Ginisang Bagoong, or Bagoong Guisado, is sautéed fermented shrimp paste cooked with pork, chilies, and plenty of tomatoes. It's one of those dishes with a deep umami flavor that pairs perfectly with steamed white rice.
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Ingredients you'll need
Notes and substitutions
- Shrimp paste: This is fermented small shrimp with a strong umami flavor and aroma. It's also called bagoong alamang or salted shrimp fry, available in Asian supermarkets.
- Pork belly: You can use leaner options like pork shoulder or loin. If you want to leave it out, that's okay too.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Prepare shrimp paste
Using a fine mesh sieve, rinse the shrimp paste multiple times to reduce its saltiness and remove any impurities or foreign particles that may be present. Gently squeeze and set aside.
Step 2: Blanch chili peppers
To reduce heat, blanch the chili peppers by soaking them in hot or warm water for about 5 minutes, then drain.
Step 3: Brown the pork
Heat a skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the pork belly pieces and a splash of water to help render the fat. Cook until they are nicely browned and the fat has started to render out. Push the pork to the side of the pan. Discard excess fat and replace with regular oil, as desired.
Step 4: Sauté aromatics
In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and onion. Sauté until they are softened, about 3 minutes.
Step 5: Sauté shrimp paste
Sauté the shrimp paste, spreading it out to prevent it from becoming too watery. Cook for about 2 minutes, while stirring constantly with the aromatics and pork.
Step 6: Add chili peppers
Add the chili peppers and sauté for about a minute to develop a smoky flavor.
Step 7: Add tomatoes
Add the tomatoes and sauté until they cook down and start to caramelize, adding more oil as needed. Season with ground pepper and sugar to balance the flavors. Turn off the heat.
Serve and enjoy your Ginisang Bagoong with steamed rice!
Recipe FAQs
Ginisang Bagoong is a Filipino condiment made by sautéing fermented shrimp paste (bagoong alamang) with ingredients like garlic, onion, tomato, and sometimes pork. It's known for its salty, umami-rich flavor and is often enjoyed as a side dish.
Shrimp paste is a fermented seafood condiment made from salted shrimp or krill. It has a strong, salty umami flavor that ranges in color from pink to dark brown.
Filipino recipes with shrimp paste
- Kare-Kare: A rich and hearty stew made with oxtail or other cuts of beef, vegetables like eggplant, bok choy, and yardlong beans, simmered in a thick peanut sauce. Shrimp paste is served on the side as a salty, umami condiment to complement the dish.
- Binagoongan: A savory pork dish cooked with shrimp paste, aromatics, and sometimes coconut milk.
- Pinakbet: A vegetable stew with bitter melon, eggplant, squash, okra, and yardlong beans, stir-fried with shrimp paste.
- Ensaladang Talong: A grilled eggplant salad dressed with a mixture of vinegar, garlic, and shrimp paste. Ensaladang Mangga is a variation with mangoes.
- Bicol Express: A shrimp paste dish from the Bicol region, made with coconut milk, chili peppers, and pork.
- Ginataang Gulay: Vegetables cooked in coconut milk, often seasoned with shrimp paste. Examples are Ginataang Kalabasa, Ginataang Langka, and Ginataang Ampalaya.
- Bagoong Fried Rice: Fried rice with umami-rich sautéed shrimp paste and aromatics.
Other seafood recipes you may like
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📖 Recipe
Ginisang Bagoong
Equipment
- Skillet or wok
Ingredients
- 1½ cups shrimp paste (about 12 ounces) see note
- 8 ounces pork belly cut into bite-sized pieces; see note
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 3 ripe tomatoes chopped; see note
- 2-3 chili peppers sliced (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon sugar adjust to taste
- Neutral oil
Instructions
- Using a fine mesh sieve, rinse the shrimp paste multiple times to reduce its saltiness and remove any impurities or foreign particles that may be present. Gently squeeze and set aside.
- To reduce heat, you can blanch the chili peppers by soaking them in hot or warm water for about 5 minutes, then drain.
- Brown the pork belly pieces over medium-high heat, adding a splash of water to help render the fat. Push the pork to the side of the pan. Discard excess fat and replace with regular oil, as desired.
- In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and onion. Sauté until they are softened, about 3 minutes.
- Sauté the shrimp paste, spreading it out to prevent it from becoming too watery. Cook for about 2 minutes, while stirring constantly with the aromatics and pork.
- Add the chili peppers and sauté for about a minute to develop a smoky flavor.
- Add the tomatoes and sauté until they cook down and start to caramelize, adding more oil as needed. Season with ground pepper and sugar to balance the flavors. Turn off the heat.
Notes
- Shrimp paste: This is fermented small shrimp with a strong umami flavor and aroma. It's also called bagoong alamang or salted shrimp fry available in Asian supermarkets.
- Pork belly: You can use leaner options like pork shoulder or loin. If you want to leave it out, that's okay too.
Theresa says
This looks so good!
Nora Reyes says
Thanks, Theresa!