Homemade Garlicky Longganisa (Filipino Garlic Sausage)
Homemade Garlicky Longganisa is a traditional Filipino breakfast sausage that perfectly balances sweet, savory, and garlicky flavors. This recipe features ground pork mixed with crushed fresh garlic, sweetened with brown sugar, and seasoned with soy sauce, spices, and vinegar. The meat mixture is either stuffed into natural casings or shaped by hand, then cured for several days to develop its signature taste and texture. When cooked, these sausages caramelize beautifully, creating a crispy exterior while remaining juicy inside – perfect for pairing with garlic fried rice and sunny-side-up eggs in the classic Filipino breakfast combination known as longsilog.
Equipment
- Meat Grinder (gilingan ng karne) For mincing pork if not using pre-ground meat
- Mixing bowls (mangkok) For combining ingredients
- Sausage Stuffer (optional) For filling casings
- Kitchen Twine (pisi ng kusina) For tying sausage links
- Heavy-Bottom Skillet (kawali) For even cooking
- Measuring Spoons & Cups (panukat) For precise measurements
- Food-Safe Gloves (guwantes) For handling meat
- Airtight container (lalagyan) For curing and storage
Ingredients
For the Sausage:
- 1 kg lean pork meat minced (karneng baboy)
- ¼ kg pork fat minced (taba ng baboy)
- 2 heads garlic crushed (bawang)
- ⅓ teaspoon ground bay leaf or 1 leaf finely chopped dahon ng laurel
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar asukal na pula
- ¼ cup soy sauce toyo
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar suka ng mansanas
- Salt to taste asin
- 2 teaspoon sweet paprika pula pampalasa
- 1 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper paminta
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional (pulang siling durog)
For Casing Option:
- Sausage casing balat ng longganisa
- Or For Skinless Option: 3 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Start by mixing ground pork and pork fat in a large bowl. Add the crushed garlic, ground bay leaf, brown sugar, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, salt, sweet paprika, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Mix everything well with clean hands until fully combined. Let this mixture rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
- For regular longganisa with casing, prepare your sausage casings and fill them with the meat mixture - don't overfill or they might burst. Tie the casing with kitchen string every 4 inches to make individual sausage links. For skinless longganisa, simply mix 3 tablespoons of cornstarch into your meat mixture, then shape the meat into small logs about 3 inches long.
- Place your shaped sausages in a covered container and let them cure in the refrigerator for 2-5 days. This makes the flavors better and helps preserve the meat.
- When you're ready to cook, put your longganisa in a pan and add about ½ to 1 cup of water - just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until the water is gone. Poke holes in the sausages with a fork to help the fat come out.
- Keep cooking for another 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the longganisa turns reddish-brown and looks glossy. Add a tiny bit of oil if needed to help with browning.
- Serve hot with garlic rice, fried eggs, and fresh tomato slices. Don't forget to put some spiced vinegar on the side for dipping.
- If you have extra uncooked longganisa, you can keep them in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze them for up to three months. Just remember to thaw frozen longganisa in the refrigerator overnight before cooking.
Tips from Lola's Kitchen
- Use freshly crushed garlic instead of pre-minced for best flavor
- The meat-to-fat ratio should be 80:20 for ideal texture
- Don't skip the curing time - it develops the flavors
- Pierce the sausages while cooking to prevent bursting
- Save the rendered fat for cooking garlic rice
Nutrition
Calories: 280kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 15gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 580mgPotassium: 14mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 103IUVitamin C: 0.002mgCalcium: 3mgIron: 0.1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!