Chicken Pho Recipe

Prepare aromatics

Char the halved onion and halved ginger directly over a gas flame or under a broiler until blackened on the cut sides, about 6–8 minutes. Rinse briefly to remove loose soot and set aside.

Toast spices

In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the star anise, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, cloves, and white peppercorns until fragrant, about 2–3 minutes, shaking pan to avoid burning. Transfer to a spice sachet or cheesecloth and tie securely.

Simmer chicken

Place the whole chicken in a very large stockpot. Add 6 liters (6000 ml) of cold water, the charred onion and ginger, the spice sachet, 3 tablespoons kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Bring to a gentle boil over high heat, skimming any foam and impurities for the first 15–20 minutes to keep broth clear. Reduce heat to maintain a very low simmer (barely bubbling).

Long simmer

Simmer uncovered very gently for 6–8 hours for a rich flavor, or up to 24 hours for a deeply concentrated pho-style broth, adding water by measuring and topping up to keep the chicken covered if level drops (use additional boiling water to maintain temperature). Check every 1–2 hours and skim any surface fat/foam as needed.

Finish broth

About 30 minutes before finishing, taste and adjust seasoning: add more salt if needed. If you want a clearer broth, strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean pot, pressing gently on solids to extract liquid but leaving behind sediment. Remove and discard solids (onion, ginger, spent spices). Let chicken cool slightly in broth until cool enough to handle.

Debone chicken

Remove the chicken from the pot. Reserve about 6 cups (or desired amount) of broth for serving and additional concentrated stock for other uses. Pull the meat from the bones: reserve skin if desired, shred or slice meat into bite-sized pieces. Return any trimmings to the pot if you want to extract more flavor and simmer an additional hour, then strain again.

Degrease (optional)

For a less fatty broth, chill the strained broth in the refrigerator until the fat solidifies on top, then skim off the fat layer before reheating. Alternatively, use a fat separator when serving.

Prepare noodles

Place dried rice noodles in a bowl and cover with hot tap water for 10–15 minutes to loosen (follow package for exact soaking time). Alternatively, bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, add noodles and cook 3–5 minutes until tender but still slightly chewy; drain and rinse briefly under warm water to stop cooking. Divide into serving bowls.

Heat broth and slice onion

Strain and bring the reserved pho broth to a rolling simmer. While broth heats, thinly slice the yellow onion and separate scallion whites and greens if desired; reserve scallion greens for garnish and slice whites for added aroma into broth if you like (add to broth for last 5 minutes to soften).

Assemble bowls

Place a portion of prepared noodles into each bowl. Top with 3/4 to 1 cup shredded chicken per serving (use warmed chicken). Ladle very hot broth over noodles and chicken, enough to cover and heat everything through (about 3–4 cups broth per bowl depending on bowl size). The hot broth will slightly cook any thinly sliced raw additions and soften aromatics.

Garnish

Top each bowl with sliced yellow onion, chopped scallions, and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately with bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime wedges, sliced chilies, hoisin and sriracha on the side for guests to customize.

Lay out plates or small bowls of bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime wedges, and sliced chilies. Instruct diners to add bean sprouts and herbs to taste, squeeze lime over the soup, and use hoisin or sriracha to adjust sweetness/spice. Additional ground white pepper or fish sauce may be offered to adjust seasoning.