Pho is a popular Vietnamese noodle soup, and this easy homemade Instant Pot Chicken Pho brings it right to your table! The delicately fragrant chicken broth is spiced with anise and cinnamon and perfectly balanced by yummy rice noodles and tender shredded chicken.
Chicken Pho Recipe In The Instant Pot
Indulge in the authentic flavors of Vietnamese cuisine with this easy and quick Instant Pot Chicken Pho. This recipe flawlessly recreates the exquisite, soul-soothing experience of a traditional pho right in your own kitchen, a perfect blend of simplicity and flavor. Some versions of pho are made with a deeply flavored beef bone broth that can take hours, if not days, to create. This version, however, uses ingredients that are easy to keep on hand, like bone-in chicken thighs, instant rice noodles, and pre-made broth or stock, along with an array of delicious spices. It’s so fun and delicious and comes together incredibly quickly in your Instant Pot!
What Is Pho?
The “original” pho was, and is, a simple Vietnamese dish of beef bone broth, flat rice noodles, and thin slices of beef. Other versions soon appeared that involved additional spices and flavors, chicken instead of beef, and even vegetarian pho! These days, pho is everywhere, with more variations and topping ideas than you can shake a stick at. These creative versions might not be exactly “authentic,” depending on who you ask, but they are absolutely crave-worthy!
Chicken Pho Ingredients
This Instant Pot Chicken Pho recipe epitomizes comfort and convenience. In the hustle and bustle of modern life, it offers a quick yet deeply satisfying pho reminiscent of the streets of Vietnam.
- Vegetable Oil: For sauteing the spices and aromatics.
- Star Anise, Cloves, a Cinnamon Stick, Coriander, and Whole Black Peppercorns: These fragrant spices give the broth its famously sweet, spicy, almost Christmas-y flavor.
- Fresh Ginger: You’ll need a two-inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced.
- Onion: I use 1 small yellow onion chopped, in this recipe. White or sweet onion can also be substituted.
- Fresh Garlic: Mince the garlic, or put it through a garlic press.
- Chicken: Chicken thighs shred nicely and add a richness to this dish. You’ll need about 1 1/2 pounds bone-in, skinless chicken thighs.
- Broth: You’ll need a quart of good broth. I like to use low-sodium chicken broth in this recipe, but homemade would be even better!
- Water
- Fish Sauce: A little goes a long way, but don’t leave it out! Like anchovies in Caesar dressing, fish sauce adds an important note of salty umami flavor to the broth.
- Rice Noodles: Like fish sauce, instant rice noodles are usually found in the Asian foods section of your grocery store. You can also order them online.
- Garnishes: Bean sprouts, carrot sticks, sliced red chile, mint or cilantro, and lime wedges are all great garnishes for pho.
How To Make Chicken Pho In The Instant Pot
This soup is as nourishing as it is flavorful, proving that gourmet experiences are attainable and ready to be savored even on your busiest days.
- Saute the Spices and Aromatics. Press “Saute” on the Instant Pot, and heat up the vegetable oil. Add the star anise, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, and peppercorns; cook for 3 minutes. Then stir in the ginger and onion, and cook for 3 more minutes. Finally, add the minced garlic and cook for 10 seconds.
- Add the Remaining Ingredients, Except Noodles. Add the bone-in chicken, chicken broth, water, and fish sauce to the Instant Pot. Cover, and lock the lid. Select “Manual” and set to cook on HIGH pressure for 18 minutes. Then, do a quick release.
- Cook the Noodles. Remove the Instant Pot lid, and transfer chicken to a plate. Set aside. Strain the broth through a large mesh sieve, discarding the solids. Return the broth to the pot, and add the noodles; loosely cover with the lid – don’t lock it – and let sit for 3 to 4 minutes, or until noodles are tender.
- Shred the Chicken and Return to the Pot. In the meantime, shred the chicken, discarding the bones. Stir chicken back into the pot. Plate and serve.
Tips For The Best Pho
- Trim the Chicken. A good pho broth has little to no grease or oil on the surface, so always use skinless chicken. If you can’t find skinless bone-in thighs, trim the skin away yourself, and remove any excess fat as well.
- Sweet and Spicy: If you’re looking for an extra dimension of flavor, try adding a little bit of your favorite sweetener to this dish. Yellow Rock Sugar is the traditional sweetener of choice for pho, but if you don’t have that (or don’t wish to use it), you can try any sweetener you like. Start small, and add more to taste.
- Variation Ideas: You can also make this recipe using shrimp or thinly sliced beef instead of the chicken, but be careful of the cook times, as those ingredients cook much, much faster than bone-in chicken.
- Add-Ins: You can put hoisin sauce, sriracha, green onions, and all kinds of other toppings out for everyone to try.
What To Serve With Chicken Pho
- Bread: We enjoy sopping up this soup with this easy naan bread or lavash bread. It’s delish!
- Desserts: You can also finish this meal off with a beautiful fruit salad, like my Rainbow Fruit Salad with Honey Orange Yogurt Dressing.
- Drinks: Pho is really a meal in itself, so it doesn’t really need any side dishes, per se. However, it can be really nice to start the meal with a special drink, like a Coconut Mojito, or a refreshing Black Cherry Spritzer.
Storage
- To refrigerate: Remove the noodles, veggies, and chicken from the broth with a slotted spoon or by pouring through a sieve. Store the broth and other ingredients in two separate airtight containers or freezer bags. The broth and noodles will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: Bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. When the broth is boiling, add the other ingredients and heat through. Do not overcook.
- To freeze: Store the separated broth and noodle mixture in freezer bags, pushing out as much air as possible before sealing. This will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before reheating.
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
- Instant Pot Coconut Chicken Curry
- Instant Pot Chicken Zoodle Soup
- Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Tinga
ENJOY!
Instant Pot Chicken Pho
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 star anise pods
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 2-inch piece fresh ginger knob, thinly sliced
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ pounds bone-in skinless chicken thighs
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 8 ounces rice noodles
- lime wedges, for serving
- bean sprouts
- shredded carrots
- sliced red chile
- fresh mint or cilantro
Instructions
- Press "saute" on the Instant Pot and heat up the vegetable oil. Add star anise, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, and peppercorns; cook for 3 minutes. Stir in ginger and onion and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 10 seconds.
- Add chicken, chicken broth, water, and fish sauce. Cover and lock the lid. Select “manual” and set it to cook on HIGH pressure for 18 minutes. Then, do a quick release.
- Remove the lid and transfer the chicken to a plate. Set aside.
- Strain the broth through a large mesh sieve, discarding the solids. Return the broth to the pot.
- Add the noodles to the broth; cover with the lid – don’t lock it – and let sit for 3 to 4 minutes, or until noodles are tender.
- In the meantime, shred the chicken, discarding the bones.
- Stir the chicken back into the pot.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, top with garnishes, and serve with lime wedges.
Notes
- Less Grease: Use skinless chicken to avoid excess oil in the broth. Trim off the skin and fat if needed.
- Flavorful Twist: Enhance the flavor with a touch of your preferred sweetener or the traditional Yellow Rock Sugar. Adjust to taste.
- Mix It Up: Consider shrimp or thinly sliced beef as alternatives to chicken, but you may need to decrease the cooking times.
- Toppings: Offer a variety of toppings like hoisin sauce, sriracha, and green onions for customization.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
