Filipino Pancit (Authentic Family Recipe)

This Filipino pancit recipe came from my mother-in-law back in 1998, and after making it for decades, I can confidently say this giant pot of noodles disappears faster than leftovers are supposed to. It’s the dish everybody requests for family parties, holidays, and random get-togethers where apparently one normal-sized meal is never enough.

Made with chicken, vegetables, and two kinds of noodles, pancit somehow manages to be comforting, colorful, filling, and just chaotic enough to require my designated “pancit pot” that my kids literally named because it’s big enough to hold the crazy amount I make at one time. That thing has seen things.

The best part is that despite looking like you spent all day making it, pancit is actually pretty forgiving. No fancy techniques, no culinary school nonsense—just simple ingredients, a little chopping, and some stirring. And once you squeeze fresh lemon over the top? Game over.

There are a lot of versions of pancit throughout the Philippines, but this is the exact recipe my mother-in-law taught me, and after all these years, I’m still making it the same way because some recipes don’t need improving.

• Servings: 12 sides or 6 main course
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes

Get the full printable instructions with measurements at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

Craving more Filipino family recipes?

You can’t go wrong with Filipino spring rolls, but you can fail to make enough! And for one of the easiest (but still delicious) weeknight dinner, try chicken adobo.

Step by Step Directions:

Step 1: Mince garlic and dice onion. Slice celery at a diagonal. Chop green beans into bite size pieces. 

Step 2: Pull the rotisserie chicken apart into bite-sized pieces, discarding skin, bones, and any fatty pieces. 

Step 3: Place rice stick noodles in a large bowl filled with very hot tap water. Let them soak until the noodles are soft. They don’t need a lot of heat to go from very crunchy to soft and tender. Just let them sit and occasionally stir them around. Drain in a colander and rinse. Set aside.

Step 4: Place pancit canton noodles in a large pot over low heat with chicken broth. The noodles will be very brittle at first, but will soften. Stir occasionally (for about 10 minutes) until noodles are tender and chicken broth is absorbed. Set aside.

Step 5: While noodles are soaking, place a large pot (my kids named this one my pancit pot! It’s huge and I use it for so many dishes!) over medium heat with olive oil. Cook onion and garlic for 5 minutes until onion begins to soften. Garlic can burn and turn bitter very easily so reduce the heat to medium low if your pan is too hot.

Step 6: Add celery and green beans and stir. Cover and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Add shredded carrots, cover and cook for 5 minutes, continuing to stir occasionally. Vegetables are done when they are tender, but not soggy. 

Step 7: Stir in chicken, then use two large spoons to mix pancit canton noodles, then rice stick noodles into pot with vegetables and chicken. This is where the giant pot comes in handy!

Step 8: When noodles are thoroughly mixed in, add 1/4 cup of soy sauce and some freshly ground pepper, then stir. Taste and add up to 1/4 cup more of soy sauce if necessary. 

Step 9: To finish, serve with a squeeze from a lemon wedge and enjoy! 

Tips for making Filipino food:

• For authentic Filipino flavor, use Silver Swan soy sauce.
• The soy sauce and noodles can all be found at your local Asian market.
• Don’t be intimidate by the number of steps! This dish is so simple and very difficult to mess up!
• I usually make this as a side dish. It’s perfect for weekend barbecues with a crowd!

Summer Sides perfect for barbecues:

• potato salad – classic recipe, nothing weird
• pasta salad – simple, full of flavor

Before you go . . .

If this is your kind of comfort food, there’s more to explore. Check out our easy tropical and Hawaiian dinner recipes for a full mix of flavors.