boiled eggs are usually served with a pinch of salt so you can dip it before every bite.

18. Leftover (bahaw)

Breakfast in Waray and Cebuano is called “pamahaw” from the root word “bahaw” which means leftover. Most Filipino families usually eat their leftover food from the night before during breakfast. They would make sinangag out of the leftover rice and reheat whatever was left of their dinner.

Those are just ten of the most frequently served breakfast in the Philippines. Which of those above-mentioned foods do you usually eat for breakfast?