Home-made Jollibee-style Pancit Palabok Recipe

As one of the most popular fast-food restaurants in the Philippines, Jollibee offers tasty and savory dishes embedded in Filipino cuisine. Aside from its crispy and juicy Chickenjoy, Jollibee serves Pancit Palabok – a classic dish Filipinos enjoy for its unique and flavorful sauce. If you want to try this Pancit dish, you no longer need to go to the nearest Jollibee restaurant. With our home-made Jollibee-style Pancit Palabok recipe, we’re sure to make your meal Langhap-Sarap!

Pancit Palabok is a classic Filipino dish, another variation of Pancit known for its distinct yellow-orange sauce and thin noodles. Although it has many variations, such as Pancit Malabon and Pancit Luglug, the Jollibee-style Pancit Palabok has captured the taste buds of many Filipinos. It’s a staple noodle in the Philippines and is often served at birthdays, celebrations, and workplace parties. What’s more? Pancit Palabok can be served any time of the day.

But where did this dish come from? While foreigners often refer to Filipino noodles as Pancit, the word and the noodles did not originate from the Philippines. It was derived from the Hokkien word “pian e sit,” which means fast food or something conveniently cooked fast. Pancit first arrived in the Philippines as a “baon” or supply food for Chinese traders to overcome their homesickness while selling their goods to the natives.

When Chinese trader’s food supply ran out, they made their own noodles. But instead of wheat, they use rice flour as an alternative. Pancit instantly grew in popularity as rice noodles cook faster than wheat noodles or rice. It’s also versatile and goes well with various sauces and toppings. Since then, Pancit has been adopted into our culture and local cuisine. Meanwhile, the word “Palabok” means “garnishing” or “added flavor” in Tagalog, which refers to the toppings on Pancit.

During the Spanish colonial period, the traditional noodle dish became the first “takeout food” in the country. The “panciteros,” or Chinese food hawkers, sold pancit to women working in cigarette factories as they had little time to cook or do housework. When the demand for convenient and ready-to-eat meals increases, many vendors establish roadside eateries catering to workers and travelers. Therefore, Panciterias became the first-ever restaurant in the Philippines.

Nowadays, variations of Pancit serve to celebrate milestones in life, from birthdays and baptisms to graduations and weddings. In Chinese culture, Pancit symbolizes longevity or a long and happy life, given you don’t cut it before eating. This belief was adopted by generations of Filipinos and served in various forms, such as Miki, Canton, Bihon, and Sotanghan. Now that you know the origin of Pancit Palabok, let’s talk about how to make the dish Jollibee-style.

Pancit Palabok is a Filipino favorite, which consists of thin rice noodles called Bihon. It’s soaked in a rich pork broth with fried garlic and fish sauce (patis). While its trademark yellow-orange color comes from the annatto powder. Then, it’s topped with shrimp, ground pork, crunchy chicharon, and sliced hard-boiled eggs to make the dish more appealing. Also, it has finely chopped scallions to add contrasting flavor to the noodles and savory sauce.

This recipe also recreates the texture and flavor of the famous Jollibee-style Pancit Palabok. Its bright sauce and mouthwatering toppings will make this recipe a hit at parties. So what are you waiting for? Give this recipe a shot and enjoy your favorite Jollibee-style Pancit Palabok with your friends and family!