Instant Pot Pho (Beef Pho Recipe)

Name: Instant Pot Pho (Beef Pho)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 4 pounds beef bones (rinsed); 1-2 star anise; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 1/2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds; 6 whole cloves; 1 tablespoon salt; 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns; 1 small onion (sliced in chunks); 1 tablespoon cooking oil; 4 " slice ginger (cut in pieces); 1 tablespoon coconut sugar; 4 tablespoons soy sauce; 5 tablespoons fish sauce; 1/2 pound beef tenderloin (filet mignon); 12 ounces rice noodles; 4 sliced jalapenos; 2 cups bean sprouts; 1 cup fresh mint leaves; 1 cup fresh Thai basil ((substitute regular basil)); hoisin sauce ((as needed for flavor)); sriracha ((as needed for flavor))

By Danielle on April 3, 2020, Updated October 16, 2022 128 Comments

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Learn how to make this delicious and easy Instant Pot Pho with an incredibly rich and delicious homemade broth that tastes like it's been cooking for days!

bowl of soup with beef and herbs with chopsticks

This recipe was originally published in March 2018. It has been updated for content and photos.

This Instant Pot Pho recipe is incredibly easy to make, only requiring a few minutes of hands-on cooking time to get an intensely rich, flavorful broth!

Years ago a friend introduced me to this magical soup called pho. I had never had such a thing before, and was in love at first taste.

With it's deliciously light but beefy broth, slurpable noodles, fresh herbs and tender slices of beef, it's just so DAMN GOOD. I like it almost as much as I like this Instant Pot Ramen or Bun Bo Hue.

Using the Instant Pot to pressure cook beef bones with spices and seasonings results in a deep, flavorful broth, much like you find in Vietnamese restaurants. Right in your own home.

You may also want to try this Instant Pot Chicken Pho (Pho Ga) or Banh Canh. And check out the Instant Pot Pho story!

The Ingredients

Beef bones are a must for this recipe. I sometimes have difficulty finding them at my local grocery store (it's hit and miss), but I am always able to find them at the Asian grocery. Also, if you have a local butcher he/she should have some if you ask. Buy beef bones online.

Fresh whole cloves, star anise, cinnamon sticks, coriander, peppercorns and ginger are also needed for this recipe.

For the slices of beef in the soup, I use tenderloin as it is the most tender, like I do in this Bo Luc Lac, this Beef Stroganoff or this Thai Beef Salad. You can use whatever cut you'd like, as long as it's sliced thin. Buy tenderloin online.

The remaining ingredients are included in the recipe card if you scroll to the bottom of the post.

Step By Step Instructions

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the cloves, cinnamon, coriander, peppercorns and star anise until they become fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place the beef bones in a strainer and rinse them well under warm water. It may help to lightly scrub them to get them as clean as possible. This helps the clarity of our broth.

Heat oven to 450F degrees and roast the beef bones on a baking sheet for 20 minutes. Remove and set aside.

If you're looking to reduce the fattiness of the broth, I suggest refrigerating your broth overnight and scraping the solidified fat off the top the next day. This is what I do when I make it now.

Heat the cooking oil in the Instant Pot (I use a 6 quart version) on the "saute - more" setting and add the ginger and onion. Cook until charred on all sides, about 10 minutes. The charred onion and ginger give more depth to the flavor of the broth.

Add the toasted spices, soy sauce, fish sauce, coconut sugar and roasted beef bones to the Instant Pot. Add water up to the max fill line and turn the Instant Pot to pressure cook. Cover and cook on high for 120 minutes.

While the broth is cooking, soak the rice noodles in warm water for about 45 minutes. In a large saucepan, heat water to boiling and cook noodles for 1-2 minutes. **If your package has instructions, follow those instructions.

You can also take this time to slice the beef into thin slices (as thin as you can get it). I recommend placing it in the freeze for about 30 minutes before slicing it. This makes it MUCH easier to slice in thin pieces.

When the broth is done cooking, use the quick release to release the pressure and strain thoroughly.

Place noodles in bowls and add the sliced beef. Ladle the broth into bowls over the noodles and beef. The hot broth will cook the thin slices of beef.

Garnish with mint leaves, Thai basil, and sliced jalapenos. Add hoisin sauce and sriracha to taste.

bowl of soup with noodles, beef and vegetables, with sauces and vegetables on the side

Expert Tips

Place the beef in the freezer for about 30 minutes to make it easier to slice into thin pieces.
If you're looking to reduce the fattiness of the broth, I suggest refrigerating your broth overnight and scraping the solidified fat off the top the next day.
You can skip roasting the beef bones, but you won't get quite the same deep roasted flavor.
If you can't get Thai basil, substitute regular basil.

Make it a Meal

Start with these Vietnamese Egg Rolls or these Chicken Summer Rolls;
Try this Lotus Stem Salad;
If you have a big appetite, this Pork Banh Mi is INCREDIBLE;
Feed your sweet tooth with these Banh Bong Lan (Vietnamese Sponge Cakes).

chopsticks in a bowl of vietnamese beef soup

Slow Cooker Instructions

If you haven't made the plunge to buy an Instant Pot yet, you can also make this using the slow cooker.

Toast the spices and roast the beef bones just as you would in the pressure cooker recipe.
Char the onions and ginger in a cast iron skillet and transfer them to the slow cooker.
Add the toasted spices, roasted beef bones, coconut sugar, soy sauce, and fish sauce to the slow cooker.
Cover the bones with water (water should be 2-4" below the top of the slow cooker).
Cook on low heat for 16-18 hours for the best flavor.
Strain and follow the rest of the recipe instructions.

bowl of noodles soup with rare beef and herbs

More Instant Pot Favorites

Chicken Paprika;
Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs;
Instant Pot Oxtail;
Instant Pot Turkey Chili;
Browse ALL the Instant Pot Recipes!!

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