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I made this for dinner today for my fiancé who is Filipino (not from Cebu though), and he said it was even better than the pancit his family makes. Thanks for the recipe. Keep the Filipino recipes coming, so I can continue to impress!
Amelia
Pancit Is So Close To My Heart
This recipe feels so special to me, and not just because it’s delicious.
My husband and I lived in the Philippines for a year and worked at an orphanage, and pancit was the heartbeat of so many special moments. It was the food that the kids requested at their birthday parties. It’s what we ate for dinner on random Tuesday nights when I was a bantay (house babysitter) with all the kids. It’s just right at the top of the list when I think of Filipino food.
The aunties at the orphanage have been cooking pancit, and humba, and adobo, and biko, and maja for these kids for 10, 20, even 30 years. So this is how I learned to make pancit: I sat in the very, very hot kitchen with them while they cooked. I took pictures and transcribed their notes to me. I want to take you back there with me, and I hope these pictures will do that. Thank you to Auntie Febe for showing me the ropes – you’ll see her pictured below.
I originally published this recipe to very closely match how the aunties made it for all the kids in the house. (You can see that version here.)
And now, 10+ years later, I’ve given this recipe an update that includes a bit more detail and ratios more suited to a family dinner instead of a table full of kids at an orphanage. All with a heart of great appreciation and nostalgia for those love-filled dinners with tiny hands scooping up forkfuls of noodles.
What Is Pancit?
Pancit Canton, Pancit Bihon, an Bam-i are all varieties of a Filipino stir-fried noodle dishes. This recipe is more like pancit bihon thanks to the use of the very thin, translucent rice noodles – but I also love this with a thicker noodle (pancit canton) like what’s in the picture above. And, often at the shelter, they would combine thick and thin noodles together, so there’s a soft spot in my heart for that as well.
Salamat kaayo, many thanks, to sweet Auntie Febe (pictured in this post) for teaching me how to make this. I made my own recipe for pancit a while back but this one is my treasured recipe. Pancit will forever be one of my favorite Filipino foods.
How To Make Pancit
One of the things I love most about this recipe is that it’s very very easy. Once you have everything chopped and sliced and ready to go, it only takes a few steps.
- Soak Noodles: Prep your noodles by soaking them in cold water.
- Cook Pork: Cook the pork in the skillet.
- Add Veggies: Add the veggies and cook until softened.
- Simmer: Add shrimp, broth, sauce, and noodles and simmer.
So comforting, so delicious. This is my favorite kind of food.
Variations On Pancit
- Noodles: There are two noodles I’ve used for pancit – pancit bihon uses thin vermicelli noodles (what’s featured in this recipe), or you can use thicker noodles also pictured in this recipe (pancit canton). Or a mix of both!
- Protein: I love pork and shrimp together in this – but honestly, I could skip the meat altogether and just eat a plate of pancit stuffed with veggies. And call me crazy, but the texture when it’s cold and it kind of all starts to stick together in the fridge? Really hits just right for a late-night snack.
- Veggies: Feel free to use whatever veggies you have on hand or love the most – carrots, cabbage, green beans, snap peas, bell peppers, or bok choy are all great.
Watch How To Make Pancit
Filipino Pancit
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
I learned this Filipino Pancit recipe at the orphanage that I worked at for a year in Cebu. It’s my all-time favorite Filipino recipe!
Ingredients
Pancit:
- 8 oz package vermicelli noodles (see notes)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 pound pork tenderloin, thinly sliced into small pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 shallots, minced (or sub one onion)
- 2–3 cups finely sliced veggies
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 pound raw shrimp
Pancit Broth:
- 1 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
Toppings:
- juice of 1–2 limes (or calamansi!) for topping
- green onions for topping
Instructions
- Prep Noodles: Soak the noodles in warm water for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Cook The Pork: Brown the pork in the oil with the shallot and salt. Add the sugar and cook for another 2-3 minutes to get some caramelization.
- Add The Veggies: Add the vegetables and sauté for 3-5 minutes, until just starting to brown and soften.
- Finish: Add broth, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Add soaked noodles and shrimp. Simmer it all together for 5-10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until most of the broth has been absorbed. YUM! Saucy and delicious.
Notes
You can buy pancit specific noodles to use in this recipe – I asked my Filipino brother and he buys these noodles! But if you’re looking for the most readily available and similar thing, the Taste of Thai vermicelli is what I like and what I used here.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Filipino
Keywords: filipino recipe, filipino pancit, pancit, filipino noodles
Three More Favorite Filipino Recipes
I wrote more about this on another blog post on the Children’s Shelter of Cebu website! ❤️
It looks like you’re sharing a blog post for a Filipino Pancit recipe. Would you like help refining or reformatting the content for your site, or do you need assistance with anything else related to the recipe? Let me know how I can assist.
Love all the recipes!
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I was in the Philippines seven times and like people have said on this already there is not one version of Poncit. Saying that I’m looking at the recipe, and I would eat that in a heartbeat. I’m a certified master baker, and a four-star pastry chef and I’ll tell you right now there are versions of everything.
This recipe, looks great I was looking for other ideas different from the recipe I usually use and found you! I have 3 Filipino grown children who have eaten my Pancit all their life and I am excited to try this version. The Cebu orphanage you worked at was it CSC? (The Minnesota gave me a clue! )
yours’ is the best recipe i have found so far online so fast and very simple to make cannot wait to make it thank you
Many years ago I had a friend that was Filipino she showed me how to make pandit. I still make it once in awhile. My daughter loves it when I make it. Guess I’d better write everything down so she can make it after I’m gone.
I still make this recipe often. I hope you do too.
Hi Lindsay, this version is, by far, the best recipe to make pancit. My mom and aunties have done it this way for decades and I’ve followed their way.
I am doing the same tonight, I hope I do OK and he loves it.
Wish me luck 😊
Tastes great! Just made this homemade Filipino Pancit for the first time using your recipe. It came out fantastic! Thank you so much for your fabulous tutorial and recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it, Pablo! Thanks for the comment!
Great recipes!
Panic canton ..did they use any fish sauce in this recipe ? If so what kind ..
No fish sauce in this recipe here. 😉
I have been to the Phils several times ,and married a filipina I ate and her filipina friends pancit. This is authentic. It is like potato salad here Everyone makes it a little differently. Saying otherwise is just erroneous speculation.
When you’re following the recipe it will turn out really bland. So don’t be afraid to get crazy adding in the salt, pepper and other seasonings
I’m gonna cook this for one of my favorite RNs for a surprise Birthday potluck 💞 it’s sounds delicious !! PS she’s Filipino so I hope she loves it!!!
Enjoy!
What kind of oil do you use?
Just vegetable oil will work here.
I halved this recipe tonight for my family of four. It was so delicious! I had never had anything quite like it before. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful dish!
Glad to hear you and your family enjoyed this!
We grew up on the Americanized version of Pancit, consisting of celery, green onions, bacon, chicken, soy sauce and thin spaghetti noodles. It’s one of the recipes where everyone says yum! What is that? So good!
i’m sorry where is the step/part of the mixed veggies?
nevermind. my bad. but yeah that is not how we do it😬
Just a question is it yellow onion and green onions?
Hi, Michelle! Yep, that’s right. 👍
Unfortunately for me I followed this recipe exactly as it says. Including the part about 1/2 cup of oil and 1 TBS of soy sauce. It tasted like literally nothing besides really oily noodles. I messaged my Filipino friend to see what was wrong. OMG they are flip flopped. Should be 1/2 cup SOY SAUCE and 1TBS OIL. I’m so grossed out now and annoyed that I spend time and money on this craptastic recipe. Thanks for nothing.
Sorry to hear this didn’t turn out for you, Beth. Thanks for sharing this feedback!
Oh my God, this is one of my favorite Filipino food. My mother is from the Philippines, and she cooks us pancit canton. Personally, pancit is more delicious if you mixed with kinds of seafood such as shrimp, squid, and sometimes we add sausages to make it more creative.
I just want to share that in the Philippines there are several kinds of noodles- pancit canton, pancit bihon, and sotanghon. For canton, we use egg noodle, Bihon we used rice noodle, and sotanghon we used Vermicelli.
Nonetheless, this looks good.
I have been wanting, for very long, to get a recipe for Pancit. I am so thrilled to find one and this looks like one that even I will be able to make. I will be trying it tomorrow.
Irritated by the non authentic comments. My sister in law and her family are Filipino and they all make pancit different. She suggested to play with different recipes to cater to our taste. As far as I’m concerned this recipe is AUTHENTIC..
This recipe was delicious and my family loved it. Thank you for the recipe.