Instant Pot Pho Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup)
User Reviews
5
177 reviews
Excellent
-
Total Time
1 hr 25 mins
-
Servings
4
-
Calories
556 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Soup
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Cuisine
Asian, Vietnamese
Instant Pot Pho Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup)
Report
Instant Pot Pho Ga is a Vietnamese chicken noodle soup that combines a fragrant homemade broth made by toasting spices and charring onions and ginger, with tender chicken and flat rice noodles. This broth highlights gentle aromatics like coriander seeds, cinnamon, and cloves without overpowering star anise. The soup is garnished with fresh herbs, thin onion slices, and optional quail eggs, offering a delicate balance of warmth and freshness typical of pho.
Description
Instant Pot Pho Ga centers on a richly flavored chicken broth developed by toasting coriander seeds, cinnamon, and cloves, alongside charred onions and ginger to deepen the soup's aroma. The broth is built by pressure cooking a whole chicken or parts in this seasoned liquid, infused with rock sugar, fish sauce, and salt, which provides subtle sweetness and umami. The flat rice noodles are soaked separately before serving to ensure proper texture. This cooking method results in tender chicken and a clear yet fragrant broth, characteristic of Vietnamese pho.
The soup is served assembled with noodles in bowls topped with sliced onions, fresh cilantro, green onions, and a dash of black pepper, with a herb platter allowing individual customization including bean sprouts, lime wedges, Thai basil, and chili peppers. Optional quail eggs add extra richness. Pho Ga offers a harmonic mix of textures—soft noodles, tender chicken, and fresh crisp herbs—with nuanced, clean flavors from the balanced spice mix.
Preparation notes suggest omitting star anise, differentiating this recipe from beef pho versions to preserve a lighter chicken broth. The use of rock sugar adds a mild sweetness that complements the savory elements. The separate soaking of noodles and detailed spice toasting ensure control over flavor clarity and texture in the final dish.
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Ingredients
Broth
- 1 (roughly 3 ~ 4lbs) chicken good quality, whole, free range; or 3.5lbs drumsticks + thighs
- 2 onion peeled and halved, medium; one yellow 241g, one white 249g
- 13 grams ginger , unpeeled & cut into long strips
- 1 (36g) cilantro small bunch; fresh
- 1 garlic crushed, clove
- 15 grams rock sugar or 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, yellow variety
- 4 cloves
- ½ (3g) cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon (5g) coriander seeds
- 8 cups (2L) water cold
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt fine table salt; + more to taste
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil
Noodles:
- banh pho soaked in lightly salted hot water for 18 - 25 minutes (70g - 80g per person, medium; flat rice noodles
Garnishes on Noodles:
- 1/2 onion thinly sliced, small, white
- cilantro leafy part, fresh
- 1 - 2 green onion finely chopped, stalks
- black pepper freshly ground; a touch of
- quail egg hard boiled; optional
Herb Platter on the side:
- bean sprouts 40g per person
- 1 lime , cut into 6 wedges
- Optional:
- mint
- Thai Chili pepper
- Thai basil
- hoisin sauce
- sriracha
Instructions
- Toast Spices: Place 1 tbsp (5g) coriander seeds, half a cinnamon stick, and 4 cloves in the pressure cooker. Heat up your pressure cooker over medium heat (Instant Pot: press Saute button). When you smell the fragrance released from the spices (~2mins), remove and set aside the toasted spices.
- Char Onions and Ginger: Make sure your pot is as hot as it can be over medium heat (Instant Pot: wait until the indicator says HOT). Pour in 2 tbsp (30ml) vegetable oil and ensure to coat the oil over whole bottom of the pot. Carefully place 2 halved medium onions (flat side down) and the ginger pieces in the pressure cooker. Allow the onions and ginger to char without touching them (~5 mins). At the four minutes mark, add in the crushed garlic clove.
- Pressure Cook Chicken Broth: Pour in ½ cup (125ml) cold water and fully deglaze the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add in the toasted spices, 15g yellow rock sugar, 1 (36g) small bunch fresh cilantro, 2 tbsp (30ml) fish sauce, ½ tsp fine table salt. Pour in 3½ cups (875ml) cold water. Carefully add in the whole chicken (or chicken drumsticks + thighs) with a tong. If your chicken comes with neck and feet, add them in as well.Pour in 4 cups (1L) of cold water. Try not to pour the water directly at the chicken as it can splatter chicken’s germs outside of the pressure cooker. Make sure the chicken is at least 90% submerged into the liquid. Close lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes + 20 minutes Natural Release. After 20 minutes, turn the venting knob to venting position to release the remaining pressure. Open the lid carefully.
- Prepare Garnish: While the pressure cooker is pressure cooking, thinly slice ½ small white onion and place the slices in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes to reduce the pungency. Prepare the remaining garnish as described in the ingredients list.
- Prepare Banh Pho: When the pressure cooker starts natural releasing, place dried Banh Pho (70 - 80g per person) in a large mixing bowl. Pour lightly salted boiling water into the mixing bowl until the dried pho is fully submerged. Stir & loosen them up occasionally. Once the Banh Pho are cooked through (for 18 - 25 minutes), drain and run them under cold tap water to stop the cooking process.
- Strain Chicken Broth: Transfer whole chicken to a large mixing bowl filled with cold water. The whole chicken will most likely fall apart. This step firms up the skin and cools the chicken to touch. Strain chicken broth through a fine mesh strainer and remove the fat with a fat separator or skim them off with a ladle.
- Season Chicken Broth: Bring the chicken broth back to a boil over medium heat (Instant Pot: press Saute button). Taste the chicken broth and adjust the seasoning accordingly by adding more salt. It will need quite a bit. Once the chicken is cooled to touch, debone and serve in small pieces or serve in large bone-in pieces.
- Serve: Place cooked Banh Pho and chicken pieces in a large bowl. Garnish with white onion slices, chopped green onions, fresh cilantro (leafy part), hard boiled quail eggs (optional) and some freshly ground black pepper. Pour in boiling chicken broth and serve it piping hot.
- Eat: Sip some of the hot soup first, then try adding the garnish one by one to taste how they change the flavor of the soup. When you add some Thai basil leaves, the soup will have more complexity. When you squeeze in some lime juice, the whole bowl will transform into another flavor profile. We served our Instant Pot Pho Ga with a side plate of Bean Sprouts, Lime Wedges, Thai Basil, Peppermint Leaves, and Thai Chili Pepper.
Equipments used:
Notes
- Omitting star anise keeps the chicken broth clean and prevents overpowering the delicate flavors.
- Soaking the banh pho noodles in lightly salted hot water before serving ensures ideal texture.
- The herb platter with bean sprouts, lime, and fresh herbs is important for authentic pho customization.
- Using rock sugar adds mild sweetness to the broth balancing the savory and aromatic spices.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
556kcal
(28%)
Carbohydrates
19g
(6%)
Protein
39g
(78%)
Fat
36g
(55%)
Saturated Fat
14g
(70%)
Cholesterol
142mg
(47%)
Sodium
1144mg
(48%)
Potassium
737mg
(16%)
Fiber
4g
(16%)
Sugar
8g
(16%)
Vitamin A
875IU
(18%)
Vitamin C
26.2mg
(29%)
Calcium
89mg
(9%)
Iron
2.9mg
(16%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 556 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 556kcal | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 19g | 6% |
| Protein | 39g | 78% |
| Fat | 36g | 55% |
| Saturated Fat | 14g | 70% |
| Cholesterol | 142mg | 47% |
| Sodium | 1144mg | 48% |
| Potassium | 737mg | 16% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
| Vitamin A | 875IU | 18% |
| Vitamin C | 26.2mg | 29% |
| Calcium | 89mg | 9% |
| Iron | 2.9mg | 16% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
177 reviews
Excellent
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