Palabok Party—Shrimp, Tinapa & Golden Sauce

Filipino Palabok is a dish made for celebration—saucy, smoky, savory, and rich with toppings. This version leans on shrimp stock, tinapa flakes, and vibrant annatto oil for deep flavour and golden colour. Perfect for potlucks or party trays, and weeknight-friendly if you prep the sauce ahead.

🛒 Ingredients

Noodles

• 400g rice noodles (bihon) or glass noodles (sotanghon) — soak per pack instructions, then blanch
• 3L water for boiling

Achuete Oil & Stock

• 60ml neutral oil
• 8g atsuete (annatto) powder
• 200g shrimp shells and heads (optional, from your peeled toppings)
• 1000ml shrimp, fish, or chicken stock
• 1000ml water
• 60ml patis (fish sauce)

Aromatics & Tinapa

• 35g minced garlic
• 75g sliced onion
• 120g tinapa flakes (smoked fish)

Slurry & Seasoning

• 30g cornstarch
• 60g all-purpose flour
• 180ml water (for slurry)
• 24g chicken powder or bouillon
• 25g white sugar
• 1g freshly ground black pepper

Toppings

• 3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• 250g boiled shrimp, peeled
• 60g chicharon crumbs
• 2 tbsp toasted garlic
• 30g spring onions, chopped
• 30ml calamansi juice (or lemon as substitute)

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🍳 Instructions

1. Make Achuete Oil & Stock

• Warm oil over low heat, stir in annatto powder until oil turns bright orange. Set aside.
• In a dry pan, sauté shrimp shells. Add half of the achuete oil, then pour in stock and water. Season with patis and simmer 5 minutes. Strain and reserve the stock.

2. Build the Sauce

• In a casserole, sauté garlic and onion in the remaining achuete oil until fragrant.
• Add tinapa flakes and cook for 1 minute.
• Whisk together cornstarch, flour, and water to make a smooth slurry.
• Pour in the strained stock and bring to a simmer.
• Slowly whisk in the slurry until thickened.
• Add chicken powder, sugar, and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning with more patis if needed.

3. Cook Noodles

• Soak or parboil the noodles based on package instructions.
• Drain well and toss with a little sauce to prevent sticking.

4. Finish & Serve

• Arrange noodles on a large platter. Pour palabok sauce generously over the top.
• Garnish with sliced eggs, shrimp, chicharon, toasted garlic, and spring onions.
• Drizzle with calamansi juice just before serving.

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💡 Tips & Tricks

• Bloom annatto in warm oil to extract its colour fully.
• Use only half the slurry first—thicken gradually.
• Don’t overcook the shrimp—pull them as soon as they turn pink.
• Mushroom chicharon or toasted garlic make great pork-free alternatives.

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❓ FAQ

Can I use spaghetti instead of rice noodles?
Yes! Just cook it al dente and toss with a little oil before adding sauce to keep the strands bouncy.

No time for homemade stock?
Use bottled stock or bouillon. Just boost the flavour with extra patis and tinapa.

Pork-free alternative to chicharon?
Use mushroom chicharon or extra toasted garlic for that same crunchy topping.

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🔥 Nutrition (per serving)

485 kcal · 25g protein · 15g fat · 65g carbs
Sodium: 1380mg · Sugar: 6g · Fiber: 2g

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💬 Reader Comments

Mariel: “Sauce consistency was perfect—really clung to the bihon. Tinapa made it legit!” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Anton: “Swapped chicharon with crispy mushrooms—solid hack. Added extra calamansi for brightness.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rhea: “Used spaghetti in a pinch and it still slapped. Great for potlucks!” ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Ready to party with Palabok? 🍤✨ Try it for your next gathering or family dinner—it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!