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 as well as for 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 that’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser!
There are so many ways to make this dish, every cook or household is sure to have their own delicious spin. Sweet sausage hamonado, chicken, shrimp, carrots, cabbage, and celery are the standard ingredients in my version of pancit but feel free to swap or add your own favorite mix-ins such as pork, liver, sweet peas, and mushrooms.
Tips on How to Make Pancit Bihon Guisado
- While most recipes suggest soaking 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. Please note that 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.
- 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.
- 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 to stir-fry to help keep the noodles intact and lessen breakage.
- 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. Make sure to stir-fry on high heat so everything sears nicely and won’t overcook in the steam.
I like the sweet and salty flavors pork hamonado adds to the pancit and I prefer it over regular pork. If you can’t find it, you can substitute Chinese sausage called Lap Xuong Thuong Hang.
More Pancit Recipes
Pancit Bihon Guisado
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 8 ounces rice noodles
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 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
- 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh meat, diced
- 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 1/2 to 2 cups of the liquid.
- In a wok or wide skillet over medium heat, heat about 1 tablespoon oil. Add shrimps 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 shrimps and hamonado to the wok.
- Add noodles and reserved liquid in 1/2 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.
Nutrition
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
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.
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.
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 🙂
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.
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.
Can I make it vegan and get the same flavors.
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.
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 [email protected] hit me there because i have a few questions. Thanks
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.
Just like Mom’s.. TYVM 🙂
Just like Mom’s is the best compliment ever 🙂
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
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. 🙂
My korean inlaws are asking me to cook filipino food for them.. I’m gonna try this. It looks delish!
I hope they’ll love it 🙂
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!
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”.
The recipe is perfect!
Hi Lj
Thank you so much for the feedback, I am glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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 🙂
Happy cooking, Dennybie 🙂
I want to try this 🙂
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!
Thank you for making Kawaling Pinoy a part of your New year’s celebration. Happy 2015 to you and your family 🙂
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.
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. 🙂
oh pancit, its said that one should it pancit in their birthday to keep long life.lol
im loving pancit.