Pancit Palabok is another popular and favorite pancit or noodle dish among Filipinos. Pancit Palabok usually involves rice noodles, thick yellow-orange sauce and various toppings like shrimps, flakes of smoked fish, pork chicharon, hard boiled eggs, spring onions, squid rings, fried garlic and whatever one fancy I would say.
But I have to admit the preparation for Pancit Palabok is so much different from Pancit Bihon and requires a bit more work.
Specially if you plan to use a lot of toppings because each topping is prepared separately and unlike Pancit Bihon where all ingredients are tossed together while being cooked, Pancit Palabok is prepared part by part and then assembled at the end when ready to serve.
But since I like keeping things easy, this Pancit Palabok recipe is a really simple one requiring the most basic toppings but still delicious.
Originally, the thick yellow sauce is made from fat, meat and juice extracted from crabs.
But since fresh crabs are not available here in Germany and I am not up to all the work involved anyway, we could skip this and use something easier to find to flavor the sauce, like fish sauce or shrimp cubes.
If using fresh shrimps, the heads can also be used by crushing and grinding them and adding some water and then extracting the juice using a sieve.
WANT MORE RECIPES? Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Pancit Palabok made easy
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound rice noodles
PALABOK SAUCE
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 2-3 gloves garlic - - minced
- 1 medium onion - - chopped
- 10.5 ounces ground pork
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 4 cups water
- ½ cup flour - - dissolved in 1 cup water
- 1 shrimp bouillon cube - (pork cube if shrimp is not available)
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons annatto powder - (food color can be used, but lesser) see Note 1
TOPPINGS
- 4 hard boiled eggs - - cut into slices
- 1 cup shrimps - - boiled or steamed
- 1 cup chicharon - (pork rind) - crushed
- ¼ cup spring onions - chopped
- ½ cup smoked fish (tinapa) - (if available)
- 2 lemons - - cut into wedges
INSTRUCTIONS
- Soak the rice noodles in water for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, boil enough water in a pot. Once the noodles are done soaking, drain it from the cold water and then submerge in boiling water for a few minutes just until they are cooked but still firm, about 3-5 minutes. Once cooked, drain the water and set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, saute garlic and onion in oil until tender. Add the ground pork and fish sauce and cook for 5-10 minutes or until all bits are cooked. Stir often to get rid of big lumps.
- Dilute the annatto powder in the 3 cups of water and add this to the pork. Add the shrimp bouillon and let simmer for some minutes until it starts to boil. Add the flour mixture and stir until the sauce becomes thick. Season with ground pepper. Set aside.
- Add three-quarters of the sauce to the noodles and mix until all noodles are covered with sauce. Transfer to a serving dish. Pour remaining sauce on top. Arrange toppings on top with the crushed chicharon and spring onions being the last. Place the lemon wedges on the sides or in another smaller bowl for squeezing. Serve while warm.
RECIPE NOTES
I followed every step on point Andy the noodles turned out tough it need to be extended to 8mins. It needed more seasoning so I added a little bit of salt, garlic powder and more patis.
Hi Pea, you have to read the package direction of the noodles you bought. It varies from one brand to the other. As for the seasoning, it is subjective so sure add as much as you like until you find the taste to your liking.
My first time planning to cook pancit palabok i search for easy way, then i come to this website... i read your recipe i will try...
I hope you like it Theresa...
Great recipe! I’m just a beginner when it comes to cooking and this one was manageable. The only thing is that I think the amount of annatto powder measurement depends on the type you buy? my dish turned out a light red orange with the exact 1 and 1/2 tbsp of powder diluted in 3 cups water. Maybe there’s a yellow version out there? I figured it’s because I had put too much. I used Mama Sita’s brand.
You could be right, Janeczka! I added a note to the annatto powder in the recipe as a guide. Thanks for your honest feedback!
wanna try this recipe
Please do! 🙂
This is my first time to make Pancit Palabok and this recipe is a keeper, it’s really made easy and perfect. I used my left over chicken flakes instead of ground pork and added more annato powder. Thank you Beb for sharing. God bless.
You are most welcome Chona and thanks for the 5⭐️s! 🙂
How to get the yellow consistency of the sauce? I tried to make it and it’s light orange it looks pale in the noodles ???? it’s taste good but am not satisfied with the colour it looks like spaghetti to me.
Hi Rose, the yellow color comes from annatto or achuete. You can use the seeds or the powder. Add more of it if it is too pale but maybe you also have to add a bit more flour and water and adjust the seasoning. It should not turn orange though but rather egg-yellow. You could try a different brand if you are not happy with your achuete color.
Just found you by accident in IG. Love the recipes you posted. Do you have a youtube channel? If not, maybe you should consider it ????. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Hi Charrys, Thanks for the comment. We do have a youtube channel...here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/FoxyFolksyM1005
love all your recipes. just happened to see your blog when l was looking for a pork sisig recipe. your presentation are so ornate and appealing that you seem like you can taste them just by looking. they look so yummy and yet simple to make. l am now a fan!!!! thank you.
Thanks for the very nice comment Linde! ????
Hi there, I really like your posted recipe just like palabok and and chicken afritada.i think its time to start a business soon..
Will be my first time to try this Palabok recipe.....I love to eat every bit 8f it but doesn't try to cook it before.....and now that I am in food vending business I guess I should try everything.
No worries Laila, it is easy! Good luck to the business!
Thanks I followed the recipe and the Palabok tasted good. But what do we do with the shrimp cube? Were we suppose to mix it in the sauce? It didn't say in the instructions so I forgot to add it.
Hi Daniel. Thanks for commenting. The shrimp bouillon is anyway optional but I added it now in the recipe, it should be added to the sauce. 🙂