Pancit bihon, a stir-fry noodle dish, is a must for any celebration. Whether it’s a birthday, graduation, or just a casual get-together with friends, pancit always makes an appearance. Originating from Chinese influences, pancit has become quintessentially Filipino.
Easy noodle dish
When I make pancit bihon, I want to transport myself back to family gatherings in the Philippines. This dish is usually part of every party and celebration, and for good reason – it’s delicious, filling, and meant for sharing.
For this recipe, I use chicken thighs, but you can also use pork or shrimp. Leftover rotisserie chicken works in a pinch, too! For the veggies, I use shredded cabbage, snow peas, julienned carrots and celery. Bean sprouts also add great crunch and flavor. You can use pre-shredded coleslaw mix to save time.
You can use either thin rice noodles or mung bean noodles. I actually prefer the mung bean noodles as they don’t get as mushy as quickly. I use this Golden Star Saifun brand. Soak the noodles in cold water for about 10 minutes while you get the rest of your ingredients ready. Once 10 minutes are done, drain and cut into more manageable lengths. Set aside.
Combine the chicken stock, soy sauce, sugar, and ground pepper in a small bowl and set aside. Prep all your veggies and protein. Cut the carrots and celery into thin slices. If you’re not using a coleslaw mix with pre-shredded cabbage, then cut up your cabbage into strips. If you need to, de-string your snow peas.
Pat dry your chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces, and lightly season with salt and pepper. If you’re pressed for time, you can also just use leftover rotisserie chicken. Heat oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. Sauté the chopped onions until it gets a bit more transparent. Add the minced garlic and lightly season with salt and sauté for 30 more seconds.
If you’re not using pre-cooked chicken, then add the chicken pieces into the pan and brown on all sides. Stir fry until the meat is almost done. Push to the side and add the hard veggies like carrots and celery. Stir fry for a couple minutes. Add the cabbage and snow peas. Stir fry until crisp-tender.
Add the sauce ingredients – chicken broth, soy sauce, sugar, and pepper. Mix well and simmer for a minute.
Add the drained noodles and stir fry everything together, making sure all the noodles are covered in the sauce. It should be cooked in about 7-10 minutes. You can garnish with scallions or chili peppers, but definitely squeeze a bit of calamansi or lemon to round out all the flavors . Enjoy your pancit bihon! It’s perfect for any occasion and sure to satisfy your Filipino food craving.
You can customize to your liking
The best thing about pancit bihon is that you can add in your favorite veggies and proteins. I like to use shredded cabbage, snow peas, carrots and celery for extra crunch. You can also add bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, etc. For protein, chicken and pork are traditional, but shrimp, beef or tofu also work great. Use whatever you have on hand!
Ingredients
- 1 pack (6 oz or 170 g) mung bean noodles (or thin rice noodles)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or 1.5 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken)
- 2 cups of shredded cabbage
- 1 carrot, thinly sliced
- 1 stalk of celery, thinly sliced
- 1 cup snow peas
- 1.5 cups chicken stock
- 2.5 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
Instructions
- Soak the noodles in cold water for about 10 minutes while you get the rest of your ingredients ready. Once 10 minutes are done, drain and cut into more manageable lengths. Set aside.
- Combine the chicken stock, soy sauce, sugar, and ground pepper in a small bowl and set aside. Prep all your veggies and protein. Cut the carrots and celery into thin slices. If you're not using a coleslaw mix with pre-shredded cabbage, then cut up your cabbage into strips. If you need to, de-string your snow peas.
- Pat dry your chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces, and lightly season with salt and pepper. If you're pressed for time, you can also just use leftover rotisserie chicken. Heat oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. Sauté the chopped onions until it gets a bit more transparent. Add the minced garlic and lightly season with salt and sauté for 30 more seconds.
- If you're not using pre-cooked chicken, then add the chicken pieces into the pan and brown on all sides. Stir fry until the meat is almost done. Push to the side and add the hard veggies like carrots and celery. Stir fry for a couple minutes. Add the cabbage and snow peas. Stir fry until crisp-tender.
- Add the sauce ingredients - chicken broth, soy sauce, sugar, and pepper. Mix well and simmer for a minute. If you're using pre-cooked chicken, you can add them now. Then, add the drained noodles and stir fry everything together, making sure all the noodles are covered in the sauce. It should be cooked in about 7-10 minutes. You can garnish with scallions or chili peppers, but definitely squeeze a bit of calamansi or lemon to round out all the flavors.
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