Pho With Chicken Broth Recipe

Char aromatics

Char the halved onion and whole ginger over an open flame, under a broiler, or in a dry skillet until the cut faces are nicely blackened (about 5–8 minutes). Set aside to cool slightly and peel any loose skins from the ginger.

Prepare chicken

Rinse the whole chicken and remove excess fat. If using split/backbone removed, keep the carcass intact so it simmers evenly. Place chicken in a large stockpot.

Add aromatics and spices

Add the charred onion, charred ginger, garlic cloves (crushed slightly), and the prepared spice sachet (see Spice Sachet section) to the pot with the chicken. Pour in 6 liters of water, enough to fully cover the chicken by 1–2 inches.

Simmer and skim

Bring to a gentle boil over high heat, then immediately reduce to a slow simmer. As foam and scum rise to the surface during the first 20–30 minutes, skim them off with a fine mesh skimmer or spoon to keep the broth clear.

Long gentle simmer

Simmer gently, partially covered, for 1.5–2 hours. Maintain very gentle bubbles—vigorous boiling will cloud the broth and emulsify fat.

Remove chicken and strain

Carefully remove the chicken to a cutting board. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth into a clean pot or bowl to remove solids and spices. Press down gently on solids to extract liquid but discard solids afterward.

Season broth

Return strained broth to a clean pot. Add sea salt, fish sauce, and rock sugar. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional fish sauce or salt as needed. Keep broth at a bare simmer until ready to assemble bowls.

Shred chicken

When cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones from the cooked chicken and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Reserve 2 cups shredded chicken for serving. Any extra can be refrigerated for other uses.

Toast and tie spices

In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the cinnamon sticks, star anise, cardamom pods, cloves, and black peppercorns for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Place them in a piece of cheesecloth or a small spice bag and tie securely, or use a metal tea infuser. Add the sachet to the stockpot with the chicken at the start of the simmer.

Prepare rice noodles

Soak dried pho rice noodles in warm water (not boiling) for 20–30 minutes or until pliable but slightly underdone. Alternatively, follow package instructions. Drain and set aside. If noodles are fresh, briefly blanch in boiling water for 20–30 seconds to separate and warm.

Poach additional chicken (optional)

If you prefer poached sliced chicken breast in the bowl instead of shredded, gently poach the 2 boneless chicken breasts in the hot but not boiling strained broth for 6–8 minutes until cooked through. Remove, let rest 3 minutes, then thinly slice across the grain. Reserve broth temperature and discard any poaching liquid used solely for poaching if desired, or incorporate into main broth.

Reheat shredded chicken

If using shredded chicken refrigerated earlier, briefly warm it in the simmering broth for 1–2 minutes just before serving to heat through.

Prep garnishes

Rinse and drain bean sprouts. Thinly slice jalapeños. Pluck cilantro leaves from stems and wash. Cut limes into wedges. Arrange bean sprouts, jalapeños, cilantro, lime wedges, basil (if using), hoisin, and sriracha on a serving plate so each diner can garnish their bowl.

Heat broth and assemble bowls

Bring the strained, seasoned broth to a full simmer and then reduce slightly so it stays very hot. To assemble each bowl: place about 2–3 ounces (by volume) of drained rehydrated noodles into a warmed soup bowl. Add about 1/2 cup shredded chicken or 3–4 slices of poached breast on top. Ladle 2–3 cups (480–720 ml) of boiling hot broth over the noodles and chicken—this will finish cooking the noodles and warm the proteins.

Finish and garnish

Top each bowl with a sprinkle of thinly sliced green onions and a grind of black pepper. Serve immediately with the garnish plate. Encourage diners to add bean sprouts, jalapeño slices, cilantro, basil, and a squeeze of lime; hoisin and sriracha can be added to taste.

Store leftover broth in the refrigerator up to 3–4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Remove excess fat from chilled broth if desired. Reheat gently, adjust seasoning, and proceed to assemble bowls when ready to serve.