A Spoon Full of Lovin' · June 2026
Instant Pot Chicken Pho Soup
A fragrant, soul-warming Vietnamese pho made easy in the Instant Pot
This Instant Pot Chicken Pho is one of those recipes that fills your whole kitchen with the most incredible aroma. The combination of charred onion and ginger with warm spices like cardamom, star anise, and cinnamon creates a deeply fragrant broth that tastes like it simmered all day — but the Instant Pot does the work in just 15 minutes. Load up the bowls with fresh basil, bean sprouts, and a squeeze of lime and you have something truly special.
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in chicken breasts
- 2 tbls. olive oil
- 2 large onions, quartered
- 1 (2") piece fresh ginger — scrape skin off with the back of a spoon, cut into ½" pieces
- 3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbl. coriander seeds
- 3 star anise pods
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tsp. fennel seeds
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1 Fuji apple, peeled, cored, and cut into ½" pieces
- 1 bunch cilantro
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- 2 tbls. brown sugar
- 1½ tsp. kosher salt
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
- 14 oz. rice noodles
- TOPPINGS:
- Lime, cut into wedges
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- Fresh basil
- Fresh bean sprouts
Instructions
Char the Onions & Ginger
Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot and select the Sauté button. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and ginger. Brown for a few minutes, just until the onions get a nice char to them.
Toast the Spices
Add the cardamom, cinnamon stick, coriander, star anise, fennel, and garlic cloves. Cook for just a minute or so, until the mixture becomes fragrant.
Pressure Cook
Add the chicken, chicken stock, apple, entire bunch of cilantro, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Secure the lid and make sure the vent is shut. Select Manual and cook at high pressure for 15 minutes.
Release Pressure
After 15 minutes, turn off the Instant Pot and let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. If pressure hasn't completely released after 10 minutes, turn the valve to release any remaining pressure.
Prepare the Broth
Remove the chicken and let cool. Strain the broth and add kosher salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Skim any excess fat off the top of the broth.
Shred the Chicken
When the chicken is cool enough to handle, de-bone and shred.
Cook the Noodles & Serve
Prepare the rice noodles according to manufacturer's directions. Drain and place a serving in each bowl. Top with shredded chicken, then fill each bowl with the hot broth. Top with fresh basil, bean sprouts, and red onion. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
Robin's Tips & Variations
- Don't skip charring the onions and ginger — that char is what gives pho its signature deep, complex flavor.
- Scraping the ginger skin with the back of a spoon is much easier than peeling it with a knife.
- A Fuji apple adds a subtle sweetness to the broth that balances the fish sauce beautifully.
- Taste the broth after straining and adjust salt, fish sauce, and red pepper flakes to your liking.
- Set out all the toppings in small bowls so everyone can customize their own bowl.
Made with love from Robin's Louisiana kitchen!
If you make this, I'd love to hear how it turned out. Drop me a note on the blog page. Happy cooking — with a spoon full of lovin'!