Quick Meals

Pork BBQ Skewers (Sweet, Sticky, and Smoky Filipino Street Food)

3 min

Slice the pork shoulder against the grain, about a quarter inch thick, so each ribbon takes the marinade fast and chars at the edges instead of drying out. The banana ketchup and brown sugar are what give you that lacquered, sticky finish, and the splash of 7-Up does more than sweeten. Its acidity loosens the meat over a long soak, which is why overnight beats a rushed four hours. Weave the slices flat onto the skewer like a ribbon and you'll get more surface hitting the grate, more char per bite.

By Nora Calloway

A little backstory

These skewers are a fixture of Filipino street corners and fiestas, sold off charcoal grills and known simply as pork BBQ. The two ingredients that mark it as Filipino are banana ketchup, a sweet red sauce invented in the Philippines during a WWII-era tomato shortage, and calamansi, the small citrus that brightens the marinade. Lemon-lime soda in the mix is a common home-cook trick passed around for tenderness and a faster caramel on the grill.

Filipino pork BBQ skewers are the smell of every great block party, fiesta, and roadside grill. Sweet, savory, slightly smoky, and unapologetically sticky. The secret? Banana ketchup, calamansi, and a whole lot of garlic. The pork gets tender, the edges get charred, and you eat it straight off the stick like a happy caveman.

No bamboo grilling skills needed. Just marinate, skewer, grill, and baste. Repeat the basting. Trust me.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1 1

Make the Marinade

In a bowl, combine banana ketchup, soda, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, calamansi juice, and pepper. Whisk well.

2 2

Marinate the Pork

Add pork slices and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (overnight is best). Reserve ½ cup marinade for basting.

3 3

Skewer the Meat

Thread pork slices onto soaked bamboo skewers (1-2 pieces per skewer, weaving them flat like a ribbon).

4 4

Grill the Skewers

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Grill skewers for 3-4 minutes per side, basting frequently with reserved marinade.

Cook until charred at the edges, slightly sticky, and cooked through (internal temp 145°F/63°C).

5 5

Serve

Serve hot with steamed rice and more banana ketchup on the side. Pull the meat off the stick with your teeth. That’s the law.

Summary

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes (plus marinating)

Yield: 10-12 skewers

Difficulty: Easy

Storage Notes

How to Store Leftovers:

Refrigerate cooked skewers for up to 3 days. Reheat on a grill or in a hot pan (microwave makes them sad). Raw marinated pork freezes beautifully for up to 3 months.

No Grill?

Use a cast iron pan or broiler. High heat is key. You want char, not steam.

The Ingredients

Everything you need.

Prep

15 minutes

Cook

10 minutes

Total

25 minutes (plus marinating)

Yield

10-12 skewers

Ingredients

Serves 4-6 (about 10-12 skewers).

2 lbs (900g) pork shoulder, sliced thinly (¼-inch thick, 2-inch wide pieces)
1 cup banana ketchup (or regular ketchup + 1 tbsp brown sugar)
½ cup lemon-lime soda (7-Up or Sprite)
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons calamansi juice (or lemon juice)
1 teaspoon black pepper
Bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 30 minutes)

Instructions

1
Make the Marinade. Make the Marinade. In a bowl, combine banana ketchup, soda, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, calamansi juice, and pepper. Whisk well. 2 2
2
Marinate the Pork. Marinate the Pork. Add pork slices and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (overnight is best). Reserve ½ cup marinade for basting. 3 3
3
Skewer the Meat. Skewer the Meat. Thread pork slices onto soaked bamboo skewers (1-2 pieces per skewer, weaving them flat like a ribbon). 4 4
4
Grill the Skewers. Grill the Skewers. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Grill skewers for 3-4 minutes per side, basting frequently with reserved marinade. Cook until charred at the edges, slightly sticky, and cooked through (internal temp 145°F/63°C). 5 5
5
Serve. Serve. Serve hot with steamed rice and more banana ketchup on the side. Pull the meat off the stick with your teeth. That’s the law
6
How to Store Leftovers:. How to Store Leftovers:. Refrigerate cooked skewers for up to 3 days. Reheat on a grill or in a hot pan (microwave makes them sad). Raw marinated pork freezes beautifully for up to 3 months
7
No Grill?. No Grill?. Use a cast iron pan or broiler. High heat is key. You want char, not steam

Swaps & Substitutions

Banana ketchup → regular ketchup plus 1 tbsp brown sugar; you lose a little of the signature tang but the color and sweetness hold up
Calamansi juice → lemon juice, or half lemon half orange to mimic that floral note
Soy sauce → tamari or coconut aminos for gluten-free; coconut aminos is sweeter, so cut the brown sugar by a spoon
Pork shoulder → chicken thigh works and stays juicy, but it cooks faster so watch the grill closely
Lemon-lime soda → ginger ale, or pineapple juice if you want more acidity for tenderizing
Bamboo skewers → metal skewers; skip the soaking, just know metal conducts heat and can overcook the meat from the inside

Questions & Answers

Why does my marinade keep burning on the grill?

The sugar in banana ketchup and brown sugar caramelizes quick. Keep the heat at medium-high, not high, and start basting only in the last few minutes per side rather than from the start.

Can I marinate the pork overnight, or is four hours enough?

Overnight is better. The soda and calamansi need time to tenderize the shoulder, and the flavor goes deeper. Four hours is the floor, not the target.

Do I really need to soak the bamboo skewers?

Yes, 30 minutes in water. Dry skewers catch fire over the coals and snap when you turn them. Soaked ones just steam a little instead.

How do I know the pork is done?

Pull it at 145F (63C) at the thickest point. Since the slices are thin, that usually lands around 3 to 4 minutes per side with good char at the edges.

No grill. Can I cook these indoors?

A cast iron grill pan or the broiler both work. Broil close to the element, turn and baste like you would on a grill, and expect a touch less smoke.

Pork BBQ Skewers (Sweet, Sticky, and Smoky Filipino Street Food)