Crab Pancit is the perfect Filipino noodle dish for seafood lovers. This easy recipe can be served as a side dish or as a main dish.
Growing up, my family cooked pancit all the time. I mean, ALL the time. We'd make Pancit Bihon, Pancit Canton, Pancit Palabok, Pancit Malabon... you name the pancit, my mom and my lola made it!
And, I absolutely LOVED it. To this day, I could eat pancit for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack. It's one of my favorite Filipino foods (because hello, noodles!) that is just right for any and every occasion.
If you've never had pancit before, you are in for a treat!
Pancit is a Filipino food that is made with noodles, vegetables, and some sort of meat protein. The specific type of pancit name is based on the type of noodle used, the type of protein used, and/or the name of the city that particular pancit dish originated from.
You can read more about the differences between the types of pancit in the Frequently Asked Questions section down below. But first, let's start making this Crab Pancit recipe!
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🌟 Why you'll love this recipe
This Crab Pancit is one of my personal favorite types of pancit.
We made this for celebrity chef and food travel expert Andrew Zimmern on the Family Dinner TV show. And to our family's delight, this recipe received his nod of approval!
"The crab broth is what makes it. Because all the flavor goes into those noodles." - Chef Andrew Zimmern
We think you'll love this recipe too, for so many reasons.
- Easy - This recipe is easy to follow and doesn't require any fancy equipment. If you don't have a wok, you can use any saucepan.
- Fast - You can make this Filipino noodle dish in 30 minutes.
- Feeds a crowd - My pancit recipes always feed a lot of people - anywhere from 8 to 12 servings, depending on how hungry everyone is. That's because that's how my mom and lola cooked, so that's how I cook pancit, too!
- Delicious - All pancit is delicious, but this Crab Pancit in particular is extra tasty. If you have homemade crab stock, that adds a super rich brothy base that builds so much flavor in the whole dish.
- Make-ahead - Pancit is great to make the day before a party or holiday gathering. It's easy to reheat in the microwave, stovetop, or oven (see instructions in the FAQs further down in the post).
🛒 Ingredient notes
Noodles - This particular pancit is best with ver thin vermicelli rice noodles. I like to keep a stash of Super Q rice noodles in my pantry. You can find these in the Asian section of your local grocery store, in Asian supermarkets, or online.
Crab - Fresh Dungeness crab is the best to use in this recipe. But you can use any fresh crab meat you can find in your local grocery store. And while imitation crab meat is not really the best for this recipe, if that's all you can find, feel free to use it!
Vegetables - My Crab Pancit recipe calls for thinly sliced carrots and red bell peppers, and trimmed snow peas or snap peas.
Sauce - Use oyster sauce, soy sauce, and crab stock for the sauce. You can use fish sauce instead of oyster sauce, and store-bought seafood stock or broth instead of homemade crab stock if you want.
Aromatics - Minced garlic, ginger, and diced onions add flavorful aromatics to this pancit.
Optional: sliced spring onions for garnish.
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✅ Step-by-step instructions
The full list of ingredients and instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here's a step-by-step photo guide to help you make this pancit!
- Start by soaking the rice noodles in water in a large pot.
- While the noodles soak, add the oil to a wok over medium-high heat. Once the oil is heated up, add the crab meat. Cook the crab meat just until the meat is cooked through, about 2-4 minutes. Transfer the cooked crab meat to a plate and set aside.
3. Add the carrots, red bell pepper, and snow peas (or snap peas) to the wok. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 2 minutes, just until the vegetables are slightly softened.
4. Add the minced garlic and ginger and the diced onions to the wok. Stir and sauté garlic, ginger, and onions with the other ingredients for about 1 minute, just until they are soft and fragrant.
5. Return the cooked crab back to the wok.
6. Pour in the oyster sauce, soy sauce, and crab stock. Stir, and cook for 1 minute.
7. Drain the noodles from the pot of water. By now they should be soft and pliable. Add them to the wok.
8. Use tongs to toss the noodles in with the other ingredients, until the noodles are all coated with the sauce and ingredients are mixed throughout. Serve immediately.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
The difference between pancit bihon and pancit canton is the type of noodles used. Pancit Bihon uses a very thin, translucent rice vermicelli noodle. Pancit Canton uses a thicker wheat noodle.
Pancit Malabon comes from the city of Malabon. Both Pancit Malabon and Pancit Palabok contain seafood. However, Pancit Malabon is made with thicker cornstarch noodles whereas Pancit Palabok is made with thin rice noodles similar to the noodles used in this Crab Pancit and in Panchit Bihon. Pancit Palabok contains a Palabok sauce that is on top of the noodles; the sauce in Pancit Malabon is mixed in with the noodles
Store pancit in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three or four days.
You can freeze pancit, but I recommend only freezing for a limited time since the noodles are very delicate. Store in a freezer-safe airtight container in the freezer for up to one month.
🍽 Serving ideas
Pancit is a dish that can be served as a side dish or as the main course.
If enjoying this Filipino recipe as a side dish, consider serving it with a hearty main course such as Instant Pot Chicken Adobo, Slow Cooker Short Rib Adobo, or Beef Mechado.
As a main course, it's delicious when served with Filipino side dishes such as Lumpia, Pandesal, and Filipino Mac Salad. Or enjoy it simple with Instant Pot Garlic Rice or white rice.
🍷 🥂 Wine pairings
A wonderful wine pairing for crab pancit is a dry Riesling or Muscat. But I also really love this Filipino noodle dish with almost any sparkling wine.
It's great with sparkling rosé wine!
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make this recipe? Here are the kitchen tools and equipment you'll need:
- Wok - If you have a wok, that's the best type of pan to make pancit. But I've also made this in a large skillet and that works, too!
- Tongs - Kitchen tongs make it easy to toss the noodles in and coat all of the ingredients with the rich sauce.
More Filipino recipes
Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Crab Pancit
Equipment
- Slotted Spoon
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried rice noodles, such as Super Q Bihon Noodles
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1½ cups Dungeness crab meat
- 1 medium red bell pepper, julienned
- 1 cup carrots, either shredded or julienned
- 1½ cups sugar snow peas or snap peas, sliced in half
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
- ¼ cup crab stock or seafood broth
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup oyster sauce
- 3 stalks green onions, sliced diagonally (green parts only)
Instructions
- Soak the noodles in a large bowl of warm to hot water and set aside. It takes about 10 minutes to be ready, but you can leave the noodles in this bowl of water soaking while you prep and cook the rest.
- In a large wok, heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the crab meat and stir regularly, cooking for about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked crab to a bowl or plate, and set aside.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the wok over medium-high heat, add the peppers, carrots, snow peas or snap peas, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Then add the onions, garlic, and ginger, and stir regularly, cooking for 2 more minutes, just until the garlic and onions are soft and fragrant.
- Add back the cooked crab and stir, cooking for one minute. Pour in the crab stock or seafood broth, soy sauce, and oyster sauce, and stir to combine.
- Drain the noodles. Then, using tongs, transfer the softened noodles to the wok and stir the noodles in with all of the other ingredients until the noodles are well-coated with the sauce. Allow all of the ingredients to co-mingle and cook together for 2 to 3 more minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
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