Pressure Cooker Chicken Pho Recipe (2024)

Pressure Cooker Chicken Pho

Pressure Cooker Chicken Pho Recipe (1)

Credit: Victor Protasio

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Ingredients

BROTH
BOWLS

Directions

Instructions Checklist
  • Make broth: Rinse chicken and set aside to drain. Put coriander seeds and cloves in a dry 6- to 8-qt. pressure cooker. Over medium heat, toast until fragrant, shaking, several minutes. Add onion and ginger and cook, stirring, until browned on edges, 2 to 3 minutes. "Traditionally, the ginger and onion would be charred directly on a burner. I've found that this is the best shortcut to get that flavor," says Nguyen.

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  • Add 4 cups water, then the chicken, breast side up. Add apple, cilantro, salt, and another 4 cups water. "Having only half the water in the pot when the chicken goes in means you won't splash yourself." Lock the lid in place.

  • Following your cooker's instructions, bring to low pressure (8 psi) over high heat. Lower heat to maintain pressure. Cook 15 minutes, or a few minutes longer if your cooker's low setting is less than 8 psi. If your cooker has only a high-pressure (15 psi) setting, cook 12 minutes.

  • While broth cooks, soak noodles in hot tap water until pliable and opaque, about 10 minutes. Drain, rinse, and drain well. Divide among four large soup bowls.

  • When broth is done, lift cooker to a cool burner and let pressure decrease until pressure indicator drops, about 20 minutes. Remove lid.

  • Let cool 5 minutes, then use tongs to transfer chicken to a bowl. "Don't worry if some parts fall off. Just add them to the bowl too." Add cold water to cover, then soak 10 minutes to cool. Pour off water, partially cover chicken, and set aside to finish cooling.

  • With a shallow ladle, skim most of fat from broth. Strain broth through a muslin- or cheesecloth-lined strainer into a medium pot, pressing to expel as much broth as possible. Discard solids. Season broth with fish sauce, plus salt and sugar to taste. "Add fish sauce now, at the end. Otherwise you lose some of its umami oomph."

  • To serve, bring broth to a simmer over medium heat. Fill a medium pot with water and bring to a rolling boil for noodles.

  • Meanwhile, prepare your pho assembly line: Slice breasts and legs from chicken; set aside half for another use. Cut or tear breast and leg meat into 1/4-in. slices or shreds (discard skin) and put in a bowl. Put red onion, green onion, cilantro, and pepper in separate small bowls. Set out the bowls of soaked noodles.

  • When water is boiling, tip the first bowl's noodles into a noodle strainer or other small mesh strainer. Dunk strainer into boiling water, stirring noodles with chopsticks or a fork to loosen them, until they're soft, 20 to 40 seconds. "Lift one out and pinch it to see whether it's tender. Some noodles are thicker and need more time." Pull strainer of noodles from water, shaking to drain into pot, and empty into the soup bowl. Top with chicken. "Arrange the chicken so it's flat in the bowl. That way, it gets nicely heated by broth." Add red onion, green onion, cilantro, and a sprinkle of pepper, to give it a little pop.

  • Taste broth once more and season with fish sauce, salt, and/or sugar if needed. Divide among bowls. Serve immediately, with Garnish Plate and Ginger Dipping Sauce.

Chef's Notes

Stockpot Pho

"Using a pressure cooker gives you velvety, round flavors--like cashmere. A stockpot makes soup that's more like shantung silk; you get more hills and valleys in the flavors," Nguyen says.

1. Follow steps 1 and 2 of recipe above, but use a 6- to 8-qt. stockpot and add 10 cups water (rather than 8) to pot. Partially cover, then bring to a boil over high heat.

2. Uncover, skim off scum, then lower heat to a gentle simmer. Cook, uncovered, 45 minutes; turn chicken over and cook 45 minutes more, then transfer with tongs to a large bowl (leave any parts that may have fallen off in stockpot to flavor broth). Let broth simmer another 1/2 hour, covered.

3. Meanwhile, soak noodles as directed in step 4 at left, and soak and cool chicken as directed in step 6.

4. When broth is done, proceed with recipe as directed.

Make ahead: Broth, through step 6, 3 days, covered and chilled, or 3 months, frozen (season before serving). Cooked chicken, up to 3 days, chilled, or 3 months, frozen. Rehydrated noodles, up to 1 week, chilled.

*Organic sugar has more of the molasses left in it and thus more flavor; you could also use turbinado sugar. Find the noodles in the international aisle of most grocery stores (often they'll be labeled "pad Thai").

Source

The Pho Cookbook (Ten Speed Press; $20).

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

492 calories; calories from fat 17%; protein 29g; fat 9.3g; saturated fat 2.6g; carbohydrates 69g; fiber 1.3g; sodium 1443mg; cholesterol 76mg.

Pressure Cooker Chicken Pho Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is Chicken Pho good for you? ›

Pho is highly nutritious, and it is suitable for strengthening your joints. You can slurp the bone marrow from the meat broth for good joint health. It lessens the joints' pain and adds a good amount of protein to your body.

What makes a good bowl of pho? ›

The important component in Pho is the broth. The richer the beef flavor and spices in the broth, the better it is. Anything else is just added-on to it. Rice thin noodles is preferably cooked right, not overcook (soggy), not under (tough) either and the sliced thin cut of beef is also important.

How many calories in a bowl of pho with chicken? ›

The standard bowl, including rice noodles, chicken, and broth, is around 780 calories. The amount of calories in chicken pho can vary slightly, depending on the ingredients you use.

How much liquid is in a bowl of pho? ›

On average, a medium bowl of pho contained three to four ounces of meat, six ounces of noodles, and 20 ounces of broth, along with an assortment of fresh herbs, onions, peppers, and bean sprouts.

Is it OK to eat pho everyday? ›

Experts also suggest that if pho is used for breakfast, then you should avoid salt for the rest of the day. To avoid imbalanced nutrition, you should not eat pho too often, and you should switch up diet with other food products. Any food, no matter how good it is, won't be good for your body if consumed too much.

Is pho healthy or unhealthy? ›

Pho is nutritious and is high in protein, but does have high sodium and calories. It may help reduce inflammation and improve joint health. Pho (pronounced “fuh”) is a hearty Vietnamese soup usually made with a meaty broth, rice noodles, various herbs, and either beef, chicken, or tofu.

What is the secret ingredient in pho? ›

Sa sung—dried peanut worms—have been described as the secret ingredient of great pho.

What makes pho unhealthy? ›

The one thing to be extra conscientious with pho is that it's very high in sodium, which can cause increased blood pressure and contribute to cardiovascular issues. 1 (Some bowls have more than 1,000 mg, which is practically the entire allotment of recommended sodium intake for the day.)

What is the most important part of the pho? ›

The most important thing is the creation of the perfect stock through a very long cooking process (8-14 hours) with the right mix of beef. The broth should remain clear and this can only be achieved with proper care. Scenes of diners queuing for a bowl of Pho have become familiar in Hanoi.

Is pho healthy for losing weight? ›

Protein increases the presence of hormones which make you feel full. The fuller you are, the less you eat. The more protein you have, the fewer carbs you're going to consume. Pho is a great weight loss dish with the only real concern being sodium.

Does chicken pho have collagen? ›

Bone broth, the soup base used for pho, has received a lot of attention lately for its curative properties and one of the reasons is that it contains collagen, a protein found in bone marrow.

Does chicken pho have protein? ›

Rich Source of Protein

Chicken pho is an excellent choice for individuals looking to incorporate more protein into their diet. A single serving of chicken pho can provide around 20-25 grams of protein, helping to support muscle growth and repair.

Is it OK to drink pho broth? ›

Thirdly, it is important to remember that the broth of pho is the show's star and should be appreciated. Don't rush through your meal – take your time to savor all the flavors and enjoy every sip of the soup.

What is the best meat for pho? ›

1.5kg / 3 lb brisket – the beef of choice with pho vendors in Vietnam, for its beefy flavour and it holds up to hours of simmering without fall apart (like chuck and rib). Other slow cooking cuts like chuck and gravy beef are also less “beefy”. See below recipe for amazing ways to use leftover cooked brisket!

Do you eat all the broth in pho? ›

Sip the Broth

The broth is the heart of the dish and is packed with flavour. It is important to take small sips and savour the taste of the broth. You can use a spoon to help scoop up the broth and noodles.

Is chicken pho anti inflammatory? ›

Pho is very nutritious. From its ingredients, it's been shown to reduce inflammation and improve joint health. If you suffer from something like chronic pain or arthritis, you may want to entertain the idea of enjoying more pho. The broth particularly can be very anti-inflammation.

Is pho healthier or ramen? ›

Ramen is always going to naturally be higher in calories though and there isn't much to do to bring that down. Vietnamese pho is designed to be filling but also low in calories so for pho lovers, that's a win. Carb-wise, pho contains roughly 45g of carbs per bowl compared to ramen which has approx. 60g of carbs.

Is pho soup good for a diet? ›

In theory, “pho is a great dish because it features all the components you need: healthy carbohydrates, protein, and fat,” says Nguyen. (That balance of a protein source, veggies, and broth is key.) In addition to protein, the beef in traditional pho also provides B vitamins, zinc, and iron, Nguyen says.

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