10 Low Carb Filipino Dishes You Must Try

Are you in the Philippines and want to try Filipino cuisine but on a low carb/keto diet? Here are 10 Low Carb Filipino dishes you must try.

1. Adobo

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Adobo is most probably the most popular Filipino dish. It’s simple and easy to make but bursting with flavors! It is made of pork or chicken or sometimes a combination of both, soy sauce, salt, vinegar and peppercorns, and laurel leaf. Many people add sugar to their adobo. I don’t add sugar to my adobo to make it keto-friendly. If you’re eating out, make sure to ask the cook or the chef not to add sugar to your order. This is only possible though if you’re eating in restaurants where they don’t cook their adobo in advance.

2. Bagnet

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Not the same dish but they are cooked the same way. Bagnet is just deep fried more times than Lechon Kawali. Both dish tastes the same, at least for me. Bagnet and lechon kawali are deep fried PORK BELLY. I guess there’s no need to explain why they are must-try low carb Filipino dishes.

3. Lechon

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Lechon is roasted whole pig. It is crispy on the outside but soft and juicy on the inside. Thank god Filipinos don’t usually add sugar to their lechon. Just avoid the sugary dip, like Mang Tomas, and opt for the salt, vinegar and garlic dip. Tip: the tastiest part of lechon is the rib part and the crispiest is around the nape.

4. Sisig

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Sisig is a dish that usually goes along with beer. But many Filipinos eat is as a main dish. It is made from parts of a pig’s head and liver as well as mayonnaise, onions, garlic, ginger, chili peppers and calamansi. It is crunchy and chewy in texture. It is high in protein and fat. The carbohydrate content may be a little high though, so I won’t suggest this if it doesn’t fit in your macros for the day.

5. Crispy Pata

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Crispy Pata is deep fried Pork Knuckles. From the name itself, it is really crispy. It usually comes with a dip made of salt, vinegar and garlic.

6. Chicken Inasal

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Chicken Inasal is just Grilled Chicken. It is chicken marinated in salt, calamansi, pepper, lemongrass and garlic. It is cheap, delicious and low carb. We Filipinos dip it in calamansi and soy sauce. But you can eat it without a dip. You can find this in almost every Filipino restaurant.

7. Sinigang

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Most people who are not used to Filipino cuisine find the taste of Sinigang to be weird. That is because this soup is sour. But trust me; it gets better. What I love about Sinigang is that it’s a full meal. It comes with a source of protein and fat; usually pork. But you can also find fish or shrimp sinigang. Then some vegatables such as string beans, onion, water spinach, tomatoes, garlic and taro. Other variations come with cabbage, bok choy, carrots and potatoes. To make it low carb, don’t eat taro, carrots and potatoes.

8. Kare-kare

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Kare-kare is a stew made of oxtail. It comes with a savory and creamy sauce made of roasted ground peanuts and a side of shrimp paste. Like Sinigang, Kare-kare is a complete meal as it comes with vegetables such as string beans, eggplants and banana blossoms.

9. Dinuguan

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I find it funny that some people new to Filipino cuisine call this dish “Chocolate” stew. It really looks like chocolate but it is a stew made of pork blood, pork and pork innards. It is rich in protein, vitamin C, iron, phosphorus, calcium, niacin and other minerals. I know it sounds intimidating the second you hear it’s made with pork blood, but it’s delicious! We usually eat it with Puto, a type of rice cake. But if you’re on a low carb diet, don’t eat that.

10. Bicol Express

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This dish is not for the faint of heart. But if you’re eating keto, I know you’re not faint-hearted and you can handle this dish. Bicol express, named after the train that travels from Manila to Bicol region, is made of pork, coconut milk and lots of chili. It’s a perfect dish if you are on a LCHF diet. It is rich in protein and fat.