Filipino Pineapple Recipes You Should Know

Pineapple on any food is a controversial topic to many foodies in the US. On top of Google search, one title of opinion piece says: “Pineapple pizza, a disgrace to humanity.” There’s also an entire Quora thread discussing why pineapple “makes everything eaten after taste bad.”

The truth is putting pineapple on everything is a matter of cultural taste. Hawaii, a pineapple paradise, is not in fact the origin of pineapple pizza. Somewhere in Chatham, Ontario, a Greek immigrant had the brilliant idea to create the most polarizing flavor in the history of pizza. Hawaiians do however enjoy pineapple pizza, as much as they deny their involvement in its creation with compelling arguments. Hawaiian population is mostly comprised by Asians, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders. It’s hard to imagine that these ethnic groups, especially Asians, would complain about putting pineapple on food.

In Asia-Pacific countries, pineapple is a valued fruit not only for making desserts and pastries. Pineapple has become a versatile ingredient to achieve caramel sweetness in several meat-based dishes in the Philippines. Many Filipinos stock on a regular supply of canned pineapples in their pantry to make popular dishes like sweet and sour pork, humba (Visayas version of adobo), and chicken stew.

Being in a tropical climate, Filipinos do run short of choices of pineapples – crushed, chunk, or sliced. For the creative cook, that only means more mouthwatering ways to throw pineapple into the pan. The recipes below are just few of the traditional pineapple recipes in the Philippines that just might change the way you view pineapple on dishes. 

Pininyahang Manok (Chicken Stew in Pineapple Sauce)

Chicken meat is slowly simmered in a creamy and rich pineapple sauced mixed with coconut milk to create the delicate balance of sweet and tangy flavors in this dish. Boned-in chicken pieces are marinated first in the pineapple sauce for about 30 minutes to let the meat tenderize and gradually absorb the natural juices of the fruit. The popular pineapple chicken stew includes vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and bell pepper to go with the refreshing tropical flavor of the sauce. The stew is cooked until the sauce caramelizes and produces sweet aroma. (Photo credit: Ang Sarap)

Pineapple Chicken Afritada

The differences between Menudo, Caldereta, and Afritada can be confusing as all three uses almost the same ingredients and cooking technique. Afritada is one of the only two tomato-based Filipino chicken stews that you can mix up with the simple addition of pineapple. The Spanish-inspired stew is cooked the traditional way: slow simmering chicken thighs and drumsticks in tomato sauce and then tossing potatoes, bell peppers, and green beans into the pot. The best thing in the mix is the pineapple bits; they sure add exciting tint of tropical sweet and tangy flavors into the gorgeous sauce. (Photo credit: Yummy Addiction)

Pork Adobo with Pineapple

We know that the beloved pork adobo is a regular feature in our blogs. Still, we can’t help but include this ingenious way of putting a tropical twist in the usual savory sauce. If you dislike the strong acidity of vinegar, pineapple is a great addition to create a version of adobo that is sweet enough to your taste and comes out with caramelized consistency. Pineapple is also a fantastic way to balance out the saltiness of soy sauce, so you don’t have to put one spoonful of sugar after another to adjust the taste. Some may also even prefer adding a bit of coconut milk if the pineapple is not enough to boost the luscious flavor. (Photo credit: salu-salo.com)

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