This Filipino beef tapa is delicious with garlic fried rice, fried egg and a side of pickled vegetables. The marinade is simple, easy to make and perfectly sweet and spicy. This is the best beef tapa recipe and sure to make a morning person out of you!
(Looking for more traditional Filipino breakfast recipes? Try this reader-favorite pandesal paired with some coco jam.)
Whenever I’m in Manila, one of my first foodie stops is Tapa King (IYKYK). I always order Tapa Queen, the sweet and spicy variety. I can honestly eat that for breakfast every day.
Sadly, there’s no Tapa King where I am and the beef tapa that I find in restaurants here just don’t measure up.
So Red and I have been testing this tapa marinade recipe for years. We wanted something that’s sweet and spicy and as delicious as the one from home.
And guess what, we finally did it! Time to make some tapsilog.
Why you’ll love making homemade tapa
Learn how to make your own tapa for beef tapsilog anytime.
- Easy to make. Simply marinade the meat overnight, cook and enjoy.
- Easy to customize. You can adjust the spiciness and the sweetness of your marinade to suit your tastes.
- Delicious. Best of all, this tastes just like the tapa from home.
Beef tapa ingredients
You’ll need staples like garlic, vinegar and soy sauce. Scroll to the bottom of this article to find the complete ingredient list.
A few things to note:
- Beef — tapa is made of thinly sliced beef. We’ve found that beef used for hot pots (usually rolled and packaged in 500-g containers) are the best type of meat to use. If you can’t find those, you can use ribeye, sirloin, chuck, or brisket and slice them yourself.
- Chili — we use red chilies (siling labuyo) in this recipe. If you like your tapa milder, you can reduce the amount or if you want it spicier, add more.
Cooking tools
You’ll need a bowl or any container to marinate your beef in, and a pan to use for frying.
Expert tips
- Buy the right kind of meat. You want thinly sliced pieces of beef for tender tapa. We like pre-sliced beef used for hot-pots (usually rolled and packaged in 500-g containers) as they’re the perfect thinness and size, and perfectly tender. If you can’t find those, you can use ribeye, sirloin, chuck, or brisket and slice them yourself (about ½ inch thick). For best results, pound the meat with a mallet to further flatten and tenderize them.
- Freeze meat before slicing them. If you’re slicing the meat yourself, it would be easier if you freeze the meat first. About 2 hours or so should be enough.
- Allow time for the meat to marinate. It’s best not to hurry this process. You want the meat to absorb all that flavor from the marinade of minced garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar and chili. Don’t marinate for more than 24 hours though; the meat will become mush.
- Cook until the juices are absorbed. When frying the tapa, you want to cook until browned and caramelized. You don’t want the tapa completely dry, though. Over-cooking will result to tough, dry and chewy meat. This means cook only until the liquids are mostly absorbed by the meat.
- Don’t crowd your pan. Similarly, you want to fry your beef tapa in a single layer on your pan for an even cook.
Recipe FAQs
Filipino tapa is different from Spanish tapas, which are small, savory dishes usually served with drinks in Spanish restaurants.
Beef tapa in English used to refer to something similar to beef jerky where the meat is cured and dried. It’s a fairly cumbersome process so it’s evolved into something simpler: marinated beef which is then fried.
You often hear beef tapa mentioned in the same vein as tapsilog.
Tapsilog is simply “tapa” + “sinangag” or fried rice + “itlog” or egg. This is a breakfast meal typically enjoyed in the Philippines.
And yes, Filipinos eat rice for breakfast lol!
Absolutely. You can use this marinade for chicken and pork. You’d also want to slice them thinly for the best flavor and texture.
Cooked tapa can keep up to 5 days in the fridge. Freeze if you want to store for longer.
More Filipino breakfast recipes
Looking for more Filipino breakfast recipes? Check these out.
We love making Filipino tapa. Served with garlic rice, a fried egg and a side of achara (pickled vegetables), every bite tastes like home. Down with some calamansi juice and you’re set for the day.
Happy cooking!
Did you make this Filipino tapa recipe? I’d love to hear all about it! Leave a comment or a star rating below. You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook. I’d love to see your creations!
You can also find me on Pinterest and YouTube.
Filipino Beef Tapa
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.1 lbs thinly sliced beef
- 10 garlic cloves minced
- 6 tbsp white vinegar
- 6 tbsp soy sauce
- 6 tbsp brown sugar
- 5 red chilies chopped
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients (except the beef) in a bowl until incorporated.10 garlic cloves, 6 tbsp white vinegar, 6 tbsp soy sauce, 6 tbsp brown sugar, 5 red chilies
- Add beef to the marinade and ensure all pieces of meat are submerged.1.1 lbs thinly sliced beef
- Cover the bowl with cling wrap and marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Cook with oil on medium heat until brown, caramelized and the meat has absorbed most of the liquid (but not completely dry). Serve warm.oil
Video
Notes
- We’ve found that beef used for hot pots (usually rolled and packaged in 500-g containers) are the best type of meat to use. If you can’t find those, you can use ribeye, sirloin, chuck, or brisket and slice them yourself.
- We use red chilies (siling labuyo) in this recipe. If you like your tapa milder, you can reduce the amount or if you want it spicier, add more.
- It’s important to allow enough time for the beef to marinate however don’t marinate for more than 24 hours because the meat will become mush.
- When frying the tapa, you want to cook it until browned and caramelized. You don’t want it completely dry, though. Over-cooking will result to tough, dry and chewy meat. This means cook only until the liquids are mostly absorbed by the meat.
- Similarly, you want to fry your beef tapa in a single layer on your pan for an even cook.
- See post for more tips and FAQs.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
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