What is Sinangag?
A favorite mainstay in Filipino homes is sinangag, or Filipino garlic fried rice. This dish demonstrates how even the most basic meals can be the most reassuring. It is a tasty foundation for many traditional Filipino breakfasts and is made with leftover rice and golden-fried garlic.
Why Garlic Fried Rice Is Popular in the Philippines
Any Filipino would tell you that garlic fried rice is a must-have for any morning. Savory and fragrant, it unifies every dish, particularly when used with seafood, cured meats, or fried eggs.
Ingredients Required: Essential Ingredients
Three cups of cooked, day-old rice, ideally long-grain or jasmine
Six minced or finely sliced garlic cloves
Two to three tablespoons of vegetable, canola, or coconut cooking oil
Add salt to taste.
(Optional) black pepper
Chopped green onions are an optional addition.
Soy sauce (to provide more umami flavor)
Crushed chili peppers
The sunny-side up fried egg
🔪 Equipment Required
Big wok or frying pan
Wooden spoon or spatula
bowl (if rice is being prepared)
Paper towel (for, if necessary, draining extra oil)
👨🍳 Making Filipino Garlic Fried Rice: Get the rice ready
Make use of rice that has spent the night in the refrigerator. To ensure equal cooking, break up clumps with your hands or a fork.
Add the garlic and sauté
In a big pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until crispy and golden brown. Garlic burns quickly, so use caution! Set aside half of the fried garlic to use as a garnish.
Fry the rice
To the pan, add the cooled rice. Coat each grain with garlicky oil by stirring thoroughly. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until cooked through and gently toasted, breaking up any residual clumps.
Season and serve
Add salt for seasoning (or, if desired, a little soy sauce). Stir well. Before serving, sprinkle the saved crispy garlic over top.
🍳 What to Serve With Traditional Sinangag Breakfast Combinations
Egg, sinangag, and tapa (cured beef) make up tapsilog.
Longsilog: egg, sinangag, and longganisa (Filipino sausage)
Egg, sinangag, and tocilog-tocino (sweet cured pork)
Daingsilog is fried dried fish served with egg and garlic rice.
Contemporary Versions with Fried Egg and Bacon
With fried tofu or barbecued chicken
With pickled veggies and spam
With chile garlic oil and sautéed mushrooms
💡 Advice for the Ideal Texture of Fried Rice
For the greatest texture, use cold, day-old rice every time.
If necessary, cook in batches rather than packing the pan too full.
To give the edges of the rice a little crunch, gently toast it.
For a purer garlic taste, use a neutral oil.
Why Cold Rice Is the Most Effective
Stir-frying fresh rice will cause it to become mushy since it is too tender and hot. Cold rice is ideal for soaking up garlicky oil without crumbling since it is firmer and less sticky.
🥗 Is Sinangag Good for You?
It may be! It has less sugar and is naturally vegan. For a well-balanced dinner, use less oil and serve with vegetables or lean meats. For extra fiber, add brown rice.
📦 Prepare and Store Advice
Cooked garlic rice can be kept in the refrigerator for up to three days in an airtight container.
Place a moist paper towel over the bowl of the microwave or reheat in a pan with a few drops of oil.
Garlic fried rice is tasteful
Simple ingredients may create powerful tastes, as seen by Filipino garlic fried rice. With its fluffy rice, crunchy garlic pieces, and countless ways to match it with other foods, sinangag is deserving of a permanent place in your breakfast routine—or any meal of the day!
1. Can I use rice that has just been cooked?
Although using fresh rice is preferable, put it out on a tray to cool and dry for 15 to 20 minutes beforehand.
2. What is the finest frying oil?
The ideal oils are neutral ones, such as coconut, canola, or vegetable oil. For this recipe, stay away from olive oil.
3. Is it possible to add spice?
Indeed! Serve with chile oil or spicy vinegar, or add chili flakes.
4. Can I eat sinangag?
Yes, but only use plant-based additives.
5. Can I include meat or eggs?
Indeed! For a heartier recipe, toss in some chopped cooked meat, such as ham, sausage, or tofu, or fry an egg on the side.
