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Meat, South and Southeast Asian

Tapsilog, marinated beef with garlic rice and fried egg

Tapsilog is a Filipino dish for 4 people that combines pan seared marinated beef, garlic fried rice, and a fried egg. It takes 35 minutes, ranks very easy, and costs €3.20 per serving. The key to getting it right is slicing the beef thin against the grain and letting the rice cool slightly before frying it.

A Filipino breakfast turned dinner, tapsilog, pan seared marinated beef, garlic fried rice, and a fried egg.

Tapsilog, marinated beef with garlic rice and fried egg
Total time
35 min
Difficulty
Very easy
Cost per person
€3.20
Calories per person
610 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Tapsilog plays on contrast, caramelized beef that's salty with a light vinegar tang, paired with garlic rice that brings a golden crunch to every bite. The fried egg on top adds a runny yolk that works as a built in sauce. It's a straightforward dish, garlicky without being overpowering, and you can eat it with a fork or your hands depending on how you grew up eating it.

Born as a hearty breakfast in the Philippines, it fits just as well at dinner, on a weeknight when you want a complete meal without any fuss. Kids generally love the rice and egg combo, and the marinated beef wins over people who usually skip red meat in sauce. It's also a solid way to break from the usual steak and fries without throwing off the family routine.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Striploin beef 500 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Eggs 4
  • Garlic 8 cloves
  • Tomatoes 2

Pantry

  • White riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Vinegaroften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Sugaroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Neutral oiloften in the pantry 5 tbsp

Allergens Eggs, Soy, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Slice the beef very thinly and marinate it with the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, pepper, and half of the crushed garlic. 20 min

    Slice against the grain, the beef will turn out tender.

  2. Cook the rice in salted water and let it cool slightly. 12 min

    Rice that's just slightly cooled fries up better.

  3. Brown the remaining chopped garlic in three tablespoons of oil, add the rice, and stir fry. 6 min

    Keep the pan good and hot so the rice gets golden.

  4. Cook the drained beef over high heat in an oiled pan until it's browned and a little caramelized. 8 min

    Cook it in two batches, otherwise the meat will release its water.

  5. Fry the eggs and serve them with the beef, the garlic rice, and tomato wedges. 4 min

    A runny yolk stands in for a sauce.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a not too thick striploin at the store, it slices thinner once you firm it up in the freezer for ten minutes.
  • Don't add extra salt to the marinade beyond the soy sauce, it's already salty enough to season the whole batch of beef.
  • Cook the rice a day ahead if you can, day old cold rice fries up even better than rice that's just been cooled a bit.

The variations

  • Swap the beef for thinly sliced chicken marinated the same way, the frying time for the rice drops by a minute or two.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the beef with thick sliced button mushrooms marinated and pan seared the same way.
  • For kids in a hurry, just serve the garlic rice and the fried egg, offer the beef on the side in small bites.

What to serve it with

  • Extra fresh tomato wedges
  • Crisp sliced cucumber
  • Iced tea or lime juice

Storage

Cooked marinated beef and garlic rice keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, store them separately from the egg since that cooks in minutes. The beef and rice freeze well for up to 2 months. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat to keep the rice crisp, then add a freshly fried egg.

Questions about this dish

Can you use a different cut of beef instead of striploin?

Yes, flank steak or hanger steak both work well, as long as you slice the meat thin against the grain. Avoid cuts that are too fatty, they'll release too much liquid while cooking.

Can you make the marinade ahead of time?

Yes, you can marinate the beef up to a day ahead in the fridge, the flavor actually gets stronger. Take it out fifteen minutes before cooking so it doesn't cool down the pan.

Why cook the beef in batches?

An overcrowded pan makes the meat release liquid, so it steams instead of browning. Cooking in batches lets each slice touch the hot pan directly and caramelize properly.

How do you know if the rice has cooled enough to fry?

The rice should feel just barely warm, not hot and not cold, so it doesn't stick to the pan. If it's straight from the fridge, let it sit a few minutes at room temperature before frying.

How long does it take to make a tapsilog, pan seared marinated beef with garlic fried rice and a fried egg?

Count 35 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “very easy”.

How many calories are in a tapsilog, pan seared marinated beef with garlic fried rice and a fried egg?

About 610 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a tapsilog, pan seared marinated beef with garlic fried rice and a fried egg cost?

About €3.20 per serving, or €12.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains eggs, soy, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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