I’ll never forget my first encounter with Betamax. I was 12, standing in front of a busy street food cart, watching my friends eagerly devour these mysterious dark skewers.
“It’s blood?!” I remember thinking, my nose scrunched up in hesitation. But that first bite changed everything, the perfectly charred exterior, the tender inside, and that addictively tangy sawsawan completely won me over.
Decades later, I’m sharing my family’s perfected Betamax recipe, learned from countless weekends of grilling with my Tito Onio, who swears by the adobo-style pre-cooking method that makes our version extra special.
This recipe captures that exact same magic that made me fall in love with Betamax all those years ago, just like the ones from our favorite street corner, but even better because you can adjust the spice level exactly how you like it.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Authentic street food experience at home
- Multiple cooking methods (grill, air fryer, or oven)
- Rich, savory flavor with a perfect char
- Budget-friendly protein option
- Customizable spice levels
- Perfect party appetizer or pulutan (beer snack)
Betamax (Grilled Coagulated Blood) Recipe
Equipment
- Saucepan (para sa pagpapakulo ng tubig) for boiling water
- Rectangular mold or container (panghulma) for setting the blood
- Bamboo skewers (pantuhog) for grilling
- Strainer (pangkula) for draining
- Non-stick pan (kawaling hindi nadidikit) for adobo cooking
- Basting brush (panghilamos ng sauce) for applying sauce
- Your choice of: Charcoal grill (ihawan), Air fryer or Oven
Ingredients
For the Blood Base
- 1 cup chicken blood or pork blood dugo ng manok o baboy
- 1 teaspoon salt asin
- 1 teaspoon pepper paminta
- 5 cups water tubig
For Adobo Marinade
- ½ chicken broth cube pantang manok
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder pulbos na bawang
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper dinurog na paminta
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce toyo
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar suka
- ½ cup water tubig
- 4 cloves garlic minced (bawang, dinurog)
BBQ Baste Sauce
- 2 teaspoons oil mantika
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce toyo
- ½ cup banana ketchup or regular ketchup ketsap
Spiced Vinegar Dipping Sauce (Sawsawan)
- ¾ cup white vinegar suka
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce toyo
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce patis
- Pinch of sugar asukal
- 5 cloves garlic minced (bawang, dinurog)
- 1 onion minced (sibuyas, dinurog)
- 5 Thai chili peppers chopped (siling labuyo, tinadtad)
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste asin at paminta
Instructions
- Start by seasoning 1 cup of chicken or pork blood (dugo ng manok o baboy) with salt and pepper in a bowl, ensuring it’s well mixed. While the blood is resting, bring 5 cups of water to a rolling boil in a large saucepan (kaserola). Pour the seasoned blood into the boiling water and wait until it starts to thicken and coagulate (hanggang tumigas). Once thickened, drain the water and transfer the coagulated blood into a rectangular container or mold (panghulma). Let it cool completely for about an hour, or until firm to the touch.
- After the blood has set, carefully cut it into 1-inch cubes (mga parisukat). Transfer these cubes to a non-stick pan (kawaling hindi dumidikit) and begin the adobo-style cooking process by adding soy sauce (toyo), vinegar (suka), and water. Let this mixture come to a boil. Add the garlic powder, ground black pepper, and chicken broth cube, then gently baste (bathein) the blood cubes with the liquid for 5 minutes, making sure all sides are coated evenly.
- Remove the cooked blood cubes from the pan and let them cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, carefully thread them onto bamboo skewers (tusukan ng tusok). If you’re grilling outdoors, prepare your charcoal grill (ihawan) to medium-high heat. For air-fryer cooking, preheat to 200°C (400°F).
- For traditional grilling, cook the skewers over charcoal for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally to ensure even cooking. Baste frequently with a mixture of oil, ketchup, and soy sauce until you achieve a nice char (hanggang magkaroon ng magandang pagkatusta). For air-fryer cooking, brush all sides with oil and cook for 5 minutes per side, then brush with the basting sauce before serving.
- While the Betamax is cooking, prepare your dipping sauce (sawsawan) by combining vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce (patis), a pinch of sugar, minced garlic, minced onions, and chopped Thai chilies (siling labuyo). Season with salt and pepper to taste, then let the mixture sit for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Serve your Betamax hot off the grill or air-fryer with the spiced vinegar dipping sauce. For best results, garnish with chopped green onions (dahon ng sibuyas) and serve immediately while the exterior is still crispy (malutong) and the inside is warm and tender (malambot sa loob).
- Remember to soak your bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes before use (ibabad ang tusok sa tubig) to prevent them from burning during cooking. Store any leftover cooked Betamax in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days, reheating in an air-fryer or oven at 180°C for 3-4 minutes when ready to eat again.
Tips from Lola’s Kitchen
- Use fresh blood from a trusted source for best results
- Add kalamansi juice to the sawsawan for extra tang
- Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes before use to prevent burning
- Don’t skip the adobo cooking step – it adds essential flavor
- Let the blood cool completely before cutting to prevent crumbling
Traditional Serving Suggestions
- Serve hot off the grill with spiced vinegar dipping sauce
- Pair with ice-cold beer or soft drinks
- Serve alongside other street food favorites like isaw (grilled chicken intestines) and fishballs
- Garnish with chopped green onions and fried garlic bits
- Serve with steamed rice for a fuller meal
Troubleshooting
- If blood is too soft: Cook longer during the initial boiling stage
- If cubes break while skewering: Let cool completely before handling
- If sauce is burning: Lower heat and baste more frequently
- If too salty: Add more vinegar to the dipping sauce
Ingredient Alternatives
- Chicken blood can be replaced with pork blood
- Thai chilies can be substituted with bird’s eye chilies or regular red chilies
- Banana ketchup can be replaced with tomato ketchup
- White vinegar can be substituted with cane vinegar
- For a healthier version, use low-sodium soy sauce
Storage & Reheating
- Store uncooked marinated betamax in an airtight container for up to 24 hours
- Keep cooked betamax in the refrigerator for up to 2 days
- Reheat in the air fryer or oven at 180°C for 3-4 minutes
- Do not microwave as it can make the texture rubbery
Variations
- Spicy Betamax: Add chili powder to the marinade
- Sweet & Spicy: Mix honey with the basting sauce
- Garlic Lover’s: Double the garlic in both marinade and sauce
- Citrus-infused: Add kalamansi juice to the marinade
FAQs
Q: Why is it called Betamax? A: The name comes from its rectangular shape resembling Betamax video tapes, popular in the 1980s Philippines. Q: Is it safe to eat? A: Yes, when properly prepared and cooked thoroughly. Always source blood from reputable vendors. Q: Can I make this ahead? A: You can prepare the blood up to the adobo stage one day ahead, but grilling is best done just before serving. Q: How spicy is it? A: The spice level comes mainly from the dipping sauce, which you can adjust to taste. Q: Can I freeze it? A: Not recommended, as freezing can affect the texture significantly.
Nutrition
The Story Behind Betamax (Grilled Coagulated Blood)
In the bustling streets of 1980s Manila, amid the whir of jeepneys and the chatter of crowds, a unique culinary innovation was taking shape. As Betamax video players were becoming household staples in Filipino homes, street food vendors were getting creative with naming their grilled offerings. That’s when this humble blood dish got its now-famous name – Betamax – thanks to its rectangular shape that resembled the popular video tapes of the era.
What started as a clever marketing trick to make coagulated blood sound more appetizing soon became a testament to Filipino creativity and resourcefulness. Like many beloved Filipino street foods, Betamax emerged from our culture’s “zero-waste” mindset, transforming what might otherwise be discarded into something delicious. Alongside other playfully named street foods like “Adidas” (chicken feet) and “Walkman” (pig ears), Betamax became part of the colorful vocabulary of Filipino street food culture.
The dish gained popularity first in university belts and busy market areas, where students and workers would gather for affordable, satisfying merienda. Street food vendors would set up their stands as afternoon turned to evening, grilling these dark, rectangular pieces until they developed a perfect char, serving them with the signature spiced vinegar dipping sauce that became just as crucial to the experience as the Betamax itself.
Today, Betamax has transcended its humble origins to become a celebrated part of Filipino cuisine. You’ll find it not just in street corners but in modern Filipino restaurants and food parks, often elevated with gourmet dipping sauces and premium ingredients. Yet the heart of the dish remains unchanged – it’s still that same satisfying, protein-rich treat that captures the essence of Filipino street food innovation, proving that with creativity and the right seasoning, anything can become a delicacy.
From its clever naming in the 1980s to its current status as a street food icon, Betamax represents everything we love about Filipino food culture – resourcefulness, creativity, and the ability to turn simple ingredients into something extraordinary. Whether you’re trying it for the first time or recreating a taste of home, each bite tells a story of Filipino culinary ingenuity.
