Instant Pot Pho
Vietnamese beef noodle soup with a deeply flavored broth made from beef bones, charred onions and ginger, and warming spices, served over flat rice noodles with a fresh herb platter on the side.
🍳 Cook: 150 min
Nutrition
per per serving748
Calories
—
Protein
—
Carbs
—
Fat
Ingredients
| 454 g | beef neck bone or oxtail | |
| 922 g | beef marrow bones | |
| 1 pound | 455 g | beef finger meat, chuck meat, or brisket |
| 0.75 pound | 340 g | beef feet or beef tendon (optional) |
| 2 | large onions, peeled and halved | |
| 2 tbsp | 30 ml | ginger, unpeeled and cut into long strips |
| 1 | clove garlic, crushed | |
| 2 tbsp | 30 ml | vegetable or peanut oil |
| 7 cups | 1.7 l | cold water |
| 3 tbsp | 45 ml | fish sauce |
| 20 g | yellow rock sugar (or 1 tbsp + 1 tsp sugar) | |
| 0.5 tsp | 2.5 ml | fine table salt (add more to taste) |
| — | sirloin, flank steak, or eye of round, thinly sliced | |
| — | Vietnamese beef meatballs (Thit bo vien) (optional) | |
| 4 | cloves | |
| 3 | star anise | |
| 1 | cinnamon stick | |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | coriander seeds |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | fennel seeds (optional) |
| 1 | black cardamom pod (optional) | |
| 180 g | medium banh pho flat rice noodles, soaked 20-28 min | |
| 0.5 | small white onion, thinly sliced (garnish) | |
| — | fresh cilantro, finely chopped | |
| 2 stalks | green onions, finely chopped | |
| — | freshly ground black pepper | |
| — | bean sprouts (40g per person) | |
| 1 | lime, cut into 8 wedges | |
| — | optional: mint, jalapeno, Thai basil, hoisin sauce, sriracha |
Instructions
Total: 2 hours 30 minutes | Servings: 4-6 | Calories: 748kcal | Author: Amy + Jacky
Recipe Note - Thinly slicing the beef: Placing the meat in the freezer for 20 minutes will make it easier to slice. Or you can buy pre-sliced Hot Pot beef slices from your local Asian supermarkets.
- Optional - Parboil Bones & Meat: Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil, then boil the bones and meat for 5-10 minutes (to clean and remove excess fat). Remove and rinse the bones and meat in cold water. Pro Tip: It's faster to parboil on the stovetop instead of the Instant Pot.
- Toast Spices: Place all the spices in the Instant Pot. Press "Saute" to "Saute More" or "Saute Hi" to heat up the pot. When the spices begin to release their fragrance (~2.5 mins), remove and set aside.
- Char Onions & Ginger: Wait until the Instant Pot says HOT (~8 mins), then add 2 tbsp (30ml) vegetable oil, coating the whole bottom. Add 2 halved onions (flat side down) and ginger pieces. Let them char (don't touch them for ~5 mins). After 4 mins, add a crushed garlic clove. Pro Tip: Don't skip charring - it deepens the pho's flavor.
- Deglaze: Pour 1 cup (250ml) cold water in and fully deglaze (scrub all the brown bits) with a wooden spoon, mixing them into the liquid.
- Pressure Cook Broth: Add the toasted spices, 3 tbsp fish sauce, 20g rock sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 lb marrow bones, 1 lb neck bone/oxtail, and 3/4 lb beef feet/tendon. Add 6 cups (1500ml) cold water and layer 1 lb beef finger/chuck meat on top. Close the lid, turn the venting knob to Sealing, and Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 1 hour + Natural Release for 30 minutes. Pro Tip: Use the Gradual Slow Release (Step 8) to release remaining pressure after 30 mins.
- Prepare Garnish: While cooking, thinly slice 1/2 small white onion and soak in cold water for 30 minutes to reduce pungency. Prepare the rest of the garnish. Thinly slice the sirloin/flank/eye of round against the grain.
- Prepare Banh Pho Noodles: When the Instant Pot starts natural release, boil 3 quarts (3L) water with 1 tsp salt on the stovetop. Pour into a mixing bowl, fully submerge the dried noodles, and cover. Stir occasionally to loosen; cook 20-28 minutes. Taste, then drain and rinse under cold water.
- Gradual Slow Release: Since the pot is full, use the Gradual Pressure Release. Turn the venting knob just a bit to release steam slowly (hold with a wooden spoon). Once the floating pin drops, carefully open the lid.
- Strain Broth: Transfer bones and meat to a bowl; discard onions and ginger. Cut the meat, pick out the marrow to serve. Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer and remove fat with a fat separator or ladle.
- Season Broth: Bring the broth back to a full boil over high heat. Adjust seasoning with more salt and fish sauce (we added 1 tbsp fish sauce + 1 1/4 tsp salt) and a touch of sugar to balance. Pro Tip: To avoid rare beef, cook the slices in the boiling broth now.
- Serve: Place cooked noodles and all the meat in a large serving bowl. Garnish with white onion slices, chopped green onions, cilantro, and black pepper. Pour in the boiling broth and serve piping hot with the Pho herbs platter on the side.
Per serving: 748 kcal.