If you grew up in a Filipino household, the smell of garlic hitting hot oil first thing in the morning means one thing: sinangag. Sinangag na dilis takes that foundation and makes it even better, crispy fried anchovies tossed through garlicky day-old rice for a breakfast (or any-time-of-day) dish that's bold, savory, and done in 20 minutes.
This version uses Korean-style stir-fried anchovies (the kind that comes in a plastic tub from Asian grocery stores, I had some leftover from a KBBQ night my kids refused to touch). They're already seasoned and slightly sweet, which works beautifully in fried rice.
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Jump to:
- What is Sinangag na Dilis?
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients
- How to Make Sinangag na Dilis
- Rose's Tips
- Variations
- What to Serve With Sinangag na Dilis
- How to Store Leftovers
- Recipe FAQs
- More Filipino Fried Rice and Breakfast Recipes
- Did you try this recipe?
- Anchovies Fried Rice (Sinangag na Dilis) Recipe
What is Sinangag na Dilis?
Sinangag is Filipino garlic fried rice, usually made with day-old rice and garlic-infused oil. It’s the base of silog breakfasts and shows up with tapa, tocino, or longganisa.
Dilis are small dried or fried anchovies. In fried rice, they add a punchy salty, savory flavor that garlic alone can’t.
Put them together and you get sinangag na dilis, garlicky fried rice topped with crispy anchovies, often served silog-style with a fried egg and calamansi or atchara.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Done in 20 minutes. This is one of the fastest real meals in the rotation. Once the rice is hot and the anchovies are crispy, the rest takes minutes.
- Leftover rice transformation. Day-old rice turns into something totally different here. Each grain stays separate and coats in that garlicky anchovy oil.
- The anchovies do the seasoning. No need to measure a bunch of soy sauce or salt. The anchovies bring the saltiness and umami for the whole dish.
- Works for any meal. Filipino breakfast classic, quick lunch, or an easy side with grilled chicken or pork.
Ingredients
- Stir-Fried Anchovies: Adds a savory, salty punch; you can substitute with salted fish or fried anchovies if preferred.
- Cooked Rice: Best with day-old cooked rice to achieve that perfect fried texture.
- Dark Sweet Soy Sauce: Adds depth and color; you can use regular soy sauce for a less sweet version.
- Sesame Oil: For that nutty, aromatic flavor that ties the dish together.
- Eggs: Scrambled into the fried rice for extra protein and fluffiness.
- Gochujang: A Korean chili paste that adds a bit of heat; substitute with sriracha or any hot sauce.
- Garlic and Shallots: Essential aromatics that elevate the flavor profile of the dish.
- Green Onions: For garnish.
- Lime or Lemon: A squeeze at the end brightens the dish with a pop of acidity.
- Cabbage: Adds a crunch and an extra serving of veggies; you can also use bok choy or napa cabbage.
- Salt and Pepper: To taste; keep it light since fried anchovies and soy sauce are already salty.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Sinangag na Dilis
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat your wok. Heat a wok over medium-high heat and add a bit of oil. Add garlic and shallots, cooking until fragrant and slightly golden.
- Add the Anchovies: Toss in the stir-fried anchovies and cook for a couple of minutes until they are crispy and aromatic.
- Mix in the Rice: Add the cooked rice and stir well to combine, making sure every grain is coated with the flavor from the anchovies. Add the dark sweet soy sauce, gochujang, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Stir well to ensure everything is evenly mixed.
- Create a Well: Push the rice to the sides of the wok, creating a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well, scramble, and then mix them into the rice.
- Add the Cabbage: Toss in the cabbage and cook until just tender but still crunchy.
- Finish with Green Onions and Lime: Stir in the green onions and finish with a squeeze of lime or lemon for brightness. Serve hot!
Rose's Tips
- Day-old rice is non-negotiable for texture. Freshly cooked rice has too much moisture. It steams in the wok instead of frying, and you end up with a clumped, mushy result. When rice sits in the fridge overnight, the starches firm up and the grains dry out slightly, which means they coat evenly in oil and stay separate when stir-fried. If you only have fresh rice, spread it on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour uncovered to dry it out a bit.
- Use the highest heat you have. Fried rice needs high heat to stir-fry rather than steam. If your pan isn't hot enough when the rice goes in, the moisture from the rice lowers the temperature and you get steamed rice instead of fried.
- Season at the end, not the beginning. Anchovies are salty. Dark soy sauce is salty. Add the soy sauce and gochujang, toss everything together, and taste before reaching for the salt shaker. You may not need it at all.
- Save some anchovies for the top. If you have extra, set aside a small handful of anchovies before adding them to the wok.
- Sesame oil goes in last. It's a finishing oil, not a cooking fat. Added too early, the heat destroys its delicate aroma. Drizzle it over the finished rice just before serving.
Variations
- Classic garlic sinangag: Skip the anchovies and gochujang, double the garlic.
- Nasi goreng kampung style: Swap gochujang for sambal oelek and top with crispy fried shallots.
- Extra veggie: Add diced carrots, peas, or bell peppers with the cabbage.
- Spicier: Double the gochujang or add chili garlic sauce.
- Without eggs: Skip the scrambled egg and serve a fried egg on the side.
What to Serve With Sinangag na Dilis
Serve it silog-style as dilisilog with a fried egg plus atchara or a calamansi wedge for brightness. For a bigger meal, pair it with tocino or longganisa, or serve it as a side with grilled chicken like inasal or any Filipino pork stew.
How to Store Leftovers
To store leftovers, let the fried rice cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in a wok or skillet over medium heat, adding a splash of water or broth to bring back moisture.
Recipe FAQs
Sinangag is Filipino garlic fried rice, day-old rice stir-fried in garlic-infused oil until fragrant and lightly crispy. It's one of the most fundamental dishes in Filipino cooking, served at almost every breakfast and used as the base for silog meals (sinangag + itlog + protein). The garlic is always generous, and the goal is grains that are separate, coated, and nutty from the browned garlic oil.
Dilis is the Filipino word for anchovies — specifically small, dried or fried anchovies that are a common ingredient across Filipino cooking. They appear as a snack, a soup ingredient, a topping for rice, and a flavoring for stir-fries. In this recipe, they're the protein and the primary seasoning of the fried rice.
Dilisilog is the name for the full Filipino breakfast plate: dilis (anchovies) + sinangag (garlic fried rice) + log (itlog, or egg). It's one of dozens of silog combinations in Filipino breakfast culture — each named for whatever protein accompanies the garlic rice and egg. Tocilog (tocino + sinangag + itlog), longsilog (longganisa), bangsilog (bangus/milkfish) the format is endlessly adaptable.
Technically yes, but the texture will suffer. Fresh rice has too much moisture, which means it steams rather than fries and tends to clump. If you need to use fresh rice, spread it on a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered for at least an hour to dry it out before using. Day-old cold rice from the fridge gives the best result with the least effort.
Substitute with sriracha (use about half the amount - it's thinner and spicier), chili garlic paste, or a pinch of chili flakes. Or omit it entirely, the anchovies and garlic carry plenty of flavor on their own. The gochujang adds warmth and a subtle fermented depth, but the dish works without it.
Yes. Shrimp works particularly well alongside the anchovies - add raw, peeled shrimp after the aromatics and cook until just pink before adding the rice. Diced cooked pork or chicken stirred in with the rice is another easy addition.
More Filipino Fried Rice and Breakfast Recipes
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Anchovies Fried Rice (Sinangag na Dilis) Recipe
Equipment
- 1 wok
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 shallots, chopped
- 1 ½ cup Stir Fried Anchovies
- 4 cups cooked rice
- 1 tablespoon Dark Sweet Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1 tablespoon gochujang
- 4 eggs eggs scrambled
- green onions chopped
- 2 cups cabbage chopped
- 1 lime or lemon, juice
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat your wok: Heat a wok over medium-high heat and add a bit of oil. Add garlic and shallots, cooking until fragrant and slightly golden.2 tablespoon avocado oil, 5 cloves garlic, crushed, 1 shallots, chopped
- Add the Anchovies: Toss in the stir-fried anchovies and cook for a couple of minutes until they are crispy and aromatic.1 ½ cup Stir Fried Anchovies
- Mix in the Rice: Add the cooked rice and stir well to combine, making sure every grain is coated with the flavor from the anchovies.4 cups cooked rice
- Add the dark sweet soy sauce, gochujang, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Stir well to ensure everything is evenly mixed.1 tablespoon Dark Sweet Soy Sauce, 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil, 1 tablespoon gochujang, salt, pepper
- Create a Well: Push the rice to the sides of the wok, creating a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well, scramble, and then mix them into the rice.4 eggs eggs
- Add the Cabbage: Toss in the cabbage and cook until just tender but still crunchy.2 cups cabbage
- Finish with Green Onions and Lime: Stir in the green onions and finish with a squeeze of lime or lemon for brightness. Serve hot!green onions, 1 lime or lemon, juice
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Notes
- Use day-old cold rice for best texture. Fresh rice turns mushy.
- If using fresh rice, spread on a baking sheet and chill uncovered 1 hour to dry it out.
- Cook on the highest heat so the rice fries, not steams.
- Season at the end. Anchovies and soy are salty, taste first before adding salt.
- Save a handful of anchovies to sprinkle on top for extra crunch.
- Add sesame oil last right before serving to keep the aroma.
