Have this classic Filipino dish ready in an hour! Easy Pancit Luglug with thick noodles, flavorful shrimp gravy, ground pork, and assorted toppings makes a delicious midday snack or main meal and is sure to be a family favorite.
Although this is a straightforward recipe, it took me more research to put the post together. You see, Kapampangan pancit luglug is very similar to pancit palabok, so I've always thought of these two noodle dishes as the same. I thought luglug, which means "to submerge" in our local dialect, is just a regional name for the dish.
Most of the luglug recipes I found online, however, call for THICK noodles like pancit Malabon, which was confusing because the luglug I grew up with uses THIN bihon noodles.
A visit to our neighborhood Seafood City supermarket gave me the answer. Going through the store shelves, I found packages of THICK noodles specifically labeled pancit luglug as well as THIN noodles labeled as such.
So it seems, Pancit luglug isn't necessarily made with thick noodles but rather of a type of noodle made of cornstarch instead of rice flour. You can use the thin or thick variety of these cornstarch noodles interchangeably with equally delicious results.
Why you'll love this Pancit Luglug
- Pancit luglug is quick and simple to make for everyday meals yet fancy enough for holidays or special occasions. It's ready to enjoy in under an hour!
- Instead of a long list of toppings, ground pork takes the center stage in this recipe. The hearty noodles generously smothered with meaty shrimp gravy make for a truly flavorful meal!
- Not only is it super tasty, but it's also economical to make, and can be easily doubled or tripled to feed a crowd.
Topping options
- Ground pork in the shrimp gravy brings a lot of flavor. Feel free to swap with diced pork belly if desired.
- Along with crushed chicharon and flaked tinapa, you can also add crispy-fried tofu cubes.
- Don't forget to garnish with crunchy garlic bits for flavor and chopped green onions for a splash of color and texture.
Cooking tips
- Annatto (atsuete) powder is for color. To substitute annatto seeds, steep them in hot water or briefly panfry in hot oil until the desired depth of color is achieved and use the infused water or oil. Although both methods will work, I recommend extracting in water vs. oil to trim down the fat.
- I use shrimp bouillon for extra flavor, but you can also make homemade shrimp stock using shrimp heads and peels. I suggest poaching the shrimps first before making the sauce so you can use the liquid.
- Eggs are an important part of this noodle dish, and nothing ruins a good hardboiled egg, in my opinion, than a gray ring around the yolk. For perfectly cooked and easy-peel eggs, place them in a saucepan and cool to cover by one inch. Bring the water to a full boil over medium heat, turn off the heat, cover,ย and let the eggs sit for about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain under cold running water to cool completely and to stop from cooking further.
How to serve
- Easy Pancit Luglug is delicious as a midday snack or light meal. I usually serve it with cheese puto on the side.
- I like to toss the gravy and the noodles together when I am using the thick kind and especially when serving a party so the guests can help themselves to the dish more easily.
- For the thin variety, just spoon the sauce on top when ready to serve as as these noodles are a bit more fragile and tend to get mush.
Storing leftovers
To save for future meals, store the noodles, sauce, and toppings separately for optimum freshness
More pancit recipes
Ingredients
- 4 ยฝ cups water
- ยผ pound (about 8) large shrimps, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoons atsuete powder
- 1 cube shrimp (or pork) bouillon
- ยผ cup flour
- salt to taste
- 16 ounces thick cornstarch noodles
- 1 cup crushed pork rinds (chicharon)
- 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
- toasted garlic bits
- green onions, chopped
- calamansi, cut into halves
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, bring 4 cups of the water to a boil. Using a fine-mesh sieve, plunge shrimp into the hot water and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Remove and allow to cool to touch. Slice lengthwise into halves. Reserve liquid.
- In a pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until softened.
- Add ground pork. Cook, breaking apart with the back of a spoon until lightly browned. Drain excess fat except for about 1 tablespoon.
- Add fish sauce and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add atsuete powder and stir until ground pork is evenly colored.
- Add reserved liquid and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 6 to10 minutes or until meat is tender and cooked through.
- Add shrimp or pork bouillion and stir until dissolved.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining ยฝ cup water and flour. Stir until well blended and smooth with no lumps.
- Gently add to the pot, whisking vigorously to prevent lumps. Continue to cook for about 3 to 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Season with salt to taste.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium heat, bring about 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook according to package directions until tender but firm. Drain well.
- In a large bowl, combine cooked noodles, meat sauce, and ยฝ cup of the crushed chicharon. Gently toss to evenly distribute.
- Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with the remaining ยฝ cup crushed chicharon, sliced boiled eggs, toasted garlic, and green onions. Serve hot with calamansi.
Notes
- Annatto (atsuete) powder is for color. To substitute annatto seeds, steep them in hot water or briefly panfry in hot oil until the desired depth of color is achieved and use the infused water or oil. Although both methods will work, I recommend extracting in water vs. oil to trim down the fat.
- I use shrimp bouillon for extra flavor, but you can also make homemade shrimp stock using shrimp heads and peels. I suggest poaching the shrimps first before making the sauce so you can use the liquid.
- Eggs are an important part of this noodle dish, and nothing ruins a good hardboiled egg, in my opinion, than a gray ring around the yolk. For perfectly cooked and easy-peel eggs, place them in a saucepan and cool to cover by one inch. Bring the water to a full boil over medium heat, turn off the heat, cover,ย and let the eggs sit for about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain under cold running water to cool completely and to stop from cooking further.
Video
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Plaridel Ramos says
I used ground beef and oven toasted salmon for this recipe, why salmon because its more here in Alaska.
Marie says
Hi Lalaine -
For a second-generation Filipina-American (that did not grow up cooking Filipino food), this was a very easy recipe to follow and so delicious. It reminds me of my Mom's Pancit Luglug that I always request her to make when I go home. I added extra shrimp since its always the first to go! Thank you for sharing the recipe. I love your blog and will continue to cook my way through all the recipes!
Lalaine Manalo says
Yes, my fave topping is the shrimp, too. ๐ Thank you for the 5-stars. I'm glad the recipe brings back fond memories of Mom's cooking ๐
M says
I made this. Itโs so easy and delicious. Only thing I cut in half is the boullion, since I have sensitivity to one of itโs ingredients, msg.
Lalaine Manalo says
Glad you were able to adjust the recipe to your liking!
Kim says
Hello po pwede ko po ba lagyan ng tofu? Thanks!
Lalaine Manalo says
Yes, you can. Just cut them into cubes and fry until crispy. ๐
Milette ufamorca says
Tried the Palabok and was delicious!!! Ty, Lalaine and stay safe....
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Keep safe!
Beth says
Hello! Can we find shrimp bullion in any asian market? Im from Dallas Texas and we dont have Seafood City here.
Beth your Cabalen
Lalaine Manalo says
Hi, Beth!
I'm also from Texas and I usually buy the shrimp bouillon at HEB. I usually get Knorr cubes, shrimp flavor. You can also find them at most Mexican supermarkets or order them online.
Vladymir Guallar says
Wow! Sarap hindi na ako makahintay na lutuin lahat ng to nakakagutom grabe ๐คค๐คค๐คค ayoko na matulog haha! Salamat po sa inyo ang dami ko pong natututunan sa mga recipes ninyo! Ang dami ninyo pong natutulungan na kagaya ko na ofw na kailangan matuto magluto salamat po ๐ค
Lalaine Manalo says
Vladymir, it makes me very happy that our recipes here at KP help our fellow Filipinos throughout the world! Hope everything turned out well.
Rowena T Ward says
Hello Lalaine! This recipe is simple and still very authentic and really reminds me back home....Thank you so much and I been an avid follower of your recipes! More power and Happy 2019. God bless us all
Lalaine Manalo says
Rowena, thank you so much for following our blog! We are working very hard to keep posting more recipes ๐
deli says
hello.
how do you exactly cooked the noodles? I bought the same brand that you used (pamana) but they didnt turn out the way your noodles, or the way noodles should, look like?
How long do i have to presoak the noodles for? and for how long should i leave it in boiling water?
i've tried two different ways with two different packages but my noodles still came out mushy, or disintegrated and not firm/translucent,
Lalaine Manalo says
Hi, Deli,
It really depends on the brand. I find Pamana doesn't require a soak as it cooks pretty quickly.
deli says
What was I doing wrong with the noodles? I soaked them for 10 minutes then put them in boiling water. After another 10 minutes, the noodles started disintegrating and the water turned mushy yet the noodles were still hard/uncooked (the center were still white). After 5 minutes, I tried to save them and drained them but it never looked like a regular cooked noodles. Your noodles looked perfect - translucent and cooked all the way.
Is there a certain way to cook the noodles?
Alma Carandang says
Hello Lalaine! First of all thank you for all your recipes! Can you tell me how to make roasted garlic bits, should I fry them and chop? Thank you!!
Lalaine Manalo says
You can chop them up and deep-fry or fry them whole and then crush when they're golden and crispy.
Charlotte Lopez-Muรฑoz says
Awesome recipes and easy to follow... ๐๐
Lalaine says
Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed it ๐