Looking for an easy Pressure Cooker Pho Recipe?
This Instant Pot Beef Pho recipe is a definite crowd pleaser. The fragrant broth will really make your taste buds sing and get the family running to the dinner table. Instead of spending all day in the kitchen created this delicious Vietnamese noodle soup, you can go out and have a little family adventure. Meanwhile your Instant Pot does almost ALL the work to create a fragrant pressure cooker pho broth!
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Traditional Beef Pho
A traditional bowl of Vietnamese Pho is a bowl of rice noodles served in a fragrant, full bodied broth. The secret to a great bowl of pho is the broth. Traditionally, it’s slow simmered for hours and hours. In some places, the broth is even cooked overnight. Spices like clove, star anise, and cinnamon give the broth a rich flavor that is nothing short of love in a bowl.
Homemade Broth is Best…but
The pressure cooker pho recipe I use and will share in a minute uses 6 cups of beef broth. You can use homemade beef bone broth or a store bought version. Both will work in this recipe. If you opt for store bought broth, look for a version with lower sodium and no MSG. I like and use this broth because of the simple ingredients.
Create a Custom Pho Bowl with Garnishes
What sets your bowl of pho apart from anyone else is how you garnish it. Pho is traditionally served with bean sprouts, fresh cilantro, fresh Thai basil, lime wedges, jalapeños, chile sauce, Hoisin, and green onions. There is no right or wrong combination for your bowl. I think it with everything, but the kids like their bowls with cilantro and lime only. Find your favorite flavor combination and enjoy!
Cooking Pho in an Instant Pot
I am now an Instant Pot Convert! For months, friends have mentioned how much they LOVE cooking in their Instant Pot. I didn’t quite believe that it was THAT good until I got my own. What sold me was that you could steam/hard boil farm fresh eggs and have the shell peel off easily. OMG!! It works beautifully! If you have egg laying chickens, you’ll know how impossible that is. But I’ll save that story for another day.
Fast forward a few weeks and I’m cooking this Pressure Cooker Pho. It’s really easy to cook in an Instant Pot. I’ve made everything oatmeal to this recipe. In just 1 hour, you get a beef pho broth that rivals anything you can get at a noodle house or pho shop. If you have been on the fence about getting an electric pressure cooker or have one and need ideas on how to use it, print this recipe and cook up this recipe. You’ll love it just as much as we do.
Homemade Beef Pho – Delicious Instant Pot Meal
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, halved and sliced into 1” slices
- 4” piece of fresh ginger, sliced in half lengthwise
- 8 whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 pounds beef roast cut into 2” cubes or short ribs
- 6 cups beef broth
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 whole star anise
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 Tablespoon fish sauce, more if desired
- 12 ounces Bahn Pho (flat rice) noodles
- 1/2 pound thinly sliced beef sirloin steak
Garnishes
- Bean sprouts
- Fresh Thai basil leaves
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Jalapeno, sliced
- Lime wedge
- Sriracha, Hoisin sauce, or Sambal (Chile paste)
Instructions
Making the Pho Broth
- With the cooker’s lid off, turn your Insta Pot to Saute/High and add avocado oil.
- While oil is heating up, instead cloves into onion slices so they will be easier to remove later.
- Add onion and ginger root to the oil and saute until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir often.
- Season cubed beef roast or short ribs with salt and pepper.
- Add seasoned beef to the pot and brown the meat on all sides.
- Add beef broth to deglaze the pot.
- Stir in water, cinnamon sticks, and whole star anise to the pot.
- Put the lid onto your Insta Pot and lock in place.
- Select the Meat/Stew button on the Insta Pot and set timer for 40 minutes.
- Allow the cooker to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes before doing a quick release.
- Remove cooker’s lid and stir in fish sauce.
- Remove spices, onion slices, and bones (if any). Strain broth through cheesecloth or fine strainer.
- If there is excess fat/oil, you can skim it off now.
Assembling Your Pho Bowl
- Cook your rice noodles to package directions and drain. Set aside.
- Divide noodles amount 4-6 serving bowls.
- Top with sirloin steak, cilantro, and basil.
- Ladle hot broth over the noodles.
- Allow to sit for 1-2 minutes, until the beef is partially cooked and no longer pink.
- Serve with bean sprouts, additional Thai basil, cilantro, lime wedges, sliced jalapeños, Hoisin, and/or Chile sauce on the side.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 2927 Total Fat: 5g Saturated Fat: 1g Sodium: 3757mg Carbohydrates: 644g Sugar: 1g Protein: 54g
Favorite Things Shown in this post : (No one paid us to write this. I just love this stuff)
- I have the Instant Pot 6 in 1 programmable 6 quart, electric pressure cooker. This is the one without the yogurt maker. We love our Stonyfield yogurt, so I saved a little money not getting that feature.
- Textured Ramen Chopsticks – When you eat noodles, they are a god-send. The ribbed tips on these chopsticks make eating noodles SOOOO much easier.
To complete your meal, make these Vietnamese Spring Rolls with many of the same ingredients as the soup.
If you like curry dishes like this, you may also like these:
Are you an Instant Pot lover yet? If you are, what are some of your favorite things to cook in it? Share with me in the comments below. Since I’m still new to mine, I’d love to hear what you do.
Kim says
September 9, 2016 at 1:58 pmMy old boss used to eat Pho every day for lunch. I’ll never forget that aroma! On a separate note,
I think I need one of those instant pots. ?
Nicky says
September 10, 2016 at 9:06 pmI love my Instant Pot. I can’t imagine dinner without one now. Tonight I made pork and farro stew with root veggies in 30 minutes. My house smells amazing.
Helene Cohen Bludman says
September 9, 2016 at 4:38 pmNow that fall is nearly here, I will be getting back into my weekly soup routine and this recipe is going in my files for sure.
Nicky says
September 10, 2016 at 9:03 pmSoup is a staple here too. Let me know how you like it. You can also tag us on Instagram or Twitter at @lilfamadventure
kallee says
September 9, 2016 at 4:51 pmI haven’t heard of this before, but it looks like it is delicious. A perfect recipe for fall soup weather.
Nicky says
September 10, 2016 at 9:03 pmPho is slowly gaining popularity. I know we have several noodle houses in town now, each with their own unique version. In our house, this is our version of chicken noodle soup.
Cristine says
September 9, 2016 at 7:14 pmPho is one of my favorites. Plus I can customize it for each kid. A little spicy or a little less. Great meal
Nicky says
September 10, 2016 at 9:01 pmThat is the beauty of it.
kelly says
September 9, 2016 at 7:28 pmA fabulous combination of flavors!! Can’t wait to try it.
Nicky says
September 10, 2016 at 9:01 pmIt’s simple, but so full of flavor. I’d love to hear how you like it.
Corinne says
September 10, 2016 at 7:11 amI haven’t used an Instant Pot, but now I’m intrigued! This recipe looks amazing. I bet my college aged son would love this too.
Nicky says
September 10, 2016 at 9:01 pmIt’s super easy. Anything you can make in a slow cooker can be made is a fraction of the time with an Instant Pot. Pho is great anytime.
Katerina says
September 11, 2016 at 1:16 pmPerfect family meal especially now that nights have become somewhat chill!
Nicky says
September 11, 2016 at 3:55 pmI agree that soups and stews are perfect for this kind of weather.
Betsy @ Desserts Required says
September 11, 2016 at 1:50 pmI have never made pho but baby boy loves it. Thanks for all the great tips!
Nicky says
September 11, 2016 at 3:55 pmIt’s a delicious rice noodle soup in a beef broth.
Crystal says
September 11, 2016 at 4:24 pmI had never heard of an instant pot- and today I’ve come across twice! Perhaps it just hasn’t become popular here in the UK yet.
I have a friend who loved Pho back home, but I’ve never tried it myself. This looks like something the family would enjoy, I’ll have to try it out!
Nicky says
September 12, 2016 at 7:48 amAn Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker. My recipe is modified from a crock pot version I had. To make it in a slow cooker, roast the onions and garlic under the broiler until browned a little and then put everything in the slow cooker. Cook until the meat is tender and assemble your bowls. Your family will love it. You can also incorporate a study on Vietnam where this dish originated.
Rebecca Bryant says
September 11, 2016 at 8:41 pmThis looks delcious. My son would love to make this for lunch.
Nicky says
September 12, 2016 at 7:46 amThe recipe is super simple Rebecca. He’ll love it. You can also freeze smaller portion of the broth and enjoy it anytime.
Sandra says
September 11, 2016 at 8:44 pmI love Pho and now I’m inspired to try this at home. First I need to get an Instant Pot!
Nicky says
September 12, 2016 at 7:45 amBest purchase for the kitchen I made this year. If you get an IP, you’ll love it. Pho in an hour that is better than the local noodle house is a pretty good reason. Don’t you think? 😉
katrina gehman says
September 11, 2016 at 11:00 pmomg that looks so good. i need to make this soon, like this week.
Nicky says
September 12, 2016 at 7:44 amIt was tooooo good not to share Katrina. 🙂 You’ll have to make it and tell me how you like it. If you share a picture on Twitter or Instagram, tag me at @lilfamadventure please
Angela @marathonsandmotivation.com says
September 12, 2016 at 5:57 amI just got an InstaPot! So glad I found this recipe 🙂
Nicky says
September 12, 2016 at 7:43 amYou are going to LOVE your IP. This recipe is super simple and the broth only gets better over time. You’ll have to let me know how you like your IP.
Ashley Mullins says
September 12, 2016 at 7:52 amThis sounds delicious! Thanks for the recipe, I bet my husband would love this
Nicky says
September 13, 2016 at 1:21 pmIt’s a delicious recipe Ashley. He’ll really enjoy it
Valerie says
September 12, 2016 at 9:15 pmI love Pho food and so need an Insta Pot
Nicky says
September 15, 2016 at 7:48 amMy IP is the best kitchen purchase I made this year. If you get one, you’ll love it. It will replace your slow cooker.
Kent says
September 14, 2016 at 7:24 amAfter straining you discard the 2 lbs of beef?
Nicky says
September 14, 2016 at 1:43 pmAfter straining, you can separate the beef from the bones and add to each bowl or you can save and use in a different recipes. In a traditional pho, the beef isn’t added back into the pho.
Lovefam6 says
October 10, 2016 at 2:57 pmI don’t understand how I’m cooking the 1/2 lb of thinly sliced sirloin that I add to the soup after removing the 2 lbs of cubed beef.
Nicky says
October 10, 2016 at 10:02 pmOnce the stock is done, you will remove the cubed beef from the stock and reserve it for another use. You will be cooking the thinly sliced sirloin in the serving bowl with your noodles and broth. The heat from the broth will cook the sirloin within 1-2 minutes. For it to cook like this, the sirloin is cut extremely thin. So assemble your serving bowls with noodles, sprouts condiments, etc. Add the sliced beef and then ladle your broth over the top. Wait a few minutes, until the sirloin is no longer pink and you are ready to eat.
MaryL says
October 15, 2016 at 8:34 pmI had all the ingredients together and ready to make this and then the weekend got busy. We had the little grandkids and husband watching football, but I was determined to make this.
WOW, great tasting pho! I was too busy to round up garnishes so I just had sirloin strips and some noodles. And it was wonderful. Best part is I have lots of leftovers as everyone here else ate pizza. I just love having great dishes to fix in the Instant Pot.
Thank you for a well thought out recipe. It will be added to my list of favorite soups. Now I don’t have to be sad that we don’t have a Vietnamese restaurant within 50 miles!
Nicky says
October 21, 2016 at 9:34 amI am so happy you loved this recipe too! I’m sure you’ll convert the rest of the family soon. 🙂 50 miles? Now you can make better pho at home. I have a Vietnamese Spring Roll recipe on the site too that goes great with pho.
May Bingham says
December 31, 2017 at 11:51 pmI do not have an IP, but do have two pressure cookers that I use frequently.
About the Pho… I had a pork pho just last week for the first time.
I loved it… we also had spring rools with the mist delicious dipping sauce.
I want more Vietnamese recipes …
Do I just look online? Kindly advise and thanks.
Debbie says
January 13, 2018 at 7:04 amI do love a good pho!