Filipino Christmas Food: 14 Noche Buena Dishes Lola Sets Out After Midnight Mass, From Hamon to Bibingka

Filipino Christmas food starts showing up long before December, because in the Philippines the holiday season begins in September and only grows brighter from there. It all leads to Noche Buena, the joyful family feast after midnight mass on Christmas Eve, when the table fills with a glossy pineapple hamon, crackling lechon, sweet spaghetti for the kids and creamy desserts for everyone. For more than 4 million Filipino Americans, these flavors mean home. This collection gathers 14 favorites, from the rice cakes sold outside dawn masses to rich stews, party noodles and cool icebox treats. Each slide has a real recipe with simple steps and tips for finding ingredients at Asian markets. Gather the family, roll the lumpia together and plan a feast that lasts well past midnight..

Hamon, the Glazed Ham at the Heart of Filipino Christmas Food

In the Philippines, the Christmas season peaks with Noche Buena, the feast families share after midnight mass on December 24, and the glossy hamon sits in the center of that table. A cooked ham simmers in pineapple juice, then bakes under a sticky glaze that tastes sweet, tangy and smoky at once. Of all Filipino Christmas food, this is the dish Lola guards most proudly. If you love a glazed ham, browse these holiday ham recipes too..

You will need: 1 fully cooked bone-in ham (6 to 8 pounds), 4 cups pineapple juice, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup honey, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, pineapple rings for garnish

How to make it: 1. Simmer the ham in pineapple juice, covered, for 45 minutes. 2. Simmer 1 cup of the juice with brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, mustard and cloves until syrupy. 3. Brush the ham with glaze and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes, basting often, until 140 degrees F. 4. Garnish with pineapple and slice.

Oven Lechon Belly

A roast pig is the king of Filipino celebrations, but at home many families make lechon belly instead. Pork belly gets rolled around lemongrass, garlic and bay leaves, tied tight and roasted until the skin blisters into a golden, crackling crust. Dry the skin overnight in the fridge for the best crunch. If your family loves juicy pork roast dinners, this is the Filipino Christmas food version worth the wait.

You will need: 3 pounds skin-on pork belly in one slab, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 head garlic crushed, 3 stalks lemongrass bruised, 1 onion sliced, 4 bay leaves, kitchen twine, vinegar and garlic dipping sauce

How to make it: 1. Season the meat side with salt, pepper and garlic, then lay lemongrass, onion and bay leaves along it. 2. Roll tightly, tie and salt the skin. 3. Chill uncovered overnight. 4. Roast at 325 degrees F for 2 1/2 hours, then at 450 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes until crackling. Rest, slice and serve with the dip.

Filipino Sweet Spaghetti, Kid-Favorite Filipino Christmas Food

Filipino sweet spaghetti surprises everyone who tries it for the first time, and kids adore it. The tomato sauce is sweetened with banana ketchup and a little sugar, then loaded with ground pork, sliced hot dogs and a blanket of shredded cheese. Regular ketchup and a spoon of brown sugar work if you cannot find banana ketchup. Forget your usual weeknight spaghetti tricks for one night and let the kids have their party plate.

You will need: 1 pound spaghetti, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 onion chopped, 4 cloves garlic minced, 1 pound ground pork, 4 hot dogs sliced, 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce, 1 cup banana ketchup, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 cup shredded cheddar

How to make it: 1. Cook spaghetti, drain and set aside. 2. Cook onion and garlic in oil 3 minutes, then brown the pork until no pink remains. 3. Add hot dogs, tomato sauce, banana ketchup, sugar, water, salt and pepper. 4. Simmer 20 minutes until thick. 5. Serve the sauce over spaghetti and top with cheese.

Bibingka, the Coconut Rice Cake of Filipino Christmas Food

Bibingka is the warm, fluffy rice cake sold outside churches during Simbang Gabi, the dawn masses held in the nine days before Christmas. Traditionally it bakes in clay pots lined with banana leaves, with hot coals above and below, just like this one. At home, a cake pan works beautifully. Rice flour and coconut milk make it soft and springy. No Filipino Christmas food morning feels right without it, so serve it warm beside your Christmas breakfast casseroles.

You will need: 1 1/2 cups rice flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup sugar, 3 large eggs, 1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk, 1/4 cup melted butter, banana leaves (optional), plus butter, sugar, grated coconut and sliced salted egg for topping

How to make it: 1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F and line a 9-inch pan with banana leaves or parchment. 2. Whisk the dry ingredients, then whisk in eggs, coconut milk and butter. 3. Pour into the pan, top with salted egg and bake 25 to 30 minutes until golden. 4. Brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar and coconut.

Chicken Relleno (Stuffed Deboned Chicken)

Chicken relleno is a true labor of love. A full chicken is carefully deboned, stuffed with ground pork, raisins, carrots, relish, cheese and hard-cooked eggs, and roasted until golden. Every slice shows a pretty mosaic of colors, which is why many families save it for Noche Buena. Ask a butcher to debone the bird. It is the fanciest Filipino Christmas food take on a classic roast chicken.

You will need: 1 deboned chicken (4 pounds), 1 1/2 pounds ground pork, 1 carrot finely diced, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/3 cup sweet pickle relish, 1 cup shredded cheddar, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, salt and pepper, 3 hard-cooked eggs, 2 tablespoons butter

How to make it: 1. Mix pork, carrot, raisins, relish, cheese, raw eggs, breadcrumbs, soy sauce, salt and pepper. 2. Spread half on the open chicken, line up the hard-cooked eggs and cover with the rest. 3. Sew or tie closed and rub with butter. 4. Roast at 350 degrees F for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the center reaches 165 degrees F, then rest 20 minutes and slice.

Party Pancit for Long Life

Noodles stand for long life at Filipino celebrations, so a big tray of pancit lands on almost every Noche Buena table. This party version tosses springy noodles with squid, shrimp, cabbage, carrots and snow peas in a savory soy and garlic sauce. Keep the noodles long, never cut, for good luck. It is one of those comforting Filipino dinners that tastes even better at a holiday gathering.

You will need: 1 pound dried canton or egg noodles, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 onion sliced, 4 cloves garlic minced, 1/2 pound squid rings, 1/2 pound shrimp, 2 cups shredded cabbage, 1 carrot julienned, 1 cup snow peas, 3 cups chicken broth, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, calamansi or lemon wedges

How to make it: 1. Cook onion and garlic in oil, add squid and shrimp and cook 2 minutes. 2. Add the vegetables for 2 minutes, then lift everything out. 3. Boil the broth, soy sauce and oyster sauce, add noodles and toss until they soak it up. 4. Return the seafood and vegetables, toss and serve with citrus wedges.

Embutido, the Make-Ahead Meatloaf of Filipino Christmas Food

Embutido is Filipino meatloaf, steamed and rolled into logs instead of baked in a pan. Ground pork mixes with raisins, carrots, bell pepper, cheese and sweet relish, then rolls around hard-cooked eggs so every slice has a pretty center. It can be made days ahead, frozen and fried just before serving. Fans of meatloaf recipes like Mom made will feel right at home.

You will need: 2 pounds ground pork, 1 carrot and 1 red bell pepper finely diced, 1 onion minced, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/3 cup sweet pickle relish, 1 cup shredded cheddar, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 3 hard-cooked eggs, foil

How to make it: 1. Mix everything except the hard-cooked eggs. 2. Spread a third on foil, lay an egg down the middle and roll into a tight log. 3. Repeat to make 3 logs. 4. Steam 1 hour until 160 degrees F inside, then cool, slice and serve, or pan-fry the slices.

Kare-Kare, the Oxtail Peanut Stew of Filipino Christmas Food

Kare-kare is a golden, peanut-rich stew traditionally made with oxtail and served at big family celebrations. The meat simmers for hours until meltingly tender, then joins a thick sauce of ground peanuts and toasted rice, with eggplant and long beans for freshness. Keep peanut allergies in mind when you plan the menu. If you love fall-off-the-bone oxtail dinners, this is the one to try.

You will need: 3 pounds oxtail, 1 onion, 2 tablespoons oil, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon annatto powder, 3/4 cup unsweetened peanut butter, 1/4 cup toasted ground rice, 1 eggplant, 1 bunch long beans, 2 heads baby bok choy, salt, sauteed shrimp paste

How to make it: 1. Simmer oxtail with onion in 8 cups water, covered, 2 1/2 to 3 hours, saving the broth. 2. Cook garlic in oil, add annatto and 4 cups broth. 3. Whisk in peanut butter and ground rice and simmer until thick. 4. Add oxtail and vegetables, cook 10 minutes, season and serve with shrimp paste and rice.

Puto Bumbong With Coconut and Muscovado

Puto bumbong is the striking purple rice treat steamed inside bamboo tubes and sold after the dawn masses before Christmas. Sticky rice gives it a soft, chewy texture, and it is served on banana leaves with butter, grated coconut and dark muscovado sugar. Without bamboo, small molds and a steamer do the job. This Filipino Christmas food treat belongs with these colorful Filipino desserts.

You will need: 2 cups glutinous rice flour, 1/4 cup rice flour, 1 cup water, 1 teaspoon ube extract, pinch of salt, 3 tablespoons butter softened, 1/2 cup grated fresh or frozen coconut, 1/3 cup muscovado or dark brown sugar, banana leaves for serving

How to make it: 1. Mix both flours, water, ube extract and salt into a soft, crumbly dough. 2. Pack loosely into greased small molds or a lined steamer basket. 3. Steam 15 to 20 minutes until tender and chewy. 4. Unmold onto banana leaves, brush with butter and top with coconut and muscovado sugar.

Ensaymada With Butter and Cheese

Ensaymada is a soft, coiled brioche-like bun brushed with butter, dusted with sugar and topped with a mound of grated cheese. Filipino bakeries sell boxes of them at Christmas, and they make sweet gifts for family and friends. Let the dough rise fully for the softest buns. Set a plate next to monkey bread for Christmas morning and watch which one goes first.

You will need: 1/2 cup warm milk, 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast, 1/3 cup sugar, 4 large egg yolks, 1/2 cup butter softened, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 3/4 cups flour. Topping: 1/4 cup butter softened, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 cup finely grated cheddar or Edam

How to make it: 1. Mix milk, yeast, sugar, yolks and salt, then knead in flour and butter until smooth. 2. Let rise 1 1/2 hours, divide into 12 ropes and coil into greased tins. 3. Rise 1 hour and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes. 4. Cool, spread with butter, sprinkle with sugar and top with cheese.

Filipino Fruit Salad With Condensed Milk

Filipino fruit salad is the creamy, chilled dessert on almost every Noche Buena table. Fruit cocktail, young coconut strips, kaong palm fruit and nata de coco cubes get folded into thick cream and sweetened condensed milk, then chilled until icy cold. Drain the fruit very well so the cream stays thick. It is richer than most fresh fruit salad recipes, and that is exactly why Filipino Christmas food fans love it.

You will need: 2 cans (30 ounces each) fruit cocktail drained well, 1 cup young coconut strips, 1 jar (12 ounces) kaong drained, 1 jar (12 ounces) nata de coco drained, 1 cup diced cheddar cheese (optional), 1 cup heavy cream or table cream, 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

How to make it: 1. Drain all the fruit very well in a colander. 2. Whisk cream and condensed milk in a large bowl. 3. Fold in fruit cocktail, coconut, kaong, nata de coco and cheese if using. 4. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight. 5. Stir and serve cold.

Beef Caldereta

Caldereta is a rich, tomato-based beef stew with roots in the Spanish era, and it is a staple at Filipino fiestas and Christmas gatherings. Beef simmers until tender with potatoes, carrots and peppers, and the sauce gets its richness from liver spread and a little cheese. Make it a day ahead, because it tastes even better the next day. Think of it as the party cousin of your favorite cozy beef stew.

You will need: 2 pounds beef chuck cubed, salt and pepper, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 onion, 5 cloves garlic, 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce, 2 cups beef broth, 2 potatoes and 2 carrots cubed, 1 red bell pepper, 1/4 cup liver spread, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar, 1/4 cup green olives

How to make it: 1. Season and brown the beef, then add onion and garlic. 2. Add tomato sauce and broth, cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. 3. Add potatoes and carrots for 20 minutes. 4. Stir in bell pepper, liver spread, cheese and olives, simmer 10 minutes and serve with rice.

Mango Float, the Icebox Cake of Filipino Christmas Food

Mango float is the no-bake icebox cake that every Filipino family seems to make for the holidays. Graham crackers, sweet whipped cream and ripe mango slices chill overnight until the crackers soften into a tender cake. It is cool, creamy and bright, a perfect finish after a big Noche Buena meal. It is one of the easiest no-bake icebox cakes you will ever make.

You will need: 2 cups heavy cream cold, 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 package (14 ounces) graham crackers, 4 ripe mangoes peeled and thinly sliced, 1/4 cup crushed graham crackers for topping

How to make it: 1. Whip cream to soft peaks, then beat in condensed milk and vanilla. 2. Line a 9×13-inch dish with graham crackers. 3. Add a layer of cream and a layer of mango, and repeat 2 more times. 4. Sprinkle with crushed crackers, cover and chill 6 hours or overnight.

Lumpiang Shanghai

Lumpiang Shanghai are thin, crispy spring rolls filled with seasoned ground pork and carrots, and they vanish from every party table within minutes. Families often roll hundreds together the day before Christmas, a cheerful assembly line of aunties and cousins. Roll them tight and thin so they fry up crisp. They are the star of the Filipino American holiday table, and the Filipino Christmas food everyone grabs first.

You will need: 1 pound ground pork, 1 carrot finely grated, 1 small onion minced, 3 cloves garlic minced, 2 green onions minced, 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 25 spring roll wrappers, oil for frying, sweet chili sauce

How to make it: 1. Mix pork, carrot, onion, garlic, green onions, egg, soy sauce, salt and pepper. 2. Spoon a thin line of filling on each wrapper, roll tightly and seal with water. 3. Fry in 350 degree F oil for 4 to 5 minutes until golden and cooked through. 4. Drain, cut in halves and serve with sweet chili sauce.