Crispy Garlic Rice Waffles with Corned Beef & Egg (Corned Beef Silog Waffles)

It’s been over 5 years since I first put leftover garlic fried rice in my waffle iron, and life has never been the same. If you’ve been following me for a while, then you know I’ve been consistently encouraging you all to reheat cold rice by throwing it straight into your waffle iron to produce crispy on the outside, soft and steamy on the inside rice waffles. Since this corned beef garlic rice waffle is what started it all, I figured it’s time I finally shared the full recipe for this twist on a Filipino classic for #SarapSundayz.

Corned beef was first brought to the Philippines by American soldiers during World War II along with SPAM, and even though both are considered cheap, unappetizing proteins by many in the US, the canned goods were actually perceived by Filipinos as having high status since they were imported. That popularity has remained thanks to its long shelf life without the need for refrigeration, crucial in the tropical climates of the Philippines. It’s often eaten for breakfast as corned beef silog with garlic rice and a fried egg, or more simply spread inside a toasted pandesal roll (one of my personal favorite snacks growing up).

To make this, you ideally want to start with cold leftover garlic rice. My recommendation would be to just always have garlic rice on hand by making a big batch before the weekend hits because this rice waffle is perfect for hangovers (and who could say no to having extra garlic rice?). But you can definitely also use freshly made garlic rice, the rice just might not end up as crispy.

You’ll also get the best taste if you brown up your corned beef a bit before mixing it into the garlic rice. You can do this right in the waffle iron, or you could do it on the stove and add some onions or even potatoes to make a hash. All of these will result in an absolutely delicious result.

From there, it’s as easy as heating up your waffle iron, spraying it with oil or a nonstick spray, mixing the garlic rice and corned beef in a bowl to add to the waffle iron, and waiting about 5 minutes for it to crisp up. If you want a less dense waffle, just don’t press as hard when you close the waffle iron – this will give you a softer middle of your waffle, but you’ll want to be careful when removing it since the waffle won’t be as in tact. To make it a true Filipino silog, top it off with a sunny side up egg so that yolk can ooze into the grooves of your waffle 🤤 You can also use this technique for any leftover fried rice you have – give it a try and tag me so I can see your creations!