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Instant Pot Chicken Pho

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 People

Ingredients

For the broth:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 3 inch knob ginger, sliced into rounds
  • 2 star anise*
  • 1 cinnamon stick*
  • 3 whole cloves*
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds
  • ½-1 tsp red pepper flakes or use a thinly sliced fresh spicy chili peppers (for spice, optional)
  • 7 cups water
  • 3 lb bone-in skin-on chicken, skin and excess fat removed**
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • ½ tsp kosher salt

For the soup:

  • 12-16 oz vermicelli rice noodles, cooked (or use soba)
  • Leftover cooked veggies or thinly sliced raw veggies (like bok choy, bell pepper, fennel, snap peas)(optional)
  • 1 ½ cups bean sprouts (optional)
  • 2 cups fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, mint, and/or scallions)
  • 4 lime wedges
  • *These whole spices are what gives pho the classic flavor, so it’s worth buying. If you don’t want to buy, you could substitute with ground spices (1 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground cloves, + add an extra tsp fennel seeds if not using star anise)
  • **Easily substitute with 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs. The broth won’t have as much chicken flavor, but it will still work!
  • Note: ~To make a turkey bone broth, add leftover turkey bones in place of the chicken. Pressure cook on high for 120 minutes, then let it naturally release for 20 minutes before manually releasing. Once the broth is made, strain it and then you can add leftover cooked turkey into the soup.

Items you can prep ahead (optional)

  • Cook rice noodles
  • Roughly chop 1 yellow onion
  • Smash 3 cloves garlic
  • Slice a 3-inch knob ginger into rounds
  • Make the broth/soup

Instructions

  • In a 6-quart Instant Pot, press the sauté button set to“normal” or “medium”. Add oil and once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, and ginger and saute until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the spices for about 1minute to toast them.
  • Add the water, chicken, soy sauce, fish sauce, and salt. Scrape up any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot. Lock the lid in place and set the vent to “sealing”. Select “manual pressure” (set to high) and set the timer for 12 minutes
  • Once the timer goes off, let it naturally release for 10minutes, then manually release the pressure. Remove the lid and transfer the chicken pieces to a cutting board and shred up the meat. Set a fine mesh strainer over a large heat-proof bowl (it helps if the bowl has a pour spout) and pour the broth through the strainer to strain out the solids. Taste the broth and add more salt, soy sauce, or fish sauce if needed
  • Into each soup bowl, add your cooked noodles, shredded chicken, and any veggies (if using). Pour about 2 cups of broth over top. Top with bean sprouts (infusing), lots of herbs, and squeeze of lime. To increase the spice, you can stir in some sriracha or other spicy chili paste.

Stovetop instructions:

  • Follow the recipe using a large pot and increase the water to 8 cups. Once you’ve added the water, etc…,cover the pot, bring to a boil, then simmer for 1 hour. Then you can follow the recipe as is.

Notes

Substitutions:

  • To make vegetarian, skip the chicken and use 7 cups of veggie broth and follow the recipe as is. Substitute fish sauce with an extra tablespoon of soy sauce. Add in tofu, to serve.

Storage:

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
    • Broth: in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months
    • Rice noodles: up to 5 days in the fridge

Leftovers + Repurposing:

  • Warm up the broth and add in your rice noodles and meat. Top with lots of herbs and lime and any other add-ins you’d like.
  • Put a soft-boiled egg on top!
  • Stir in any leftover cooked veggies, meat, grains, and greens into the hot broth for a quick and easy soup.