Tosilog

I've always been a savory breakfast person, and Eggs Benedict, with its silky hollandaise and perfectly poached egg, is my go-to Western morning indulgence. But after spending time in the Philippines, I discovered a new love: Tosilog.

Tosilog (sometimes spelled Tocilog) is a portmanteau of Tocino (sweet cured pork), Sinangag (garlic fried rice), and Itlog (fried egg). It's a mouthwatering trio that hits every craving with garlicky rice, savory-sweet pork, and a rich runny-yolked egg that ties it all together. It's a classic Filipino combo that's both flavorful and filling making it a popular breakfast staple.

Why This Recipe Works

• Homemade Tocino: Curing your own tocino isn't difficult, and it lets you skip the artificial colors while adjusting the sweetness to your liking.
• Start from a Cold Pan: Cooking tocino starting in a cold skillet allows the fat to render slowly while caramelizing the surface of the cured pork. The wait for those crispy, golden edges is well worth it.
• Runny Yolks Create a Natural Sauce: Serving Tosilog with a sunny-side up egg means you can break the yolk and let it flow, creating a rich, natural sauce that ties the sweet pork and garlicky rice together.

Components of Tosilog

Tocino (Filipino Bacon)

You might remember me raving about how delicious tocino is as a breakfast meat, but pairing it with garlic rice and eggs takes it to a whole new level. Made from pork cured with salt, sugar, garlic, and spices, the marinade caramelizes as it cooks, creating a glorious glaze that dials the umami of the rice up to ten. The problem with most store-bought versions is they're loaded with food coloring and preservatives. That's why I recommend trying my homemade tocino recipe.

Sinangag (Garlic Rice)

Made with leftover rice fried in browned garlic, this classic side is the perfect companion to salty-sweet tocino. It might sound simple, but there are a few tricks to bring out the most flavor in your garlic rice, so be sure to check out my recipe for Sinangag. And don't forget to reserve some of the crisp garlic to sprinkle on top for a bit of extra texture.

Itlog (Egg)

While the Tagalog word itlog simply means "egg," Tosilog is typically served with the egg cooked sunny-side up. That said, I've also made it with poached eggs, which are pretty amazing. If you're not into runny eggs, scrambled eggs will work well too. No matter which style you choose, I recommend cooking the egg on the soft side. The runny yolk helps bring the textures and flavors of the garlic rice and tocino together into a single, satisfying bite.

How to Make Tosilog

Prepare the Tocino

• Place your cured Tocino in a cold non‑stick pan. Cook over medium heat so the fat renders slowly and the sugar in the cure begins to caramelize.
• 🧪 SCIENCE: As the pan heats, amino acids and sugars on the pork react to form melanoidins, creating that savory‑sweet crust.
• Turn the pieces occasionally until the liquid evaporates and the edges are deeply browned.

Cook the Sinangag

• While the Tocino cooks, heat cooking oil in another pan and fry minced garlic until just golden.
• Add chilled day‑old rice and toss to coat every grain. Season with a splash of fish sauce or soy sauce if you like.
• 🧪 SCIENCE: Day‑old rice is dryer and gives the starch in the rice a chance to retrograde, which yields a more fluffy garlic fried rice.

Fry the Sunny-Side Up Eggs

• If you have a third burner, start the eggs when the rice is nearly done. Otherwise, cook them in the same pan after plating the rice.
• Crack eggs into a lightly oiled pan and cook over low heat until whites are set and yolks are still runny.
• 💡 TIP: For a twist, try poaching the eggs for a silkier texture or scrambled eggs if you like them more well done.

Assemble

• Divide the Sinangag between two plates.
• Arrange the caramelized Tocino alongside the rice.
• Top each plate with a sunny‑side up egg.

Variations

This classic Tocilog recipe is definitely my favorite, but you can build these variations on the same foundation of garlic fried rice + egg. The only thing that changes is the protein, which transforms the dish into something entirely new. Here are just a few Filipino breakfast ideas to explore:

• Longsilog - Perhaps my second favorite Filipino brunch combo is when this is served with Longanisa, a sweet and savory sausage.
• Tapsilog - When made with Tapa, a cured meat that's usually made with beef, it becomes Tapsilog.
• Cornsilog - With corned beef hash, it turns into cornsilog.
• Hotsilog - This one includes... you guessed it, hotdogs!
• Daingsilog - Moving onto seafood, this one is made with Daing, a salted and dried fish, which is then grilled.

Well... you get the idea... The possibilities are endless. What's your favorite ___silog?

📖 Recipe

Tosilog

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Yield 2 servings

Equipment

1 12-inch Non-stick Frying Pan

1 Turner (Spatula)

Units

Grams + US CupsUS Standard

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• 1 batch Sinangag (garlic rice)
• 160 grams Tocino
• 4 eggs

Instructions

Step PhotosNo Photos

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

• The 160 grams Tocino doesn't have to be hot and takes the most time, so I usually put it in a cold non-stick pan and cook it over medium heat until any liquid boiled off the marinade starts to caramelize around the meat.
  
• Start the 1 batch Sinangag as soon as you have the Tocino going.
  
• If you have enough pans, you can start the 4 eggs when the Sinangag is almost done. If you don't, you can make them in the same pan as the garlic rice, after it's done and you've plated it.
  
• Plate the tocino, sinangag, and eggs. Enjoy!
  

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Nutrition Facts

Calories • 321kcalCarbohydrates • 1gProtein • 28gFat • 22gSaturated Fat • 8gPolyunsaturated Fat • 3gMonounsaturated Fat • 10gTrans Fat • 0.04gCholesterol • 377mgSodium • 1077mgPotassium • 351mgFiber • 0.01gSugar • 0.3gVitamin A • 481IUVitamin C • 0.01mgCalcium • 55mgIron • 2mg