This is a traditional Filipino recipe for pancit bihon. Very easy to prepare, my chewy rice noodles are tossed with vegetables and chicken, and cooked in a sweet and savory sauce. Not only is it delicious, my pancit recipe only takes 25 minutes to make from start to finish.
Why I Love This Recipe
Pancit bihon is one of those noodle recipes I enjoy making because of its savory taste and comforting element. It’s a simple dish made of rice noodle, mixed vegetables, and chicken, seasoned with chicken stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar.
Pancit originally hails from the Philippines where Chinese migrants worked as street vendors during the Spanish colonial times. They were known as panciteros. Panciteros mainly sold meals to women who worked in cigar factories because they had very little time to cook at home. It was during this time that street food became synonymous with convenience and quality. Noodles – being one of the most convenient to-go, ready made foods – were commonly served at these food stalls.
The flavors of pancit bihon are savory, slightly sweet, and overall quite delicate. This means you can eat an entire serving without overwhelming the palate. In fact, you might find yourself reaching for seconds! Making pancit is also very affordable and can be made using ingredients you most likely already have in your fridge and pantry.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Scroll to the bottom of this page for the full recipe steps and measurements.
- Peanut Oil: Most Asian recipes call for peanut oil for its nutty flavor. However, you can use a neutral oil such as vegetable or grapessed oil to make this dish and it will be just as good.
- Chicken Breast: I use boneless, skinless chicken breast for this recipe since the chicken needs to be cut into bite size pieces. But you are more than welcome to use bone-in with skin on if you are planning to serve it on top of the pancit. Cook your chicken in a separate pan until it’s cooked through and follow the same steps to the recipe.
- Garlic: I’m using two cloves, minced, to add a little pungency but you can use more if you are a garlic lover.
- Onion: I’m using a small yellow onion and chopping it into small pieces. If you don’t have a yellow onion but happened to have a white one, red one, or some shallots, that’s fine too.
- Bihon Noodles: Bihon noodles are thin noodles made of cornstarch and rice flour. They are very similar to thin rice noodles and vermicelli noodles which is why both make good substitutes.
- Mixed vegetables: I’m using a mix of green beans, carrots, and cabbage, but you can have fun here and come up with your own combination.
- Pancit Sauce: A mix of low sodium chicken stock, dark soy sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar.
- Salt and Pepper: Only add if you think it needs extra seasoning.
Other Proteins To Use Beside Chicken
Pancit can be made using any protein you like. This recipe is made with chicken but feel free to use:
- Seafood: Shrimp, squid, or a firm fish such as arctic char or salmon, work well with the flavors of pancit.
- Beef or pork: For something heavier, beef or pork will complement this noodle dish.
- Tofu or tempeh: For vegetarians or if you simply want a meat-free meal, use firm tofu or tempeh. Tvp (textured vegetable protein) also works well.
*To make this dish completely vegan, use vegetable broth and a vegan oyster sauce.
How to Make It
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe.
When whipping up my bihon pancit recipe, I like to get all my ingredients laid out in front of me. Doing my mise-en-place ahead of time frees me up to pay 100% attention to the task at hand.
- Sauce. Whisk all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and set aside.
- Chicken. Add a little oil to a deep skillet and cook the chicken. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Garlic and onions. Cook the garlic and onion until they are fragrant.
- Cooked chicken and veggies. Return the chicken to the skillet and add the vegetables. Stir fry until the vegetables are soft but still yielding a little crunch.
- Add the sauce. Whisk the sauce, add it to the pan, and bring it to a boil.
- Cook the noodles. Add the rice noodles and gently press them down so they are evenly coated with the liquid. Cook until the noodles are tender.
- Season and serve. Turn the heat off and transfer the dish to a serving bowl or plate. Serve with soy sauce and lemon wedges.
Expert Cooking Tip
Perfectly cooked vegetables: Getting the right texture for the vegetables is quite important for this recipe. You want the vegetables to be tender but still yield a slight crunch, which is why they are added later during the cooking process. 2 to 3 minutes should be plenty of time to start them off before the sauce is added. The balance between moist and tender chicken and slightly crunchy veggies makes every bite enjoyable.
Storage And Reheating
Fridge: Let the dish cool to room temperature and transfer it to an airtight storage container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Freezer: It’s best not to freeze this dish because the texture of the noodles will deteriorate.
Reheating: To reheat from the storage container (make sure it’s microwave safe), slightly open the lid and microwave on medium or high for 1 to 2 minutes. Or transfer the noodles to a microwave safe bowl or plate and cover the dish with a damp paper towel to prevent the noodles from drying. Microwave on medium or high for 1 to 2 minutes.
What to Serve With It
Bihon pancit is a filling dish that is usually served as a main. But it does pair well with plenty of side dishes, especially Asian ones! Some of my favorites are:
- Pandesal (Filipino breakfast roll)
- Chinese eggplant with garlic sauce
- Dry-fried green beans
- Smacked cucumber with chili oil
- Chicken egg foo young
- Green salad with restaurant-style Japanese ginger dressing
More tasty noodles dishes you might like: Dan dan noodles, spicy miso ramen, kimchi udon, shrimp chow mein, Singapore chow mei fun, and fried noodles with soy sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Since the noodles cook by absorbing the sauce, you may just need to add a bit more broth. Even though I have the measurements dialed in for this recipe, I usually keep about a half-cup of chicken broth on hand just in case I need a bit more. Add a little at a time if needed, until the noodles are tender – but not so much that your pancit turns out soupy.
Overcooking: Tossing the the noodles in the skillet for too long can overcook the noodles and give them a mushy texture. Too old: Noodles that are 2-3 years or older can yield a mushy texture once cooked. Dry noodles should also be kept somewhere dry and cool place to prevent humidity from affecting their texture.
Regular soy sauce: yes. (Although, celiacs can substitute liquid aminos or tamari instead). Soy sauce brings needed salt and umami to the dish. Dark soy sauce: optional. Dark soy sauce is mildly savory and a little sweet. It is used as a food coloring as much as it is for flavor. Dark soy introduces a dark, tawny color to dood. If you don’t have dark soy sauce on hand, don’t worry. Since I only use 2 tablespoons in my pancit recipe, you can just use regular soy sauce. The end dish will be lighter in color, but just as tasty.
No, pancit canton is not the same as pancit bihon. The main difference between the two is the type of noodles used. Pancit bihon calls for bihon noodles (thin rice vermicelli, sometimes called rice stick noodles), whereas pancit canton uses flour stick noodles. These pre-fried wheat based noodles are closely related to lo mein noodles.
Pancit palabok is made using rice stick noodles that are then covered in a thick and gooey shrimp gravy.
Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
Bihon Pancit (Filipino)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Noodles
- Method: Stir frying
- Cuisine: Filipino
Description
A sweet and savory Filipino pancit recipe ready in less than 25 minutes. Plus, it requires minimal effort and uses easy to find ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil or vegetable oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into bite size pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 8 ounces pack bihon noodles, vermicelli noodles or rice noodles
- 1 1/2 cups mixed vegetables such as carrots, cabbage and green beans, scallions, chopped bite size
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Lemon wedges (optional)
Pancit sauce:
- 2 cups low sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock for vegan
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce or 1 tablespoon soy sauce mixed with 1/2 teaspoon sugar for vegan
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Cook the chicken. In a wok or a large deep skillet over medium heat, add oil and chicken and cook until tender. Once cooked, transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Cook the garlic and onions. In the same skillet, add the garlic and onion and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the cooked chicken and veggies. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and season with a little salt and pepper. Stir in the veggies and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until they have begun to soften.
- Sauce. Add all the ingredients for the pancit sauce and bring to a boil.
- Add the noodles. Once the sauce is boiling, add the rice noodles and stir until all the noodles are coated with the sauce. Keep on stirring and cooking until the noodles are tender (3 to 4 minutes). Add more stock (or water) if the dish is dry.
- Season and serve. Season with salt and pepper and more soy sauce if necessary. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Notes
Save leftovers in an airtight storage container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To warm up the leftovers, microwave with the lid on for 1-2 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 506
- Sugar: 3.4g
- Sodium: 1022mg
- Fat: 8.1g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 68.9g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 36.7g
- Cholesterol: 82.7mg
Questions and Reviews
Love, love, love this recipe as does everyone I’ve made it for. I generally make it with spaghetti squash for the noodles. I’ve also used tofu instead of chicken for my vegetarian friends. Regardless it’s always gotten rave reviews.
Thank you for sharing Susan and I’m really happy you love it as much as I do 🙂
Do you boil the noodles first?
Hi Diane! You don’t have to boil the noodles first since they cook so quickly. Just make sure you get the super thin rice noodles. You can also read the instructions – the thicker ones will require you to boil them first but those aren’t the ones we are using for this recipe 🙂
If you do substitute the chicken for shrimp, how do you prepare it in order to avoid over cooking the shrimp?
Hi Ashley! An easy way not to over cook the shrimp is to cook them in a separate pan for 4-5 minutes total, transfer them to a plate, and set aside. Follow the recipe steps and add the shrimp to the noodles when there’s 1 minute left to the recipe. Mix them into the noodles to warm them up and serve! 🙂
Even better than the PANCIT in the restaurant nearby me that sells for 12 dollars a serving. I can’t wait to make this again. Huge hit with my family. Not a single noodle left!
Yay Camille! That’s so wonderful!!
I want you to know how much We appreciate you sharing this recipe. A lady we know at a local antique store made this during their holiday open house. It was so delicious that I immediately came home and started searching the internet. One recipe I tried was meh from allrecipes site – Jim said, “Hers tasted like she added fish sauce” So, I did a search for pancit using oyster sauce and your recipe appeared. I made this a few days ago and also added shrimp because we love shrimp added to dishes like this. It was excellent! We ate it all in a 3 day period. I will now share your page on facebook to let others know.
Thank you!
Oh wow Kathy, I’m so honored! You just put a big smile on my face, thank you so much for the kind comment!
I’ve not made pan it in along long time, this recipe is spot on and so delish with or without meat. Thanks for bringing back the best memories for me!
Thank you so much Bobbi for sharing this with me! 🙂
My dad was in the coast guard and on base there was a Filipino family that we always got invited to birthday parties and this was always there. Made it last weekend and I’m making it again cause oh my god this was delicious!! Took me back. I’ve added more veggies as well and used vegetable stock and used pork instead of chicken. This will be a favorite of mine now that I’ve found a recipe I love. Thank you!!
Thank you so much Allison, I love hearing about my reader’s stories and yours brightened up my morning!
Good flavor but sauce made it a little too salty for our tastes…even with low sodium soy sauce.
Easy to make, as long as you prep all the ingredients ahead of time.
This recipe is PERFECT! I haven’t had pancit since I was a younger teen and this pretty spot on with how my filipino step-mother used to make it. She used to add a roma tomatoe cut up with the garlic and cooked it with the onion until the tomatoes was melted and then added the rest of the ingredients. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Fern for the kind words, I’m so happy you like the recipe! 🙂
Made this after a co-worker brought some to work. This was amazing! I have made it several times since and never disappointed. This dish gets better each time you heat it up. Writing down the ingredients to make again today. Caroline, thank you so much for sharing and I too am looking forward to your recipe for lumpia. Will download your ecookbook today.
Thank you so much Barbara, you just put a big smile on my face! 🙂
So you do not drain the broth? Just let the noodles soak it up?
That’s correct, it doesn’t take long before they absorb the liquid 🙂
I’m trying a replicate a recipe we get from a restaurant nearby as my son loves that pancit. I’m worried this will taste sweet which means I’m not on the right track in replicating the recipe. I’m also wondering if the noodles look transparent after cooking. I’m trying to build him a book of favorite recipes for college. Easy and cheap…any suggestions?
Hi Ginger! This bihon isn’t sweet at all, it’s more on the savory side and the noodles are not transparent once they are cooked. This is a traditional and basic recipe for bihon pancit so I would say it’s a safe one to add to the recipe book 🙂
would there be a substitute for oyster sauce? i don’t believe it is gluten free, which is what i need 🙂
Hi debra! You can substitute both the soy sauce and oyster sauce with liquid amino, which tastes a lot closer to soy sauce than tamari sauce. You can then add an extra teaspoon of sugar and it should be pretty close to the original taste 🙂
Do u soak the pancit first in water prior to cooking it or just like pancit canton where u just soak it with the sauce when you start cooking everything?
Hi Abbey! You can do it both ways but I prefer adding them dry since they nicely soak up the flavor of the sauce 🙂
is there a substitute for the chicken stock?
Hi Jazmin! You can use vegetable stock, water or kombu dashi 🙂
I’ve tried oyster sauce and I wasnt a big fan. Could I use hoisin sauce with light soy sauce? Or would that just make it taste too different?
Hi Natalie! Yes, a mix of hoisin and soy sauce would work well too 🙂
Oh my gosh, I made this and it is awesome! We ate it hot, cold, leftover….any way we wanted!
I want to make this same recipe in my Instant pot. How would I do it? Could I out everything in at the same time? How long should I cook it?
Hi Jackie, I’m not familiar with Instant Pot but what I would suggest is finding a noodle recipe similar to this one that can be made in an Instant Pot 🙂
Hi there. I’m so excited to make this. Can I use cole slaw mix for the veggies??
Hi Sonia, cole slaw mix should work just fine! This is a super easy recipe, I often add different veggies to it so it’s a hard one to mess up 🙂 I hope you enjoy it!
I make this dish all the time, Cole slaw will work but don’t cook the Cole slaw to long or the cabbage will disappear, and when you warm it up later, you can’t find the cabbage. If you cut the cabbage yourself you will get a more vegetable fill and use shredded carrots
I use Nappa cabbage instead of green cabbage and it tastes great! I also use snow peas instead of green beans, cook faster. I use both of these veggies in Tamarind soup also. Tastes amazing! My husband is Filipino, I’m American and he says my pancit and tamarind soup are the best, chicken adobo, too
So nice to have a recipe turn out without any problems. This was my first attempt and it turned out absolutely delicious. Look forward to future recipes
I can’t wait to make this for New Years Eve. Do you have a Lumpia recipe you can share?
Hi Matt! I don’t have a lumpia recipe but I’ve added it to my list of recipes to make in 2019 🙂 Thanks!
Really enjoyed this, couldn’t find the dark soy sauce anywhere to I doubled the soy sauce instead.
Looks yummy!!! I miss pancit! I would have to try your version soon. 😉
I grew up spending most of my time at my friend’s house. Her father is Filipino and used to cook pancit all the time. This is exactly what I needed to help ease the homesickness I’ve been feeling. This is definitely a little piece of home! Thank you!!