Instant Pot Beef Pho
Craving Vietnamese pho? Forget the takeout and make this homemade Instant Pot Beef Pho in just 30 minutes. It’s so easy to make and delicious. You can customize it with your favorite toppings like bean sprouts, sliced radishes and fresh basil.
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I don’t know about you but there are some days where we just crave pho. It’s my 8-year-old son’s favorite go-to meal and he can easily get my husband to get takeout when it’s cold outside or when we’re feeling the slightest bit under the weather. Some people crave chicken noodle soup, we crave pho.
Why Make Beef Pho in the Instant Pot
Nothing satisfies those deepest cold weather food cravings like a big bowl of piping hot pho. Unless you have a favorite Vietnamese spot nearby, however, it can be difficult to get your hands on a bowl.
It’s hard to beat the flavor of a beef-based pho broth, however. But it can take at least 6 hours to make, or much longer if you simmer the broth overnight.
This Instant Pot pho has the satisfying flavor a long-simmered broth, but it can be made much quicker than pho broth simmered traditionally on the stove, less than 25 mins cook time, how about that! the best bit? This Instant Pot Pho is still rich, delicious and bursting with flavor!
How to Make this Instant Pot Beef Pho
- Add the avocado oil to the Instant Pot and select the Saute button. Once the pot is warm, add the onion and apple (both cut-side down), ginger, cardamom, cinnamon stick, star anise, and cloves. Saute the food until slightly charred, approximately 4 minutes.
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Turn off the Instant Pot. Without removing anything, add the beef bone broth, chicken stock, fish sauce, sugar, and salt. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and select Soup/Broth for 20 minutes.
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While the broth is cooking, prep your toppings.
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When the Instant Pot is done, let the pressure naturally decrease for 10 minutes. Then carefully open the Instant Pot.
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Using a slotted spoon remove everything from the pot except for the Pho broth. Once everything is removed, put the sliced flank steak into the Pho broth to cook. Stir the steak slices while in the broth. The flank steak needs to be thin to completely cook. If you have thicker steak slices, simple turn on the slow cook setting on the Instant Pot and let the broth cook the meat until it is done (depending on the thickness of your slices).
- Put your toppings in a bowl and top with the Pho broth and steak. Squeeze a little lime on top. Enjoy!
What to Serve with this Instant Pot Beef Pho
If you can, get fresh pho noodles, but if you can’t, the dried stuff works too. Sometimes the noodles will be called rice stick or Thai rice stick noodles. Medium thickness is best. If you’re using dried noodles, soak them one hour to overnight and in either case, let the heat of the broth cook both the fresh or dried noodles.
Thai basil, jalapeños, and limes at the table are basically mandatory everywhere, you can also have a dish of mixed chopped onions and cilantro, Mexican style. Hoisin and sriracha sauces are always welcome as well!
Top Tips For Instant Pot Beef Pho
- Prep your topping while your broth is cooking.
- Pho is about balance, adding the fish sauce will counter balance the sweetness, and the customary squeeze of lime at the table will bring the brightness.
- Charred aromatics are the key to a great pho, and the easiest, most lazy way to char your aromatics is by putting them all on a sheet tray and blow torching them all at once, then adding to the instant pot.
- Serve with noodles and top with Thai basil.
More Instant Pot Meals
- 50+ Instant Pot Soup and Stew Recipes
- 50+ Gluten-Free Asian Recipes
- Gluten-Free Chinese Dumplings
- Gluten-Free Soy Sauce Alternative
Did you try this Instant Pot Beef Pho? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and comment below to let me know how it went. You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
Instant Pot Beef Pho
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 large yellow onion, halved
- 1 apple, halved
- 3 cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 cloves
- 4 cups beef bone broth
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar or coconut sugar
- 1.5 tsp sea salt
- 1 lb flank, sirloin or tri-tip steak, thinly sliced
Toppings
- 2 cups bok choy
- 1 cup mung bean sprouts
- 1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 cup radishes, sliced
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
- 3 cups rice noodles, cooked cooked according to instructions
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup fresh mint
Instructions
- Add the avocado oil to the Instant Pot and select the Saute button. Once the pot is warm, add the onion and apple (both cut-side down), ginger, cardamom, cinnamon stick, star anise, and cloves. Saute the food until slightly charred, approximately 4 minutes.
- Turn off the Instant Pot. Without removing anything, add the beef bone broth, chicken stock, fish sauce, sugar, and salt. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and select Soup/Broth for 20 minutes.
- While the broth is cooking, prep your toppings.
- When the Instant Pot is done, let the pressure naturally decrease for 10 minutes. Then carefully open the Instant Pot.
- Using a slotted spoon remove everything from the pot except for the Pho broth. Once everything is removed, put the sliced flank steak into the Pho broth to cook. Stir the steak slices while in the broth. The flank steak needs to be thin to completely cook. If you have thicker steak slices, simple turn on the slow cook setting on the Instant Pot and let the broth cook the meat until it is done (depending on the thickness of your slices).
- Put your toppings in a bowl and top with the Pho broth and steak. Squeeze a little lime on top. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Instant Pot Recipes Made Simple
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With this book, you’ll get:
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- Printable shopping lists for ingredients
- Step-by-step video lesson on how to use your Instant Pot, pressure cooker safety, and some of my favorite tips and tricks
- Two-week meal plan that you can put into action for no-stress weeknight dinners
Perfect comfort food on a rainy afternoon or evening. YUM!
Png this is one of our family’s new fave recipes. Even the kids love it. Pho 🤩
My kids went crazy for this one. The recipe is so easy to follow and the pho turned out perfectly. Thanks for a great dinner recipe!