Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)
Quick Ingredients
- 2 large yellow onions, halved
- 1 (5-inch) piece fresh ginger, halved lengthwise
- 6 star anise, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp fennel seeds (optional), 6 cloves, 1 tsp black peppercorns
- For gà: 1 whole chicken (3.5–4 lb); 4 qt water
- For bò: 3 lb beef bones + 1 lb oxtail or shank + 1 lb brisket; 4.5 qt water
- 1 tbsp kosher salt; 3–5 tbsp fish sauce; 1 oz rock sugar
- 1 lb dried bánh phở rice noodles
- Herb plate: 3 cups bean sprouts, 1 cup Thai basil, 1 cup cilantro, 4 scallions, 1 small white onion, 2 jalapeños, 3 limes
- For rare beef (bò): 8 oz eye round or sirloin, paper-thin
- Hoisin and sriracha (optional)
Do This
- 1) Char onions and ginger under a hot broiler, 6–8 minutes, turning once.
- 2) Toast spices in a dry pan 2–3 minutes; tie in cheesecloth or use a tea ball.
- 3) Bò: Blanch bones 5 minutes at a boil, drain and rinse; gà: rinse chicken.
- 4) Simmer with aromatics and spices: 60–75 minutes for gà; 3 hours for bò (add brisket to pot).
- 5) Remove meats (shred chicken; slice brisket; keep raw beef chilled). Strain broth.
- 6) Season broth to taste with fish sauce, rock sugar, and salt; keep at a rolling boil for serving.
- 7) Cook noodles (soak, then boil 45–60 seconds). Build bowls, ladle in boiling broth, garnish, and serve with lime.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Aromatic, crystal-clear broth layered with star anise, cinnamon, and charred onion and ginger.
- Choose your path: quick, tender chicken (gà) or classic, beefy depth (bò).
- Fresh herb plate—basil, cilantro, sprouts, jalapeño, and lime—for a bright, customizable bowl.
- Restaurant-quality technique explained simply for home kitchens.
Grocery List
- Produce: Yellow onions, fresh ginger, scallions, cilantro, Thai basil, bean sprouts, jalapeños, limes, small white onion.
- Dairy: None.
- Pantry: Dried bánh phở rice noodles, fish sauce, rock sugar (or granulated sugar), star anise, cinnamon sticks, coriander seeds, whole cloves, fennel seeds (optional), black peppercorns, kosher salt, hoisin, sriracha.
Full Ingredients
Aromatics & Spice Base
- 2 large yellow onions (about 1 lb / 450 g), halved (peels on)
- 1 piece fresh ginger (5 inches / 12–13 cm; about 4 oz / 115 g), halved lengthwise
- 6 whole star anise
- 2 cinnamon sticks (3 inches each)
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds (optional)
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- Cheesecloth or a tea ball for spices (recommended)
Pho Gà (Chicken) Option
- 1 whole chicken (3.5–4 lb / 1.6–1.8 kg)
- 4 qt (3.8 L) cold water
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
Pho Bò (Beef) Option
- 3 lb (1.36 kg) beef marrow/knuckle bones, split
- 1 lb (450 g) oxtail or beef shank pieces
- 1 lb (450 g) beef brisket or chuck, in one piece
- 4.5 qt (4.3 L) cold water
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- For rare slices: 8 oz (225 g) eye round or top sirloin, paper-thin across the grain
Seasoning the Broth
- 3–5 tbsp fish sauce (start with 3 tbsp, add to taste)
- 1 oz (28 g; about 2 tbsp) yellow rock sugar, lightly crushed
- Kosher salt to taste (about 1–2 tsp more for gà; 2–3 tsp more for bò)
Noodles & Garnishes
- 1 lb (450 g) dried bánh phở rice noodles, medium width
- 3 cups bean sprouts
- 1 packed cup Thai basil leaves
- 1 packed cup cilantro sprigs
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 small white onion, very thinly sliced (for topping)
- 2 jalapeños, thinly sliced
- 3 limes, cut into wedges
- Hoisin sauce and sriracha, for serving (optional)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Char the onion and ginger
Adjust an oven rack to the upper position and preheat the broiler to High (500–550°F / 260–288°C). Place halved onions and ginger, cut side up, on a foil-lined sheet. Broil until deeply charred in spots, 6–8 minutes, turning once halfway. Alternatively, char directly over a gas flame with tongs. Rinse briefly to remove loose soot and set aside.
Step 2: Toast the whole spices
In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the star anise, cinnamon, coriander seeds, fennel seeds (if using), cloves, and peppercorns until fragrant and slightly darkened, 2–3 minutes, shaking the pan often. Transfer to cheesecloth or a tea ball and tie closed so they are easy to remove later.
Step 3: Prepare the pot (blanch bones for bò; start chicken for gà)
For beef: Add bones and oxtail/shank to a large stockpot, cover with cold water, and bring to a vigorous boil for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse bones under hot water, and scrub away any gray bits. Rinse the pot. Return cleaned bones to the pot.
For chicken: Rinse the whole chicken and remove any giblets. No blanching required.
Step 4: Simmer with your chosen protein
For phở gà: Add the chicken, charred onion and ginger, spice bundle, 4 qt cold water, and 1 tbsp kosher salt to the pot. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a bare simmer (small, lazy bubbles). Skim foam as needed and simmer 45–55 minutes, until the chicken breast registers 160–165°F (71–74°C). Transfer chicken to a tray and rest 10 minutes, then pull meat into bite-size pieces. Return the carcass to the pot and simmer 15 minutes more for extra depth (total 60–75 minutes). Remove and discard aromatics and carcass.
For phở bò: Add cleaned bones, oxtail/shank, brisket, charred onion and ginger, spice bundle, 4.5 qt cold water, and 1 tbsp kosher salt. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a bare simmer. Skim often during the first 30 minutes. Simmer 2–2½ hours, then check the brisket; remove when fork-tender and set aside (keep warm). Continue simmering bones 30–60 minutes more (total 3 hours). Remove and discard aromatics and bones; reserve the brisket for slicing.
Step 5: Strain, clarify, and season the broth
Ladle the broth through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth into a clean pot. Skim excess fat if desired (leave a little for sheen and flavor). Bring the strained broth back to a simmer and season with fish sauce and rock sugar. Taste and adjust with additional salt and/or fish sauce until savory, balanced, and lightly sweet. Keep the broth at a rolling boil when you are ready to assemble bowls—especially important for cooking the raw beef slices in the bò version.
Step 6: Cook noodles and prep the herb plate
Soak dried rice noodles in warm water for 20 minutes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drain soaked noodles and boil just until tender but springy, 45–60 seconds (or per package). Drain thoroughly. Arrange herb plate: basil, cilantro, sprouts, jalapeños, lime wedges, and thinly sliced white onion. Slice the brisket thinly across the grain (bò). For rare beef, slice eye round paper-thin (freeze 15–20 minutes first to firm) and keep chilled. For gà, shred or slice the chicken meat.
Step 7: Assemble and serve piping hot
Warm serving bowls with hot water, then drain. Add a nest of noodles to each bowl. Top with a few onion slices and scallions. For phở bò, add slices of cooked brisket and fan a few slices of raw eye round on top. For phở gà, add shredded chicken. Ladle in 2 cups (about 480 ml) of boiling broth per bowl; the heat should turn the raw beef from pink to opaque within seconds. Garnish with cilantro and Thai basil. Serve immediately with the herb plate, bean sprouts, jalapeño, and lime. Offer hoisin and sriracha on the side.
Pro Tips
- Keep the simmer gentle; a rolling boil during cooking clouds the broth. Save the rolling boil for serving time.
- Use a spice sachet so you can remove spices right when the broth tastes balanced—leaving them too long can make the broth bitter.
- Pre-warm bowls so the broth stays hot enough to cook the rare beef properly.
- Slice beef paper-thin by partially freezing it first; use a very sharp knife and cut across the grain.
- Rock sugar adds body and a clean, rounded sweetness; if substituting granulated sugar, add a little at a time and taste.
Variations
- Pressure cooker: Beef bones 45 minutes at High Pressure (natural release 20 minutes); chicken 15 minutes at High Pressure (natural release 10 minutes). Strain and season as directed.
- Rotisserie chicken shortcut (gà): Simmer 1–2 picked carcasses plus 1 lb chicken wings with the aromatics and spices in 3.5 qt water for 60 minutes; add shredded rotisserie breast to bowls.
- Vegetarian: Use 2 lb mixed mushrooms (shiitake, cremini), 2 carrots, and 1 daikon with the aromatics and spices; simmer 60–75 minutes in 4 qt water. Season with soy sauce and a spoon of white miso instead of fish sauce.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Broth keeps 4 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen (cool quickly and store in airtight containers). Store broth, cooked meats, noodles, and garnishes separately. Reheat broth to a full rolling boil before serving—especially for the bò version so it properly cooks the raw beef slices. Cook noodles just before eating; they turn mushy if stored in broth. Herbs and sprouts are best the day of, but you can wash and spin-dry them up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate wrapped in paper towels.
Nutrition (per serving)
Approximate for assembled bowl with garnishes and 2 cups broth: Phở gà ~ 500 kcal; 56 g carbs; 32 g protein; 10 g fat; ~1200 mg sodium. Phở bò (with 2 oz rare beef + 2 oz brisket) ~ 650 kcal; 56 g carbs; 36 g protein; 22 g fat; ~1300 mg sodium. Values vary with meat cuts, trimming, and seasoning.
