This Instant Pot Pho is my version of the classic Vietnamese noodle soup. It’s made with homemade beef broth, tender beef, fresh herbs, and more.
Easy Pho Recipe
I love ordering Pho when I go out to eat, but I’ve always wondered how to make it at home. As it turns out, it’s easy!
While it does have a few steps, like making your own comfort broth, it’s actually pretty fun and great to make at home, and it’s nutritious! Right now I haven’t (yet) gone to Vietnam to officially try the pho origins, but it’s definitely on our list! This is my go-to takeout order or takeout when the weather is bad or when I want a very comforting soup with all the plugs in!
This Instant Pot Pho recipe is made with an incredibly rich and delicious homemade beef broth, and comes with a variety of delicious concoctions like tender beef, bean sprouts, fresh herbs, sriracha, and more.
What is Pho?
Pho, pronounced “fuh”, is a traditional Vietnamese soup made of broth, noodles, meat, herbs and incredible seasonings.
While the exact origin of this soup is unknown, it is said to have originated in northern Vietnam in the early 1900s, mainly due to the high availability of beef. There have been many variations on the traditional soup since its origins, and it is served all over the world. Although it has all been delivered now, the overall concept and comfort remain the same!
required ingredients
This Instant Pot recipe is made with delicious homemade beef broth and really takes it to a whole new level of flavor!
beef soup
In traditional Vietnamese cooking, pho soup is simmered on the stove for many, many hours. While using the Instant Pot as a shortcut may not be traditional in that sense, you can really get incredible broths that simmer for hours this way!
- Beef Bone: Mix bone marrow, joint and/or rib/calf bone for best results. As organic and local as possible!
- Aromatics: Onions, garlic, carrots and ginger give the beef broth an aromatic flavor base.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: The acidity in ACV helps break down the bones for better flavor.
- seasoning: We use a mix of ground cinnamon, coriander, whole black peppercorns, salt, star anise and cardamom to add an authentic Vietnamese flavor to our broth.
- water: The base to start our beef soup.
Add-ons
- Fish Sauce: This gives the pho that delicious umami.
- Bean sprouts: Added freshness and a little crunch.
- Steak: You need ½ pound of grass-fed sirloin steak. Be sure to slice it thin so it cooks quickly.
- lime: A squeeze of fresh lime juice for garnish adds saltiness to the broth.
- rice flour: Cook according to package directions.
- Cut onions and vegetables: I love this addition and recommend steaming the veggies first!
- Herbs: I use a mixture of shallots, basil, cilantro and mint.
- Sriracha: The drizzle of Sriracha brings delicious heat to the broth.
- Fiery Pepper: Garnish the soup with a few slices of red pepper and heat it up a notch.
How to Make an Instant Pot
This easy and healthy dinner only takes 10 minutes to prepare! Scroll down for the full recipe.
- To scorch the fragrance: Arrange onion, garlic, carrots and ginger on a baking sheet. Roast until charred.
- To cook the bones: Fill a medium pot with water, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the bones. Cook, then drain and skim off any fat left on the bones.
- Combine and cook: Put the bones in the pressure cooker, then add the vegetables, apple cider vinegar, spices, and enough water. Cover, seal, and cook on hand/high. Turn off the heat, sit, then open the Instant Pot and strain the broth through a mesh sieve.
- To cook the steak and noodles: Heat a small frying pan with oil. Add the steak and cook until no pink remains. Set aside and cook rice noodles according to package directions.
- Assembly and Service: Put the prepared bone broth in a bowl, add the desired ingredients, and dig in.
What can I add to Instant Pot Pho?
While the addons I’ve listed in this recipe are delicious, pho is incredibly customizable and versatile. Feel free to use your add-ons. Here are some other ideas:
- protein: Beef is great, but so are other proteins.try Chickpork, shrimp, and even tofu.
- vegetable: I kept it simple with bean sprouts and red pepper flakes, but you can add any soup veggies you like. Try sliced mushrooms, green peas, cabbage, edamame, shredded carrots, broccoli, you name it. When adding these vegetables to pho, I like to steam them first!
What kind of beef goes in pho?
Traditionally, pho is made with thinly sliced steak, which is then cooked in the broth in each bowl. I like to use grass fed sirloin steak for this recipe. It cooks quickly but still remains soft and delicious.
Although I cook mine before adding it to the soup, again it’s not the traditional method, trust me, it’s delicious! If your steak is thinly sliced and you want to, you can toss it in the stew and it will cook!
If you prefer other cuts of beef, that’s fine too, just be sure to slice it thin so it cooks quickly and fully.
Tips for Slicing and Cooking Beef
- Frozen beef. Before preparing the beef, I put the beef in the fridge for 30 minutes to make slicing easier.
- Thinly slice the beef. Make sure you thinly slice the beef so it cooks quickly and blends well into the pho.
- Slice against the grain. Slicing against the grain shortens the muscle fibers, resulting in a softer texture.
- Beef and noodles cooked separately to prevent overcooking. The “Instant Pot” part of this recipe is the beef broth, which is the heart of the soup!
How to store
In terms of storage, I recommend keeping all the components separate so that it will be perfectly fresh when you want to serve it again. I also recommend cooking only the required amount of rice noodles as the texture is the freshest!
beef soup Will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or 4-6 months in the refrigerator. To reheat, if frozen, thaw in the refrigerator and simmer on the stove until heated through.
cooked beef Will keep for 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator or 3-4 days in the refrigerator. To reheat, if frozen, thaw in the refrigerator, then heat on the stove until heated through.

More Warm Soup Recipes You’ll Love
instant pot
This Instant Pot Pho is my version of the classic Vietnamese noodle soup. It’s made with homemade beef broth, tender beef, fresh herbs, and more.
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- total time: 26 minutes
- yield: 6 1X
Pho broth:
- 4 lb total beef bones (preferably a mix, bone bone marrow, knuckles and/or ribs, calf bones)
- 2 medium onion, cut in half
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 medium carrots, cut in half
- 2 Ginger cubes, cut in half
- 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 teaspoon minced coriander
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 4 whole anise
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 6 cups water
Pho Soup Ingredients:
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1/2 pound grass-fed sirloin steak, thinly sliced (frozen meat 15 a few minutes before cutting to make slicing easier), cook on the stove with 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 A box of rice noodles, cooked according to package directions
- 1 bunch of basil (optional)
- 1 Bunch of cilantro (optional)
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint (optional)
- 1 teaspoon is Sriracha (optional)
- Fresh red peppers, sliced (optional)
- To prepare: Arrange onion, garlic, carrots and ginger on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until charred.
- Parboil the bones: While the vegetables are cooking, fill a medium pot with water, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the beef bones. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, never boiling. Drain and skim any remaining fat from the bones.
- Put the bones in your Instant Pot.Add the charred vegetables, apple cider vinegar, spices, and enough water to cover the bones instant pot. cap and seal instant pot. Using the manual timer, turn the pressure cooker to high for 45 minutes. When done, turn off the heat and let it sit for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn on the pressure cooker and strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer until it runs clear. About 2-3 times.
5. Steak: Freeze the meat for 30 minutes before cutting to make slicing easier. While the broth is cooking, cook the steak. Heat a small frying pan with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add the steak and cook over medium heat until no pink remains. Put in a bowl until ready to eat! - Noodles: Cook rice noodles according to package directions and set aside until ready to eat.
- Assemble: Place bone broth in desired bowl. Add desired toppings and devour!
notes
- Bone Broth Storage Tip: Store leftover broth in a covered glass container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you want to freeze it so it will last 4-6 months, put it in an ice cube tray and transfer the ice cubes to a freezer bag! Make sure the bone broth is completely cooled before freezing or refrigerating. As the bone broth cools, you may see a layer of fat on top. Just skim it off with a slotted spoon.
- Ask your butcher if they have thinly sliced beef. We got it from the Bucher box, which had pre-sliced beef fillets. If you’re looking for a great way to have grass-fed, high-quality meat delivered straight to your door, this is for you!Order and learn more here!
- Add vegetables: I kept it simple with bean sprouts and red pepper flakes, but you can add any soup veggies you like. Try sliced mushrooms, green peas, cabbage, edamame, shredded carrots, broccoli, you name it. When adding these vegetables to pho, I like to steam them first!
- * make it in your slow cooker!
- Follow steps one and two as instructed. Add charred vegetables, apple cider vinegar, spices, and enough water to cover the bones to the slow cooker. Cover, turn low and cook for 8-10 hours. When done, strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer until it runs clear. Follow the instructions for the rest of the steps and devour!
Nutrition
- Calories: 354
- sugar: 2.7G
- sodium: 124 mg
- fat: 7.5 grams
- Saturated fat: 2.7G
- carbohydrate: 31.3G
- fiber: 3.1 grams
- protein: 37.7 g
- cholesterol: 101 mg



