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Beef pho (pronounced fuh) is the perfect comfort food. It’s a rice noodle dish that’s in a savory beef broth. I love making Instant Pot Beef Pho because it speeds up the cooking time and really infuses the flavors.
This healthy beef pho is a little time consuming, but completely worth it to get all of the flavors of this traditional Vietnamese soup. The most common proteins used are beef, lamb, and pork.
Where’s the recipe?
I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I receive a lot of questions about recipes.
To better serve all of my readers here at My Crazy Good Life, I’ve made a commitment to put a ton of helpful information in all of my posts.If you’d like to skip over the tips, swapping ingredients, and diet information, please simply scroll to the bottom of the page, where you will find the easily printable Instant Pot Pho recipe!
Is this recipe easy?
This recipe isn’t difficult, but it is time consuming and there are a lot of steps and ingredients. You can skip some steps to save time; however, I highly recommend doing following the full directions to get the most flavor, it truly is worth it!
When you’re not wanting to head to your local Vietnamese restaurant for Pho, this is a great recipe to follow. The pressure cooker makes it a bit faster and there’s nothing more satisfying than a bowl of Pho noodle soup that you’ve made yourself.
Pho Ingredients
- Brisket: A cut of meat from the breast of the cow. There is a lot of connective tissue so slow cooking is optimal for ensuring the meat is properly tenderized.
- Flank steak or boneless chuck roast.
- Beef bones: You can usually get bones right from the butcher counter. My local grocer doesn’t even charge for them. Grab a couple extra if you have fur babies at home, they will thank you.
- Onions: Great for digestive health, packed with nutrients, and antioxidants.
- Ginger: Reduces nausea, inflammation, and gas plus aids in digestion.
- Cloves
- Star anise: Has the strong distinct flavor of licorice, and should be used in small quantities, you can find it in your spice aisle.
- Fennel seeds: A flowering plant in the carrot family, fennel seeds are used in Mediterranean, Italian, and Asian cooking and also have a sweet licorice flavor.
- Coriander seeds: This seed grows the popular plant, cilantro, and adds a wonderful brightness to broths.
- Sugar: Plain old white sugar. Nothing fancy here.
- Cardamom: Not a single spice, but a mixture of several seeds from various plants in the ginger family.
- Cinnamon sticks: Be sure and pick up sticks, not ground cinnamon.
- Fish sauce: Popular in East Asian cooking. Look for ones that have the fewest ingredients and stay away from those that contain preservatives and additives, like gluten.
- Rice noodles: Most rice noodles are gluten free. Use dried, medium sized noodles for the best outcome.
- Green onion
- Mint
- Cilantro
- Basil: Bonus if you can find Thai basil leaves!
- Jalapeno
- Lime
- Chili sauce: You can use Sriracha, if you’re in a pinch.
Recipe tips
- To make your spice sachet, place all spices in the middle of a coffee filter or piece of cheese cloth, bring all sides together, and twist excess tightly around the spice. Secure by tying with a string or piece of kitchen twine.
- To slice your flank steak or chuck roast thin, keep your beef very cold and slice with a sharp knife. You want it incredibly thin so that it will cook right in the broth. You can also ask your butcher to thinly slice it for you. I recommend no thicker than ⅛ of an inch.
Time saving tips
This is a time consuming recipe, while all of the steps are necessary to get the most flavor, here are some steps that can be omitted to reduce some of the time, if desired; however, it does sacrifice the flavor:
- You can skip charring the onions, bones, beef, and ginger.
- You can skip browning your spices and place them directly in your sachet.
If you’re looking for recipes that you can make in 30 minutes or less, check out these Quick Dinner Recipes!
How to make Instant Pot Beef Pho
Time needed: 1 hour and 40 minutes
- Prep your broth ingredients
Cut both ends off of your onions, cut in half, and remove the outer layer of skin. Cut full branches of ginger in half, lengthwise.
- Broil
Preheat your oven’s broiler, and line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Place the brisket, bones, onion, and ginger halves on the lined cookie sheet and broil each side until lightly charred, about ten minutes. Remove them from the oven, and transfer all ingredients to the Instant Pot and sprinkle with sugar.
- Brown your spices
While broiling, add the cloves, star anise, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom, and cinnamon sticks to a dry skillet and brown over high heat for about 2 minutes stirring constantly.
- Make a spice sachet
Place the browned spices in a piece of cheesecloth, or you can use a coffee filter, pull the sides together to tightly wrap around the spices, secure with a string or piece of kitchen twine, then place into the Instant Pot.
- Pressure Cook
Fill your Instant Pot to the Max Fill line with water. Close and lock the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook (high pressure) and set the timer for 60 minutes. Once the cooking time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally. This will give you the best Pho broth.
- Prepare your toppings
While your broth is cooking, prepare your rice noodles according to directions on the package. Thinly slice your flank steak, against the grain, into ⅛” thick slices. Slice the green onions and jalapeños. Chop the mint, cilantro, and basil leaves.
- Finish your broth
Once the pressure valve drops remove the lid. Remove the spice pouch, soup bones, and onions. Transfer your brisket to a plate and shred it using two forks. Turn your pot to sauté and add the fish sauce. Once your broth is boiling you can begin making your pho bowls.
- Make your bowls
Add noodles, shredded brisket, and thinly sliced beef to your bowl then cover with hot broth. Cover your bowl for 2-3 minutes to allow your beef to cook. Remove the cover and fill your bowl with toppings as desired: green onions, jalapeños, mint, cilantro, basil, lime, mung bean sprouts, and chili sauce.
Healthy Eating Plans
- Weight Watchers: This entire recipe makes 4 large servings. Each serving has: 12 2023 Plan Points | 19 Blue Plan Points | 19 Green Plan Points | 19 Purple Plan Points
- 21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix: For the 21 Day Fix I recommend using a leaner cut of meat than brisket for your broth, like sirloin or chuck. I would also be aware of the sodium content in the fish sauce. You can use low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos if you prefer. While technically 8 cups of broth counts as a red, I don’t count it. This entire recipe is 8 Red Containers, 4 Yellows. Per serving: 1 Yellow Container for ½ cup noodles, 2 Red containers for beef. The toppings I’ve listed above are free foods on the Fix.
- 2B Mindset: Serve with veggies for a complete lunch.
- Gluten Free: Double check your rice noodles and fish sauce to make sure they do not contain gluten.
Looking for more healthy Instant Pot meals?
- Spaghetti Squash Taco Bowl
- Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Instant Pot Spanish Rice
- Healthy White Chicken Chili
- Crack Chicken Casserole
Instant Pot Beef Pho Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot 6 qt
- Kitchen Knife
- Sealing Rings
Ingredients
- 2 onion sliced in half
- 4 fresh ginger branches, sliced in half lengthwise
- 1 lbs beef brisket
- 3 lbs beef bones
- 1 tsp sugar
- 6 cloves whole
- 6 star anise whole
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cardamom ground
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 8 oz rice noodles
- 1 lbs flank steak thinly sliced
- 5 tbsp fish sauce or Bragg's liquid aminos
Optional Toppings
- 2 tbsp green onions
- 1 tbsp jalapenos sliced
- 1 tbsp mint
- 2 tbsp cilantro
- 1 tbsp basil
- 1 lime
- ¼ cup mung bean sprouts
- 1 tsp chili garlic sauce
Instructions
- Cut both ends off of your onions, cut in half, and remove the outer layer of skin. Cut full branches of ginger in half, lengthwise. 2 onion, 4 fresh ginger
- Preheat your oven’s broiler, and line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Place the brisket, bones, onion halves, and ginger halves on the lined cookie sheet and broil each side until lightly charred, about ten minutes. Remove them from the oven, and transfer all ingredients to the Instant Pot and sprinkle with sugar. 1 lbs beef brisket, 3 lbs beef bones, 1 tsp sugar
- While broiling add the cloves, star anise, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom, and cinnamon sticks to a dry skillet and brown over high heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. 6 cloves, 6 star anise, 1 tbsp fennel seeds, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp cardamom, 1 cinnamon stick
- Place the browned spices in a piece of cheesecloth (or you can use a coffee filter). Pull the sides together to tightly wrap around the spices, secure with a string or piece of kitchen twine, then place into the Instant Pot.
- Fill your Instant Pot to the Max Fill line with water. Close and lock the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook (high) and set the timer for 60 minutes. Once the cooking time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally.
- While your broth is cooking, prepare your rice noodles according to directions on the package. Thinly slice your flank steak, against the grain, into ⅛” thick slices. Slice the green onions and jalapeños. Chop the mint, cilantro, and basil leaves. 8 oz rice noodles, 1 lbs flank steak, 2 tbsp green onions, 1 tbsp jalapenos, 1 tbsp mint, 2 tbsp cilantro, 1 tbsp basil
- Once the pressure valve drops remove the lid. Remove the spice pouch, soup bones, and onions. Transfer your brisket to a plate and shred it using two forks. Turn your pot to sauté and add the fish sauce. Once your broth is boiling you can begin making your pho bowls. 5 tbsp fish sauce
- Add noodles, shredded brisket, and thinly sliced beef to your bowl then cover with hot broth. Cover your bowl for 2-3 minutes to allow your beef to cook. Remove the cover and fill your bowl toppings as desired: green onions, jalapeños, mint, cilantro, basil, lime, mung bean sprouts, and chili sauce. 1 lime , 1/4 cup mung bean sprouts, 1 tsp chili garlic sauce
Notes
- Weight Watchers: This entire recipe makes 4 servings. Per serving: 12 2023 Plan Points | 19 Blue Plan Points | 19 Green Plan Points | 19 Purple Plan Points
- 21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix: For the 21 Day Fix I recommend using a leaner cut of meat than brisket for your broth, like sirloin or chuck. I would also be aware of the sodium content in fish sauce. You can use low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos if you prefer. While technically 8 cups of broth counts as a red, I don’t count it. This entire recipe is 8 Red Containers, 4 Yellows. Per serving: 1 Yellow Container for ½ cup noodles, 2 Red containers for beef. Toppings are free.
- 2B Mindset: Serve with veggies for a complete lunch.
- Gluten Free: Double check your rice noodles and fish sauce to make sure they do not contain gluten.
- To make your spice sachet, place all spices in the middle of a coffee filter, or piece of cheese cloth, bring all sides together and twist excess tightly around the spice, secure by tying with a string or piece of kitchen twine.
- To slice your flank steak or chuck roast thin, keep your beef very cold and slice with a sharp knife. You want it incredibly thin so that it will cook in the broth. You can also ask your butcher to thinly slice it for you. I recommend no thicker than ⅛ of an inch.
-
- You can skip broiling the beef, bones, onions and ginger.
- You can skip browning your spices and place them directly in your sachet.
Nutrition
Make This Recipe?
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This was fabulous, I can’t believe I actually got real pho taste at home! My broth turned out a little fatty for my taste, though, I think it’s because I used really meaty soup bones. Maybe next time I will de-meat them a little!
SO glad to hear this!
What is the size of your pot? I am using an 8 quarts and the flavour tasted diluted a little.
Thanks in advance,
François
Based on one of her other links, would assume it to be a 6 qt pot: https://mycrazygoodlife.com/instant-pot-cooking-differences/
This may seem like an amateur question, but where do you find 1 lb of brisket and 3 lbs of bones? I checked our Walmart for the brisket and they only sell it in a 13 lb. chunk. We eat very little beef, so I’m not as familiar with purchasing it. Thank you!
A local meat locker will help you get the smaller amounts. Maybe check around you if you have a local farm that processes their own meat!?
I got mine at the spanish grocery, they still have a butcher.
That looks soooo good! My kids love pho so much. Can’t wait to make this for them. Thanks for sharing!
I see a mention of cloves in the spices section but no garlic, but then the instructions say to fish the garlic out of the broth.
Can you clarify what to do with what? I don’t want to mess this up by using actual
Clove spice when this should be a garlic clove. Thanks!
Colleen, I’m sorry about the confusion. There is no garlic in this recipe – just the cloves (clove spice)!
Thanks for the clarification. Will make this tonight as see how it goes!