Pancit Bihon (Filipino Rice Noodles)

Pancit Bihon is a special Filipino dish packed with chewy rice noodles and tons of vegetables and proteins. Served mainly in celebrations, it was thought that the longer the pancit noodle, the longer your life will be!

I’ve been running this blog for a little almost a year now, and I’m JUST about getting to this staple Pinoy recipe after so many requests!

I just had to be sure I got the ratios right for this recipe, so who better to consult than my own dad, whose specialty is making his famous pancit? He would typically just eyeball all the ingredients for pancit, but it would taste delicious every time.

For that reason, playing around with the specific measurements for the veggies, proteins, and sauce were a slight pain since I had to do so many trial runs for the recipe (hence why I’ve been stuffed full of noodles these past couple weeks).

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What is Pancit?

Pancit is one of the most famous Filipino foods, next to lumpia or adobo. It was originally brought to the Philippines through Chinese immigrants, and over decades has become a Filipino staple that catered to local tastes.

The name is a general term that encompasses a wide variety of regional variants, all depending on the type of noodle used.

For this recipe, we’re using bihon noodles, a type of chewy, stringy, and thin Filipino noodle. Other variants include Pancit Canton (which uses thick wheat noodles) or Pancit Malabon (which uses thick rice noodles and lots of seafood).

Pancit is also a special dish, meaning Filipinos won’t typically make this unless something (or someone) is being celebrated. It’s a lot of work to make, and a true labor of love. That’s why you’ll typically only see this dish at Filipino parties, potlucks, or special get-togethers!

My dad’s version can be broken up into 3 steps:

1. Cook the proteins,
2. Stir fry the veggies, and
3. Soften the noodles in the broth and bring everything together.

Breaking up the recipe into 3 steps honestly made the whole cooking process less daunting for me. I always thought making Pancit was incredibly intricate, when it really just took some prep work and a bit of patience with stir-frying.

All of the components above are tossed together to make a hearty, filling, and savory noodle dish that’s perfect for any day of the week or for special occasions.

Ingredients

Bihon noodles: Bihon are thin, chewy, noodles either made from rice or cornstarch that can be found in most Filipino convenience stores or within in your local Asian supermarket.

My family always uses the “Super Q” brand as their noodles do a great job in remaining chewy and they’re not overly prone to breaking in the stir fry. Other brands worth mentioning include Dynasty Mai Fun Rice Sticks and Excellent Rice Sticks, which are also great for bihon.

Soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, ground black pepper, calamansi juice, water, chicken bouillon cube: This will form the basis for our pancit sauce. The soy sauces, oyster sauce, and chicken bouillon provide the sauce with that deep, umami flavor; while the sugar and calamansi provide a perfect balance of sweet and tang, respectively.

Note that some recipes would instruct you to soften the noodles by soaking them in water beforehand…Despite that, my dad always swore by softening the noodles directly into the sauce instead since the noodles end up absorbing all the seasonings, leading to TONS more flavor.

Garlic, onion, cabbage, celery leaves, carrot, snap peas: We’ll be stir frying these veggies slightly, just enough until they soften, but still retaining a slight crunch when we toss it in with the bihon noodles.

Pork belly, Chinese sausage, shrimp: These will be the main proteins used for our pancit. My dad always liked using a combination of proteins to make his pancit even more special and luxurious for special occasions. Feel free to omit or add any ingredients to suit your preferences.

A quick note on proteins, you’re always free to use leftovers as well! If you had any leftover rotisserie chicken from last night’s dinner, throw them in the pancit. This is one of the perfect times you can repurpose leftover food and give it new life in a delicious noodle stir fry.

Toppings: One of the traditional ways to serve pancit is with a side of citrus and/or soy sauce. The rationale is that you can further customize your pancit to how you want it to taste in your bowl -with a squeeze of calamansi to further brighten the dish, and/or a spoonful of soy sauce if you prefer the noodles more on the savory/saltier side.

Instructions

Prepare the proteins

In a wok or large pan over medium heat, gently fry the pork belly until most of the fat has rendered off and it has become browned in color, about 7-10 minutes. Set aside.

Briefly fry the shrimp for 2-3 minutes until just cooked through, set aside.

Prepare the vegetables

In the same wok over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of oil. Saute the the onions until softened, about 3-5 minutes.
Add in the garlic and Chinese sausage, and continue to saute until the garlic is golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add in the cabbage, carrots, and snap peas. Stir fry for about 5 minutes, tossing frequently, until the vegetables have slightly softened, set aside.

Prepare the noodles

In a bowl, mix together the hot water, chicken bouillon cube, soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, calamansi juice, and ground black pepper until combined and the chicken bouillon cube has completely dissolved.

Pour the sauce mixture into the wok and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add in the dried bihon noodles and lower the heat to medium low. Let the bihon noodles soak up the sauce, stirring occasionally, until they soften and all the sauce has been absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Toss in the reserved proteins, stir-fried vegetables, and a handful of celery leaves. Gently mix everything together until fully combined. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Serve warm with calamansi juice on the side. Enjoy!

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How do I store leftovers?

Leftover Pancit can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. If you’re ever unsure, just rely on your nose. If it ever smells off or funky, it might not be good anymore and it’s best to toss it.

To reheat, simply place in the microwave or on stovetop and heat until all the noodles are fully warmed-through.

Can I make this in advance?

You can definitely prepare the pancit a day ahead. When ready to serve, you can either reheat the noodles in the oven (around 350F), tossing the noodles frequently as to prevent burning; or gently stir-fry in a large wok or pan with a small amount of oil .

Do I have to use pork?

You’re free to omit and substitute all of the proteins and mix-ins in the recipe as you please -there are no strict rules.

That being said, pork can be omitted and replaced with beef, chicken, and/or tofu if you’d prefer. The pancit can also be made vegetarian by simply omitting the animal proteins altogether.

Why are my noodles or too dry/too mushy?

In short, if your bihon noodles are too dry, you need more liquid. If your bihon noodles are too wet, you’ve added too much liquid.

Fixing dry noodles are easier than fixing mushy ones (you can always add more liquid, but it’s more difficult to remove). To fix the dry noodles, add extra water bit by bit until the noodles soak all of it up and have become more pliable and chewy in texture.

Looking for more delicious noodle dishes? Here’s a couple more you might love:

• Creamy Sesame Noodles
• Yaki Udon (Japanese Stir-Fried Udon Noodles)
• Spicy Chili Oil Noodles
• Salted Egg Noodles