Pancit / Pansit (Philippine Noodle Dish)
Savory deliciousness with a hint of sweetness and lemony tang is this tried and tested EASY recipe for the classic Filipino noodle stir-fry PANCIT! Perfect for any party as it is a sure crowd-pleaser!
If by any chance I am asked, what is the Filipino comfort food? I have only one answer: Pancit! Pancit is the generic term for noodles in the Philippines. Made of rice flour, it comes in different varieties and sizes. The most common version is Pancit Bihon as shown in the photo above.
In case you’re wondering, depending on the amount of soy sauce you use – some pancit may also be lighter like the above photo or deeper in color like below. It doesn’t matter as long as it tastes good! I’ve made this so many times which explains why the photos are different from each other.
I don’t think you’ll ever find a Filipino who doesn’t love pancit. Come to any birthday party, anniversary party, or whatever reason you may have to celebrate this dish is sure to be there.
We eat it anytime of the day – lunch, dinner, snacks and, yes, even for breakfast. Well, at least I do! It’s just my number one comfort food.
My mom makes the best pancit and am so proud to say it! Ask anyone from Gasan, Marinduque particularly those who have studied at Gasan Central School and they are sure to agree. So, everytime my mom visits me in the US, she is required to make this for us many times (at least once a week!).
The problem though is that my mother never uses any kind of measurement when she cooks. She just has the knack for it! She knows how many ingredients to put in to achieve the perfect balance of saltiness with a small hint of sweetness. I do miss her cooking when she’s away!
I try my best to promote Filipino recipes whenever I can so when we have people over, I always have pancit on the menu. So far, no one has ever complained (or gotten sick!) and a few have even requested for the recipe. Also, it is gluten-free, no need to use wheat for this recipe.
Here’s my attempt to do Pancit. I have specific measurements here to leave out any guesswork but let this serve as your guide and tweak it to your liking. Hope you like it!
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FOR FULL RECIPE & INSTRUCTIONS and to PRINT, SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW.
NOTES ON INGREDIENTS FOR EASY PANCIT RECIPE
- cooking oil
- aromatics (garlic and onion)
- pre-cooked chicken
- any two of these veggies – carrots, green beans, snow peas and cabbage (I prefer using carrots and green beans)
- Pancit Bihon (Rice Stick Noodles) and/or Pancit Canton (Egg Noodles) – can be found in Asian stores – look for the Philippine brand
For the sauce
- soy sauce (regular or wheat/gluten-free)
- oyster sauce (regular or gluten-free)
- sugar
- salt and pepper, to taste
HOW TO MAKE EASY PANCIT RECIPE
It’s simply a matter of stir-frying the aromatics first, then adding the chicken and veggies.
After this, add the liquid/water used for boiling the chicken into the chicken and veggie mixture then season with the seasoning sauce.
Finally, add the noodles and make sure to soak them in the liquid so they soften. Once they are tender and the liquid has dried up then your pancit is done! Easy-peasy!
Pansit/Pancit Philippine Noodle Stir-fry
Equipment
- Wok or large Skillet
Ingredients
For the Noodles
- 2 tbps olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cups cooked or boiled chicken (reserve water used for boiling chicken), shredded
- 1½ cups each carrots, green beans, snow peas or cabbage, choose any 2 of the veggies (carrots – julienned, cabbage – thinly chopped, green beans – thinly sliced diagonally, snow peas – as is)
- 2 (8 oz) packs of Pansit Bihon (rice noodle stick) or a combo of pancit canton (egg noodles) and pancit bihon, Philippine brand if possible
For the Seasoning Sauce
- 5 tbsp soy sauce, regular or gluten-free
- 1½ tbsp oyster sauce, regular or gluten-free
- 2 tsp sugar
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 1 calamansi, lemon or lime, or as needed
Instructions
- Boil the chicken (1 large breast or 2 thighs) in over 3 cups of water (or enough water to cover the meat). Cook until tender. Reserve about 3 cups of the liquid remaining. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred them or slice into small pieces. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a big wok. Saute garlic and onion for a minute. Add the cooked chicken and season with a little salt and pepper. Stir in the veggies and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until a little tender.
- Pour about 2 1/2 cups of the reserved liquid into the wok. Season with the soy and oyster sauces and sugar. Bring to a boil.
- When it begins to boil add the egg noodles (pancit canton, if using this as combo with rice stick noodles). Press and fold the noodles a few times to ensure it gets soaked in the sauce. When it starts to soften stir in the rice stick noodles/pancit bihon. Continue to stir and fold the noodles while trying to soak them in the sauce until all the liquid has dried up and the noodles are tender.
- Add some more stock or water if the sauce dries up before the noodles are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning with a little salt and pepper, if desired. Serve with calamansi (or lemon/lime) – squeeze a few drops on your noodles before eating for some extra flavor and tang! Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Last updated on October 20th, 2023 at 08:29 pm
omg omg omg omg omg. yummmmmmmmmmy.
reminds me of the rice noodles from east asia. add a little chili sauce, or sriracha, from 0 to 60 seconds, done. i've finished the entire thing.
Our pancit is quite mild in taste really compared with say the Thai, Singaporean, etc. variety that's why I would try next time to put a lttle chili sauce as you suggested. Actually, it dawned on me that we squeeze a few drops of "calamansi" (similar to a key lime) on it to give it some zing but it's more of a sour bite rather than spicy. Thanks, Jen!
There always cabbage in my moms pancit, either Napa or regular head of cabbage and never oyster sauce although its a interesting ingredient I'll have to use next time I make pancit!
I have the fondest memories of Pancit. My Mom had a friend that shared her family recipe with her and she made it frequently. It is delicious! Yours looks wonderful.
So glad to know that you've tasted pancit before. That does not often happen. Thanks, Valerie!
I have a bottle of calamansi powder that I got from an asian market. Would that work or should I just use a squeeze of lime instead? We can't get fresh calamansi here. I can hardly wait to try this, it sounds amazing!
Zira
I have never tried calamansi powder and I didn't know there was one…wow. Amazing. I would suggest a few drops of lemon or lime should do it, but even without it the dish is already great as is. I often don't add anything more to it when I cook it here in MI. But do let me know once you're tried it. Thanks for stopping by!
Abby, thanks again for the walk down memory lane! I love this dish, and it was also a favourite in Hong Kong. There were many fillipinos and Singaporeans living there when I grew up as a child, so this could be bought from the street and sold in a brown paper bag (like a cone shape) and you would put some sauces on it and eat it with a wooden tooth pick! The man would be cooking it in a huge wok which was on wheels, fired by coals. Those were the days before they had all this health and safety stuff! The food was delicious, and I would have mine with dried shrimp also, and chopped peanuts sprinkled over!
I have yet to meet someone who doesn't love Pancit! I know exactly how you feel — my mom makes the best pancit and I do miss her making this for me too! I love HK too! Thanks for sharing such lovely memories. 🙂
Omg! It looks delicious! My Mom used to make the best pancit which I've never been able to replicate. My kids don't eat my version. I'm going to try yours. Never thought of using oyster sauce! Btw, my husband is from Boac.
Oh wow, kababayan! Great to know that, have you been to the island yourself? Hope your kids would love this!
My Dad grew up in Cebu as a missionary kid back in the 50's and 60's. Every year for Christmas my entire family has pancit, pork adobo, and bibngka for our meal. My Dad always makes the pancit, and he never measures anything either. Thanks for you recipes! I'll have to try a couple I don't recognize!
Thanks for stopping by Felicia and for sharing sweet memories about your Dad! Hope you enjoy our recipes here! 🙂
I have also tried this before…My sister-in-law made this and gave me the recipe 22 yrs. ago only she dcalled it PONCIT. Pretty much the same except she put all vegetables in it..gr. beans, cabbage, carrots,celery, snow peas, and she used chicken and browned pieces of pork in her recipe. I've made it many times and taken it to potlucks and it's always a big hit.
Thanks, glad to know you love Pansit! 🙂
Is there a substitute I could use in place of the oyster sauce.
You can omit it if you like and just increase the soy sauce. It adds more depth of flavor but you can still make a delicious Pansit without it. 🙂
My husband, before we were married had a neighbor that made pancit. He and step daughter rave about how good it was. They both remember it having sausage. I have not run across recipe like that. Any suggestions?
That’s Chinese sausage and some use it but not everyone. It’s a matter of personal preference. If you like the sausage, you can certainly add that to the recipe and saute it with the veggies.
Abby, my mother in law is Filipino and my husband half. She is a "my mother made the best pancit, adobo, beco (sp?) Etc and I'm scared to death to make it! Lol. I have the pancit noodles, carrots, green beans (from garden) and have leftover pork tenderloin roast. Can I use the pork instead of chicken? My noodles are yakasoba noodles actually. Will those work? I'm headed to the grocery store tomorrow so I can get something different if needed. Thanks
Yes, you can use the pork tenderloin. They use Pork in pansit in the Philippines a lot, too. I have not tried yakisoba noodles but they are probably similar to Canton which I often use. They're fine. Hope all works well.
Thank you for sharing me your Pansit recipe. I copied the whole thing in my recipe book. However, in my own version, I added prawns:.peeled.and deveined and butterfly cut. Morever, I also added slices of chorizo del Bilbao and slices of fish balls. Very delicious! From:.Catherine
I can't wait to try this recipe. It looks amazing! Thank you!
Please enjoy Boomer and if you wish to print it there's a print icon at the end of the post.
If you noticed, there is a print icon below or at the end of the post. If you used that there shouldn't have been any problem. You can remove the photos using that and there's no need to print it. That's why there's a print-friendly icon. My photos have been stolen many times over and this is how I protect myself from copyright infringement. I hope you understand.
I've tried a couple recipes for pancit, mostly they were bland, but I must try your recipe soon, thanks.
Thanks for stopping by Bibs and hope you like this version. Of course, a little addition of soy sauce always does the trick, too! 🙂
Can you use lo mein noodles?
You certainly can!
Yes, you may do so. Please enjoy!
I was lucky enough to work with several ladies from the Philippines before I retired. They instructed me on how to make pancit after I'd tasted it at a potluck. the only difference was theirs used only the rice noodles and they specified what brand. I'll have to try yours. good stuff
Hope you enjoy it Gail and we have a vegetarian version on the blog too if you like to try it – here's the link – https://www.manilaspoon.com/2014/02/vegetarian-pansit.html
There are two print icons that you can find with the social media buttons on either the side or on top. Hope that helps Christina and thanks for asking. 🙂
Do you add the noodles to cook in the sauce or precook the rice noodles?
No need to pre-cook noodles. It cooks in the broth. Enjoy Jenny!
How many people will it feed?
About 6-8 servings, perhaps a little more depending on how much each person eats. 🙂
I recently rediscovered pancit and love it so much that I introduced it to the menu at the camp where I'm the chef. I was able to purchase a case of rice sticks with 30 (16-ounce) packages for the summer. Pancit was on the menu along with chicken adobo, rice and sauteed garlic green beans every other week. I hit the jackpot when two Filipino families came to the camp in July! I find that it takes around 24 ounces of rice sticks for 25 persons.
I learned to love pancit at a mom-and-pop restaurant in Olangapo City in the early 1970s. So much so that I ate it by the plateful anytime I was in town. I now prepare it at home often. Our local supermarket carries a Filipino brand of rice sticks (Excellent brand) in 8-ounce packages. I add rice vinegar with the soy sauce and squeeze lemon on the plate. I would like to find calamensi in Placerville, Calif.
Great to know you love Pancit Steven! It is a personal favorite of mine and thanks for the tips. I am sure some Asian or even Filipino stores in CA would have calamansi for sale. I am in the East Coast so I don't know where exactly to find it there. Sorry.
My husband & I are both RNs. When we lived/worked in LA during the 80's and would have potlucks, the Philippine nurses would ALWAYS bring pancit & we got spoiled! Trying to find good pancit in Phx, AZ is next to mossible! Can't wait to try this!
Hi Abby,
You’re recipes are amazing I made pancit following your recipe. My family loved it. Thanks for all the wonderful Filipino recipes. Next, will try Menudo.
Abby, I have pancit bihon noodles, dry, I got from the 99 Ranch Asian market. Do I need to presoak these before i add them? Have chicken broth heating right now making your wonton soup! Hoping for success!
You can soak just until soft about 20 minutes or so. Make sure to drain well before cooking it. The length of time to cook noodles sometimes depends on the brand you use. Hope this helps!
I thought I would add the DRY Pancit noodles to the broth and they would soak up the broth and become soft. But after reading the last comment in this thread – I’m not so sure. Do I add them dry or do I soak them first? I’m planning to make this tonight. Thanks.
You can do either. If you don’t want to soak – use the entire 3 cups of stock because you’d need enough liquid to soften the liquid. Some people like super dry pansit while others prefer a little more moisture so it’s an individual’s preference. Soaking sometimes is necessary though depending on which brand of rice sticks you use – if it’s a Filipino pansit bihon – usually there’s no need but if you use rice sticks from other countries (eg Chinese or Thai) – they may take longer to soften and I would soak them for a few minutes – just to soften slightly. Hope that helps. In my cookbook, where the recipe is somewhat different (more of the party-style pansit with shrimps, chicken and yummy Chinese sausage – because I cannot have the exact same recipe as on the blog – I do add instructions on soaking and also a different measurement for the sauce). There are many more variations of Pansit there, too – Pansit Palabok, Pansit Habhab, etc.
I have added this to my menu for this weekend. We have a few family members coming over and this looks simple enough to make for a crowd of hungry guests. I love Pancit, so I can’t wait to give this recipe a try.
My noodle loving family really enjoyed this pancit! Such a flavourful dish.
I made this noodle stir-fry alternating with already known in our family rice stir-fry. Well, it is pure deliciousness!! And I highly recommend making it!
Served this pancit for dinner last night and it didn’t disappoint! So easy and quick; perfect for busy weeknights!
I love the noodles used and the flavorful sauce. Definitely, this pancit is must-make noodle stir fry meal.
This was a light and tasty dish. I will make it again but will double the vegetables in it. I used cabbage, carrots and green beans.
This recipe hits all the right spots! I use cabbage and carrots because that’s what I remember growing up. I also sometimes add some pork and shrimp to the chicken.
I love the addition of pork and shrimp – makes it a more filling dish. So glad you enjoyed this and thank you for letting us know.
What else can I use besides oyster sauce my husband is allergic to all shell fish
There’s a vegan version of oyster called “mushroom oyster sauce” that you can use. There’s no seafood in it ’cause the umami flavors come from the mushrooms so that should be good. Hope this helps.
I’m coming in late on reviewing this, but I made it and really enjoyed it! I used 2 times the amount of vegetables (cabbage and carrots, plus a bit of red and green peppers), and half the rice noodles and sauce. When it was finished, I wished I hadn’t halved the sauce! So I quickly threw in some more soy sauce, some fish sauce, some MSG, and a touch of chili oil. Turned out great. My 2 companions went back for seconds!
Glad you enjoyed this! Yay!