Filipino Pancit Bihon Recipe

Pancit Bihon is a traditional Filipino noodle dish with meat, vegetables and layers of flavor. This Filipino Pancit Bihon recipe makes enough for 8 to 10 full servings or 12 to 16 side servings, which also makes it perfect for meal planning, special occasions, or as an easy weeknight dinner!

Growing up in a Filipino household, there were a few staple dishes that I could almost always count on being served for family dinner, and also whenever we had company over. And, being a Filipino household, we had company over ALL. THE. TIME. My parents raised me with the value of feeding others, and Filipino comfort food was always at the heart of our home.

Meals almost always consisted of these classic Filipino food dishes: Filipino Chicken Adobo, Lumpia Shanghai, Filipino Macaroni Salad, Filipino Garlic Rice, and Pancit. All recipes that make enough to feed large gatherings (8 to 12 people), which also makes them all perfect for meal prep!

Jump to:

• 🇵🇭 What is Pancit?
• 🍜 Pancit Bihon vs Canton
• 😋 Ingredient notes
• ✅ Step-by-step instructions
• 🛒 Substitutions or Additional Mix-Ins
• 🍱 Meal Prep Storage Tips
• 👩🏻‍🍳 More Filipino family recipes
• Filipino Pancit Bihon

🇵🇭 What is Pancit?

Pancit is one of the many dishes that the Chinese brought to the Philippines over the centuries and was adapted to become a popular Filipino noodle dish. If you've ever had a meal in a Filipino household, or ever attended a Filipino gathering, you've most likely been served Pancit.

Now, just like there are different versions of adobo and lumpia, there are a few different types of Pancit dishes in Filipino cuisine. The two most common are Pancit Bihon and Pancit Bihon Noodles.

🍜 Pancit Bihon vs Canton

I grew up in a family that loved making and serving both Pancit Bihon and Pancit Canton. Both are noodle dishes that contain different meats and seafood, and a variety of vegetables. The main difference between these two common types of Pancit are the type of noodles that are used.

Pancit Bihon is made with translucent, thin rice noodles (see above photo).

Pancit Canton Noodles are made with thicker egg noodles. This version is sometimes referred to as the Filipino adaptation of Chinese Lo Mein or Chinese Chow Mein.

Now, there is also Pancit Palabok and Pancit Malabon. These versions of this popular noodle dish often include pork rind, shrimp paste sauce, and smoked fish.

If you're new to the world of Pancit, this Pancit recipe is a great place to start. It's an easy recipe to make, easy to customize to your personal taste buds, and fairly forgiving Plus, you can serve it as a side or as a complete meal.

So let's get cooking!

😋 Ingredient notes

• Dried rice noodles - These thin noodles are the traditional type to use in Pancit Bihon and they provide a nice base for all the veggies and proteins. You can find them at most Asian markets.
• Bay shrimp - The shrimp is a great healthy protein in this recipe.
• Pork - Boneless pork loin, chopped into 1" squares.
• Onions and garlic - You can use yellow or white onions, diced finely. My recipe calls for 3 garlic cloves (minced), but feel free to adjust to your taste preference.
• Soy sauce - This adds some deep flavor to the meat as it cooks.
• Chicken broth - The broth will help add moisture and flavor to the ingredients as they cook.
• Red bell pepper - For extra texture and color.
• Carrots - Julienned.
• Sugar snow peas or snap peas - For some extra crunch. Slice them on the bias, creating diagonal cuts.

✅ Step-by-step instructions

I've got the full list of ingredients with measurements, plus more detailed instructions, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. But here are step-by-step photos and a quick overview of how to make Pancit Bihon.

Step 1 - Start by boiling enough water to cover the noodles and soaking the noodles until they are soft. This takes about 10 to 15 minutes. During this time, you can make the rest of the dish!

Step 2 - In a large wok or large skillet, add vegetable oil (or olive oil if you prefer) over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the pork and cook just until it's brown on all sides and cooked thoroughly. Set the cooked pork aside on a plate or bowl.

Step 3 - Add the remaining oil to the wok, then stir in the carrots, bell peppers, sugar snap peas, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the onions, garlic, and ginger to the wok and cook, stirring constantly, for another 2 minutes, just until the garlic is soft and fragrant.

Step 4 - Add the pork back to the wok, and add the bay shrimp. Pour in the chicken broth, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Stir to coat all of the ingredients, and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 5 - Drain the noodles and add them to the wok. Use tongs to lift and stir the noodles into the vegetables and savory sauce and continue stirring and folding the ingredients into one another until the noodles are fully coated. Garnish with green onions and serve in a large bowl. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

🛒 Substitutions or Additional Mix-Ins

You can use chicken instead of pork, and you can skip the shrimp completely if you prefer.

Feel free to add ½ cup of additional vegetables, such as thinly sliced green cabbage or red cabbage. My mother also swears by adding dried Shiitake mushrooms to the vegetable mixture, which adds a lovely deep, rich flavor. I rarely have shiitake mushrooms on hand, so I didn't include them in the base recipe. But please add them if you have them, and tell me what you think!

🍱 Meal Prep Storage Tips

This Filipino Pancit Bihon recipe makes enough for about 8 to 10 full main dish servings, and 12 to 16 side dish servings. It feeds A LOT of people!

That's one of the reasons I love this dish for meal prep. I make half to serve my family during the week, and I freeze the remaining half for later.

Here's how I do it: I use my FoodSaver® VS3110 Food Preservation System and FoodSaver® Microwavable Meal Prep Bags to refrigerate, freeze, and reheat this beloved family recipe. A heads up: when sealing food that has even a bit of liquid in it, as this Pancit Bihon does have some sauce, there's a removable drip tray in the FoodSaver® VS3110 that helps catch any liquid that is squeezed out during sealing. Just remember to remove the tray and clean it out right after you seal.

The Microwavable Meal Prep Bags are AWESOME because they can go straight from the refrigerator or freezer to the microwave. They are BPA-free and have ventilated sides that make them safe for reheating food. These bags seriously are a lifesaver for me during meal prep!

I store about 4 bags with 1-2 servings in each bag and refrigerate them for up to 4 days for my family to grab-and-eat throughout the week. Then I store the remaining pancit in bags in the freezer to enjoy at a later date!

👩🏻‍🍳 More Filipino family recipes

• Filipino Chicken Adobo
• Lumpia (Filipino Egg Rolls)
• Filipino Macaroni Salad
• Filipino BBQ Pork Skewers

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!

This post is sponsored by FoodSaver®. All photos, recipes, and opinions are my own.