Skinless Longganisa offers a delightful balance of sweet, savory, and garlicky flavors. Serve these Filipino pork sausages with garlic fried rice and sunny-side-up eggs for a satisfying breakfast.
My daughter is visiting from Northern California this weekend, so I prepared her favorite skinless longganisa and packed a few extra for her to take home. She rarely cooks, so having these sausages in the freezer makes quick home-cooked meals easy when she’s craving comfort food.
Skinless longganisa is a Filipino-style sausage made from ground pork, plenty of garlic, sugar, and seasonings. Instead of stuffing the mixture into hog casings, the logs are shaped and wrapped tightly in wax paper or plastic film to hold their form.
The most common flavor profile is sweet and garlicky—similar to hamonado—but there are also spicy versions that include extra black pepper or chilis for heat.
Ingredient notes
- Good sausage needs both fat and lean meat for flavor and juiciness. You can add ½ pound of ground pork fat to 1½ pounds of lean ground pork. If pork fat isn’t available, choose 2 pounds of ground pork with visible marbling.
- I usually avoid extenders like flour or breadcrumbs, but cornstarch is useful here. It acts as a tenderizer—similar to velveting—and helps keep the longganisa soft and juicy.
Wrapping tips
Shaping and wrapping the sausages takes the most time. These tips speed up the process and ensure uniform pieces.
- Use plastic film or wax paper cut into even lengths. Use one piece as a guide when forming each log so sizes match.
- To avoid individually wrapping each sausage, spread the mixture into a ½-inch layer on a sheet of wax paper, cut into portions with a knife or pizza cutter, then place another sheet of wax paper on top.
- A piping bag also works well for quickly portioning the mixture onto the wax paper.
How to Cook
You can cook the longganisa from frozen or thaw them for a couple of hours first.
- Peel off the wrapper and arrange the sausages in a single layer in a wide pan. Add about ½ cup of water—enough to reach halfway up the sausages.
- Over medium heat, bring the water to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and the pork is cooked through.
- Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil, then continue cooking uncovered, stirring or turning the sausages regularly, until they’re lightly browned and caramelized.
Serving suggestions
Serve skinless longganisa with garlic fried rice and sunny-side-up eggs for the classic Filipino breakfast plate known as Longsilog. A side of chopped tomatoes adds freshness, and spiced vinegar or pickled atchara makes a traditional, tangy accompaniment.
Storage instructions
- Cooked: Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Uncooked: Place wrapped sausages in resealable bags, press out excess air, and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 4 months. Label with the packing date for reference.
More breakfast recipes
Daing na Bangus
Filipino Beef Tapa
Poqui Poqui
Skinless Longganisa
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground pork
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 head garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine ground pork (and pork fat if using), brown sugar, minced garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- Add the cornstarch and mix until evenly distributed.
- Spoon about a heaping tablespoon of mixture onto a sheet of plastic film or wax paper. Shape into a log, roll, and wrap tightly. Repeat until all mixture is used.
- Arrange wrapped sausages in a resealable bag or airtight container and freeze for storage.
- To cook, remove the wrapper. In a wide pan over medium heat, place sausages in a single layer and add water to cover them halfway.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until most of the water evaporates and the sausages are cooked through.
- Add oil and continue cooking, turning as needed, until the longganisa are lightly browned and caramelized.
- Remove from the pan and serve hot.
Notes
- Cut plastic film or wax paper into even lengths to help form uniform sausages.
- To skip wrapping individually, spread the mixture into a ½-inch layer on wax paper, cut into portions, and cover with another sheet.
- A piping bag can make portioning easier and faster.
Nutritional info calculated at 3 longganisa per serving.
Video
Nutrition Information
Carbohydrates: 10 g,
Protein: 10 g,
Fat: 32 g