Make the healthier version of this favorite Filipino pulutan or ulam at home using canned tuna.
I don’t remember the first time I had sisig, but I didn’t grow up eating this dish.
In fact, I don’t think I’ve heard of it until I started university. Apparently, an eatery near our school served good sisig and my classmates would often eat it for lunch.
But when I found out what sisig consisted of, picky-eater me didn’t even want to try it.
Sisig is a Filipino dish traditionally made from chopped parts of pig head (specifically cheeks, snout, and ears) and liver.
Eventually, I gave it a try when I lived and worked in Manila, and realized it wasn’t disgusting at all!
I was mistaken. I shouldn’t have been deterred by the fact that it was made from pig’s head and liver. You wouldn’t know anyway once everything was chopped up and mixed. Then, it became crunchy pork bits made sour from calamansi and seasoned with soy sauce, among others. Often, an egg is cracked in the middle and mixed into the pork.
I also discovered at a food court near my previous office in Makati a stall that served other kinds of sisig. Wonders of wonders! It doesn’t have to be made from pork only!
You can have sisig from bangus, tuna, chicken, in addition to the usual pork sisig. Imagine that!
Since I transferred to Europe, if I want sisig, I would have to make it.
Fortunately, I learned that you can make pork sisig from pork belly, and tuna sisig from canned tuna!
Canned tuna!
Can it get any easier than this?
I can now have tuna sisig anytime I want. A bonus, Becca likes it too!
I make this when I’m craving for fish (which is a lot, given that I grew up in the Philippines where fresh fish is a given and we would have in on the table a lot) and in need of a quick lunch.
Give it a try!
I made this a few times, based on this recipe, making adjustments until I arrived at this latest iteration with the balance of seasonings perfect for my taste buds. I hope it will be perfect for you too!
Let’s make canned tuna sisig!
In a medium pan, sauté half the minced onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon oil (of your choice, I use coconut oil.)
Once the onion is softened, add tuna, vinegar, soy sauce, lime or calamansi juice, Maggi or Knorr, salt, and pepper. Mix well and fry until the tuna dry and crunchy.
I add a pinch of cayenne pepper for just a hint of heat and spice (as I cannot handle spicy food), but if you want it spicier, slice a couple of birds-eye chilies and mix it in.
Add mayonnaise and mix well.
Mayonnaise makes the sisig richer, creamier and tastier. If you don’t like mayonnaise, you may omit it.
If sisig seems too dry for your liking, add a teaspoon of oil.
Taste for seasoning.
Turn off heat and make a well in the middle of the tuna sisig.
Crack an egg into the well and mix well. Residual heat should cook it.
Sprinkle with reserved minced red onion and green onion.
Traditionally, sisig is served on a sizzling plate, but since I don’t have one, I make everything in the frying pan. After mixing in the egg, I transfer to a serving plate and serve immediately while still hot.
Serve with rice if for a meal, or beer, if for pulutan.
Pin the tuna sisig recipe here for future reference:
Other Filipino Recipes you might enjoy:
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Cook this Filipino favorite at home, made easy by using canned tuna!
5 minPrep Time
20 minCook Time
25 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 large can tuna, in brine (mine was 200g) – drained
- 1 tbsp cane vinegar
- ½ tbsp dark soy sauce
- ½ tbsp lime or calamansi juice
- 1 tsp Maggi or Knorr seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Pinch of cayenne pepper or sliced bird-eye chilies/siling labuyo for a spicier version (amount as you wish)
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp green onion slices, for garnish, optional
Directions
- In a medium pan, sauté onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon oil (of your choice, I use coconut oil.)
- Once the onion is softened, add tuna, vinegar, soy sauce, lime or calamansi juice, Maggi or Knorr, salt, pepper and chilies (if using). Mix well and fry until the tuna dry and crunchy.
- Add mayonnaise and mix well.
- If sisig seems too dry for your liking, add a teaspoon of oil.
- Taste for seasoning.
- Turn off heat and make a well in the middle of the tuna.
- Crack an egg in the middle and mix well. Residual heat should cook it.
- Serve with rice if for a meal, or beer, if for pulutan.
Notes
You may omit the mayonnaise if you like.
