Pancit Molo Recipe

Pancit Molo is a Filipino wonton soup made with pork and shrimp dumplings, shredded chicken, and a clear chicken broth, topped with toasted garlic and scallions. The wrappers turn soft and slippery in the broth while the pork and shrimp inside stay juicy, and the shredded chicken makes each bowl filling. I like it served piping hot, with plenty of broth in every bowl.

This version came about when I was already living in the US. Rotisserie chicken seemed like a good choice because it was already cooked and well-seasoned, making it easier to prepare a flavorful broth. My family loved it the first time they tried it, and it has been a favorite ever since. Lechon manok works just as well, and I have tried it with equally good results.

Plenty of toasted garlic makes pancit molo taste even better, just as it does with arroz caldo and goto. Prepare it ahead of time using my toasted garlic recipe, then sprinkle it over each bowl just before serving to keep it crisp.

What is Pancit Molo?

Pancit Molo comes from the Molo district of Iloilo City, and you will also hear it called molo soup. Unlike most Filipino pancit, it has no noodles. The wonton wrappers take their place, and that is what connects the dish to the name.

I also have a chicken molo soup on the site that uses ground chicken and shrimp for the wontons, with annatto in the broth. This one uses pork and shrimp in the filling, rotisserie chicken for the soup, and the broth stays clear.

Why This Pancit Molo Recipe Works

• Rotisserie chicken – It is already cooked and seasoned, so you can make the soup without starting from raw chicken. Twenty minutes with the bones in the pot is enough before you shred the meat.
• Wontons go in one at a time – Drop them in one by one and keep the soup at a gentle simmer, so the wrappers stay whole until they reach the bowl.
• Fish sauce goes in last – Rotisserie chicken and boxed broth already have salt in them, so taste the soup before adding the last tablespoon.

Pancit Molo Ingredients

For the Wontons

• Ground pork – Regular ground pork, not the leanest pack. A little fat keeps the filling tender after simmering.
• Shrimp – Peeled, deveined, and chopped very fine so it blends into the pork. I usually keep frozen shrimp from Walmart or Costco in the freezer, and it works here once thawed and patted dry.
• Wonton wrappers – The square ones from the refrigerated section of an Asian store. Keep the stack covered with a damp towel while you wrap so the edges do not dry out.
• Yellow onion – Minced small. Large pieces stay crunchy inside the wonton.
• Garlic powder – Seasons the pork and shrimp filling.
• Sesame oil – Half a teaspoon is enough. It is a strong oil, and more than that takes over the filling.
• Egg – Holds the filling together.
• Salt – Used to season the pork and shrimp filling. Season the broth separately with fish sauce.
• Ground black pepper – Just a little in the filling. You can add more at the table if you like it peppery.

For the Soup

• Rotisserie chicken – Half a bird, with the bones. The bones go into the pot first and the meat gets shredded after.
• Chicken broth – Six cups, or one 48-ounce carton. Chicken stock also works. If you only have water, add chicken bouillon to make up for it.
• Water – Regular drinking water is fine. The broth and the chicken carry the flavor.
• Scallions – Chop them last so the green stays bright, and set half aside for the top.
• Toasted garlic – A quarter cup for topping. Store-bought fried garlic works, but homemade tastes better.
• Fish sauce – Two to three tablespoons, added at the end after tasting.

Wonton wrappers are sold thin and square, usually in 12 or 14 ounce packs, and either the yellow egg wrappers or the plain white ones work for this soup. Thaw a frozen pack overnight in the refrigerator, and seal what you do not use in a bag so the rest of the stack does not dry out and crack.

1. Finely chop the shrimp and place them in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the ground pork, minced onion, sesame oil, egg, salt, garlic powder, and ground black pepper. Mix thoroughly until the ingredients are evenly combined.

1. Lay a wonton wrapper on a clean, flat surface. Place 1 1/2 teaspoons of the pork and shrimp mixture in the center.
2. Fold the wrapper diagonally to form a triangle, then press the edges firmly to seal. Bring the two outer corners inward and press them together. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

Keep the finished wontons in a single layer on a plate or tray. Stacked wontons stick to each other and tear when you pull them apart.

1. Combine the chicken broth and water in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil.
2. Add the rotisserie chicken, including the bones. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat.
3. Remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool enough to handle. Separate the meat from the bones, discard the bones, and shred the chicken meat.
4. Turn the heat back on and bring the broth to a gentle boil. Return the shredded chicken to the pot.

1. Add the prepared wontons, one at a time, to prevent them from sticking together. Cover and simmer over low to medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the wontons are fully cooked and the pork filling reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and half of the chopped scallions. Stir gently.
3. Taste the broth and add the remaining fish sauce as needed.
4. Ladle the soup into individual serving bowls. Top with toasted garlic and the remaining chopped scallions. Serve hot.

What to Serve with Pancit Molo

• Steamed rice – Serve a cup on the side when the soup is the whole meal.
• Pandesal – Good for dipping into the broth.
• Lumpiang Shanghai – Crisp fried spring rolls to go with the soup.
• Calamansi and fish sauce – A small saucer on the table so everyone can adjust their own bowl.

Storage

• Refrigerator: Store leftover soup in a covered container for up to 3 days. The wrappers keep absorbing broth and get softer, so the soup is best eaten within a day or two. Keep the toasted garlic separate so it stays crisp.
• Freezer: If you have extra uncooked wontons, arrange them on a tray and freeze until firm, then transfer them to a freezer bag and use within 2 months. The broth and shredded chicken can also be frozen on their own. Cooked wontons turn mushy once frozen and thawed.
• Reheating: Warm the soup gently in a pot until steaming hot. Avoid a hard boil because the wontons can break apart. Frozen uncooked wontons can go straight into simmering broth; cook them until the filling reaches 160°F, about 8 to 10 minutes.

More Filipino Soup Recipes

• Chicken Sotanghon Soup – Glass noodles and shredded chicken in a light annatto broth, topped with toasted garlic and scallions.
• Chicken Mami – Fresh egg noodles in a clear chicken broth with carrots, Napa cabbage, and hard-boiled egg.
• Spicy Wonton Soup – Pork wontons and noodles in a pork bone broth with chili oil on top.
• Creamy Chicken Sopas – Elbow macaroni, chicken, and hotdogs in a broth finished with evaporated milk.
• Arroz Caldo – Ginger rice porridge with chicken, topped with boiled egg and toasted garlic.

• Rotisserie chicken – Lechon manok works the same way, bones and all. Raw bone-in chicken also works, but simmer it 30 to 40 minutes instead of 20, until the meat pulls off the bone easily.
• Chicken broth – Chicken stock, or plain water plus one or two chicken bouillon cubes.
• Shrimp – You can leave it out and make the wontons with pork alone. If you are cooking for someone with a shellfish allergy, check the other ingredients too, especially the fish sauce and the broth label.
• Sesame oil – Leave it out. It is only half a teaspoon, and the filling still tastes good without it.
• Wonton wrappers – Round dumpling wrappers work, folded in half and sealed. Thin siomai wrappers may also work if the pack says they can be boiled.

I especially enjoy pancit molo during the cold months, when a bowl of hot soup is what I want. Sometimes I add a teaspoon of calamansi juice to mine for a little sourness. The wontons are at their best right when they come out of the pot, soft but still holding their shape, so this is a soup I serve the moment it is ready and let everyone add toasted garlic at the table.