Pancit Palabok (Filipino Noodles With Smoky Pork and Seafood Sauce) Recipe

This classic Filipino noodle dish is packed with pork, chicken, shrimp, and layer upon layer of seafood flavor.

Updated November 22, 2023

Overhead view of pancit palabok, served on an earthenware platter and garnished with lemon wedges and a quartered hard-boiled egg. — Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

Marinating the pork, an optional step, makes it more flavorful and enhances surface browning during roasting.
Using head-on shrimp infuses even more flavor into the sauce.
Making smart use of all the ingredients means you can whip up a quick stock for the sauce with the same ingredients that end up in the final dish.

This Filipino noodle dish is a seafood- and pork-lover's dream. The rich, thick sauce is layered with flavor, starting with a base of chicken-and-shrimp stock, and followed by crab paste, the juices from shrimp shells and heads, and flaked smoked fish. The whole thing is spooned on top of springy rice noodles and topped with roast pork belly, shrimp, hard-boiled eggs, and a party of garnishes, including fried garlic, crushed fried pork rinds, scallions, and citrus wedges.

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Recipe Details

"Pancit Palabok: Filipino Noodles & Seafood Sauce Recipe"

Prep 30 mins

Cook 80 mins

Active 2 hrs

Marinating Time 9 hrs

Total 10 hrs 50 mins

Serves 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

For the Pork Belly:

1/4 cup (60ml) plus 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45ml) fish sauce, divided
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
One 13.5-ounce (398ml) can coconut milk
1 pound (450g) skin-on, boneless pork belly

For the Stock and Sauce:

1 head garlic, peeled and minced, plus 4 medium garlic cloves, crushed, divided
2 scallions, green tops thinly sliced crosswise for garnish and white parts reserved for stock
One 1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, bruised with the spine of a knife
1 red onion, finely diced, trimmings reserved for stock
2 (about 12 ounces; 340g) skinless chicken thighs
1 pound (450g) large shrimp, preferably head-on
1/4 cup (60ml) plus 1 tablespoon (15ml) canola or other neutral oil, divided
3 1/2 teaspoons annatto powder
One 8-ounce bottle Filipino crab paste
1/2 cup (3 ounces) galunggong or tinapa (Filipino smoked fish), flaked and any large bones discarded
3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water to make a lump-free slurry
Kosher salt

To Serve:

One 16-ounce pack (or two 8-ounce packs) thick rice or cornstarch noodle sticks
4 hard-boiled eggs, cut into wedges, for garnish
4 calamansi or 2 lemons, cut into wedges (see note)
Fried garlic, for garnish
1 cup crushed pork cracklings (chicharron)

Directions

For the Pork Belly: In a zipper-lock bag, combine 1/4 cup (60ml) fish sauce, sugar, 1 tablespoon black pepper, and coconut milk; seal bag and shake well to combine. Add pork belly to bag, carefully press out air, then seal and refrigerate overnight. Remove pork belly from bag, pat dry, then allow to air-dry in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Alternatively, if you don't have time to marinate the pork overnight, simply brush the belly with fish sauce and season with black pepper, then proceed.
Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). In an overproof skillet or on a baking sheet lined with foil, roast the pork belly until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F (71°C) when inserted into the center, about 45 minutes.
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Increase oven temperature to 500°F (260°C) and return the pork to the oven until skin is browned and crispy, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then slice pork into 1/2 inch thick slices. Reserve for serving.
Meanwhile, for the Stock and Sauce: Fill a Dutch oven or large pot with 4 quarts (4 liters) water. Add the 4 crushed cloves of garlic, ginger, scallion whites, and reserved onion scraps. Bring to a simmer, then add chicken thighs and cook at a gentle simmer for 45 minutes. Remove chicken, let cool, then shred meat and discard bones.
Set up an ice water bath in a large bowl. Add shrimp to simmering stock and cook until just cooked through and pink all over, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to ice bath and let cool. Remove from ice bath.
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Shell shrimp and remove heads. Working in a large mortar and pestle, crush shrimp shells and heads until juices are extracted. Strain, reserving shrimp juices. Return shells and heads to the stock and simmer for 5 minutes longer. Keep shrimp chilled until ready to serve.
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Strain stock, discarding solids. Reserve 1 quart (1 liter) stock for the sauce below, and freeze the rest for future use.
In a clean Dutch oven, heat 1/4 cup (60ml) oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add minced garlic and diced onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in annatto powder, followed by the crab paste, 1 quart (1 liter) reserved stock, and reserved shrimp juices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Stir in the flaked fish, followed by the cornstarch slurry. Return to a simmer, then cook until sauce thickens. Add the remaining fish sauce in 1 tablespoon increments until it tastes well seasoned to you (you may not need all of it). Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Set sauce aside, stir in reserved chicken, then allow to cool slightly.
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
In a large pot of salted boiling water, add remaining 1 tablespoon (15ml) oil. Add noodles and cook, stirring gently to break them up, until softened and beginning to turn slightly clear, about 3 minutes. Drain in a colander set in a sink, then run cold water all over the noodles to rinse and chill; toss noodles as you rinse them to ensure they're not stuck together. Set aside to drain fully.
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Pile the noodles on a large serving dish. Spoon sauce all over. Arrange reserved shrimp and pork belly slices on top, and garnish with the hard-boiled eggs and citrus wedges. Sprinkle all over with reserved sliced scallion greens, fried garlic, and crushed pork rinds. Serve.

Special Equipment

Dutch oven, mortar and pestle

Notes

You can find the specialty Filipino ingredients at well-stocked Asian and Filipino markets; some are also available online. Fresh calamansi can be very difficult to find, so substitute lemon if you can't track it down.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The sauce, shrimp, and pork can be refrigerated separately for up to 2 days; gently rewarm sauce and pork before serving (the sauce need not be hot, but you don't want it refrigerator-cold either).

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
801	Calories
45g	Fat
37g	Carbs
63g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	801
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 45g	57%
Saturated Fat 12g	60%
Cholesterol 316mg	105%
Sodium 1723mg	75%
Total Carbohydrate 37g	13%
Dietary Fiber 5g	16%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 63g
Vitamin C 40mg	198%
Calcium 187mg	14%
Iron 4mg	21%
Potassium 1070mg	23%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)