Susanne Daner
- Sep 25, 2020
- 3 min read

Pancit Bihon

Along with lumpia, you will find pancit at every Filipino party. There are several different types of pancit, but pancit bihon is probably the most common. However, as common as it is, I feel like every family's recipe is slightly different. Even I find myself not making it the exact same way every time, mainly because I usually just eyeball everything and switch up certain ingredients based on what I feel like using. That doesn't help me or any one else when I'm trying to tell someone how to make it though! So for the last batch I made, I noted the measurements and time so that I could share it with all of you. I usually just use chicken and Chinese sausage as my protein, but pork and shrimp are also typically used.

Serves 6 to 8

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

3 Tbsp canola oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 small onion, chopped

2 Chinese sausages, sliced into thin strips about 1-inch long

1 cup carrot, julienned

1 cup celery, thinly sliced diagonally

1 cup snow peas, sliced diagonally

2 cups cabbage, shredded

3 to 4 cups chicken broth

3 Tbsp patis, AKA fish sauce (substitute soy sauce if you prefer)

black pepper

2 cups chicken breast, cooked and shredded into large bite-sized pieces OR uncooked and cut into bite-sized pieces

8 oz rice vermicelli

lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Prepare all of your ingredients as described above.

In a large wok or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the garlic and onion for 2 minutes. If using uncooked chicken, add it at this time. Sauté for for 2 minutes until no more pink is showing. Add the sausage and sauté another 2 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, and snow peas, sautéing for one minute in between each addition, and 2 minutes after the last addition.

Add 1 cup of of the broth and half of the fish sauce and stir. Simmer for 1 minute. Add half of the cabbage and simmer one more minute, stirring frequently. Using a slotted ladle, transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.

Add another 2 cups of broth and the remaining fish sauce to the liquid in the pan. If using pre-cooked chicken, add it to the liquid at this time and bring to a simmer. Add the remaining cabbage and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the rice noodles and gently push it into the liquid. Continue to do this until the noodles start to soften. After about 2 minutes, use two spatulas or spoons (or use tongs) to bring the noodles from the bottom of the pan over the drier noodles on top. Do this occasionally for about 2 minutes while the noodles continue to soak up the liquid. Once all of the liquid is absorbed, add half of the remaining broth and continue to mix. Once that has absorbed, taste one of the noodles and add the rest of the broth if still slightly dry. I usually use the entire amount of broth, but different brands may require less, and the amount of liquid cooking out of your vegetables will vary, which is why we are adding the broth gradually.

Once the last addition of the broth has been absorbed, add the vegetables back in, Season with 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of black pepper, and toss to combine. I usually add half and save the other half to place on top. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze, if desired.

Visuals

The ingredients.

Some packages will actually be labeled "Pancit Bihon". Some will just say "rice vermicelli". This is what the noodles look like.

The Chinese sausage, readily available at any grocery store here in Hawaii. It adds a nice sweet bite to the pancit.

My cousins and I are fans of this Three Crabs Brand fish sauce. Red Boat brand is what I've commonly seen available at regular grocery stores. That's good too ... my mom says it tastes fancy.

The prepped ingredients.

You're going to want them ready to go before you begin cooking.

The garlic, onion, sausage, and vegetables. After half of the cabbage is added and cooked for a minute, the mixture is transferred to a bowl and set aside until the end.