Published February 27, 2025. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This Bistek Tagalog Recipe pan-sears thin slices of citrusy marinated beef before smothering it in a deeply savory sauce and topping it with golden-seared onions. It’s one of my favorite Filipino-inspired dishes to serve over a bed of fluffy rice.
After quickly falling for my Filipino chicken adobo, I knew I wanted to keep treating my family to more Filipino-inspired meals, like beef bistek tagalog. Like Peruvian lomo saltado, or my personal favorite Korean beef bulgogi, the steak strips in this famous dish from the Philippines are unforgettable. You won’t regret giving them a try.
What is Bistek Tagalog?
Bistek Tagalog is one of the Philippines’ most famous dishes. Its name comes from the Spanish words “bistek,” meaning beefsteak, while “Tagalog” refers to the Filipino language. It’s a simple yet profoundly satisfying dish in which marinated beef strips are the show’s star.
To make it, thinly sliced steak strips are marinated in a savory and citrusy soy sauce blend before pan-seared and simmered in beef stock seasoned with soy sauce, citrus, and garlic. The beef is served over white rice and topped with thick golden-seared onion rings for crunch.
At first glance, Bistek Tagalog may look similar to Japanese Gyudon. However, there is a pretty big difference in flavor since Gyudon is simmered in a sweet and savory dashi-based sauce. Bistek is stew-like and tastes tangier thanks to the citrus-soy marinade and sauce.
While not perfectly authentic, my version of Bistek Tagalog stays true to the heart of the traditional recipe. The flavor-rich marinade and savory sauce take the beef to the next level, while the thick onion rings provide that classic crunch. Served over rice, this meal is absolute perfection.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Beef – I used a thinly sliced ribeye steak, but skirt and flank steaks also work well. Thin-cut pork chops or boneless, skinless chicken breasts can also be used in this dish.
- Soy Sauce – A good amount of regular soy sauce is needed for the marinade and sauce. It lends well-balanced salty, umami flavors and helps tenderize the meat. Feel free to use tamari if you need a gluten-free option.
- Citrus — Use either lemon or lime juice in the marinade and sauce. If you can find calamansi (Philippine lime), use it for an authentic Filipino dish.
- Garlic – I recommend sticking with fresh garlic cloves, not garlic powder or granules.
- Sugar — Some white sugar balances the marinade and sauce’s acidity—brown sugar, cane sugar, and coconut sugar work well as substitutes.
- Onions – The seared onion rings on top are a signature element in Bistek Tagalog recipes. I used sweet onions but yellow or red onions will also work.
- Stock – Beef stock is used as the base of the sauce. Water also works.
- Oil – I like to use avocado oil to sear the steak and onions, but any neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point works well here.
- Slurry – I used a simple cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce and help it cling to each slice of steak.
How to Make Filipino Bistek Tagalog
Marinate the steak: I start by tossing the steak slices with soy sauce, lemon, garlic, sugar, and black pepper in a large bowl. I cover the bowl and transfer it to the fridge to let the steak marinate overnight.
Drain the steak: When it’s time to cook, I transfer it to a strainer placed over a large bowl. I let as much of the excess marinade drain off as possible since I’ll use it later for the sauce.
Sear the onions: I heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with just enough oil to coat the bottom. Once the oil starts to smoke, I place the whole onion rings in the pan and let them cook until they’re browned on one side. I remove them and set them aside.
Sear the steak: I place the marinated steak slices in the now-empty pan and sear them on one side. I transfer them to a plate, then repeat with the remaining steak.
Sauté the garlic: I reduce the heat to low, add more oil to the same pan, stir in the garlic, and cook until fragrant.
Simmer the sauce: Next, I pour the reserved marinade, beef stock, extra soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar, and black pepper into the pan. I heat the sauce to a boil over high heat and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
Thicken the sauce: While boiling, I quickly mix the cornstarch with water to make a slurry. Then, I stir 1 tablespoon of the slurry at a time into the sauce until it thickens.
Combine everything: I return the seared steak and onions to the pan and gently fold them into the sauce. Once well-coated and heated, I serve the beef, onions, and sauce over cooked jasmine rice.
Chef TIPS + Notes
Since Bistek Tagalog is all about the beef, the key to greatness here is to use a well-marbled cut of steak, slice it properly, marinate it well, and sear it quickly in a large carbon steel or cast-iron skillet (20 to 30 seconds per side is all it takes). The proper techniques make all the difference, so follow the recipe carefully!
- Freeze the beef: I like to pop the steak in the freezer for about 30 minutes to help firm it up. This makes it so much easier to slice into even thin slices.
- Slice it against the grain: Find the direction the muscle fibers run on the steak—these are the “grain” lines. Slice perpendicular to those lines to shorten the meat fibers and make the cooked slices more tender.
- Marinate overnight for the best results: If you’re short on time, marinating the beef for 1 hour is enough to infuse it with flavor. However, I like to let it soak for the full 24 hours for the ultimate tender, flavorful bites.
- Thick onion rings are a must: Thick ¼ to ⅓ 13-inch-thick rings hold their shape better while searing than thinner rings. Remember that crunchy onions are a key component of traditional Bistek recipes.
- Skimming the scum: I prefer to skim off and discard any beef impurities that float to the top for a glossier sauce, but this step is optional.
Serving Suggestions
To keep my beef Bistek Tagalog as authentic as possible, I like to serve it over a bed of steamed white rice or coconut rice with onions on top. The meal is pretty filling like this, but when I feed a crowd, I’ll pair the beef and rice with a side of my Garlicky Broccolini for freshness.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can marinate the beef up to 24 hours in advance. Once cooked, keep the meat, onions, and sauce warm on the stove for up to 30 minutes before serving. Keep the covered skillet over low heat until it’s time to eat.
How to Store: Once cooled, transfer the leftover beef steak and onions to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. The beef and sauce also freeze well for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat: Add the leftovers to a pan over medium-low heat until they’re warmed, adding a splash of water or beef stock to loosen the sauce if needed. You can also microwave as much beef as you plan on eating in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until heated through.
More Steak Recipes
- Easy Mongolian Beef Recipe
- Loco Moco Recipe
- Hamburger Steak
- Swiss Steak Recipe
- Easy Pepper Steak Recipe
Bistek Tagalog
Ingredients
For the Steak:
- 3 pounds thinly sliced ribeye, skirt, or flank steak
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup lemon or lime juice, or both
- 4 finely minced garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 peeled and thickly sliced small to medium-sized sweet onions, do not separate the rings
- avocado oil for searing
For the Sauce:
- 2 finely minced garlic cloves
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- Juice of 1 lemon, about 3 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 ½ cups of beef stock, water can be substituted
- 3 tablespoons of slurry, optional
- Cooked jasmine rice, optional
Instructions
For the Steak:
- In a large bowl, gently and thoroughly mix the sliced steak, soy sauce, lemon or lime juice, garlic cloves, sugar, and pepper. Cover and keep in the refrigerator for 1 to 24 hours.
- When ready to cook, remove the marinated steak from the refrigerator and place in a strainer over the same marinade bowl. Keep as much of the marinade that drains off as possible.
- Heat an extensive carbon steel or cast-iron skillet with enough oil to coat the bottom over medium-high heat. Once it begins to smoke, add the onion slices whole and together across the pan and cook untouched for 2 minutes. They should be browned on the one side. Remove them and set them to the side. It’s essential and classic to keep that crunch.
- In that same skillet, place enough marinated steak slices to cover the pan, but without touching them, sear for only 20 to 30 seconds per side or until at least browned around the edges. Set to the side on a plate and continue cooking in batches. Feel free to add as much oil as needed between searing the steak.
For the Sauce:
- Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of oil to the pan, stir in the garlic over low heat, and cook until fragrant. This only takes 30 to 45 seconds.
- Next, add the remaining drained marinade, soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar, beef stock, and pepper and boil over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. At this stage, you can skim any of the beef impurities that collect at the top, but this is optional.
- While boiling, you can quickly make your slurry by mixing 3 tablespoons of each cornstarch or potato starch with 3 tablespoons of water.
- Add the cornstarch 1 tablespoon into the pan until the sauce is thickened.
- Finish by gently folding in the cooked onions and steak.
- Serve the bistek over cooked rice with the onions on top.
Bistek Tagalog