Instant Pot Vietnamese Beef Pho Noodle Soup Recipe
A rich and aromatic Instant Pot Vietnamese Beef Pho Noodle Soup featuring slow-cooked beef marrow bones and traditional spices, served with tender beef slices, meatballs, fresh herbs, and classic pho accompaniments. This comforting noodle soup brings authentic flavors to your table with a fraction of the usual cooking time.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients
Broth Ingredients
- 5–7 lb beef marrow bones or a mix of marrow bones, oxtails, and beef neck bones
- 1 onion
- 2 inch knob ginger
- 12 cups water
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1 inch cube yellow rock sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 10 cardamom pods
- 2 black cardamom pods
- 10 star anise
- 5 cloves
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
Soup and Toppings
- Vietnamese rice noodles
- Beef meatballs
- Beef eye round, thinly sliced
- Cilantro, chopped
- Thai basil leaves
- Scallions, thinly sliced
- Onions, thinly sliced
- Limes, cut into wedges
- Bean sprouts
- Red chilies, sliced
- Hoisin sauce
- Sriracha sauce
Instructions
- Roast the Bones: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the beef marrow bones or mixed bones on a baking sheet and roast them for 30 minutes to develop deep flavor and richness.
- Char Onion and Ginger: Using a skillet over medium heat or directly over an open flame, char the whole onion and ginger until nicely blackened. This adds smoky depth to the broth.
- Toast Spices: Add cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, star anise, cloves, coriander seeds, and black peppercorns to a dry skillet on medium-low heat. Toast for about 3 minutes, shaking or stirring frequently to prevent burning, until fragrant.
- Pressure Cook the Broth: Transfer the roasted bones, charred onion and ginger, toasted spices, water, fish sauce, rock sugar, and salt into the Instant Pot. Seal and set to cook on high pressure for 2 hours, or use the Broth setting if available.
- Release Pressure: Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release the pressure fully, or release naturally for 30 minutes then carefully vent manually to release remaining steam.
- Strain and Skim Broth: Remove beef bones, ginger, and onion from the pot. Strain the broth into a large pitcher or bowl. Let it settle for 15 minutes, then skim off the fat from the surface. Alternatively, cool completely and refrigerate to solidify and remove the fat layer.
- Prepare Noodles and Meats: Cook the Vietnamese rice noodles according to package instructions. In a separate pot, bring some of the strained broth to a boil with beef meatballs and salt to taste.
- Assemble the Pho: Place cooked noodles and thinly sliced raw beef eye round in serving bowls. Slowly ladle the hot broth and meatballs over to cook the thin beef slices.
- Add Toppings and Serve: Garnish with cilantro, Thai basil, scallions, thinly sliced onions, bean sprouts, red chilies, lime wedges, hoisin sauce, and sriracha as desired. Enjoy your authentic Vietnamese pho!
Notes
- Charring the onion and ginger adds a smoky depth that is essential for authentic pho broth.
- Natural pressure release helps keep the broth clear and rich.
- Rock sugar adds a subtle sweetness that balances the savory flavors.
- You can adjust spiciness and toppings to taste.
- Skimming or refrigerating the broth to remove fat results in a cleaner, more delicate soup.
- Use thinly sliced beef and pour hot broth over it to cook just before serving for optimal tenderness.
