This quick chicken pho is delicious and so easy to prepare
Almost everyone know beef pho but this chicken pho is equally as delicious and a lot less fuss to make.
You can literally make it in just over an hour. I think you’re going to love this traditional Vietnamese chicken pho recipe and hope you give it a try soon.
So much easier to make than beef pho! Try this authentic chicken pho soon.
About pho…
Pho is eaten all over Vietnam and it isn’t just something that’s enjoyed from time to time. My wife and I recently traveled around Vietnam for a month and we must have eaten pho everyday.
There are pho stalls everywhere. People enjoy a good pho for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is no wrong time for a beef or chicken pho.
The thing is, we never tired of it. I really thought we would but no. It’s that good.
Beef Pho vs Chicken Pho
I have a beef pho recipe on the site which I love. The problem with beef pho is that it takes a lot of time to make.
You have to boil the beef marrow bones first and then clean them before starting to actually cook. The bones and beef are then simmered for about four hours until the stock tastes incredible.
With chicken pho you don’t have to do all that work. You cook it like any chicken stock. Just simmer that chicken for about an hour and you’re off.
Make this chicken pho even better…
Although you can get away with just simmering the chicken for an hour, I usually remove the chicken, cut up the meat and then throw the bones back in for another hour.
This makes an even tastier chicken pho: one much more like what you get a chicken pho stalls and restaurants in Vietnam.
Step by step photos…
Roast the ginger and onions in a pan or better… over a live fire for a delicious smoky flavour.
Roast the spices until warm to the touch and fragrant. This is optional. you could just throw them in the stock.
Place a how chicken in a pot and cover liberally with water. Bring to a simmer.
As it begins to simmer, fat and foam will rise to the top. Skim this off for a purer stock.
Add the spices, onions and ginger to the stock along with a handful of fresh herbs.
After and hour, remove the chicken from the stock. You don’t want to overcook it.
Chop the chicken all up and set aside for serving.
This next step is optional…
I like to add the chicken bones back to the stock for extra flavour. You can continue simmering for another hour or two.
I have even left mine simmering for 8 hours and it was so rich and good.
Season the stock with the fish sauce and perhaps a bit of salt.
To finish, add cooked rice noodles to the bowl and cover with chicken, veggies and stock. A good hot sauce and/or Chinese chilli garlic paste is also good on it.
If you like this recipe, you might like to try some of these Vietnamese favourites too!
Shaking Beef
Vietnamese Rotisserie Chicken
Vietnamese Tofu with Pork Stuffing
Beef Congee
Vietnamese Grilled Scallops
Cha Ca – Fried fish with Dill
Bo Kho – Spicy beef soup
Vietnamese Chicken Wings
Bun Cha – Grilled Pork Patties in Sauce
Beef Pho
Duck Pho
Pork on Lemongrass Skewers
Ban Xeo – Crispy Vietnamese Pancakes
Chicken Pho
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil
- 2 yellow onions, quartered
- 150g (5 oz.) ginger
- 15 star anise
- 5 cardamom pods, seeds only
- 5 cloves
- 4 x 5cm (2 inch) cinnamon sticks ( two long ones)
- 1 generous tbsp palm sugar, more or less to taste
- 70ml (1/4 cup) fish sauce
- TO SERVE
- Sliced chicken
- 200g dried rice pho noodles
- Generous portions of Thai sweet basil, coriander (cilantro), bean sprouts, green and red chillies, cut into rings and lime wedges.
- Sriracha sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Roast the spices over a medium high heat for about a minute or until warm to the touch and fragrant but not yet smoking. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add a little oil to a frying pan so that it just covers the pan with a film of oil. Wipe any excess away. Add the onions and ginger and roast until black marks appear. Turn to get an even char. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Place the chicken in a large pot and cover generously with water. Bring to a simmer and skim off any fat and foam that rises to the top. This will make a clearer stock.
- Once you have removed all the foam, lower the temperature so that it just simmers. You don't want to simmer too rapidly or it will make the stock cloudy.
- After an hour, remove the chicken from the stock. This is important as you don't want to overcook it. Cut the chicken into small pieces and set aside to top the pho.
- If you like, return the chicken bones to the stock and simmer for another hour or longer. This is optional but worth doing.
- Just before serving, cover the dried rice noodles with boiling water and allow to sit for 10 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
- To finish, strain the stock and add fish sauce and perhaps salt if needed to taste. Place the cooked noodles in bowls and top with chicken, veggies, herbs and hot sauce and/or Chinese chilli garlic paste.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 233Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 683mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 3gSugar: 8gProtein: 14g