Pancit Bihon Guisado with rice noodles, meat, shrimp, and vegetables is sure to be a family favorite. Perfect for everyday meals and special occasions!
Pancit bihon guisado is a Filipino noodle stir-fry popular for everyday meals and special occasions. The dish is often served on birthdays as the long noodle strands signify long life in Asian culture.
A delicious hodge-podge of rice noodles, meat, shrimp, and vegetables, it's a one-pot meal guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser!
Pancit ingredients
There are so many ways to make this dish; every cook has his or her own delicious spin. Check out my ingredient suggestion list below and swap or add your choice of mix-ins.
- Sweet sausage hamonado or lap chong (Chinese sausage)
- Chicken
- Diced pork
- Shrimp
- Chicken, pork, or beef liver
- Fishballs, squid balls, meatballs, kikiam, fish cakes
- Carrots
- Cabbage, napa cabbage
- Celery or kinchay
- Spring beans, snow peas
- Bean sprouts
- Shitake or ear wood mushrooms (tenga ng daga)
- Bell peppers
Cooking tips
- Parboil noodles in flavorful broth. While it's customary to soak the rice noodles in warm water to soften before cooking, I like to parboil the noodles in broth instead. This simple trick of submerging and BRIEFLY cooking the noodles in stock adds more depth of flavor. This is a very quick step and is only to loosen and slightly soften the strands as the noodles will finish cooking during the stir-fry process.
- Uniform sizes, even cooking. The secret of a successful stir-fry is how the ingredients are prepped and sliced. Cut your meat and veggies into uniform bite sizes so they'll cook fast and evenly.
- Use the right equipment. Another important component of a successful stir-fry is the cookware you use. A wok, of course, is the best for the job but any wide skillet with slanted sides will work as well. You might have to cook in batches if you don't have a big enough cookware to prevent spills (tossing all the ingredients can get pretty messy) and to ensure good distribution of ingredients.
- Use tongs. Stir-fry using tongs to help keep the noodles intact and lessen breakage.
- Do not overcook. Nothing ruins a good platter of pancit bihon in my opinion than mushy noodles and limp vegetables! Slightly undercook the vegetables during the initial stir-fry as they will continue to cook when the noodles are finished off.
- Cook on high heat. You want the ingredients to sear nicely and not overcook in the steam.
How to serve and store
- Pancit Bihon is traditionally served for special occasions, especially birthdays, as long noodles signify long life. It's also common to enjoy it as a midday snack or the main entree with pandesal, tasty bread, and steamed rice.
- Filipino-style stir-fried noodles are often enjoyed with a spritz of freshly-squeezed calamansi (or citruses such as lime or lemon) juice to brighten flavors.
- To store leftovers, allow to completely and transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in the microwave at 1 to 2-minute intervals until completely heated, stirring well between intervals.
More noodle stir-fry recipes
Pancit Bihon Guisado is the perfect dish for everyday meals and special occasions. It's loaded with noodles, meat, seafood, and vegetables for a hearty and tasty noodle stir-fry that's sure to be a crowd favorite.
Course: Main Entree
Servings
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken stock
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 8 ounces rice noodles
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 16 ounces pork hamonado, cut thinly on a bias
- 1 onion, peeled and sliced thinly
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- ½ pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh meat, sliced thinly
- 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced thinly on a bias
- 2 stalks celery, sliced thinly on a bias
- 1 small cabbage, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- green onions, chopped
- calamansi or lemon, cut into wedges
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, combine chicken stock and soy sauce. Bring to a boil.
- Submerge noodles into the liquid and cook, using tongs to loosen strands, for about 1 to 2 minutes or just until softened. Drain noodles and reserve about 1 ½ to 2 cups of the liquid.
- In a wok or wide skillet over medium heat, heat about 1 tablespoon oil. Add shrimp and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes or until color changes to pink. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.
- Add pork hamonado and cook, stirring regularly, until they start to brown.
- Wipe down wok or skillet as needed and heat another tablespoon of oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until softened.
- Add chicken and cook, stirring regularly, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Add carrots and celery and cook for about 30 to 40 seconds.
- Add cabbage and cook for about 30 to 40 seconds. Continue to cook until vegetables are tender yet crisp.
- Return shrimp and hamonado to the wok.
- Add noodles and reserved liquid in ½ cup increments. Gently toss and stir, adding more liquid as needed, until noodles are cooked yet firm to bite, vegetables are tender-crisp, and liquid is absorbed.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving platter and garnish with chopped green onions. Serve with calamansi wedges.
Notes
- Slightly undercook the vegetables during the initial stir-fry as they will continue to cook when the noodles are finished off.
- Stir-fry on high heat so everything sears nicely and won't overcook in the steam.
- Use tongs to help keep the noodles intact and lessen breakage.
Video
Nutrition Information
Calories: 389kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 125mg, Sodium: 1329mg, Potassium: 537mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 2700IU, Vitamin C: 45.4mg, Calcium: 110mg, Iron: 2.3mg
“This 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.”
Belen Matias says
I am just wondering if it's a typo error. For an 8 oz noodles, there is 16 oz of hamonado added??? How is that possible?
Thanks,
Belen
Lalaine says
Hello Belen
It's because ounces is for weight and not the volume. Since pancit bihon is lighter in weight, you get more bulk for 8 ounces and the noodles will expand as well when cooked.
Gail says
Thanks for the tip about parboiling the noodles first. My pancit used to be mushy because I boil the noodles at the end of the cooking and wait for the liquid to evaporate, but with your technique, it stays firm.
Lalaine says
I learned this trick of parboiling the noodles from a friend and it has definitely improved my pancit guisado. Glad to pass on the tip 🙂
Lonie Sevillo says
This looks delicious. Although my friends and family love my bihon guisado but I may find yours is better and tastier because there is hamonado. What if I don't have hamonado what's the subsitute. What kind of bihon noodles you're using.
Lalaine says
Hello, Lonie!
You can sub Chinese sausage called lap chong if you can't find hamonado. I usually buy whatever bihon noodles are on sale, I just adjust cook times and liquid accordingly as some brands are sturdier than others.
Nancy Olivencia says
Can I make it vegan and get the same flavors.
Lalaine says
Probably not the same as the meat and seafood do add tons of flavor but it can still be delicious. Try adding fried tofu cubes and vegetable broth.
Audwin says
Are you in sacramento CA.. I need a fine woman with skills in the kitchen.. I work a lot and thats about it. I try to always go to my sisters house and have them cook but timing is off.. Im at ajsp8382@gmail hit me there because i have a few questions. Thanks
Cathy says
I was introduced to pancit in the early 70's by filapinas in a club at my University. They always told not to overcook the veggies and to use meat as a flavoring and condiment to the dish. I agree with you that the cuisine is under represented.
Phred Tadeo says
Just like Mom's.. TYVM 🙂
Lalaine says
Just like Mom's is the best compliment ever 🙂
Karen says
I tried your version of pancit bihon and also soaked noodles in the stock and soy sauce prior to cooking and wow the noodles were so flavorful, my family loved it also my fussy children. thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes
Lalaine says
Thank you for the feedback, Karen. I am glad the family enjoyed it. Yes, I learned that trick from a friend and that simple step gives the noodles more flavor. 🙂
jam says
My korean inlaws are asking me to cook filipino food for them.. I'm gonna try this. It looks delish!
Lalaine says
I hope they'll love it 🙂
Delia says
You are perfectly right! Pre cooking the noodles for a few minutes in the stock made a lot of difference than the regular soaking in cold water. The noodles tasted better. Excellent tip Ms. Lalaine. Thanks!
Cathy says
I totally agree with you "What's not to love about your wonderful Filipino food. I found two restaurants in Las Vegas that I just wanted to pick up and move to my hometown. They were busy and their food was excellent! With your expertise, you would do well managing the food prep in a successful "Filipino Restaurant".
Lj says
The recipe is perfect!
Lalaine says
Hi Lj
Thank you so much for the feedback, I am glad you enjoyed it 🙂
DENNYBIE says
thank you, for sharing this recipe, i'm going to try this at home..and it look like delicious:),if there is any party no need to hire, i will do it by myself 🙂
Lalaine says
Happy cooking, Dennybie 🙂
Andrew Chunis says
I want to try this 🙂
Miya says
We tried this recipe yesterday and the result was "DELICIOUS". My husband loves it and we definitely add this recipe to our fav list. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Lalaine says
Thank you for making Kawaling Pinoy a part of your New year's celebration. Happy 2015 to you and your family 🙂
edward batiits says
I like the recipe that you make but it's very hard to navigate your website. you need to add the search box . Good luck and thank you.
Lalaine says
Hi Edward
There is a search box on each page, on the sidebar. Thank you so much for your feedback. I will be looking at ways to make finding recipes easier. 🙂
asado recipe says
oh pancit, its said that one should it pancit in their birthday to keep long life.lol
im loving pancit.