Pancit Malabon (Seafood Rice Noodles)
Updated Dec. 23, 2025
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 20ounces thick rice noodles, preferably Filipino-style (see Tip)
- 4large eggs
- Ice, as needed
- ½ pound large peeled and deveined shrimp, tails on
- 1 to 2teaspoons table salt or fine-grain sea salt
- 1cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup finely chopped garlic (from about 8 large garlic cloves)
- ¼ cup ground annatto
- ½ pound ground pork
- 2cups crushed chicharrones (about half an 8-ounce bag, see Tip)
- ½ cup fish sauce
- ¼ to ½cup calamansi or lemon juice (see Tip)
- ¼cup chopped scallions
- Calamansi halves or lemon wedges, seeded, to serve
- Optional toppings: ¾ cup tinapa flakes (smoked fish flakes; see Tip); 3 cups shredded napa cabbage, blanched; ½ pound cooked calamari rings; ½ pound cooked mussels in the shells
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
451 calories; 25 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 16 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 43 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 14 grams protein; 1091 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Soak and drain the noodles according to package instructions.
- Step 2
Prepare the eggs: Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high. Gently transfer the eggs to the saucepan. Reduce to medium and simmer for 12 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to the ice bath and cool. (Discard the water and reserve the saucepan.) Peel the eggs, finely chop 3 of the eggs and cut the remaining egg into quarters to use as a topping. Set aside.
- Step 3
Prepare the shrimp: In the medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add the salt and stir to dissolve. Add the shrimp and cook until cooked through and pink, about 2 minutes. Strain and set aside to cool. If not using the shrimp right away, cover and store in the fridge.
- Step 4
Prepare the garlic and annatto oil: In a medium pan or saucepan, heat the oil on medium. Carefully, add the garlic and fry, stirring frequently, until golden but not yet golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, then immediately turn the heat off and use a slotted spoon to transfer the garlic to a paper-towel-lined plate. (Be mindful that the garlic bits will continue to darken a bit off the heat, so be sure to remove them before they get too dark.) Add the annatto powder to the hot oil in the pan and carefully whisk until well combined. Set aside to cool.
- Step 5
In a large wok or pan (12-inch or larger), bring 1 cup water to a boil over medium-high. Add the pork and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the drained noodles and enough water (6 to 8 cups) to barely cover the pork-noodle mixture. Bring to a boil over high, occasionally tossing the noodles carefully with tongs. As soon as you see the first signs of a boil (which should take about 10 minutes), strain the mixture. The noodles should be chewy and flexible, not mushy.
- Step 6
Transfer the noodle mixture to a large mixing bowl. Carefully stir the annatto oil to mix again and pour it over the noodle mixture. Be mindful not to splash. Toss well with tongs until well coated and take on an orange color. (Take care, annatto oil can get everywhere and tends to stain.) Add the fish sauce, ¼ cup calamansi juice, chicharrones and finely chopped eggs. Toss well. Taste and add more calamansi if desired.
- Step 7
Transfer to a serving platter and top with shrimp, egg wedges, reserved fried garlic and chopped scallions. Garnish with any optional toppings you like, and serve with halved calamansi or lemon wedges.
- Tinapa flakes are sold at Filipino markets and online.
- Look for the noodles that say “poolee” or “pu-li” and specify “thick,” available at Filipino markets and online.
- Chicharrones (fried pork rinds or skin) can be found sold in bags or in pieces at fried food counters at various markets including Latino and Filipino supermarkets. Look in the chip aisle. You can crush them by hand, or place in a resealable bag and crush with a rolling pin.
- Calamansi is a small sour citrus fruit used in Filipino cuisine. Green or orange in color, it’s small and round, more floral in taste and perfume and less tart than lemon or lime. Fresh calamansi fruit and juice can be found at Filipino markets; you’ll need about 20 calamansi to yield ½ cup juice.
Private Notes
Comments
I had the same thought, but I still think I'm going to try to make it, subbing in baked tofu for the pork. I have a recipe that makes tofu into a crumbly chewy filling for tacos that could work. I'll cook the noodles in something umami-ish rather than water, like mushroom stock, and add the tofu in after they're done. The chicharrones topping seems like it's mostly about crunch, so I can crumble some of those light-crispy shrimp crackers instead.
So glad to see this recipe! I’m a retired nurse, not of Philipino heritage. Whenever there was a potluck at work, Philipino nurses were begged for pancit, and it went fast. There are as many recipes for this dish as there are Philipinos, every one is delicious!
I'm a pescetarian so I got all excited by the recipe name, but once I looked at the ingredients I realized I'd have to alter it way too much... Looks good for carnivores though.
Not sure where I went wrong. The flavor was very strong even though I used half the fish sauce
Great recipe!
Fried fish skin or fried seaweed - crispy nori is the best known - can easily replace the pork and the fried skin. Otherwise use fried onions as any vegetarian would. If you want the protein umami and eat soy, fry yuba.