Vietnamese Pho

published December 30, 2024

5 from 1 vote

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Make a comforting, authentic Vietnamese pho at home with rich, clear broth, tender beef, and aromatic toppings. All you need is a big pot!

A generous serving of beef pho soup topeed with herbs.

Vietnamese Pho is one of the best noodle beef soups, beloved by many around the world. I love to make it from scratch for that full-flavored broth infused with toasted spices and tender beef—the kitchen smells divine, and my belly is happy with this homemade goodness. While it might sound like a complicated recipe, rest assured—it requires only patience and a big pot (like a canning pot). Then, it’s all about simmering the broth to perfection.

It’s fantastic any time of the year, but I particularly enjoy it in the winter—the beef pho broth is so cozy, warming, and nutritious. Plus, it’s a great way to impress your guests with a traditional Vietnamese dish. I love serving it alongside my homemade rice paper rolls.

Watch how to make it

What is Pho?

Pho soup is a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup made with rich, clear broth, tender beef, and fresh herbs. The broth becomes aromatic from simmering whole toasted spices like cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, cloves, and coriander seeds, along with beef bone, brisket, and aromatic root vegetables.

Slowly simmering the broth allows it to develop its distinct flavors. Then, serving the soup with fresh herbs and rice noodles balances the richness of the broth—it’s a complete meal in a bowl!

Pho broth being poured over a bowl to assemble pho soup.

Ingredients

The ingredients you will need for this recipe are separated into two groups. There are the pho broth essentials to make the most delicious and flavorful broth. From that, you will also have some cooked beef. The second group is the toppings for serving—you can choose your favorite, but I’ve added my top suggestions below.

For the pho broth:

Beef bones: You will need beef ribs (or other beef bones) and marrow bones to infuse the broth with flavor. It’s best if the bones have a good amount of meat on them. For the marrow bones, you can use the knuckle, leg, or shin bones—they should be cut so that the marrow is visible.
Beef Brisket: This adds flavor to the broth and is also used as a topping. Brisket is my top choice for its flavor and ability to hold up during cooking. Alternatively, you can use beef chuck or gravy beef.
Root Vegetables: You need ginger, onions, carrots, and celery.
Spices: For the distinct aromatic flavor of pho, I use a combination of star anise, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, cloves, and coriander seeds.
Fish sauce: To add depth and a savory flavor. Alternatively, you can use light soy sauce.
Salt and sugar.
Water.

A photo of the ingredients for making Vietnamese pho.

For serving:

Rice noodles. I recommend medium-sized flat rice noodles, but you can use your favorite. They can be fresh or dried.
Cooked Brisket: This is served as a topping alongside the broth.
Beef tenderloin: This is the best cut, and you don’t need a lot (use about 1 oz per serving, thinly sliced), but you can also use ribeye or sirloin.
Herbs and aromatics: You will need bean sprouts, Thai basil leaves, cilantro, mint leaves, lime, and red chilies.

See the printable recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to make Beef Pho

Make beef pho broth: First, prepare the different elements that go into the broth.

Start by halving the onions and charring them for extra flavor. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Then, place the onion halves on the pan and cook them for a few minutes, turning occasionally until charred on all sides.

Next, toast the spices on a dry skillet for a few minutes until fragrant. Make sure to stir constantly and move them around so they don’t burn on one side.

You are now ready to start cooking the broth. Place the bones and brisket in a large pot and cover them with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes—this will remove impurities. Skim off any scum that comes to the surface.

Then, discard the first boil and rinse the meat under running water. Clean the pot thoroughly with hot, soapy water.

A collage of photos showing how to prepare the ingredients to make beef broth.

Place the pre-cooked bones and brisket back in the pot and add the root vegetables, toasted spices, sugar, and salt. Measure and add the necessary amount of water and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 3 hours. Skim the scum occasionally. At the 1.5-hour mark, remove the beef brisket from the pot and set it aside to cool, then refrigerate. Continue simmering the broth, covered.

Once the beef broth has simmered for 3 hours, remove from the heat and add the fish sauce. Taste and adjust any of the seasonings if wanted.

A collage of photos showing how to simmer beef broth and remove the brisket.

Place the beef tenderloin in the freezer for about 30 minutes before you cut it. This will make it much easier to cut into very thin slices. When it’s cut thinly, the hot broth will quickly cook it to medium rare (pink).

Alternatively, you can ask the butcher to slice it upon purchase.

Toward the end of cooking, you can prepare the serving elements. Cut the beef thinly, cook the noodles according to their package instructions, slice the chili, and prepare the herbs and sprouts. Also, cut the limes into wedges.

Strain the broth. If wanted, remove the top layer of fat. At this time, you can also remove any meat from the bones.

A collage of photos showing meat removed from bones and removing a layer of fat from broth.

Assemble and serve pho: To assemble your beef pho soup, place noodles, sliced raw tenderloin, and cooked beef chunks into serving bowls. Then, ladle some broth into each bowl (up to 2 cups per person). It will cook the raw beef to medium rare. Finally, top the soup as you want with herbs, bean sprouts, and chili.

If you don’t enjoy medium-rare beef, you can dip the raw slices in the pot with the hot broth for 10-15 seconds, and they will be thoroughly cooked. Alternatively, sear them quickly in a pan with a bit of oil.

Once you’ve poured the broth over the meat and noodles, you can let your family and guests customize their bowls. Set up a platter with fresh herbs (Thai basil, mint, cilantro, bean sprouts), sliced red chili, and lime wedges so anyone can add what they wish. You can also add sauces like hoisin sauce, sriracha, or chili sauce for an extra spicy kick.

A collage of photos showing how to assemble pho soup at home.

Make-ahead & freezing tips

It’s best to enjoy the assembled beef pho soup right away. If you have any leftovers, store them in the fridge for a couple of days.

Make ahead: Prepare only the broth. Once done cooking and sieved, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can reheat it on the stovetop when you are ready to serve the soup. The cooked beef (meat removed from the bones) can also be stored in the fridge in a separate airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Freeze: You can freeze the broth for up to 3-4 months. Transfer the broth to freezer-safe containers or ziplock bags with space for expansion and label them. Thaw and reheat as needed. You can freeze the cooked beef separately for 3-4 months as well.

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If you try this homemade pho recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!