A savory, spicy, and slightly sweet Filipino delicacy made with crispy pork belly, shrimp paste, and loads of garlic and chili. Perfect as a ulam or flavorful topping for green mangoes and rice.
Cooking Tips:
• Crispy pork belly is key—let it brown slowly to release fat and achieve that perfect texture.
• Don’t stir the vinegar right away—let it simmer to cook off the acidity and avoid a raw taste.
• Use low heat when adding shrimp paste to prevent it from burning and turning bitter.
• Adjust spice level by reducing or increasing Thai chilies—remove seeds for less heat.
• Let the mixture simmer longer for deeper, more concentrated flavor if preferred.
Ingredients Tips:
• Use sautéed shrimp paste (bagoong guisado) for a milder, ready-to-use option.
• Banana ketchup balances the saltiness with a hint of sweetness and color.
• Use fresh tomatoes and onions—they give natural sweetness and enhance the bagoong.
• Fried garlic and chili add texture and aroma—make extra for topping!
• Store in a clean jar and refrigerate—it keeps well for up to 2 weeks.
Chili Garlic Bagoong
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork belly
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup cooking oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 large tomato chopped
- 1 cup shrimp paste bagoong alamang, sautéed
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- ¼ cup vinegar
- 3 tbsp fried garlic
- fried Thai chilies
- 2 tbsp banana ketchup
Instructions
- Place pork belly and water in a pan, cover and cook until water evaporates and pork becomes golden brown and crispy in its own fat. Set aside.
- In the same pan, add oil and sauté onion and tomato until soft.
- Add the crispy pork belly back into the pan.
- Stir in the shrimp paste, brown sugar, black pepper, and oyster sauce. Mix well.
- Pour in the vinegar but do not stir right away. Let it simmer uncovered for about 3–5 minutes until the smell of vinegar subsides.
- Stir everything together, then add the fried garlic and fried Thai chilies.
- Add banana ketchup and mix well until thick and glossy.
- Let it simmer for 2–3 more minutes then turn off the heat.
- Serve warm with steamed rice or use as a condiment for green mangoes.
