Quick Beef Pho
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This savory, satisfying pho can be prepared in just 45 minutes, making it a convenient and healthy option for busy weeknights.
Pho is a popular Vietnamese soup that’s made with a savory broth, rice noodles, herbs, aromatics, and meat—usually beef or chicken—and it’s served with a plate of fresh herbs, bean sprouts, sliced chilies, and lime wedges on the side. The traditional recipe is a time-consuming process that involves simmering roasted beef bones, meat, and spices in broth for several hours to extract all the flavors and nutrients.
The good news is that there’s a simpler and quicker way to make delicious pho at at home. By using a combination of store-bought beef and chicken broth simmered with onions, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and star anise, you can make a fragrant broth that’s reminiscent of traditional pho. This “quick pho” can be prepared in just 45 minutes, making it a convenient option for busy weeknights. The recipe is adapted from Bowls: Vibrant Recipes with Endless Possibilities by America’s Test Kitchen.
Table of Contents
“Felt like I was at my favorite Pho restaurant…You really nailed the pho flavors!”
What You’ll Need To Make Quick Beef Pho
- Onion: Adds depth and sweetness to the broth, with a portion thinly sliced and reserved for serving.
- Beef broth, Chicken broth, Water: The base of the soup. This blend creates a rich, savory and layered flavor profile that is characteristic of this traditional Vietnamese soup.
- Fish sauce: Provides a salty, umami depth that is characteristic of Southeast Asian cuisine. A little goes a long way in enhancing the savory notes of the broth.
- Fresh ginger, Cinnamon stick, Star anise pod, Whole cloves: These spices and aromatics are essential for the distinctive fragrance and flavor of pho. They’re simmered in the broth to impart warmth, sweetness, and complexity.
- Flat rice noodles: A key component of the dish, rice noodles have a slightly chewy texture that absorbs the flavors of the broth. (These noodles are also used in dishes like pad thai or Thai chicken and rice noodle soup.)
- Thinly sliced beef: The protein component of the dish, the thin slices cook quickly in the hot broth, remaining tender and flavorful.
- Bean sprouts, Cilantro leaves, Lime wedges, Hoisin sauce, and Sriracha: Served as garnishes and condiments.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Slice one of the onion quarters as thin as possible; set aside.
In a large pot, combine the remaining 3 onion quarters, beef broth, chicken broth, water, fish sauce, ginger, cinnamon, sugar, star anise, and cloves.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Off the heat, add the noodles. Let sit, stirring regularly to prevent sticking, until the noodles are soft and pliable but still not tender, 5 to 10 minutes.
Drain and rinse well with cold water. Set aside.
Over a large bowl, strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the solids and pour the clear broth back into the pot. (Alternatively, you can use a fine mesh spider to fish out the solids.)
Bring the broth to a boil.
Add the noodles and cook until just tender, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Using tongs or a spider, lift the noodles from the pot and divide evenly into bowls.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the sliced beef to the broth; let simmer until no longer pink, about 1 minute.
Using a slotted spoon or spider, remove the beef from the broth and divide between the bowls. Ladle the broth over the noodles and beef.
Top each bowl with the reserved thinly sliced onions, bean sprouts, and cilantro. Pass lime wedges, hoisin, and sriracha at the table. The recipe yields two large dinner-size bowls or four smaller ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can definitely use chicken instead of beef in this recipe to make chicken pho, known as pho ga. I recommend using boneless chicken breasts or tenderloins and slicing them thinly to ensure they cook quickly and evenly. Before adding the chicken, bring the broth to a gentle boil; cook the chicken until opaque and cooked through. For an even richer chicken flavor, consider replacing the beef broth with additional chicken broth.
Yes, the broth can be made in advance and actually develops more flavor as it sits. Simply prepare the broth according to the recipe, allow it to cool, and then store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, reheat the broth to a simmer, then proceed with assembling your pho bowls with noodles, meat, and toppings.
Traditional pho is made with thin rice noodles, sometimes referred to as banh pho or rice sticks, which are loved for their soft and slightly chewy texture. While available in various widths, the thinner noodles are favored in pho for their delicate texture, which complements the rich and flavorful broth. Typically found dried, these noodles require soaking in hot water until soft and pliable before they’re added to the soup.
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Quick Beef Pho
This savory, satisfying pho can be prepared in just 45 minutes, making it a convenient and healthy option for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered, divided
- 1 (14.5 oz) can low-sodium beef broth (1¾ cups)
- 1 (14.5 oz) can low-sodium chicken broth (1¾ cups)
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced (no need to peel)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 star anise pod
- 4 whole cloves
- 7 oz flat rice noodles
- 8 oz very thinly sliced beef, such as flat iron or flank steak
- Salt, to taste
- ½ cup bean sprouts
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- Lime wedges, for serving
- Hoisin sauce and sriracha, for serving
Instructions
- Slice one of the onion quarters as thin as possible; set aside. In a large pot, bring the remaining 3 onion quarters, beef broth, chicken broth, water, fish sauce, ginger, cinnamon stick, sugar, star anise, and cloves to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Off the heat, add the noodles. Let sit, stirring regularly to prevent sticking, until the noodles are soft and pliable but still not tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse well with cold water. Set aside.
- Over a large bowl, strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the solids and pour the clear broth back into the pot. (Alternatively, you can use a fine mesh spider to fish out the solids.)
- Bring the broth to a boil and add the noodles; cook until the noodles are just tender, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Using tongs or a spider, lift the noodles from the pot and divide evenly into bowls. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the sliced beef to the broth; let simmer until no longer pink, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon or spider, remove the beef from the broth and divide between the bowls. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning with salt, if necessary. Ladle the broth over the noodles and beef. Top each bowl with the reserved thinly sliced onions, bean sprouts, and cilantro (you may not need all of the onions). Pass the lime wedges, hoisin, and sriracha at the table.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The broth can be made in advance and actually develops more flavor as it sits. Simply prepare the broth according to the recipe, allow it to cool, and then store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, reheat the broth to a simmer, then proceed with assembling your pho bowls with noodles, beef, and toppings.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 2
- Calories: 657
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 99 g
- Sugar: 10 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 39 g
- Sodium: 1,464 mg
- Cholesterol: 77 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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easy and very good
Can I use udon noodles instead of rice noodles?
Hi Cory, they’re definitely non-traditional in pho, but you could. Keep in mind that the cooking method and time will be different for udon noodles.
Made this last night – one of the more impressively deeply flavorful dishes I’ve made recently and I didn’t change a thing. Super easy. Was able to stage everything (noodles were cooked and cooled, broth made and gently simmering – with a lid on after the cooking process, so that it didn’t evaporate too much – sliced beef ready to be quick-cooked, toppings prepped) I can imagine serving this for a dinner party. So delicious!