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Filipino BBQ Pork Skewers (Inihaw na Baboy)

Filipino BBQ pork skewers with a sticky sweet soy glaze, marinated for deep flavor and grilled until charred at the edges. Thin pork shoulder caramelizes fast on a medium-high grill, then gets basted with marinade for a glossy finish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Marinating 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Filipino
Calories: 680
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pork
  • 2 lb pork shoulder Sliced thin (about 1/4 inch) for quick grilling.
Filipino BBQ Marinade
  • 0.5 cup soy sauce
  • 0.5 cup banana ketchup (or regular ketchup)
  • 0.25 cup lemon-lime soda (7-Up or Sprite)
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp white vinegar
  • 5 clove garlic, minced Reserve a bit for the sawsawan.
  • 1 tsp black pepper
Skewers and finishing
  • 1 bamboo skewers Soak 30 minutes before threading.
Sawsawan (dipping sauce)
  • 0.25 cup white vinegar
  • 3 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 bird's eye chili Add to taste; slice or mince for heat.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 grill

Method
 

Make the marinade
  1. Mix soy sauce, banana ketchup, lemon-lime soda, brown sugar, white vinegar, minced garlic, and black pepper until the sugar dissolves.
  2. Reserve a small portion of the marinade for basting during grilling, then keep the rest for marinating.
Marinate and prep
  1. Soak bamboo skewers for 30 minutes, then thread the thin-sliced pork onto the skewers.
  2. Submerge the skewers in the marinade and refrigerate for 4–8 hours.
Make the sawsawan
  1. Mix white vinegar, minced garlic, sugar, and bird's eye chili, then set aside.
Grill and glaze
  1. Preheat the grill to medium-high and oil the grates.
  2. Grill skewers for 3–4 minutes per side, basting with the reserved marinade each time, until caramelized and cooked through.
Serve
  1. Serve the Filipino BBQ pork skewers with garlic fried rice and sawsawan for dipping.

Notes

Pro tip: If your marinade seems too thick, stir it well before basting so it coats the pork evenly. Refrigerate leftover pork skewers for up to 3 days; reheat gently on a pan or grill. Freeze the cooked skewers for up to 2 months (freeze after cooling). Dietary swap: use low-sodium soy sauce to reduce sodium while keeping the glaze flavor.