Pancit Palabok (Filipino Rice Noodles with Annatto Shrimp Sauce)

Quick answer

Total time: 45 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Pancit palabok is a Filipino celebratory noodle dish built on thin rice noodles blanketed in an orange-hued shrimp sauce.

The sauce draws its color from annatto powder, which also contributes a faint earthy sweetness, and its savory backbone from shrimp-shell stock simmered with fish sauce. Boiled egg halves and a squeeze of lime are the traditional garnish, cutting through the richness with acidity. Fried garlic, sliced scallions, and crushed chicharron scattered on top add texture contrast and bring multiple layers of flavor to a single serving. At Filipino birthday parties and holiday gatherings, palabok is presented on a large platter and shared family-style, making it one of the most recognizable celebration dishes in the cuisine.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

rice noodles220 gg

shrimp180 gg

shrimp stock700 mlml

annatto powder1 tsptsp

garlic1 tbsptbsp

fish sauce1 tbsptbsp

boiled egg2 eaea

lime1 eaea

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Heat

Prepare 220 g rice noodles according to the package, either boiling or soaking until flexible but not mushy.

Rinse briefly with cool water, drain thoroughly, and keep them loose so they do not clump before saucing.
2

Finish

Peel 180 g shrimp, keeping the meat and shells separate.

Pat the shrimp dry so it cooks cleanly in the sauce, and reserve the shells because they are the flavor base for the stock.
3

Control

Cover the shrimp shells with water and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

When the liquid smells savory and looks lightly colored, strain it and measure 700 ml of shrimp stock for the sauce.
4

Control

Set a pan over medium-low heat and saute 1 tablespoon garlic for about 1 minute, just until fragrant.

Before it browns, stir in 1 teaspoon annatto powder so the oil and garlic turn evenly orange.
5

Control

Pour in 700 ml shrimp stock and 1 tablespoon fish sauce, then bring it to a steady simmer over medium heat.

Add the shrimp meat, cook about 2 minutes, and reduce until the sauce lightly coats a spoon.
6

Finish

Arrange the drained rice noodles on a platter and spoon the hot shrimp sauce generously over the top.

Add 2 boiled eggs, cut as desired, and serve with 1 lime so the juice can be squeezed on just before eating.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Filipino rice noodles blanketed in a shrimp sauce colored with earthy, orange annatto powder.
Finish cue: Arrange the drained rice noodles on a platter and spoon the hot shrimp sauce generously over the top.
Avoid this: Prepare 220 g rice noodles according to the package, either boiling or soaking until flexible but not mushy.