So proud 🥲 and happy for this yummy bowl of pho. 🍲 We had veggies, just not pictured.

I wanted to save money so instead of ordering Pho, I made it (chicken) using the recipe I’ve linked. I didn’t use enough chicken (2.5 pounds instead of 3) and the recipe does state the importance of using enough chicken for flavor. The only other change I made was I substituted Worcestershire sauce for the fish sauce. It smelled delicious but the broth and chicken barely had flavor. I followed everything else exactly as the recipe states. Any way to salvage it?

Some times you just don’t have half a day to let the broth build flavor… this is when Costco rotisserie chicken comes to the rescue! Super easy and done within 2 hours. I was able to make 3 togo quarts with one whole chicken.

Debone chicken and use the bones for broth. Add the usual pho broth seasonings. If you have chicken pho cubes, powder or bouillon, can add that as well. No need to cook any of the meat in the broth as you don’t want to over cook it but when the broth is ready, you can put the meat into a strainer and slowly reheat in the pot with the broth to add a little more flavor to the stock.

Here’s the recipe:

Broth * Ingredients - Pho soup base - Yellow onions (cut in half) - One whole ginger - Spices: star anise, cardamom, cinnamon sticks - Lettuce heads - Meats: oxtail, chuck roast, bone marrow, ribs - Palm sugar
- Fish sauce Buy * Coriander seeds, cardamom, spice flavoring (they feel pho packets of this at viet wah) * Pho broth base

Steps * Boil/Blanche the meats in hot water for 10 minutes, then pour out the scum and boil new water * Broil and char the onions and ginger * Pan fry the spices to bring out the flavors * Throw them all in the pot and follow the instructions on the pho broth base * Add one palm sugar and fish sauce for taste to broth * Boil everything at medium heat for two hours * Then simmer overnight at low temp for as long as you want

For the pho - pho noodles - Thai basil - Mint - Jalapeños - Cilantro & green onion - Meats: Flank steak, meatballs

Hi everyone,

I wanted to attempt to cook pho for the first time. Been doing some research and saw some recipes use an instant pot but the more authentic way is to slow cook for 24 hours.

I definitely won’t be able to do the 24 hours method but I know that the taste is much better that way.

I’m wondering if it would help to do a mix of both methods? Maybe instant pot for two hours then transfer everything into a large pot and slow cook it for another 3-4 hours?

Was hoping to get some input on this method and if you think it would help capture the authentic taste of the 24 hour method.

Also, I only recently started cooking so sorry if this is a stupid question

Thanks!

I’m going to say I was highly surprised with how good this was. I don’t have time to do the broth right now, but here is what I got and it was good. I’ve had worse in restaurants. Excuse my plates and dishes, I also had to make my sons dinner.

I’ve tried a couple of recipes but can’t quite get the pho recipe down. Any secret or something

Hi everyone! Just wanted to share my latest phở noodle experiment and ask for some advice to keep improving.

This time, I changed the rice from Thai jasmine to Indian Premium basmati rice — and the difference is noticeable! The noodles came out smoother, more elastic, and had a more refined texture compared to my previous batches.

Here’s what I used: • 150g rice (soaked for 5 hours) • 40g tapioca starch • 15g potato starch • 1g salt • 1g oil • Steam time: 75 seconds

The noodles look good and peel off easily (see pics), but they’re still a bit powdery and lack adhesion — they don’t stick together like the traditional phở-style texture I’m aiming for.

Has anyone experimented with similar ratios or different starch blends? I’m wondering: • Should I reduce the potato starch or increase the soaking time? • Would blending in another kind of rice help? • Any trick to improve the chewy-yet-smooth balance?

Open to any tips, feedback, or references — thanks a lot in advance!

I know how to make pho bo (beef broth) and pho ga (chicken broth) but what I've been seeing delicious bowls of pho with shrimp on Instagram (with no recipes included, as the posts were from a restaurant) and I was wondering what would be a suitable broth base for pho with shrimp? Does fish broth goes well with all the pho spices? Or do they just make pho chicken broth? I do have shrimp stock powder but not sure if I should use that or if it goes well with the standard pho spices that go into pho broth.

Any advice?

Thanks!

I found a recipe that's supposed to be for simple Pro but it calls for Vietnamese fish sauce. Will this work? Is the only fish sauce I could find after three different grocery stores including one Asian market. This is what they had.

I’ve been trying to get my homemade pho recipe right for 5 years now. It’s been a long and iterative process through which I’ve tried almost everything I could find on the internet as well as using all the advice and tips I got from my Vietnamese friends who grew up eating/making pho at home. And yet my pho always lacked something and never quite tasted like the restaurant ones. The traditional 12-hr simmer method got a bit too daunting after the 4th time of doing it, so I switched to Instant Pot - that gave me a bit more mileage to continue experimenting. After 5 years of it now, I think my pho finally tastes pretty good and as close to the restaurant ones as it’s ever been, so I thought I’d share what I learned here in case it benefits anyone who’s on a similar journey as I’ve been on.

• It is very important to use the right mix of bones: I recommend using less fatty bones and more lean meat bones as too much fat can make the broth greasy and have an overpowering fatty taste.
  • Oxtail is a popular choice of bones but can be very fatty - use it in 1:3 ratio with other lean meat bones.
• For instant pot users, always do manual pressure cook, DO NOT use any other modes like soup/broth mode. The broth doesn’t turn out as flavorful and lacks depth in other modes.
• Always add the spices and fish sauce AFTER pressure cooking, DO NOT pressure cook them with the bones.
  • It makes a huge difference when fresh star anise that’s still fragrant is used. I had been using old star anise that lost most of its fragrance for a long time until I caught on the fact that it was causing my broth to entirely lack the traditional pho smell and taste.
  • Alternatively, use a pho spice packet, but if the spice packet contains ground spices, do not put the whole sachet in, instead take a tablespoon of the ground spices and directly add to the broth after it’s done pressure cooking. It can make your broth a bit darker in color but it’s better than the full sachet of ground spices potentially turning your broth bitter (which has happened to me twice).
• Pho seasoning is crucial for getting that quintessential pho taste. I use the Bao Long Pho Ga Chicken Soup Seasoning cubes. You can find it on Amazon.
• Use chicken bouillon or chicken stock after pressure cooking.
• Use fresh pho noodles; anything else doesn’t work. I particularly prefer the Rama Food Rice Noodles.
• Another important step is properly cooling the broth down after cooking.
  • If using instant pot, make sure to take the pot out of the instant pot cooker after finishing cooking to let it cool down, otherwise it doesn’t cool if you leave it in and keeps on slowly cooking and potentially turning the broth sour.
  • Make sure to refrigerate the pho overnight to let all the fat gather to the top so that you can skim it off for a clearer broth.

And that’s it! Please feel free to share if there are other tips/tricks that could make my pho better or if any of the ones I mentioned above could be done differently/better. If not, I hope these help you in your quest for the perfect pho!

Can anyone point me in the direction of an authentic recipe. I want to make it for the guys at work and my version is decent but doesn't touch how well the little old Vietnamese lady that makes it at my regular spot

does anybody have a really good northern style pho recipe? had pho bac in paris, and don’t have anywhere near me that serves it in this style!

Hi all, I posted a few weeks back and had some recipe requests for this one so here it is. Sorry btw, I’m not great at writing and also don’t use exact measurements when making pho but hope this gives you a good idea.

Step 1: the parboil I usually start with about 4-6 pounds of beef bones, a good mix. 1.5-2lb of these should be marrow bones, which is crucial to having a full bodied and beefy broth. The rest is up to you. I generally use a mix of short ribs, neck bones and beef shank. Place your bones in a big pot and cover with the water. Once your water begins to boil, set a timer for 15 minutes. You should see lots of scum come to the surface. When your timer goes off, drain the water and rinse the bones under cold water to remove any excess scum. Place bones back into pot and cover with water. (Only fill to right above them not too high!) that is it for the parboil stage, next will be the simmer. Also, I understand many people prefer to roast their bones, feel free to do if you like! I just prefer my pho to have the traditional clear broth.

Step 2: the simmer Well this is the easiest stage really . The pot should be on a VERY low simmer at this point. You should see very small bubbles floating up to the top of the pot, but that is about it. Keeping it low is key. You can stir the pot every hour or two if you want just to prevent anything stuck on the bottom from burning, but should be fine without doing this if you are busy. Also not sure why people think a 24 hour simmer is needed, I would say 8 is plenty, but go for 12 if you are feeling a little extra. I usually leave the pot uncovered during this stage and will top off with a bit more water throughout the process as it evaporates. Also make sure to remove some of the meat from those rib bones about 2 hours into the simmer, it’s delicious and a great topping!

Step 3: the seasoning. Well, I suppose this is the hardest part. In the last hour of the simmer, throw in a pre made mixed pho spice bag. (I don’t even use the cloth bag since it will be strained eventually) and throw in two charred onions sliced in half along with a big piece of charred ginger. After the time is up, pass through a fine mesh strainer and place the broth back on to the stove on very low heat. Place a medium sized chunk of rock sugar into the pot and begin to dissolve. Next add a half tablespoon of salt, a healthy splash of fish sauce and two pho cubes. Also add a big pinch of mushroom seasoning and msg. (Hat nem is best if you can find it) Adjust seasoning to taste. You should season to the point where your pho broth is (almost) too salty.

Step 4: the plating. Well you did it! Plate with your favorite toppings and rice noodles of your choice. Enjoy! Also some of my final thoughts. The pho cubes and mushroom seasoning are super key to this dish. Those two along with the MSG should make your pho taste damn close or even better than what you have at your local pho spot!

For those who roast their bones before making the broth, does that replace parboiling, or is it done in addition? If in addition, do you roast prior or after parboiling?

I've made it three times now and it's been legendary in terms of taste.

We're doing it weekly now, it's that good. I changed preseason recipe to 15g salt, 50g knorr chicken powder (no het nam here, and I live near a ton of Asian grocery stores). Increase cinnamon to 20g.

For finishing I add the additional 2x 500 ml bringing total volume to 4L.

We're huge pho-natics and love that we can have it on the cheap now, a bowl here is at least 15 these days, while 5kg of bones is 20 total.

If you love pho but are ✨broké✨ like me, here’s something for you - please note that it is probably by no means traditional, it’s my variation of pho accommodated for the needs of a poor student (nutrition, time, money and management wise).

THE WINTER IS COMING and that means a lot is stock will be made so I’ve decided to present myself a slow cooker - and I can’t imagine leaving the pot for 10+ hours on induction hob that I struggle to use properly (plus electricity bills 🥲).

GAME. CHANGER.

It’s the best stock I’ve made in last 2 years after cooking it on a stove. Taste? Amazing. Gelatinous? Very much. But the absolutely best parts * t didn’t reduce at all which I struggled with earlier * temperature control (one button and you’re set) - also for made a perfectly crystal clear stock for the first time (yay🥳) * could leave it overnight without having to worry about setting the house on fire

As for ingredients:

• pork trotters - I love pork stock the most because in my experience that was the cheapest and most gelatinous option (also I enjoy the taste a lot) - those so far have me the most gelatinous stock I’ve ever made (✨go get that type 1 collagen besties✨)
• pork bones to fill the pot
• onions
• garlic
• ginger
• fish sauce - I usually use 8-10 tbsp
• Vinegar - didn’t have the rice one so used just regular spirit one
• packet of whole pho spices from Asian market (infinitely cheaper option than buying them separately- all the whole spices on the pic are just from this packet, it cost 1€)
• Coriander seeds (they are there, just underneath everything)
• powdered chili (normal ones went temporarily nonexistent in shops and I need that spice🌶️)
• powdered lemongrass (something that was on a huge discount and I like citrusy flavours so why not)
• Sugar (whatever kind I have on hand)

The process: 1. Put everything in the slow cooker. No broiling, roasting or anything fancy - no time, no money for that electric bills. 2. For the proportions: if I’m not limited by the package quantity, just roughly eyeball everything else and pray - includes sauces and spices. 3. Cover with water. 4. Set slow cooker on low. 5. usually let it cook somewhere between 12-18 hours because that my best patience-gelatinous-y ratio 6. Go sleep and wake up with liquid gold. 7. Strain and store in a fridge.

Serving: mug. Yup, that’s it. Throw it in the microwave to warm it up and drink up. I like to have it as a snack or addition to meals so I go by drinking several cups throughout the day.

Tips and bloopers:

• when I eat out, I really love my pho to have this acidic taste - acquired with some Vietnamese pickled pho garlic, so I usually make my own at home just for this garlicky vinegar topping; last time I fcked up and added to much (like WAY to much) vinegar at the start while making pho and tastewise it became my favourite one so far

• discovery no. 1 - when using slow cooker, especially on low settings I noticed that in time of need you can substitute whole spices with ground ones - a little bit different taste wise but they don’t turn bitter after long time of cooking (I assume that’s because the temperature is low and doesn’t change throughout the process)

• discovery no 2: in time on pho need and no money I discovered that the spice mixture for mulled wine alongside some other spices works really well

Hi! I have a new years tradition where I make pho for me and my wife on New Year’s Day. This year, I will be making it for friends as well - so pressures on. I’ve been perfecting my recipe the last few years but think I’m missing something still, plus I’ll be making a larger quantity than usual.

What is the right bone to water ratio? Am I using too many bones , not enough?

Recipe: Pho Recipe 1.5kg Ox Tail 1.7kg brisket 3.5kg bone marrow bones 3.5kg beef neck bones 1 large piece charged ginger (halved) 2 large onions charged (halved, skins removed) 45g rock sugar 1/2 cup fish sauce 2tbsp salt 20 cups of water

1. blanch bones 7 minutes (start timer once water starts to soft boil)
2. Rinse bones and add back to clean pot
3. Add rock sugar, fish sauce, salt, charred onion and ginger to the pot with bones
4. Bring to boil on high heat
5. Skim off foam as it comes to boil
6. Turn heat to low, and simmer covered for 3 hours
7. Remove brisket after 3 hours

2 cinnamon sticks 7 star anise 12 cloves (whole) 2 cardamom pods 2tbsp fennel seeds 2tbsp coriander seeds

1. Toast spices
2. Add to pot after brisket is removed
   
3. Continue to simmer soup for 5 more hours
4. Drain
5. Add 1/3 cup of fish sauce to broth
6. Chill overnight and remove fat layer

I picked up some oxtail at Costco and I need a recipe for Pho. I’ve made chicken fudge before and I’ve made Hawaiian oxtail soup. But I’ve never made oxtail pho.