How to make Garlic Bihon (2024)

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Most of us feel lucky at the very sight and smell of good food. And perhaps it is righteously so because not everyone can get a taste of a good plate of pandesal. But what about food that tells you you can make that luck, yourself? This Garlic Bihon recipe might just be the lucky dish for you!

Pancit, which refers to noodles in Filipino, has already been a staple of most birthday celebrations in the Philippines. This comes from the Chinese tradition that the noodles symbolizes long life and good luck. No fiesta is complete without a plate of pancit sitting on the table for everyone to feast on. So if you’re looking to plan a fun celebration, or are just missing one of the most popular Filipino pancit dishes out there, it’s time to try out thisGarlic Bihon recipe!

Rice noodles or bihon is a famous kind of pasta in Asia. And it has long been the base for many popular dishes in the continent. Thailand’s pad Thai and of course, the Philippines’ very own Pancit Palabok utilize the magic bihon! And unlike Western egg noodles, they come with no gluten, and have a lower carbohydrate count. They also contain a bit less calories, with there only being approximately 192 calories in a cup’s serving of bihon.

They are considered a flexible kind of pasta in taking on the taste of the seasoning added to them. This is because they have a naturally mild flavor. Because they are made using water and rice flour or finely ground rice, they’re known for their very delicate texture. Also, people who are allergic to eggs or can’t eat wheat usually utilize it as a yummy noodle substitute.

Related recipes to try out:

But with how flexible bihon can be in its light flavor, it also goes well with other types of noodles. My Pancit Canton at Bihon recipe might be a good dish to try out if you’re looking to have the best of both worlds of pancit canton or flour noodles and pancit bihon. Have a taste of two immensely popular and delicious noodles in one meal! And if you’re a fan of Bam-I, I have a feeling you’re going to like this recipe. It’s a lot like the Cebu special. It also doesn’t take a long time to make– about 40 minutes in total. So if you’re looking to create a flavorful but easy pancit dish, check this recipe out!

Another seamless integration of pancit bihon with other types of noodles can be found in my shot at a delicious Chicken Pancit Medley recipe. Not only is it a delectably filling Filipino classic, but it also uses inexpensive ingredients. And I made it so you won’t have a hard time finding them in your local supermarket. It makes use of sotanghon noodles, also known as green bean thread. This is usually used for soup dishes, but also tastes great with a dry dish. While simple in its usage of less vegetables, it doesn’t sacrifice flavor. And it tastes great with a touch of lemon or calamansi.

Try bihon with the flavors of the sea:

If you’d like a bite of seafood with your bihon, I’ve got a tasty alternative for you in my Filipino Shrimp Pancit recipe. It has all the essentials of a good pancit dish, including cabbage, snow peas and carrots. But as seen in its name, it’s also got the sweet and mildly savory taste of shrimp. If you want to achieve more of the flavor of the shrimp in this dish, you can try crushing the shrimp’s head and squeezing out the juice for richer taste. Of course, the trusty shrimp cube can also do wonders to give this recipe a better flavor.

Explore other ways to cook pancit:

But if you’re generally craving a good pancit dish that’ll remind you of home, while filling your stomach, I have a full list of recipes to help you figure out what you should try making for your next noodle dish. Let me show you 30 ways to make Pancit! Impress your family and friends with the wide range of flavors you can make with these noodle-based Filipino dishes! But if you want to get started with the powerful, savory flavor of garlic bihon, follow these easy steps with me.

Cook Garlic Bihon with me:

Start by pouring 4 cups of water into a cooking pot, then wait for it to boil. After that, we can go ahead and place 8 ounces of chicken into the pot. After 35 minutes of boiling, remove the chicken from inside the pot, and wait for it to cool. Make sure not to throw the water away because that’ll be useful later on, serving as our chicken stock.

Once it feels cool enough to touch, begin to shred the chicken into thin pieces, and make sure to separate all of the meat from the bones. Then set this aside so we can start to work on our bihon components.

Preparing the flavoring for the garlic bihon:

Place 3 tablespoons of annatto seeds into the pot containing our chicken stock from a while ago, then cover the pot. Wait for five minutes for this to boil, then set it aside.

Now it’s time for us to get a wide pan, and proceed to heat our oil measured into 4 tablespoons. Then we can add 1 head of garlic that’s been chopped, and cook it until the color becomes a rich golden brown. Then we can set aside half of the garlic, but keep cooking the rest that we left in the pan. Proceed to add 3 stalks of chopped celery along with 1 onion head, chopped, and sauté until the onion is soft. Once it has softened, place your shredded chicken into the pan and sauté for 1 minute.

After this, we can start pouring the chicken stock we set aside into the pot as we filter the annatto seeds through a kitchen sieve or a strainer. Wait for this to boil, then proceed to add 1 Knorr Chicken Cube for better flavor. Stir the stock inside the pot, then add 1 cup of Julienne’d carrots, or carrots that have been cut up into long strips that resemble matchsticks.

Mixing in your noodles:

Now we can get to the exciting part of integrating our noodles into the mix. Add ¾ lb of bihon noodles, and wait for it to cook for 2 to 3 minutes with the cover on top of the pan. Then start tossing the noodles and continue cooking until the liquid has been fully absorbed by the noodles.

After this, we’re ready for seasoning to give the dish the scrumptious flavor it needs! Add ground black pepper and patis or fish sauce to taste, then toss the pancit until the sauce has been mixed into the dish evenly. Put the heat on low, and cook for 1 ½ minutes with the pan covered. After this, add the remaining green onion and toasted garlic from before, and toss and cook for 2 more minutes.

Once you’ve got that down, you’re ready to serve your delicious Garlic Bihon into a plate, and enjoy it hot and fresh! Let us know what you think about this savory dish!

Watch How to Cook Garlic Bihon