Bicol Express is pure comfort food! With pork cubes cooked in coconut milk and chili peppers, it’s rich, creamy, spicy and delicious! Serve with steamed rice for a hearty and big flavored meal!
The day after I made my very first gising-gising, I packed half of it to work for one of my co-workers to try. She is from Bicol, and I was interested to know what she thought of my newfound recipe. Alas! Instead of the rave review I expected, she barely touched the portion I ladled on her plate.
The next day in the break room, she plopped a big Tupperware in front of me and said, “This is how you do spicy. Go big or go home.” Oh. My. Gaawwd! Her Bicol Express was so viciously hot I couldn’t feel my tongue after each bite and yet it was so deliriously good I kept digging in for more!
I first posted my version of this dish in May 2014, but although it has received great reviews from our readers, I am updating it now with a few changes. I wanted the recipe to be as authentic as possible, and after researching online and asking all my Bicolano friends for guidance, I think the new method below comes pretty close.
One of the changes I made to my previous recipe is adding about 2 cups of sliced finger chilis along with the 14 reasonably large red Thai chili peppers (siling labuyo), and the result is definitely not one for the meek. My mouth was seriously on fire while I was eating the savory pork for lunch today!
You can decrease the number of peppers or scrape the seeds off the pods before mincing if you want to tone down the spice, but as my Bicolana friend said, it’s NOT Bicol Express if it’s not numbing your tongue. In fact, the authentic version uses more chili than pork!
If you want the same creamy flavors but with a friendlier heat, you can try this binagoongan baboy sa gata instead.
Another change is using fresh instead of sauteed shrimp paste and it does tastes so much better. Bagoong is a big flavor component in this sinilihan dish so don’t skip it.
Tips on Making Bicol Express:
- To make slicing easier, freeze the pork belly until partially firm.
- If you’re in the U.S. and have only access to the bottled “neon pink” shrimp paste, you might want to rinse it and drain well before using in the recipe to rid of the extra saltiness and the bright color that might otherwise bleed into the dish.
- Coconut milk tends to curdle or separate when brought to a boil or heated too quickly. Cook in a gentle simmer to ensure a smooth, creamy sauce.
- If you’d like to add vegetables, you can use cut sigarilyas, long beans (sitaw) or string beans.
- As you can see from our nutritional facts below, this recipe is not exactly waist friendly. Unfortunately, the delicious pork belly cubes and rich, creamy coconut sauce we love come with a price. If you want to trim down some of the calories, swap the belly with a leaner cut such as pork shoulder. You can also sub the pork with boneless, skinless chicken!
Craving for more bold flavors? Ginataang talong is amazing with steamed rice. Ginataang Seafood is my mom’s specialty and it’s special for delicious reasons!
Bicol Express
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 onion, peeled and sliced thinly
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 pounds pork belly, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons fresh shrimp paste
- 1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 14 pieces Thai chili peppers, stemmed and minced
- 2 cups finger chilies (siling haba), sliced
- 1 cup coconut cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a wide pot over medium heat, heat oil.
- Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.
- Add shrimp paste and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add coconut milk, water, and chili peppers. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 35 to 35 minutes or until pork is tender and liquid is reduced and begins to render fat.
- Add finger chilies and cook, stirring regularly, for about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add coconut cream and continue to simmer until thickened and begins to render fat.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Video
Nutrition
I am here in Saudi Arabia and I am cooking Bicol Express but using beef instead of pork. I am having difficulty finding shrimp paste in the groceries here. Is there any substitute for the shrimp paste? Appreciate your reply on this inquiry.
Your recipes are cost savings and it also enhanced my passion for cooking. Thanks a lot.
You can use fish sauce, if available. 🙂
I bookmarked your page as it has been very helpful for me. Thinking of what to cook is a daily struggle but not anymore because of your website. Bicol express will always be my and son’s favorite so thank you for sharing your version. Haven’t tried it with shrimp paste yet so it’s new to me. Again, thank you and God bless you.
Thank you so much, NJ. I am so glad the recipes have been helpful. Happy cooking!
I am from Cam Sur, Bicol Region. I learned to make Bicol Express from the yaya of my best friend. She had been making it long before it was called bicol express, when it was simply called guinataang sili, because, mostly what you see are hot red and green peppers. No onions, but instead, ginger and lemongrass. The “mirepoix” of our guinataan dishes is composed of garlic, ginger and lemongrass. And that is how i’ve been making it since. Try it and hope you’ll like it.
Thanks for the tip! Will definitely your version a try. Sounds delicious!
It is called Bicol Express from the Bicol express train that runs through Bicol region to Manila. Vendors from Bicol area Train station would sell it but predominantly from Iriga city.
Hi ask ko lng ok lang po ba yung siling haba hindi ipastem? Anu po epekto ng stem tsaka kaunti lang po ilalagay ko mga 4 kasi may bata kami for one kilo
Alisin rin po ang stems nang siling haba. Oo konting sili lang para hindi masyado spicy 🙂
Hello.. I’m going to make this today. I just have a question. When I go to the market here in the Philippines, what do I ask the vendors in regards to the fresh shrimp paste. They have all different kinds. If you can tell me in tagalog so ill ask for that in tagalog.. Sorry… Foreigner here. Haha. But the hubby loves this dish. Thanks.
Ask for fresh alamang, this is made of small shrimps (krill).
I need this Recipe….because I miss eating bicol express..I love this website…madami aqung ntututunan d2ng recipe
Thank you so much! I am glad nakakatulong ang mga recipes ko and I hope you enjoy them 🙂
Oo nga!! Ang sarap naman nyan!!
Thank you!
ang sarap
This is the best bicol express I’ve ever had! My mom is bicolana and I was raving about how this recipe made me so happy because it is the perfect amount of coconut flavor, creaminess, and outright heat. I was actually smiling the entire time I was eating it haha
Thank you so much for the feedback, James. Yes, this Bicol express is pretty spicy but definitely delicious 🙂
Hello,
My mother is a Filipina and I’m making this dish for her because she hasn’t had it in a long, long time. I just want to thank you for this wonderful blog!! It is helping me cook this tasty meal for us both, and it is easy to follow and in a good format for printing. I hope you keep this blog going for a long time to come!
–Christina
Thank you so much, Christina! I hope you guys enjoy it!
I made this some time ago, and omg it was sooo spicy, but not in an overbearing way! It added to the flavor and I absolutely loved it. Next time, I think I will sub chicken for the pork belly. The rendered fat made this dish really heavy that I passed out from food coma for like 8 hours haha. Absolutely flavorful dish though, and easy to follow! Thank you for sharing.
LOL yes, this is not the healthiest dish. I actually have a chicken version on the blog https://www.kawalingpinoy.com/chicken-bicol-express/
Hi Lalaine,
Just want to ask if ano yung pwedeng alternative sa Gata? Pwede ba ung All purpose cream or? Or anything? Also, can we add siling haba? Thanks.
Yes, you can swap all-purpose cream. Just make sure you don’t bring it to a boil or it will curdle. And siling haba is fine, in fact, it’s what they use for Bicol Express.
thanks Lalaine and more power!! :’)
🙂
Ay ang galling, pag binago ung number ng servings, automatic nababago ung dami ng ingredients.
Sana sa lahat ng recipe ditto may ganyan. Dalawa lang kasi kami sa bahay, onting portion lang ung niluluto ko.
sobrang helpful 🙂 more power 🙂
Thank you! I am glad you like this feature. Wala pa yung mga ibang recipes but working on them 🙂
Bet ko din po ung metric/us customary, sana lahat may ganyan ding feature esp ung sa metric, grams/liters kasi kami magsukat. anyway super thanks. laking tulong tong website mo.
We tried this recipe tonight and it was soooo easy to make. We had to use Serrano chilies since the Thai chilies were not available but there was PLENTY of heat for us. We had to skip the coconut cream too because we couldn’t find it at the store and simply used corn starch for thickener and skipped the water. It’s definitely worth repeating. Thank you!
Thank you, Penelope, for the feedback. Yes, coconut cream (the first extraction) is usually harder to find but I am glad you were able to adjust the recipe to suit your tastes. Happy holidays!
I was searching the internet for Filipino recipes for my son’s birthday party and came across your blog site. Congratulations on having a fabulous site. Everything is on point. Great photos, interesting stories, clear instructions, and a huge number of recipes. I especially like the tips, and formatting of the recipes.
I tried your pork barbecue and bicol express with some minor tweaks. For the pork barbecue, I did not use the oyster sauce for the marinate…only in the basting sauce. For the bicol express, I added ginger and green beans, and replaced the coconut cream with whipped cream/coconut milk mixture. They turned out to be a hit. Thank you to your blog site.
Aww, thank you so much! You definitely made my day. 🙂
I am from Samar, we don’t cook like this , but it sounds delicious.. I will try to cook this bicol express..thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome!
The lack of chilies disturbs me but I definitely understand that most people cannot handle the heat. We Bicolanos were born from the heat of Mayon Volcano. Haha!
Hello Jeffrey,
This recipe does have chilies, I use Thai chili peppers which I believe is the same as siling labuyo.
I just pored through your site/blog and loved it. I live in Amsterdam and I’m continuously looking for authentic, delicious recipes both from the Philippines and around the world. I have now permanently bookmarked you.
I’ll be trying this recipe of yours this weekend but with one change which I remember from our Bicolana cook from back home in Manila. Instead of the small, fiery siling labuyò, she placed a lot of green finger peppers (ailing pang-sigáng): as much peppers in volume as the meat–at least. However, I will first be removing the seeds and soaking the peppers in salted water (to help temper the heat) for half an hour or so, before slicing them up. I hope that does the trick.
Thank you for your recipe.
Hello Paolo
One reader did comment that traditional bicol express is made with a whole of lot of peppers it’s green in color. Siling pangsigang must be what is used as I can’t imagine using that much siling labuyo and live to tell the tale haha.
It was delicious! Hope you don’t mind but I made a little change. I boiled the pieces of pork first in a little water then let it render its own fat and stir until a little golden and set aside. I throw away most of the fat. Then I followed your recipe, same pan so less cleaning and a little less fat. Thanks!
Hello Delia
I am glad you enjoyed this recipe for bicol express. Of course, I don’t mind that you made changes. The recipes are here for you to tweak to fit your personal tastes. Happy cooking!
Hey! Your colleague is right, at least for me! This is a great recipe. Our household help who is from Bicol says Bicol Express is actually mostly green because of the peppers. Maybe you’d want to try that? Also, I just have to say that you maintain a great site! Cheers!
Hello Jerard
Yes, Bicol Express is really supposed to be very spicy. I think the versions we see in restaurants are “tamed” to suit the tastes of the mainstream. I am very intrigued with it being all green with peppers but I think I’ll pass. I can barely handle the heat of this version of mine haha.
Thank you so much for your feedback. I really appreciate it. 🙂
Hi! did you use just filipino bagoong or a different shrimp paste? I noticed there are quite a selection in the market
Thanx!
Hello Eleanor
I used Filipino bagoong 🙂
aww sarap.. for sure my husband will love this 😀
Hello Lorie
I am sure he’ll love it 🙂
Hi,I’ll just want to ask what is coconut cream?and what is the best alternatives for it if ever I cannot find that here in my place….thanks
Hi Amy
Coconut cream is thick coconut milk, the first extraction or kakang gata.
hi if coconut cream is the first extraction what is coconut milk then? is it the one with a little bit of water?
Hi Grace
Yes, coconut milk will have a bit more water than coconut cream. If you let it stand for a while, the “cream” will actually rise to the top. This is usually thicker and more flavorful. 🙂