I think it's safe to say that if you live anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere (Southern California excluded) you need a giant bowl of this Loaded Chicken Pho for dinner tonight! It's FREEZING pretty much everywhere and this is the perfect healthy way to warm up!
I say healthy because if you witnessed my game day spread yesterday... you'd get it. There were more chips/salsa/guacamole/cheese/dips in my life that humanly possible. So this week I'm cleaning it up with a really clean and flavorful Loaded Chicken Pho!
If you've never had or heard of Pho before - welcome to the future! Pho is a Vietnamese soup, that is made from beef stock and spices, that get's a pile of noodles and thinly sliced or shredded beef or chicken. You can top it with any assortment of herbs and voila - perfection! I usually make mine with chicken stock if I'm adding chicken, and beef stock if adding beef. Seems like the obvious move, right?
You can make this Loaded Chicken Pho in the Instant Pot, or on the stove top - you're welcome. Either way it's going to be loaded with all the goodies, flavor and you're going to love it. And the toppings!! All those fresh herbs, hits of lime juice, crunchy bean sprouts etc... that really make it shine! So if you can brave the walk from your house to your car, head to the store and whip this up this week. You will NOT be disappointed!
Loaded Chicken Pho
Ingredients
For the Broth:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 3 inch piece of ginger peeled and cut into large pieces
- 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
- 4 cloves of garlic skin removed
- 1 stick lemongrass broken into large pieces (optional)
- 4 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 star anise
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 bone in chicken thighs
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
For the bowls:
- 5 ounces rice noodles
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 4 scallions sliced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves picked off
- 1 jalapeño pepper thinly sliced
- Fresh mint leaves
- Fresh Thai basil leaves
- 2 limes sliced
- Sriracha
Instructions
For the Instant Pot
- Turn your pressure cooker onto sauté and add the oil, onions and ginger. Cook for 4-5 minutes until starting to caramelize. Stir in the broth, soy sauce, lemongrass, star anise, garlic, chicken thighs, cilantro, coriander seeds and peppercorn. Seal and cook on high pressure for 18 minutes. After 18 minutes, do the quick release and remove chicken to a clean surface. Strain the solids from the liquid and put the liquid back into the pressure cooker.
- Turn the pressure cooker to sauté and bring the broth to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until done, about 4 minutes.
- While the noodles are cooking, remove the chicken from the bone and shred. Place equal amounts of the chicken into 4 bowls and top with the noodles and broth. Top with the bean sprouts, scallions, cilantro, sliced jalapeño, mint, basil and lime juice.
For the Stove Top
- Heat a heavy bottom Dutch Oven over medium high heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the onions and ginger and sauté for 4-5 minutes until starting to caramelize. Stir in the broth, soy sauce, lemongrass, star anise, garlic, chicken thighs, cilantro, coriander seeds and peppercorn. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, with the lid on, and cook for about 20 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and strain the solids from the liquid and put the liquid back into the Dutch Oven.
- Turn the heat to medium high and bring the broth to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until done, about 4 minutes.
- While the noodles are cooking, remove the chicken from the bone and shred. Place equal amounts of the chicken into 4 bowls and top with the noodles and broth. Top with the bean sprouts, scallions, cilantro, sliced jalapeño, mint, basil and lime juice.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson // Recipe adapted from Skinny Taste: One & Do30
This phó is not only sooooo simple and easy to make, it is SO DELICIOUS!!!! I’m a big time phó addict and literally had to eat it every day of my pregnancy! When there are leftovers (very rare) I can’t even wait and eat it for breakfast the next day! I add a cinnamon stick and a few more start anise pods to the broth for a little stronger flavor to my taste! Thank you Gabby!! Congrats on your sweet lil baby girl!
This was delicious! I made the stove top version and used 5 cups of broth + water, and felt that I still wanted more broth. There were plenty of spices so next time I'll just add more broth from the beginning to have enough for all the noodles & chicken. Very easy to make and very good. Better than takeout!
I don’t have a pressure cooker. How can this be adjusted to using a regular Dutch oven pot?
This was so easy and delicious. I made it in the Instant Pot for a quick weeknight meal.
Sounds absolutely delicious! But what if one does not like cilantro? What would be the best herb to switch?
basil! or scallions
This is a great recipe but I highly recommend that the rice noodles be cooked separately, drained and rinsed, before putting them into the broth.
I cooked the noodles in the broth and they thickened the broth way too much. Going for round 2 this week to do it this way.
Can’t wait - the flavor was amazing!
Made this two nights ago... it was all going well until I boiled the rice noodles in the broth - not a great idea. I'll make it again and make the noodles separately, rinse and drain, and then put them into the broth.
The flavor was spot on before the noodle debacle!
what kind of noodles did you use? I've never had an issue - LMK and I'll see what I can find out!
I just checked your site recently to see if you had a pho recipe and was bummed when I didn't find one. Excited to try this!
If I wanted to make this w/ beef, do you have any tips on what cut to use?
[apologies if this appears twice! I can't tell if it went through before]
great question!! I'll test it out with beef soon and report back! Don't want to give you the wrong answer
Thank you! Made it last night! My teenage daughter said it was just as good as her favorite place on Sawtelle! I couldn't find star anise at any of my local markets. Used " whole anise" and still very yummy. So easy in the Instantpot too!
Any tips on what cut I should use if I wanted to make this with beef?
great question!! I'll test it out with beef soon and report back! Don't want to give you the wrong answer
Gaby, do you think this could be made vegetarian with veggie stock instead? I never even thought to make my own pho and this recipe looks so manageable. Thanks!
totally
I would love to have this right now!!
Made your loaded nacho potato skins yesterday! Oh yum. Thank you
This is EXACTLY the recipe I needed today, yay, thank you!!