Experience the magic of one of the greatest noodle soups in the world with this easy to follow traditional Vietnamese Pho recipe! Made from scratch with the signature broth that’s light yet at the same time so full of flavour, it’s infused with spices like cinnamon, star anise and cardamom. The soup is utterly addictive and every spoonful leaves you wanting more!
Vietnamese Pho recipe
This Pho recipe has been in the works for a while now. It’s been quietly made and remade by various RecipeTin family members since our first trip to Vietnam. We’ve compared notes, debated furiously about how the latest iteration compared to the (many) bowls of Pho soup we slurped during our travels, and our favourite Pho restaurants back home here in Sydney.
We take our Pho very seriously. One of the greatest noodle soups in the whole world commands respect!
And I am very pleased to report every member of the RecipeTin family whole heartedly approves of this final recipe!
This homemade Pho recipe is actually quite straightforward – but you do need a very large pot!
What is Pho?
If you’re wondering “What is Pho?” then you’re probably also wondering “Why is she so bonkers over it???”
I don’t blame you. It looks like a relatively harmless bowl of beef noodle soup.
That is, until you take your first slurp.
The Pho soup broth is everything. It’s light yet full of flavour, deceptively beefy, savoury, complex, has the tiniest hint of richness and is filled with beautiful spices like cinnamon.
It is, without question, one of The Best Soups in the whole world!
Pho is the first thing you seek upon landing in Vietnam, always choosing vendors crowded with locals rather than tourists!
Best place to try Pho?
In Vietnam, of course. 🙂 Here’s our Saigon Food Guide, including the best Pho vendor in the city that you will not find in any guide book!
Pho really is a soup that needs to be made from scratch with a homemade beef broth. Throwing some spices into store bought stock just doesn’t cut it I’m afraid – and I rarely say that!
How to make this Beef Pho
While you’ll need to man handle a considerable mound of bones and beef, I think you might be surprised how straightforward it actually is to make pho. It’s more time than anything – and a very big pot!
Quick boil – Remove impurities from beef with a 5 minute boil, it’s the path to a beautiful clear soup;
Scum – be amazed at all the icky stuff that comes out;
Wash the bones to get all the icky scum off;
Simmer for 3 hours – bones, beef, water, onion, ginger and spices (cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, star anise);
Remove brisket – some is used for Pho topping, see below recipe for ways to use remainder;
Simmer 40 minutes further with just bones;
Strain; then
Ladle into bowls over noodles and pile on Toppings!
Best beef for Pho soup broth
The ONLY way to get enough beef flavour into the broth is to use a combination of meat AND bones. You will NOT get enough flavour into the broth using just bones – trust me, we tried multiple times. And it distresses me to see so many Pho recipes online using just bones!😢
The single most important thing in a pho recipe is using the right combination of beef meat AND bones. Most recipes get it wrong, so the broth lacks flavour.
Here’s the combination of beef and bones I find yields the best Pho soup flavour:
1.5kg / 3 lb brisket – the beef of choice with pho vendors in Vietnam, for its beefy flavour and it holds up to hours of simmering without fall apart (like chuck and rib). Other slow cooking cuts like chuck and gravy beef are also less “beefy”. See below recipe for amazing ways to use leftover cooked brisket!
1kg / 2 lb meaty bones – bones with decent amount of meat on them, for beef flavour and some richness. Best sub: oxtail bones, more brisket or chuck beef (same amount). Next best sub: any beef bones.
1kg / 2 lb marrow bones – bones like leg, shin and knuckle, with less meat on them but are quite big and are cut to reveal some of the marrow inside so it can leach into the broth. This provides the least flavour but it adds that essential hint of richness in Pho broth. Best sub: more meaty bones – lose a bit of richness but still super good.
None of these are difficult to find nowadays though perhaps not all at your local supermarket. I get everything either from my butchers or from Asian butchers (extremely good value). You’ll find brisket and meaty “soup bones” at large supermarkets. And marrow bones are now widely available at butchers and also the freezer section of Asian stores.
Pho Broth Spices and Other ingredients
Beef aside, the rest of the ingredients in the broth are surprisingly straight forward!
The spices are toasted to bring out the flavour before adding into the pot. And the ginger and onion are charred to add a subtle smokey flavour into the broth – a secret little step that adds that extra something-something to make this pho recipe authentic and traditional!
How to serve Pho
The classic way to serve Pho is with:
rice noodles – fresh or dry;
thinly sliced raw beef that cooks to a perfect medium rare when the hot broth is ladled over – see below for more information;
piles of bean sprouts, Thai basil and coriander/cilantro on the side – help yourself as you eat the pho;
lime wedges; and
hoisin sauce and sriracha (or other chilli sauce).
Typically, the bowls come out with just noodles, beef and broth, then everything else is served on the side.
Thinly sliced raw beef for Pho – best cut
I like to use beef tenderloin for the raw beef slices. While that’s a premium cut that is a bit costly, you only need about 30g / 1 oz per serving so a bit goes a long way!
TIP: To thinly slice the beef, just partly freeze the beef then slice. Makes it so much easier to thin super finely!
↓↓↓The beef is pink because pouring the broth over raw beef slices cooks it to medium rare, which is how it’s traditionally served and how I love it.
But if the thought of pink beef in your soup is off-putting, it’s an easy fix – just dunk the beef into the pot of hot broth first, it will cook in 10 seconds!
Ways to use leftover brisket
The pho broth calls for a considerable piece of brisket to ensure the broth gets enough flavour. Once slow cooked for hours, it’s fall apart tender and much of the flavour has been sucked out into the broth.
While a few thin slices are used for the Pho topping, I always end up with 500g/1lb leftover and I’ve shared this Caramelised Vietnamese Shredded Beef recipe which I created especially to use up the remaining brisket. Those golden crispy edges are amazing!!!
More ways to use the leftover Pho brisket
- Garlic Butter Shredded Beef – shred and pan fry with garlic and butter
- Use in Egg Foo Young (Chinese Omelette)
- Shredded Beef Shawarma – toss with shawarma spices used in Chicken Shawarma then pan fry golden;
- Use in a stir fry using my All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce, or make a beef noodle stir fry
- Slice and serve on Chinese Noodle Soup or Wonton Soup
Why make homemade Pho?
I say this is a straight forward recipe because there’s no tricky techniques involved. But it does involve handling mounds of meat and bones, a big pot of broth and lots of patience as it simmers away on the stove, working its magic.
So why make Pho at home?
If you love Pho as much as I do but don’t live in reasonable proximity to a (good) Pho restaurant;
If you’re wanting to impress at a gathering with something different. This recipe will serve 6 as a full meal, or 10 to 12 smaller bowls as part of a larger banquet. Add some Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls, Lemongrass Chicken, Bun Cha (Vietnamese Pork Meatballs) or the famous Vietnamese Caramel Pork!
To save money – you’d pay $60+ for 6 bowls of Pho in the city;
You feel smug with a stash of extra special things in the freezer – this broth keeps for months; or
Your idea of a leisurely Sunday involves pottering around in the kitchen (Pho is a great Sunday pottering project!)
My situation is mainly #5. Because I am one of those crazy foodies who will drive 1 hour to Vietnamese neighbourhoods for a Pho fix! – Nagi x
PS I’m also #4. Because yes, I’m that immature at heart. 😂
Vietnamese Pho recipe
Watch how to make it
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Vietnamese Pho recipe
Ingredients
Aromatics:
- 2 large onions , halved
- 150g / 5oz ginger , sliced down the centre
Spices
- 10 star anise
- 4 cinnamon quills
- 4 cardamon pods
- 3 cloves (the spice cloves!)
- 1.5 tbsp coriander seeds
Beef bones (Note 1):
- 1.5kg / 3lb beef brisket
- 1kg / 2lb meaty beef bones
- 1kg / 2lb marrow bones (leg, knuckle), cut to reveal marrow
- 3.5 litres / 3.75 quarts water (15 cups)
Seasoning:
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1 tbsp salt
- 40 ml / 3 tbsp fish sauce (Note 2)
Noodle Soup – PER BOWL:
- 50g / 1.5 oz dried rice sticks (or 120g/4oz fresh) (Note 3)
- 30g / 1 oz beef tenderloin, raw, very thinly sliced (Note 4)
- 3 – 5 brisket slices (used for broth)
Toppings:
- Beansprouts, handful
- Thai basil, 3 – 5 sprigs
- Coriander/cilantro, 3 – 5 sprigs (or more basil)
- Lime wedges*
- Finely sliced red chilli*
- Hoisin sauce*
- Sriracha* (for spiciness)
Instructions
Aromatics
- Heat a heavy based skillet over high heat (no oil) until smoking.
- Place onion and ginger in pan cut side down. Cook for a few minutes until it’s charred, then turn. Remove and set aside.
- Toast Spices lightly in a dry skillet over medium high heat for 3 minutes.
Remove impurities:
- Rinse bones & brisket then cover with water in large stock pot.
- Boil for 5 minutes, then drain.
- Rinse each bone and brisket under tap water.
Broth:
- Wipe pot clean, bring 3.5 litres / 3.75 quarts water to boil.
- Add bones and brisket, onion, ginger, Spices
- Add onion, ginger, Spices, sugar and salt – water should just barely cover everything.
- Cover with lid, simmer 3 hours.
- Remove brisket (should be fall-apart tender), cool then refrigerate for later.
- Simmer remaining soup UNCOVERED for 40 minutes.
- Strain broth into another pot, discard bones and spices. Should be about 2.5 litres / 2.65 quarts (10 cups), if loads more, reduce.
- Add fish sauce, adjust salt and sugar if needed. Broth should be beefy, fragrant with spices, savoury and barely sweet.
Assemble:
- Prepare rice noodles per packet, just prior to serving.
- Place noodles in bowl. Top with raw beef and brisket.
- Ladle over about 400 / 14 oz hot broth – will cook beef to medium rare.
- Serve with Toppings on the side!
Recipe Notes:
- Brisket – don’t skip this, adds way more flavour into broth than any bones and other beef cuts like chuck (brisket has intense beef flavour). If omitted, broth is weak. Leftovers not wasted – see in post for easy, really terrific ways to use up. Also FREEZES for months.
- Brisket sub – boneless beef short ribs
- Leftover cooked beef – see below recipe card for uses, also this Vietnamese Shredded Beef I shared specifically to use the leftover cooked beef!
- Marrow bones add richness to the broth but not as much flavour. Use leg bones, knuckle, anything that is cut in a way so you can SEE some of the marrow (so it can leach out).
- Marrow bones can be subbed with more meaty beef bones but soup may lack richness.
- Australia – meaty bones used are called “soup bones” at supermarkets. Brisket and marrow bones from butcher.
Originally published April 2019. Updated for housekeeping matters – no change to recipe, I wouldn’t dare!
Vietnamese food favourites
I am so fond of Vietnamese food, I made it my Pilot foodie travel video! I adore the freshness, signature balance of savoury-sweet-sour, the kaleidoscope of colours and textures, and the incredible depth of flavour you get in relatively simple sauces. Here are some of my favourites!
Life of Dozer
I have no issues with the way he sprawls across doorways like this. EXCEPT in the middle of the night when I need to go to the bathroom……
You’d think he’d learn. Or that I’d learn.
But no. The trip/curse/yelp routine happens almost every night.
I want to make chicken pho should I just use chicken frames instead of beef
Chicken Pho is on my list of things to do!
We live in a semi rural area where there is no Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant and our restaurant options are very limited (pizza, fish & chips and pubs…) My kids love Pho and I have tried every jars of pho paste, pho noodle kit etc from shops but haven’t been able to recreate the soup like the Vietnamese restaurants’…until tonight. I followed your recipe and it was delicious!! Kids loved it too. Thank you Nagi
Oh that’s wonderful to hear Masako!
Can you freeze the broth without compromising the flavor?
You sure can! – N x
Hi, how big does your pot need to be?
Hi H Lam, It’s all in the recipe 🙂
You know what other beef I can’t cook it without? Oxtail! I cook my pho with oxtail.
Oh sorry, I didn’t meant to give it a 1 star! How do I retract that??
Hi Hang! I agree oxtail is a traditional cut of beef to use! I’d love to use it but it’s so expensive if you use tons 🙂 I’ve retracted the star for you, thank you for saying that! N xx
Who knew it would be this easy! Love your recipes, youre pretty much my go-to! thank you so much for sharing.
Aww thanks so much Breezy ❤️
Hi Nagi
Once again I turn to yr site for guidance and lovely, loved meals. I tried this yesterday. Made the stock yesterday morning to end of step 5 and then refrigerated stock till tonight. Should I remove the solidified beef fat before reheating and simmering 40 mins?
Anyway every recipe I cook from u is a winner, for all my family. I really appreciate that you (and yr family) do.
Thx
Tania
Hi Tania, you can remove it if you like or leave it in – traditional pho leaves the fat in the soup – N x
Can’t wait to try this; it looks amazing!
Love all the recipes I’ve tried from your website so far! 🙂
Do you have any idea how to make a pho ga satay recipe? (with peanuts and coconut milk) Been searching for one for years.
I haven’t made it before, I’m keen to try though!
Hi Nagi!
At first sorry for my so bad english… I learnt it when I was at school 60 years ago…
I am Patrice, an old french man writing to you from Paris. I really love vietnamese cooking. I ate a pho yesterday evening cooked by an old Vietnamese lady on a restaurant but comparered to yours I think it’s far to be so good…. No much meat, etc… 10$
So I décided to cook pho myself…following your recipe… What will be will be…
Just a question. Can I cook broth and freez it to cook pho later?
Another question…. I’m really mad of Bánh cuốn… A recipe of yours?
Thanks a lot Nagi.
Hi Patrice, I’m so glad you gave it a go! You can definitely make this in a big batch and freeze!
Soooo Good 🙂 Thank you for posting this recipe. I love vietnamese food, Will follow your recipes 🙂
I hope you love it!!
Hi, I read your pho recipe and would like to follow this recipe this weekend. I would like to include this two ingredients and would like to know when is the best time to add to the broth and when to take out. They are oxtail and cow book? Do you recommend to include both at the beginning of the broth and remove at the same time as the briskets?
Hello, could this recipe be made in a slow cooker?
Thanks 🙂
First serving of no bake mango cheesecake was a gift from my piano student. Today I made it for Easter at our friends’ home. It’s delectable…and I’m a star among super cooks….today….
Wahoo!
Hi Nagi! Which color cardamom do you use?
green! N xx
Quite labour intensive. Sourcing the right bones took some time, and preparation took a whole afternoon. I cooked this for family as a special treat when visiting. The concensus was unanimous- utterly, utterly delicious. Worth every minute of preparation and a definite “keeper.”
Made this recipe on a Sunday when I had a bit of time.
We all really enjoyed it but I found that it was even better the next day!
You definitely need the biggest pot you can find!
Was really easy to follow the recipe and depending on what toppings/sauces you use at the end, its amazing how much it changes the flavour!
Thanks Nagi 🙂
I’m so glad you love it Jess!!
May I use high pressure cooker to prepare the broth instead of having to simmer for 3 hrs? If it is a yes answer, I would like to find out the duration for the cooking time. Thank you.
Hi Jane! I haven’t tried it because I think the strength of the pressure cooker may be too much for this soup. Also I’d struggle to fit everything into my pressure cooker!! Sorry 🙂 N x
Would love to get chicken pho recipe pls:) .. I luv ur recipes. Thank you
Hi Jas! I haven’t shared one yet but we’ve tried and enjoyed this one from Kenji at Serious Eats 🙂 https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/01/30-minute-pressure-cooker-pho-ga-recipe.html
How big of a pot or how much water is needed?
Hi Diana! Mine is 8.5 Litres 🙂 The amount of water required is specified in the recipe! N x
Hi Nagi: FYI-Your recipe is the closest to perfect I have ever seen. However, the traditional/historic/classic Pho (Saigon) recipe also includes shallots, fennel seed, black cardamom, rock sugar. Optional: Lemongrass & garlic. Bon appetit! 😉
Hi Thomas – thank you for that! Yes there certainly are various types of traditional Pho in Vietnam that includes those spices 🙂 I love all the different types in Vietnam, and noticing how it changes as you move form the north to the south! N x