Pork Menudo with Bell Pepper is the version many readers asked me to post over the years. I grew up enjoying my original pork menudo, the one without bell peppers, and that is still the menudo I cook for myself most of the time. To be honest, I have added bell peppers to my menudo before when I felt like it, then I usually go back to the original because that is what I am used to. Both are delicious. I like both. This Pork Menudo with Bell Pepper recipe uses the same diced pork, liver, and hotdogs in a savory tomato sauce, with red and green peppers added near the end so they keep their color.

This is the kind of menudo many families serve for birthdays, weekend lunches, and small celebrations because the color makes it look more festive on the table. The cooking method is the same as my original. The peppers are the main difference. They bring a mild sweetness and a little freshness to the rich tomato sauce.

If you have not made menudo before, this version is a good place to start. The peppers are easy to handle, the steps are simple, and the leftovers taste even better the next day.

What is Pork Menudo with Bell Pepper?

Filipino menudo is different from the Mexican soup with the same name. Ours is a tomato stew with pork, liver, potatoes, carrots, and usually hotdogs. Every family has its own way of cooking it. The name comes from the Spanish word for “small bits,” which describes how every ingredient is cut into uniform, bite-sized pieces.

The bell pepper version is one of the most common variations in Filipino kitchens. The red and green peppers add color, a little sweetness, and some freshness to balance the savory hotdogs and the earthy liver. Some homes go heavier on the peppers, some lighter. The dish stays the same at its core.

What makes Pork Menudo different from afritada and kaldereta is the pork liver and the smaller, uniform cuts of meat. Most Filipino families I know have their own way of making it, passed down or adjusted over time, and this is one of those adjustments many readers wanted me to share.

What Makes This Version Work

I cook this a certain way because it gives me better texture and flavor in every batch of Pork Menudo with Bell Pepper.

• Marinating the pork in soy sauce. A ten-minute soak gets the soy sauce into the meat. The pork has flavor on its own before the sauce ever touches it.
• Frying the carrots and potatoes first. Pre-frying gives them a light crust. They keep their shape in the simmer instead of falling apart.
• Sautéing the liver separately. I cook the liver on its own with onion to keep it tender. Drop raw liver into the pot and it boils into something rubbery.
• Adding the bell peppers near the end. Peppers only need about a minute. Anything longer takes the color and the snap out of them.
• Building the sauce in stages. Garlic, then onion, then pork, then tomato sauce. Each layer cooks before the next one goes in. That is where the depth in the sauce comes from.

Ingredients

• Pork shoulder. The main meat, diced into bite-sized pieces. Pork shoulder has enough fat to stay tender after a long simmer.
• Pork liver. Adds an earthy depth and helps thicken the sauce. Cut to match the size of the pork.
• Red bell pepper. Cut into squares for color and a mild sweetness.
• Green bell pepper. Goes in with the red for visual balance.
• Carrots and potatoes. Both diced and pre-fried so they hold their shape.
• Hotdogs. Sliced into half-inch pieces. A common Filipino addition that gives the stew a smoky bite.
• Tomato sauce. Eight ounces is enough for this batch. The base of the stew.
• Onions. Used in two stages. Half goes with the liver, half with the garlic.
• Garlic. Chopped and sautéed until it just starts to brown.
• Dried bay leaves. Three leaves for aroma during the simmer.
• Soy sauce. For the pork marinade.
• Beef powder. Rounds out the sauce.
• Cooking oil. For pre-frying the vegetables and sautéing.
• Water. Loosens the sauce and helps cook the pork to tender.
• Sugar. Just a teaspoon, to balance the acidity from the tomato sauce.
• Fish sauce and ground black pepper. Final seasoning to taste.

I like doing this in stages so nothing gets overcooked. First the pork, then the vegetables, then the liver, and finally the simmer.

1. Combine the diced pork and soy sauce in a bowl. Mix well.
2. Let it stay for 10 minutes while you prep the other ingredients.

Ten minutes is enough. Soaking the pork much longer pulls moisture out of the meat.

1. Heat the cooking oil in a pan. Fry the carrots and potatoes until they start to brown, then remove and drain.
2. Leave about two tablespoons of oil in the pan and sauté the hotdogs for one to one and a half minutes. Remove and set aside.

The pre-fry locks in the shape of the carrots and potatoes so they hold up during the simmer.

1. Add two tablespoons of oil to the same pan. Sauté half the chopped onion until soft.
2. Add the liver and continue cooking until it browns lightly. Remove and set aside.
3. Pour three tablespoons of the used oil back into the pan. Sauté the garlic until it just starts to brown.
4. Add the remaining onion and cook until soft.

Cook the liver separately. Adding it raw to the pot will turn it tough.

1. Add the marinated pork to the pan. Sauté until it turns light to medium brown.
2. Pour in the tomato sauce and water. Let it boil, then add the bay leaves and beef powder. Cover and simmer until the pork is tender.
3. Add the hotdogs and liver. Cook for three minutes. Add the bell peppers, carrots, and potatoes and cook for one minute.
4. Add the sugar. Season with fish sauce and ground black pepper to taste, then transfer to a serving plate.

Once the pork goes in, keep the heat on the lower side. Slow simmering is what gets the meat tender.

What to Serve with Pork Menudo with Bell Pepper

• White rice. What I always serve with menudo at home.
• Sinangag – Garlic fried rice gives the stew a toasty base that contrasts the sweet tomato sauce.
• Pork Sinigang – I personally like serving menudo with a bowl of pork sinigang on the side. The sour broth is the perfect counter to the rich tomato sauce of the menudo.
• Lumpia – Crispy fried lumpia works well too. The crunch and the meaty filling round out the meal.
• Pandesal – Soft Filipino bread rolls that soak up the sauce. I like using leftover menudo as a pandesal filling the next day.

Storage

This Pork Menudo with Bell Pepper stores well, and in my house it actually tastes better the next day after the flavors settle.

• Refrigerator: Cool the stew completely, then store in an airtight container for up to three days. The sauce thickens in the fridge, which is part of why the second-day version is so good.
• Freezer: Menudo freezes well for up to two months. Portion it into freezer-safe containers so you can thaw only what you need. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
• Reheating: Warm the stew in a pan over medium-low heat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Stir gently so the bell peppers and potatoes do not break apart. The microwave works if that is what you have. Heat in short bursts and stir between each one.

More Filipino Stew Recipes

• Filipino Pork Menudo Recipe – The special-occasion version with pan-fried vegetables and ginger-sautéed liver. The one I usually make for Noche Buena.
• Pork Menudo with Ham – A festive variation with sweet ham and raisins for a richer, sweeter sauce.
• Masarsang Menudo – A saucier version with bell peppers and grated cheese for a creamier finish.
• Pork Menudo sa Gata – A coconut milk version that gives the classic stew a creamy, nutty twist.
• Fiesta Menudo – The party version with raisins and a more festive presentation.
• Healthy Chicken Menudo – A lighter take with chicken instead of pork and no liver.
• Pork Giniling – A similar tomato-based dish with ground pork instead of diced.

• Pork shoulder. Pork butt or a mix of pork shoulder and pork belly also works. Both have enough fat to keep the meat tender.
• Pork liver. Chicken liver is a common swap and is a bit milder. You can also leave the liver out, though the sauce will be thinner.
• Hotdogs. Vienna sausage or sliced sweet ham can stand in. The dish will be a bit sweeter.
• Tomato sauce. Crushed tomatoes work, or two tablespoons of tomato paste mixed with water. Filipino-style sweet spaghetti sauce also works if you want a sweeter sauce.
• Beef powder. A pork or chicken bouillon cube is fine. Use one cube and dissolve it in the water before adding.
• Soy sauce. Light soy sauce or a low-sodium version works. Reduce the fish sauce at the end if you swap.

This Pork Menudo with Bell Pepper is the version my readers asked me to post, and I am glad I finally did. The original is still my everyday menudo, but this one earns its place on the table when I want a more colorful spread. Try it for your next Sunday lunch or family gathering and see which version your household ends up liking more.