An Even Simpler Instant Pot Beef Pho Recipe with Store-Bought Soup Base
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Craving a hot bowl of Vietnamese beef noodle soup but intimidated by the long traditional cooking process?
This Instant Pot pho bo recipe is for you.
(And if not, check below for the many more different pho recipes that might suit your needs.)
I love finding new ways to make Vietnamese beef pho noodle soup quicker and easier.
On days when I don't want to dine out or spend hours in front of a hot stove, this recipe fits the bill.
Why You Will Love this Recipe
It's tasty. It’s probably the quickest way to enjoy authentic Vietnamese beef noodle soup at home. This recipe replicates restaurant pho so well that it makes me wonder why I would do it any other way.
Perfect for beginners, those short on time and the lazies. This method delivers all the rich flavors and soul-soothing warmth of classic pho in a fraction of the time with the help of an 8-quart Instant Pot Pressure Cooker.
What is Phở?
Pho, pronounced “fuh“ in the tone of a question, is a widely popular Vietnamese beef noodle soup.
A bowl of beef pho consists of flat rice noodles in a flavorful and aromatic beef broth, topped with fresh green onions and other garnishes.
In Vietnam, pho is a popular breakfast option but it can be eaten any time of day.
Different parts of Vietnam offer different styles of pho. Northern regions offer a more savory broth with fewer toppings whereas Southern regions offer a sweeter broth, with a variety of herbs, vegetables, and meats.
The two most popular types of pho noodle soups are chicken pho and beef pho.
What You Will Need
To make this super easy beef pho recipe, gather the following:
Meaty Beef Bones: I'm using beef chuck short ribs from Costco, which come in large slabs. Bring them home and cut between the bones to separate the ribs. Not only do they form the base of the beef broth, but they also serve as the meaty topping.
Onion and Ginger: I’m using a whole large yellow onion and 3-inch piece of fresh ginger.
Quoc Viet Beef Pho Soup Base: This soup base eliminates the need for individual seasonings and spices. It's a blend of mainly dried beef stock, salt, sugar, and fish sauce powder, all conveniently mixed together into a paste.
The container also comes with two spice bags. The spice bag, resembling a tea bag, contains ground pho spices: star anise, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, coriander, and fennel—a blend that gives pho's distinctive aroma.
Quoc Viet Beef Pho Soup Base: All your seasonings and spices in one place
Flat Rice Noodles: These are the traditional noodles used in pho. They are primarily made from rice flour and water. You can find these in the refrigerator section of many Asian/Vietnamese grocery stores.
If you don’t have an Asian grocery store for the fresh noodles, my favorite dried alternative is Three Ladies rice noodles.
The fresh rice noodles I’m using that’s widely available in my area. They are available in the refrigerated aisle.
Green onions, limes and ground black pepper (optional): Added at the end for freshness, aroma, and a pop of color.
Pressure Cooker: I’m using an 8-quart Instant Pot pressure cooker. The exact version I’m using for this recipe is an 8-quart Instant Pot Duo Crisp, which also functions as an air fryer. But you don’t need this exact one. Any 8-quart pressure cooker will do. The setting instructions may vary slightly.
How to Make It
Step 1: Prep
Peel the outer layer of the onion and leave whole. Slice the unpeeled ginger into thick coins and lightly smash each coin to release its aroma. Trim away any large fat from the beef ribs.
Beef chuck short ribs, yellow onion and ginger
Step 2: Pressure Cook
In an 8-quart pressure cooker, combine the beef short ribs, onion, and ginger. Divide the pho soup base paste into thirds and add one-third along with one of its spice bags to the pressure cooker. Add water to the max fill line, then pressure cook on high for one hour.
Step 3: Cook the Noodles
In the meantime, cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling water following the package instructions, or cook one serving at a time for best results.
Step 4: Quick Release
Once pressure cooking is done, do a quick release. Remove and discard the spice bag, onion, and ginger. Skim off the excess fat on the top. Taste test and add more pho soup base paste, if needed. You can keep the beef ribs in the broth. Alternatively, remove beef ribs from the broth, pull out the bones, slice the meat thin, and set aside.
Step 5: Assembly
In a bowl, add cooked noodles and ladle in hot broth and top with beef ribs/meat. Garnish the bowl with green onions, a sprinkle of ground black pepper and a squeeze of lime. For extra flavor, serve with hoisin and sriracha chili sauce.
Other Phở Recipes You Might Enjoy
Traditional Southern-style Beef Noodle Soup (Phở Bò)
45-Minutes Instant Pot Beef Pho
Quick Stove-Top Beef Pho (small portions)
Traditional Northern-style Beef Noodle Soup with Garlic (Phở Tái Lăn)
Traditional Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup (Phở Gà)
30-Minutes Instant Pot Chicken Pho
Even Simpler Instant Pot Beef Pho with Store-Bought Soup Base
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prep: Peel the outer layer of the onion and leave whole. Slice the unpeeled ginger into thick coins and lightly smash each coin to release its aroma. Trim away any excess fat from the beef ribs.
- Pressure Cook: In an 8-quart pressure cooker, combine the beef short ribs, onion, and ginger. Divide the pho paste into thirds and add one-third along with one of its spice bags to the pressure cooker. Add water to the max fill line, then pressure cook on high for one hour.
- Cook the Noodles: In the meantime, cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling water following the package instructions, or cook one serving at a time for best results.
- Quick Release: Once pressure cooking is done, do a quick release. Remove and discard the spice bag, onion, and ginger. Skim off the excess fat on the top. Taste test and add more pho soup base paste, if needed. You can keep the beef ribs in the broth or remove the bones from the ribs and slice thin.
- Assembly: In a bowl, add cooked noodles and ladle in hot broth. Add beef ribs/meat. Garnish the bowl with green onions, a sprinkle of ground black pepper and a squeeze of lime. For extra flavor, serve with hoisin and sriracha chili sauce.
