Pho is well-known as an exotic food which is tasty, healthy, filling and inexpensive coming from the tropical country-Vietnam. The secret of Pho lies in the broth which is a great combination of different flavors with the rich and aromatic boiling broth cooked with 9 different spices. Unlike beef Pho, chicken Pho is simpler and it takes a shorter time to cook. The following easy chicken Pho recipe will take you one and a half hour to prepare a hot and tasty bowl of Pho.
Prep Time: 30M | Cook Time: 90M | Total Time: 120M | Servings: 15
Ingredients:
3kg fresh rice noodles (flat stick for Pho)
Fresh Pho noodles Dry Pho noodles
Broth ingredients:
- 1kg/ 2 sets chicken bones
- 5 liters water
- 1 whole chicken (1.5 kg)/ chicken thighs
2 sets of chicken bones A whole chicken
Aroma spices:
- 100g fresh ginger
- 100g whole shallots
- 300g onion
- 6g cinnamon stick (quế cây)
- 6g anise star (đại hồi)
- 10g cardamom, slightly crushed (thảo quả)
- 3g cloves (đinh hương)
- 3g fennel (tiểu hồi)
- 3g coriander seeds (hạt ngò)
- 1/2 lime skin
9 aroma spices 1/2 lime skin
Seasoning:
- 55g fish sauce
- 45g salt
- 70g Knorr seasoning/ broth mix
- 140g rock sugar
Dipping sauce:
- Hoisin sauce
- Chili sauce
- Lime
Garnish:
- Vietnamese basils, whole leaf/ chopped
- Sawleaf (ngò gai), chopped
- Bean sprout
- Green onion, chopped
- Onion , sliced
- Fresh chili, sliced
- Lime leaves, finely chopped (optional)
- Black pepper
Directions:
1. Cook the chicken broth:
- Rinse the chicken bones thoroughly
- Boil the water, add in 1 tsp of salt and some slices of fresh ginger then quickly boil the chicken bones for 30 seconds. Remove the bones out of the pot then discard the water. This way will keep the broth clear.
Boil the chicken bones for 30 seconds Chicken bones after blanching
- In a big pot, add 5 litres of cold water, then place the chicken bones in and cook for 30 minutes at medium high heat (7/10) until the water boils. Remove the foam that forms at the top until the broth is quite clear.
- Reduce the heat to medium low (5/10) and cook for at least 30 minutes, cover the lid half way to minimize the evaporation. If you cover the lid fully, the boiling water will cloud the broth.
Note: Frequently fill the pot with boiling water to make sure you‘ve got 5 litres of broth in the pot as the water is going to evaporate considerably while cooking for a long period of time.
2. Prepare the aroma spices:
While cooking the broth, let’s prepare the aroma spices
- Grill the onions, shallots and ginger for 20 minutes and cinnamon stick, cardamom and anise star for 10 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. The grilled spices will enhance the flavor when cooked in the broth.
- In another pan, roast the fennel, coriander seeds and cloves for 1 minute until fragrant. Remember to stir quickly and frequently because the cloves are easy to burn.
- Put all spices and 1/2 lime peels in a spice bag or place the spices in a filter.
When the spices are grilled or roasted, they will help enhance the flavor of the broth.
3. Cook the chicken and finish the broth:
- Add all the grilled spices in the broth.
- Place the spice bag in the broth pot.
- Add all the seasoning in a bowl. Use the boiling broth to dissolve the seasoning in a separate small bowl before pouring it in the pot.
All spices are placed in the broth pot Dissolve the seasoning with the boiling broth
- Place the whole chicken in and cook until it is soft and fully cooked inside. You can use a sharp stick to poke the meat to test its texture and see if it’s cooked. If there is no blood that leaks out, that means the meat is cooked inside. Usually, the cooking time for the whole chicken is about 20- 30 minutes. At this stage, the aroma and spices will have enough time to release in the broth and absorb in the chicken as well.
Tip: To save time for the next chicken Pho making, you can keep the broth in the freezer. The flavour is exactly the same as the freshly- cooked broth (without adding any aroma or seasoning)
- When the chicken is totally cooked, remove it from the pot and chop it in 2cm-thick pieces.
4. Cook the rice noodles:
- Boil the water in a pan, put the noodles in and stir for 30 seconds or follow the instruction on the package.
- Quickly boil the bean sprouts.
5. How to serve Pho
- Place the bean sprout, noodles then some slices of chicken on top.
- Garnish with some sliced onion, onion, lime leaves, and herbs
- Pour the boiling broth in the bowl
- Finally sprinkle some black pepper
Chicken Pho will be served with the dipping sauce including hoisin sauce, chili sauce and a bit of lime juice. Let’s enjoy your Pho while it’s still steaming hot!
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Ingredients
3kg fresh rice noodles (flat stick for Pho)
Broth ingredients:
- 1kg/ 2 sets chicken bones
- 5 liters water
- 1 whole chicken (1.5 kg)/ chicken thighs
Aroma spices:
- 100g fresh ginger
- 100g whole shallots
- 300g onion
- 6g cinnamon stick (quế cây)
- 6g anise star (đại hồi)
- 10g cardamom, slightly crushed (thảo quả)
- 3g cloves (đinh hương)
- 3g fennel (tiểu hồi)
- 3g coriander seeds (hạt ngò)
- 1/2 lime skin
Seasoning:
- 55g fish sauce
- 45g salt
- 70g Knorr seasoning/ broth mix
- 140g rock sugar
Dipping sauce:
- Hoisin sauce
- Chili sauce
- Lime
Garnish:
- Vietnamese basils, whole leaf/ chopped
- Sawleaf (ngò gai), chopped
- Bean sprout
- Green onion, chopped
- Onion , sliced
- Fresh chili, sliced
- Lime leaves, finely chopped (optional)
- Black pepper
Instructions
1. Cook the chicken broth:
- Rinse the chicken bones thoroughly
- Boil the water, add in 1 tsp of salt and some slices of fresh ginger then quickly boil the chicken bones for 30 seconds. Remove the bones out of the pot then discard the water. This way will keep the broth clear.
- In a big pot, add 5 liters of cold water, then place the chicken bones in and cook for 30 minutes at medium high heat (7/10) until the water boils. Remove the foam that forms at the top until the broth is quite clear.
- Reduce the heat to medium low (5/10) and cook for at least 30 minutes, cover the lid half way to minimize the evaporation. If you cover the lid fully, the boiling water will cloud the broth.
Note: Frequently fill the pot with boiling water to make sure you‘ve got 5 liters of broth in the pot as the water is going to evaporate considerably while cooking for a long period of time.
2. Prepare the aroma spices:
While cooking the broth, let’s prepare the aroma spices
- Grill the onions, shallots and ginger for 20 minutes and cinnamon stick, cardamom and anise star for 10 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. The grilled spices will enhance the flavor when cooked in the broth.
- In another pan, roast the fennel, coriander seeds and cloves for 1 minute until fragrant. Remember to stir quickly and frequently because the cloves are easy to burn.
- Put all spices and 1/2 lime peels in a spice bag or place the spices in a filter.
When the spices are grilled or roasted, they will help enhance the flavor of the broth.
3. Cook the chicken and finish the broth:
Add all the grilled spices in the broth.
Place the spice bag in the broth pot.
- Add all the seasoning in a bowl. Use the boiling broth to dissolve the seasoning in a separate small bowl before pouring it in the pot.
- Place the whole chicken in and cook until it is soft and fully cooked inside. You can use a sharp stick to poke the meat to test its texture and see if it’s cooked. If there is no blood that leaks out, that means the meat is cooked inside. Usually, the cooking time for the whole chicken is about 20- 30 minutes. At this stage, the aroma and spices will have enough time to release in the broth and absorb in the chicken as well.
When the chicken is totally cooked, remove it from the pot and chop it in 2cm-thick pieces.
Tip: To save time for the next chicken Pho making, you can keep the broth in the freezer. The flavor is exactly the same as the freshly- cooked broth (without adding any aroma or seasoning)
4. Cook the rice noodles:
- Boil the water in a pan, put the noodles in and stir for 30 seconds or follow the instruction on the package.
- Quickly boil the bean sprouts.
5. How to serve Pho
- Place the bean sprout, noodles then some slices of chicken on top.
- Garnish with some sliced onion, onion, lime leaves, and herbs
- Pour the boiling broth in the bowl
- Finally sprinkle some black pepper
Chicken Pho will be served with the dipping sauce including hoisin sauce, chili sauce and a bit of lime juice. Let’s enjoy your Pho while it’s still steaming hot!
