This Instant Pot Chicken Pho has a richly flavoured broth, tender chicken, and silky noodles ready for slurping! Cooked quickly in an Instant Pot, this Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup has all the flavour of a long-simmering chicken pho.
It doesn't matter to which culture you belong: we all know the healing power of chicken soup! This Vietnamese Chicken Pho is Viet Nam's version of good old chicken soup! However, we love its deep, richly flavoured broth, light rice noodles, shredded chicken and fresh greens that top our bowls.
Traditional Vietnamese Pho is made with beef. Historically, it was simply a bowl of noodles, broth and boiled beef.
When refugees were fleeing Viet Nam in the mid 1970's, they brought with them their culture and cuisine, which quickly became popular all over North America. You can read about Pho's fascinating history in The History of Pho on Viet World Kitchen.
There are lots of recipes for Pho, but this one is the one I like best. It has a broth with flavours so deep you'd think it had been simmering for hours and yet, it's all made in just a few minutes in an Instant Pot!
Quick and easy with lots of flavour. That's my kind of recipe!
Ready to make some Vietnamese chicken noodle soup?
🛒 Chicken Pho Ingredients
- onion: you'll be charring this, along with the ginger to help the broth develop a more complex flavour.
- ginger: fresh ginger is a must in this recipe.
- olive oil or avocado oil: to char the onion and garlic and roast the spices
- chicken breasts: boneless, skinless. You can also use chicken thighs. You'll cook this in the Instant Pot along with the broth, then remove it and either shred or cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- whole spices: cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise, coriander seeds and fennel seeds. You'll strain these from the broth before serving it.
- chicken broth: reduced-sodium
- rice noodles: the kind you use for stir-fry or Pad Thai.
- brown sugar, or golden Monkfruit sweetener
- fish sauce: don't leave it out! It smells foul, but you won't taste or smell it in the finished soup.
- lime juice: freshly squeezed
Garnishes for Chicken Pho
- bean sprouts
- fresh mint, basil (Thai basil if available) or cilantro leaves
- green onions, thinly sliced
- lime wedges
🔪 Instructions
First, assemble all the recipe ingredients.
Turn the Instant Pot to the Sauté function. Add the oil. When it's hot, add the cut onion and ginger, cut side down. Cook for 4 minutes, undisturbed, allowing the onions and garlic to char.
Add the fennel, star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick and coriander and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Sautéing them helps to make their flavour more bold and intense.
Add the chicken breasts, fish sauce, sugar and broth. You may be tempted to omit the fish sauce. It does smell foul, but you will not taste or smell it in the finished broth. It really is necessary for pho and will bring a depth of flavour to the broth, so resist the urge to eliminate it.😊
Secure the lid and using the Manual function, set the Instant Pot on high pressure for 10 minutes, then allow a natural release for 10 minutes. Release the remaining steam.
Open the lid, remove the chicken and either shred it (with two forks or with an electric mixer) or cut it into bite-sized cubes.
Using a fine sieve, strain the broth into a large bowl. Taste and correct the seasoning.
Char onions and garlic. Add spices and cook for 1 minute. Add broth and chicken. After cooking, strain the broth.
Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the package directions.
Add the noodles and the chicken to individual bowls, pour the hot broth over and garnish with bean sprouts, lime, herbs, green onions, or jalapeño, only if you like a lot of heat.
👍🏼 Helpful Tips
The first time I made this Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup, I loaded up my bowl with sliced jalapeños and could hardly eat the broth! Jalapeño slices look attractive, but they do add a lot of heat when you pour hot broth directly over them. You've been warned.😊
🔁 Possible Variations
Try this recipe with cooked shrimp instead of chicken. Add the cooked shrimp to the bowls when you add the noodles and garnishes.
Vary the toppings according to what you like! I like the crunchy contrast of bean sprouts with rice noodles. A squeeze or two of lime adds interest; green onions have a gentle, mellow flavour. Fresh herbs, like mint, basil or cilantro add lots of flavour and colour, too.
🥶Storage and Reheating Instructions
Store leftover broth separately in a glass jar or container, then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave and pour over shredded chicken and freshly cooked noodles.
The broth for this pho ga freezes beautifully. To use, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then heat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
🍽 Serving suggestions
Add, or offer, toppings to add to your bowl. Try any or all of the following garnish options.
- thinly sliced green onions
- bean sprouts
- fresh mint
- Thai basil
- cilantro
- lime wedges
- jalapeño slices (see note above)
Instant Pot Chicken Pho (Pho Ga)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, halved
- 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger unpeeled and sliced lengthwise
- 1 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
- 4 medium chicken breasts, boneless, skinless or chicken thighs
- 1 3-inch cinnamon stick
- 5 whole cloves
- 3 whole star anise
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 8 cups chicken broth, reduced sodium
- 1 pkg rice noodles
- 2 tbsp brown sugar, or golden Monkfruit sweetener
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp lime juice freshly squeezed
Garnishes
- bean sprouts
- fresh mint, basil or cilantro leaves
- green onions, thinly sliced
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Assemble the ingredients.
- Turn the Instant Pot to the Sauté function. Add oil. When hot, add onion and ginger, cut side down. Cook for 4 minutes, undisturbed, allowing the onions and garlic to char.
- Add the fennel, star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick and coriander and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the chicken breasts, fish sauce, sugar and broth.
- Secure the lid and using the Manual function, set on high pressure for 10 minutes, then allow a natural release for 10 minutes. Release the remaining steam.
- Open the lid, remove the chicken and either shred (with two forks or with an electric mixer) or cut into bite-sized cubes.
- Using a fine sieve, strain the broth into a large bowl. Taste and correct the seasoning.
- Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the package directions.
- Add the noodles and the chicken to individual bowls, pour the hot broth over and garnish with bean sprouts, lime, herbs, green onions or jalapeño if you like a lot of heat.
Nutrition
Marnie says
Absolutely delicious! I left out the jalapeños as you suggested. We loved every last spoonful! Great recipe.
Flavour & Savour says
Happy to hear you liked it, too!
Elise says
Light, and so much flavor in the broth. It was easy to make in my instant pot. I used rotisserie chicken and added it at the end.
Flavour & Savour says
Great idea! Glad that method worked out for you.
Wanda says
Always looking for new recipes to try in our IP! Plus we love noodle soups so definitely saving this recipe!
Flavour & Savour says
Thanks Wanda! It's a keeper!
Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady says
Pho is one of my all time favourite soups. Saving this recipe to try making it at home. Thank you!
Flavour & Savour says
I know you'll love it!
Colleen says
We are huge fans of Pho, and this recipe might be the one that will make me love my instant pot. Time to dust it off and make this delicious recipe!
Flavour & Savour says
I hope you do! It makes it so easy, and so full-flavoured!
Vanessa says
I can't get enough of comforting soups right now and this one totally fits the bill. So flavourful and I love how easy it is to make in the Instant Pot!
Flavour & Savour says
Thanks Vanessa!
Sharon says
The man of the house just remarked that I haven't been using my IP much lately. Your recipe looks like a reason to dust it off! This comforting soup sounds perfect for January.
Flavour & Savour says
Instant Pots make the BEST soup! I find that pressure cooking really concentrates the flavour, which is important in this richly-flavoured pho. Hope you get a chance to make it soon!
Lisa says
Very nice, Elaine! This looks delicious!
AmyG says
This looks amazing. Can't wait to try this on the weekend with my new instant pot!
Flavour & Savour says
Lucky you! You'll love it. Thanks for commenting!
nancy says
love chicken pho. This homemade IP pho is awesome!
Flavour & Savour says
Thanks so much! Glad to hear you liked it. Thanks for the 5 stars, too!
Sabrina says
This is my favourite instant pot recipe so far! So much flavour :-)))
Flavour & Savour says
Thanks so much, Sabrina! So happy to hear you liked it.
Terr says
Pho is my fave soup in the world! I love how quickly it can be made in the instant pot. And I always have chicken these days, but not beef (because of the price!)
Flavour & Savour says
Thanks Terri! Using the Instant Pot really does reduce the time to make this--without sacrificing any flavour!