Easy Instant Pot Pho {Slow Cooker, Stove Top Options)

Craving Vietnamese pho? Forget the takeout and make this homemade Instant Pot Pho in just 30 minutes. No Instant Pot? I’ve got slow cooker and stove top options too. 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 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 Pho

Instant Pot Pho

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. While the broth is cooking, prep your toppings. Cut radishes and carrots into thin slices. Chop bok choy. Cut limes into wedges. Put cilantro, basil and limes on a plate.
4. When the Instant Pot is done, let the pressure naturally decrease for 10 minutes. Then carefully open the Instant Pot.
5. Using a slotted spoon remove everything from the pot except for the Pho broth. Or you can strain and add broth back to the pot.
6. Get individual bowls ready. Add noodles to each bowl and top with soup.
7. Top with thinly sliced flank steak (which will cook in the hot broth). Then top with bean sprouts, bok choy, and radishes.
8. Serve pho along with a plate of basil, cilantro and lime wedges, as well as sriacha and hoisin sauce.

Stove Top Pho

1. Add the avocado oil to a large pot over medium heat. 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.
2. Add the beef bone broth, chicken stock, fish sauce, sugar, and salt. Place the lid on and simmer for 30-45 minutes.
3. While the broth is cooking, prep your toppings. Cut radishes and carrots into thin slices. Chop bok choy. Cut limes into wedges. Put cilantro, basil and limes on a plate.
4. When done, use a slotted spoon remove everything from the pot except for the Pho broth. Or you can strain and add broth back to the pot.
5. Get individual bowls ready. Add noodles to each bowl and top with soup.
6. Top with thinly sliced flank steak (which will cook in the hot broth). Then top with bean sprouts, bok choy, and radishes.
7. Serve pho along with a plate of basil, cilantro and lime wedges, as well as sriacha and hoisin sauce.

Slow Cooker Pho

1. In a large sauce pan over medium heat, add the avocado, onion and apple (both cut-side down), ginger, cardamom, cinnamon stick, star anise, and cloves. Saute the food until slightly charred, approximately 4 minutes.
2. Add the onion, avocado, ginger, and spices from the sauce pan to the slow cooker or Crockpot.
3. Add the beef bone broth, chicken stock, fish sauce, sugar, and salt. Place the lid on the crockpot and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours.
4. While the broth is cooking, prep your toppings. Cut radishes and carrots into thin slices. Chop bok choy. Cut limes into wedges. Put cilantro, basil and limes on a plate.
5. When the broth is done, use a slotted spoon remove everything from the pot except for the Pho broth. Or you can strain and add broth back to the pot.
6. Get individual bowls ready. Add noodles to each bowl and top with soup.
7. Top with thinly sliced flank steak (which will cook in the hot broth). Then top with bean sprouts, bok choy, and radishes.
8. Serve pho along with a plate of basil, cilantro and lime wedges, as well as sriacha and hoisin sauce.

What to Serve with 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, bean sprouts, and limes at the table are basically mandatory everywhere, you can also have a dish of mixed chopped onions and cilantro. Hoisin and sriracha sauces are always welcome as well.

Where to Find Pho Ingredients

Your best bet is your local Asian grocery store. You can find spices like caradmom, star anise, and cloves, or even easier pho spice packets (which already have star anise, cinnamon, clove, and cardamom). If you use a spice packet, omit the individual spices from the recipe.

You can also find rock sugar, fish sauce, hoisin sauce, and toppings like bean sprouts, bok choy at the Asian market.

Top Tips for Making Homemade 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.

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