Filipino Pork Barbecue Skewers are juicy, tender pork marinated in a sweet and savory sauce. These crowd-pleasers can be cooked on the stovetop, in the oven, or on an outdoor grill.
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Ingredients you’ll need
Notes and substitutions
- Pork butt: An inexpensive cut, great for feeding a crowd. It has good marbling (white lines of fat between the lean meat), making it tender and moist after cooking. Pork shoulder has less fat and marbling but is a good substitute. Pork belly is full of flavor and great texture, though very fatty.
- Lemon or calamansi: Calamansi is a citrus fruit used in sauces, marinades, desserts, or as garnish squeezed over Pancit Canton. The flavor is like a cross between a lime and mandarin orange. Lemon is always a good alternative.
- Banana or tomato ketchup: Its acidity tenderizes the meat and adds a reddish color. Banana ketchup is sweeter and less tangy than tomato ketchup.
- Lemon-lime soda: Use any sweetened carbonated drink with a subtle lemon or lime flavor, such as 7 Up or Sprite.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Slice the meat
Partially freeze the meat for about an hour to make slicing easier. Slice 3 pounds of pork thinly (about ¼-inch thick and 1½-inch wide) and across the grain. Keep them uniform in size, so they cook evenly.
Step 2: Marinate the meat
Combine ⅔ cup soy sauce, ⅓ cup lemon or calamansi juice, 1 cup lemon-lime soda, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup ketchup, 6 garlic cloves, and ground pepper.
Using a blender allows the flavors to meld together. Taste and adjust it to your liking. Pour the marinade over the meat and refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours.
Step 3: Skewer the meat
Thread the meat on the skewers by bunching them together, creating folds like an accordion to hold more sauce and stay juicy.
As an option, you can soak the bamboo skewers in water for about half an hour before skewering to prevent them from catching on fire when you grill.
Step 4: Cook the basting sauce
Over medium heat, cook leftover marinade for about 10 minutes to slightly thicken and prevent cross-contamination.
Step 5: Grill
While traditionally grilled over charcoal, you can also use a gas or electric grill, a grill pan on the stove, or an oven. It is recommended to cook pork to 145° F (63° C). Thinly sliced pork will cook quickly—it should be ready when it feels firm to the touch. Depending on the grilling method, cooking times will vary.
In an outdoor grill: Preheat the grill to medium-high temperature to achieve a nice sear. Cook the skewers for about 5 minutes on each side. Brush the meat with basting sauce to keep it moist and flavorful.
On the stovetop: Set your grill pan to medium-high heat. Brush the pan with oil and place the skewers once it gets very hot. Baste each side as you grill it for about 5 minutes.
In the oven: Preheat the oven to 400° F (200º C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup) and place a grill rack on top, if available.
Arrange the skewers and bake for about 30 minutes. Flip them halfway through and brush them with basting sauce. Broil on high for 1-2 minutes toward the end.
Recipe FAQs
A good Filipino barbecue is all about well-marinated pork skewers with a perfect fat-to-meat ratio. To maintain tenderness and juiciness, be cautious not to overcook them.
Filipino barbecue, known as inihaw or inasal, is a general term that refers to grilled or roasted dishes. It can consist of various ingredients, such as meat (including offal), seafood, or vegetables. These are grilled whole or skewered, usually over charcoal.
The lemon-lime soda adds sweetness and its high acidity tenderizes the meat, along with lemon juice and ketchup.
Explore other Filipino barbecue recipes
- Inihaw na Liempo: Grilled pork belly marinated in a savory, slightly sweet marinade and served with a vinegar-based dipping sauce.
- Inihaw na Tuna Belly: Grilled marinated tuna belly, served with a tomato-mango salsa.
- Chicken Inasal: Grilled chicken marinated in ginger, lemongrass, calamansi, and vinegar, then brushed with annatto oil.
- Grilled Bangus: Milkfish marinated in vinegar and garlic, then grilled whole.
- Grilled Tilapia: Stuffed with tomatoes and onions, the fish is sometimes wrapped in banana leaves before grilling.
- Inihaw na Pusit: Tender, grilled squid marinated in soy sauce and calamansi.
Other pork recipes you may like
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📖 Recipe
Pork Barbecue Skewers
Equipment
- Grill pan, Charcoal or Gas grill, or Convection oven
- Small saucepan
- 8-inch bamboo skewers
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pork butt, boneless (see note)
- ⅔ cup soy sauce regular or light
- ⅓ cup calamansi or lemon juice (see note)
- 1 cup lemon-lime soda (see note)
- ½ cup brown sugar sub:any sugar
- ½ cup banana or tomato ketchup (see note)
- 6 cloves garlic grated or minced
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Partially freeze the meat for about an hour to make slicing easier.
- Slice them thinly (about ¼-inch thick and 1½-inch wide) and across the grain. Keep them uniform in size, so they cook evenly.
- Make the marinade by combining soy sauce, lemon or calamansi juice, lemon-lime soda, brown sugar, ketchup, garlic, and ground pepper. Taste and adjust as needed.
- Marinate the meat and refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours.
- Thread the meat on the skewers by bunching them together, creating folds like an accordion.
- Over medium heat, cook leftover marinade for about 10 minutes to slightly thicken and prevent cross-contamination.
- In an outdoor grill: Preheat to a medium-high temperature to get a nice sear. Cook them for about 5 minutes on each side. Brush the meat with basting sauce to keep them moist.
- On the stovetop: Set your grill pan to medium-high heat. Brush the pan with oil and place the skewers once it gets very hot. Baste each side as you grill it for about 5 minutes.
- In the oven: Preheat the oven to 400° F (200º C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup) and place a grill rack on top, if available. Arrange the skewers and bake for about 30 minutes. Flip them halfway through and brush them with basting sauce. Broil on high for 1-2 minutes toward the end.
Notes
- Pork butt: An inexpensive cut, great for feeding a crowd. It has good marbling (white lines of fat between the lean meat), making it tender and moist after cooking. Pork shoulder has less fat and marbling but is a good substitute. Pork belly is full of flavor and great texture, though very fatty.
- Lemon or calamansi: Calamansi is a citrus fruit used in sauces, marinades, and desserts. The flavor is like a cross between a lime and mandarin orange. Lemon is always a good alternative.
- Banana or tomato ketchup: Its acidity tenderizes the meat and adds a reddish color. Banana ketchup is sweeter and less tangy than tomato ketchup.
- Lemon-lime soda: Use any sweetened carbonated drink with a subtle lemon or lime flavor, such as 7 Up or Sprite.
Lynne
Yummy!!!! Excellent recipe!!
Nora Rey
Hi Lynne, thanks you for your message. I'm really happy you liked it. =)
Dennis
Love the way you marinate it, very Pinoy!
Nora Rey
Thank you! Pinoy na Pinoy! 😉
Apol
Looks yummy
Nora Rey
Thank you!!! 😊
Bernadette
This is a party favorite! With atchara on the side .yummm!
Nora Rey
Yees achara of course! Thank you!!! 😊
Tin
Tastes like home 🥰
Nora Rey
Thanks, Tin.🥰
Bim
This looks yummy! Will make this soon. Keep posting Nora!❤️
Nora Rey
Thank you!!! 🥰
Ana
This is amazing! Tried do make it and it tasted delicious. Will definitely keep recipe for future
Nora
Hello, Ana! Thank you for trying them out and glad you like them!