Instant Pot Beef Pho makes everyone’s favorite classic Vietnamese soup recipe SO easy to make at home! 🍜
Vietnamese beef pho is a hearty but light soup that’s packed with flavor! Spices like cardamom and cloves with onion and ginger bring out the natural, delicious taste of the tender cuts of beef.
Serve it with rice noodles and bean sprouts, along with some fresh basil and jalapeño, for an intensely flavorful meal. This pressure cooker pho can even be made keto-friendly, like our beef and broccoli recipe!
Is Pho Vietnamese or Thai?
While pho is common and popular street food in Vietnam, it’s becoming increasingly popular all around the world. The Thai alternative to Pho is Boat Noodles.
One bite of homemade pho with beef, and it’s no question why it’s so popular!
What is pho?
Pho (pronunciation: like “fuh“) is a Vietnamese soup recipe consisting of a broth that typically uses beef stock, rice noodles, herbs, spices, and meat.
Like Vietnamese steak salad, thin strips of beef are a popular choice for pho recipes!
Usually, for traditional preparations, pho broth takes hours to cook. Instant Pot Beef Pho saves you so much time, and you won’t miss out on any flavor!
Pho Ingredients
To make the pho broth recipe, you will need:
- 4 inches fresh ginger, roughly chopped
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 2 pounds beef soup bones
- 1 pound flank steak or other lean beef such as sirloin or brisket
- 1 to 2 star anise pods
- 2 to 3 cloves
- 1 tablespoon cardamom pods
- 1 to 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; or sesame oil, olive oil, or avocado oil
For the finishing touches, you will need:
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fish sauce, to taste
- 5 to 6 tablespoons soy sauce, to taste
- 12 oz. rice noodles
- Bean sprouts to taste
- Fresh lime juice to taste
Finally, we recommend these herbs for garnish:
- Jalapeños
- Basil
- Mint
- Fresh scallion
While the garnishing herbs are optional pho soup ingredients, they add an extra, delicious layer of flavor to the broth and beef. I recommend you try them out to see what combinations you like best. Basil and jalapeños are my favorite together!
Is pho keto-friendly?
Pho broth and the beef is keto-friendly. Ginger and onion do not add many carbs to the soup. However, the rice noodles you use for traditional pho are not keto-friendly.
To make a keto pho recipe, skip the rice noodles and add more bean sprouts. Alternatively, substitute the rice noodles for Shirataki noodles.
Shirataki noodles are plant-based, containing no gluten or wheat, and are low-carb. Most grocery stores sell shirataki noodles in the produce section, in the refrigerated section near the tofu.
Is pho gluten-free?
Yes! Double-check your soy sauce and fish sauce to make sure they do not include gluten, but otherwise, this easy pho recipe is completely gluten-free.
This includes the rice noodles, which also do not naturally have gluten. If you use shirataki noodles for a low carb pho soup recipe, those are also gluten-free.
How to Make Pho in the Instant Pot
- Toast the pho spices in a frying pan on the stove: 1-2 star anise pods, 2-3 cloves, 1 tablespoon cardamom pods, 1-2 cinnamon sticks, and 1 tablespoon coriander seeds.
- Roughly chop 4 inches of fresh ginger and 1 large onion. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in the Instant Pot set to the saute program. Cook the ginger and onion for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Switch off the saute function and add the toasted spices to the pot.
Stir for a few seconds, then add 2 pounds beef soup bones and 1 pound flank steak (or other lean beef, such as brisket or sirloin). - Fill with water not all of the way to, but just under, the max line. Close the lid and make sure the valve is set to the “sealing” position.
- Set on manual high pressure for 45 to 90 minutes, depending on how concentrated you want the flavors of your broth to be. See tips below for notes.
- When the broth is done cooking, remove the steak and slice it. Pass the broth through a sieve to remove the spices and any pieces from the beef bones.
- Season the broth with 2 to 3 tablespoons fish sauce, 5 to 6 tablespoons of soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons brown sugar. Taste and season with salt as you like.
- Dish the broth out into bowls and garnish with rice noodles, lime juice, beef slices, bean sprouts, basil, mint, scallions, and jalapeños as you prefer.
Tips for Making Pho
- If you prefer, you can cook the beef separately from the broth. I recommend cooking it as we do in our Vietnamese steak salad recipe.
- To make your soup as lean as possible, let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Any remaining fat in the broth will rise to the top and you can easily remove it. This is not a necessary step to enjoy Vietnamese beef pho.
- If you have access to it, you can also use Chinese rock sugar in place of the brown sugar in this recipe. Asian supermarkets stock Chinese rock sugar.
- For stronger flavor, allow your pho broth to cook for longer in the Instant Pot. While it will be ready in 45 minutes, you can leave it for up to 90 minutes for a strongly flavorful broth.
Be aware that if you cook the beef in the pot with the broth, you may not want to go beyond 45 minutes of cook-time.
How to Eat Pho
Serve beef pho over rice or shirataki noodles, with bean sprouts and herbs for garnish. Use chopsticks or a spoon to mix all of the ingredients and toppings evenly throughout your pho.
For the perfect bite of pho, make sure to get a little bit of everything – noodles, vegetables, and meat. And if you’re using chopsticks, make sure to use a soup spoon to enjoy some of that delicious pho broth in-between bites!
You can also add hoisin sauce or red chili sauce for extra flavor. A poached egg is also a great addition to your pho ingredients. I really believe this is the best pho recipe ever – especially if you add an egg. It adds so much richness to the broth!
Have you made easy beef pho at home yet? Let us know what you think in the comments below! We love to hear from you. And please leave a rating!
You can save our Instant Pot Beef Pho📌 on Pinterest, too.
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📋 Recipe
Instant Pot Beef Pho
Light, but hearty and packed with flavor, Instant Pot Beef Pho proves how easy it is to make Vietnamese beef pho at home in under an hour!
Ingredients
Pho Broth
- 4 inches fresh ginger, roughly chopped
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 2 pounds beef soup bones
- 1 pound flank steak or other lean beef such as sirloin or brisket
- 1 to 2 star anise pods
- 2 to 3 cloves
- 1 tablespoon cardamom pods
- 1 to 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; or sesame oil, olive oil, or avocado oil
Finishing Touches
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fish sauce, to taste
- 5 to 6 tablespoons soy sauce, to taste
- 12 oz. rice noodles
- Bean sprouts to taste
- Fresh lime juice to taste
For Garnish
- Jalapeños, basil, mint, and fresh scallion
Instructions
- Toast 1-2 star anise pods, 2-3 cloves, 1 tablespoon cardamom pods, 1-2 cinnamon sticks, and 1 tablespoon coriander seeds in a frying pan on the stove.
- Roughly chop 4 inches of fresh ginger and 1 large onion. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in the Instant Pot set to the saute program. Cook the ginger and onion for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Switch off the saute function and add the toasted spices to the pot. Stir for a few seconds, then add 2 pounds beef soup bones and 1 pound flank steak (or other lean beef, such as brisket or sirloin).
- Fill with water not all of the way to, but just under, the max line. Close the lid and make sure the valve is set to the “sealing” position. Set on manual high pressure for 45 to 90 minutes, depending on how concentrated you want the flavors of your broth to be. See notes below.
- When the broth is done cooking, remove the steak and slice it. Pass the broth through a sieve to remove the spices and any pieces from the beef bones.
Season the broth with 2 to 3 tablespoons fish sauce, 5 to 6 tablespoons of soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons brown sugar. Taste and season with salt as you like.
Dish the broth out into bowls and garnish with rice noodles, lime juice, beef slices, bean sprouts, basil, mint, scallions, and jalapeños as you prefer.
Notes
Cook beef separately: If you prefer, you can cook the beef separately from the broth. I recommend cooking it as we do in our Vietnamese steak salad recipe.
Beef meat: You can use flank, sirloin, brisket or any other lean beef meat you like.
Vegetable oil: Sesame oil, olive oil or avocado oil work well for this soup as well, as they have a high smoke point.
Cooking time: The broth is ready to enjoy after 45 minutes on high pressure. However, if you want to have it more concentrated with a stronger flavor, set the time to 60 minutes. Be aware that if you cook the meat with the bones, you might not want to leave it too long time under high pressure.
Chinese rock sugar: If you have access to it, you can also use Chinese rock sugar in place of the brown sugar in this recipe. Asian supermarkets stock Chinese rock sugar.
Skim the fat: To make your soup as lean as possible, let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Any remaining fat in the broth will rise to the top and you can easily remove it. This is not a necessary step to enjoy Vietnamese beef pho.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 615Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 129mgSodium: 1727mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 5gSugar: 7gProtein: 47g
Noelle says
I love that this is gluten free! Thank you for reminding me to check my soy sauce, perfect recipe for dinner 🙂
Em Beitel says
Thank you, Noelle! We hope you love it!
Shannon says
Your pictures are making my mouth water! Looks delicious.
Em Beitel says
Thank you so much, Shannon!
Mirlene says
Yes, this is the pho I would like to see on my kitchen table. Fantastic looks, and I can only imagine the flavor!
Em Beitel says
Thanks so much, Mirlene! It honestly tastes amazing.
Kacey Perez says
Asian cuisine is one of my favorites, but it seems so daunting to try and whip up during the week. This recipe has changed my mind! Saving it for my next weekly meal plan!
Em Beitel says
Thanks so much, Kacey! Making it in the Instant Pot this way really simplifies it! We can’t wait to hear what you think.
Jen says
This is my husband’s favorite whenever we go out and I’ve always wanted to try it at home but have been too intimidated….until now! Thank you for breaking down the recipe so that a newbie like myself could easily follow it. My husband loved it and wouldn’t stop raving about how much he enjoyed it. Thanks for making me look like a rockstar!
Em Beitel says
Hi Jen! Thank you so much for such a lovely comment. We’re so happy to hear that you found it easy to follow and that you and your husband enjoyed it!