Jollibee Style Spaghetti

Jollibee spaghetti is a sweet Filipino spaghetti made with ground pork, sliced hotdogs, tomato sauce, sugar, and a thick layer of melted cheese on top. The sauce is sweeter than a typical meat sauce and the hotdogs give it that salty, slightly smoky bite that balances everything out. I use ground pork for this recipe because it costs less than beef and I think it produces a better tasting sauce. The cheese on top is Velveeta – it melts smooth and does not clump.

 

I have been making this at home for years. My kids want it for every birthday, and I end up cooking it on regular weeknights too because it is not hard to put together. Most of the time is just the sauce sitting on the stove.

If you grew up in the Philippines, you already know what this tastes like. If you did not, think of it as pasta with a sweet, meaty red sauce and cheese. That is Jollibee spaghetti.

The Story Behind Jollibee Spaghetti

I first had this at an actual Jollibee restaurant when I was a kid. The spaghetti came in a red box with a piece of Chickenjoy on the side. The sauce was bright red and noticeably sweet, and there were sliced hotdogs mixed in. I did not know at the time that it was different from Italian spaghetti. I just knew I liked it.

Jollibee started in the late 1970s in Quezon City as an ice cream parlor before expanding into hot meals. The Jolly Spaghetti became one of their biggest sellers. Filipino spaghetti in general is sweeter than the Italian version because Filipinos like that sweet-savory combination in a lot of dishes. Jollibee went further than most – their sauce is very sweet, the hotdogs are sliced diagonally, and the cheese on top is a processed quick-melt type that gets soft and stretchy when it hits the hot sauce. It became the default birthday party food across the Philippines. Every kid had it. Most adults still eat it. Jollibee now has locations around the world, and the spaghetti is still on every menu.

What separates Jollibee spaghetti from a regular Filipino spaghetti sauce is the sweetness level. It is noticeably sweeter, and the processed cheese on top is non-negotiable. Without the cheese, it is just sweet spaghetti. With the cheese, it is Jollibee.

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

• Ground pork – I prefer pork over beef here. It has a natural sweetness that works better with the sauce.
• Ham – Minced. It adds another layer of meat flavor.
• Red hotdogs – Sliced diagonally. Filipino-style red hotdogs are best if you can find them.
• Tomato sauce – Canned, 15 oz cans. Three of them.
• Tomato paste – Half a cup, added near the end.
• Beef broth – Two cups. This is what gives the sauce depth even though we are using pork.
• Granulated white sugar – Half a cup. Yes, half a cup.
• Yellow onion – Minced.
• Garlic – Two teaspoons, minced.
• Cooking oil
• Salt and pepper

For the Pasta and Topping:

• Spaghetti noodles – Two pounds.
• Cheese – Velveeta or any quick-melt processed cheese, grated.

The whole recipe takes about an hour and ten minutes. Most of that is the sauce simmering on its own.

1. Boil a large pot of salted water. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package instructions.
2. Drain and set aside. I add a small drizzle of oil so the noodles do not stick while I finish the sauce.

1. Heat the cooking oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the garlic and onion until the onion softens.
2. Add the minced ham. Cook for about 3 minutes.
3. Add the ground pork. Break it up with a spatula and cook for 5 minutes until lightly browned. I try to get the pork into small pieces here so the sauce is not chunky.
4. Pour in the tomato sauce and beef broth. Stir, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 60 minutes.

Do not skip the 60 minutes. I have tried shorter times and the sauce tastes flat. The long simmer is what makes it.

1. After the hour, add the sliced hotdogs and tomato paste. Stir and cook for 10 more minutes. The sauce will thicken up.
2. Add the sugar, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

1. Put the spaghetti on a serving plate or individual plates. Pour the sauce over the noodles.
2. Grate cheese on top. Serve right away while the cheese is still soft.

What Makes This Jollibee Spaghetti Version Different

Most copycat recipes online use ground beef. Jollibee itself uses beef. But I use ground pork because I grew up eating Filipino spaghetti with pork, and I think pork gives the sauce a better sweetness. Beef makes the sauce taste heavier. With pork and minced ham together, the sauce is meaty without being dense.

I also simmer the sauce for a full hour. The tomato sauce needs to reduce and the pork fat needs to render into the liquid before the flavor comes together. At 20 minutes, the sauce still tastes like plain tomato sauce with meat in it. At 60, it tastes like Jollibee spaghetti.

Serving and Pairing Ideas

At Jollibee, this comes with fried chicken. That is the standard pairing and it works. The crispy chicken next to the sweet pasta makes sense. At home, I usually serve it with garlic bread on the side because my family goes through bread fast when there is sauce on the table.

• Fried chicken – The classic Jollibee combination. Birthday party standard.
• Lumpiang Shanghai – Fried lumpia next to sweet spaghetti is a standard Filipino party combination.
• Calamansi juice or lemonade – Something cold and tart to go with the sweetness of the sauce.

Substitutions and Variations

• I prefer ground pork, but ground beef works if that is what you have. Jollibee uses beef. A 50/50 mix of pork and beef is also good. For the ham, diced Spam is a fine substitute. It has the same salty, processed flavor.
• The cheese should be Velveeta or any quick-melt processed cheese. Do not use Parmesan or cheddar blocks. They do not melt the right way for this dish. You want something soft that turns stretchy on contact with the hot sauce.
• For the sugar, you can use brown sugar or condensed milk instead. Condensed milk makes the sauce slightly creamier, and some Filipino cooks swear by it. I have tried it. It works, but I still prefer plain white sugar because the flavor is cleaner.
• Some cooks in the Philippines add liver spread to their sauce. It gives a deeper, richer taste. I do not add it to this recipe, but if you like liver spread in your spaghetti, a tablespoon or two will not hurt.

Storage and Leftovers

Jollibee spaghetti keeps well if stored properly. Keep the sauce and noodles separately. The noodles absorb all the sauce overnight if you keep them together, and you end up with dry pasta the next day.

• Refrigerator: Sauce keeps for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
• Freezer: The sauce freezes well for up to 2 months. Do not freeze the noodles.
• Reheating: Warm the sauce in a pot over medium-low heat. If it is too thick, add a splash of water. Reheat noodles by dipping them in boiling water for about 30 seconds.

Leftover sauce on top of pandesal is a good snack. My kids eat it that way.

More Spaghetti Recipes

• Sweet Chicken Spaghetti – Same sweet Filipino sauce but with ground chicken instead of pork.
• Baked Spaghetti – Filipino spaghetti baked in the oven with cheese on top.
• Spaghetti Carbonara – Creamy Filipino-style carbonara with ham, mushrooms, and all-purpose cream.

Frequently Asked Questions

This is a good recipe to make at home when you want Jollibee spaghetti but do not have a Jollibee nearby. The sauce takes time, but the work itself is not complicated. Watch the video below if you want to see the full process.