This easy chicken pho soup recipe is a practical shortcut to the deeply aromatic Vietnamese noodle soup so many people fall in love with after the first spoonful. If you have ever thought that pho was too complicated to make at home, this simplified phở gà will change your mind. With a fragrant chicken broth, tender shredded chicken, rice noodles, fresh herbs, lime, and optional spicy toppings, you can enjoy a steaming bowl of homemade pho in just over an hour. Even better, the broth makes a generous batch and freezes beautifully, so weeknight chicken pho can be ready in minutes.
After returning from a memorable trip through Vietnam, this chicken pho recipe became one of the dishes I most wanted to recreate at home. Vietnam is a country full of colour, movement, warmth, and unforgettable food. From the humid south to the cooler north, every region offered something different: busy cities filled with motorbikes, quiet waterways, lantern-lit streets, caves, temples, rice paddies, and meals that were simple yet incredibly flavourful.
We travelled with a small group of seven curious travellers and were guided by our leader, Jay. His stories brought Vietnam’s history to life and gave meaning to the temples, pagodas, cities, and landscapes we visited. Along the way, we travelled by van, plane, boat, bicycle, motorbike, sampan, tuk-tuk, kayak, and on foot. We stayed with local families, slept on a boat, cycled through rice paddies, explored caves, visited temples, climbed steep hills, and tasted food that left a lasting impression.
One of the most memorable parts of the journey was the food. Vietnamese cooking is fresh, balanced, and layered with herbs, citrus, spice, and savoury broths. Pho appeared again and again, often at breakfast buffets, in small restaurants, and in local cooking classes. It is comforting without being heavy, aromatic without being overwhelming, and endlessly customizable at the table.
Our trip began in Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, where the streets were alive with movement, sound, and countless motorbikes. From there, we moved into quieter places, including an overnight stay with a family on the banks of the Mekong River. Falling asleep under mosquito netting while listening to insects outside and the river gently moving beneath the deck was one of those travel moments that stays with you.
What is Vietnamese Pho?
Phở, pronounced “fuh,” is a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup known for its clear, fragrant broth, flat rice noodles, fresh herbs, and meat or another protein. The word phở also refers to the wide flat rice noodles used in the soup. To serve it, cooked noodles are placed in a bowl, topped with meat, herbs, and vegetables, and then covered with very hot broth.
The most common version is beef pho, where thin slices of raw beef cook almost instantly when boiling broth is poured over them. Other versions include cooked beef, meatballs, tendon, tofu, or shredded chicken. This recipe is phở gà, which means chicken pho.
In Vietnam, pho is often eaten for breakfast, though it also makes a satisfying lunch or dinner. It is nourishing, fresh, and filling, yet still light enough to enjoy at almost any time of day.
During a cooking class in Hoi An, we learned a shortcut version of chicken pho soup from our chef, Jam. Traditional pho broth is often simmered for many hours with bones, charred aromatics, star anise, cinnamon, and other spices. This easy chicken pho broth uses the same flavour-building ideas but shortens the cooking time to about an hour. The result is light, aromatic, and surprisingly close in spirit to the long-simmered version.
The class also included a simple method for poaching chicken breast so it stays moist and tender. That chicken is then shredded and added to the bowls with rice noodles, herbs, and hot broth.
How to Make the Quick and Easy Chicken Pho Broth
The secret to a good shortcut chicken pho broth is building flavour in a few smart steps. You do not need a long list of complicated ingredients, but you do need aromatics, spice, chicken bones, and enough time for everything to come together.
The broth starts with chicken bones or wings simmered in water. Foam rises to the surface during the first few minutes of boiling; skim it away so the broth tastes clean. Then add charred shallots or onions, charred ginger, carrot, celery, star anise, cinnamon, and optional extras such as dried shiitake mushrooms, bay leaves, or peppercorns.
Charring the shallots and ginger is an important step. It gives the broth a subtle smoky depth and helps create the complex flavour associated with pho. You can char them under a broiler, in a hot dry cast iron pan, over a gas burner, or on a barbecue grill. The goal is to get dark, blackened patches on the surface without burning the entire vegetable to ash.
Once the aromatics and spices are added, simmer the broth gently for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Do not simmer it much longer, because the star anise and cinnamon can become too strong. When the broth is finished, strain out the solids and season it with salt and fish sauce. The broth should taste a little saltier than you might expect because the noodles and chicken added later are unsalted.
At this point, you have about 2½ quarts of fragrant chicken pho broth. Use some right away and save the rest for quick pho bowls later.
Can I Freeze Pho Broth?
Yes. Homemade pho broth freezes very well. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze it for up to a year. Since each bowl needs about 1½ to 2 cups of broth, freeze it in smaller portions so you can thaw only what you need. Once reheated until boiling hot, the broth is ready to pour over noodles, chicken, herbs, and toppings.
How to Make up Bowls of Chicken Pho Soup
Once the broth is ready, assembling chicken pho is simple. Cook the wide rice noodles according to the package directions, then place a portion in each large soup bowl. Add shredded poached chicken, chopped green onions, cilantro, basil, or mint. Ladle boiling hot broth over the top so everything warms through.
Serve each bowl with lime wedges. A squeeze of lime adds the acidity needed to balance the savoury broth. Bean sprouts add crunch, while hoisin sauce brings sweetness and sriracha or fresh chili adds heat. You can also add blanched baby bok choy, snow peas, sliced mushrooms, shredded cabbage, or julienned carrots if you want more vegetables.
How to Eat Pho Soup
Squeeze lime over the soup, add any sauces or toppings you like, and give the bowl a gentle stir so the vegetables dip into the hot broth. Pho is usually eaten with chopsticks and a soup spoon. Use the chopsticks for noodles, herbs, and meat, and the spoon for the broth. Slurping the noodles is part of the pleasure.
Guten Appetit!
Phở gà recipe adapted from a cooking class in Hoi An.
Easy Chicken Pho Soup (Phở Gà)
Margaret Bose Johnson
Equipment
- 1 large stock pot or soup pot
- Broiler, barbecue grill, gas cooktop, or hot dry pan for charring the vegetables
- Aluminum foil, if using the broiler
Ingredients
For the broth:
- 2 lbs. (900 grams) raw chicken bones, backs and necks, or chicken wings
- 3 quarts (3 litres/12 cups) water
- 4 large shallots, or 8 small shallots, or 2 small onions
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, about 3 inches
- 1 stalk celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 medium carrot, cut into 2-inch pieces, unpeeled
- 2-3 whole star anise pods
- 1 3½-inch (9 cm) cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3-4 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 bay leaves, optional
- 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns, optional
- 3-4 dried shiitake mushrooms, optional
For the pho soup:
- 1 large (10-12 oz/300 grams) boneless, skinless chicken breast, or two small ones
- 400 grams (14 oz) wide flat rice noodles
- 1 bunch green onions
- ½ bunch fresh cilantro
- A handful of Thai basil, sweet basil, or mint
- 1 large juicy lime, or 2 small limes
- A handful of fresh bean sprouts, optional
- Sriracha sauce or sliced fresh chili pepper, optional, for serving
- Hoisin sauce, optional, for serving
Instructions
To make the pho broth:
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Preheat the broiler and position the top oven rack 3 to 4 inches below the heating element. Line a small pan with aluminum foil. You can also char the shallots and ginger on a barbecue grill, over a gas flame, or in a hot dry pan.
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Place the chicken bones and water in a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and boil for 5 minutes. Skim off and discard the foam and scum that rise to the surface.
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Peel the shallots and cut large ones in half lengthwise. If using onions, cut them lengthwise into quarters. Slice the ginger into ½-inch pieces; there is no need to peel it. Broil or grill the shallots and ginger, turning every few minutes, until they are well charred in places. Remove any completely blackened outer shallot skins and discard them.
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Add the celery, carrot, star anise, cinnamon stick, charred shallots, and charred ginger to the pot. Add dried mushrooms, bay leaves, and peppercorns if using. Bring the broth back to a low boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
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Strain the broth or remove the solids with a spider ladle or slotted spoon.
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Add the salt and 3 tablespoons of fish sauce. Taste and add the remaining tablespoon of fish sauce if needed. The broth should be slightly salty because it will season the noodles and chicken in the bowl.
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The recipe makes about 2½ quarts, or 10 cups, of broth. Use 1½ to 2 cups for each bowl of pho and freeze any extra broth for another meal.
To assemble the chicken pho soup:
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Poach the chicken while the broth simmers: Place the chicken breast in a medium saucepan and cover with water by about 1 inch. Add a pinch of salt. Bring just to a boil, cover with a lid, turn off the heat, and let the chicken sit undisturbed for 40 minutes without lifting the lid.
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Remove the chicken from the water and shred it.
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Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions. If there are no directions, simmer until tender, usually 6 to 10 minutes. Drain well.
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Set aside a few sprigs of cilantro and basil for garnish. Chop the green onions with the remaining cilantro and basil, removing tough basil stems before chopping.
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Divide the hot cooked noodles among 4 large soup bowls. Top each bowl with shredded chicken and a generous handful of chopped herbs and green onions. Ladle boiling hot broth over the noodles and chicken.
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Serve with bean sprouts, reserved herb sprigs, lime wedges, sriracha or sliced chili, and hoisin sauce so each person can season their bowl to taste.
Notes
The broth, noodles, and chicken can all be prepared ahead of time, making this homemade chicken pho especially useful for busy weeknights.
- The broth can be refrigerated or frozen. This recipe makes enough broth for several bowls.
- The noodles can be cooked ahead and refrigerated for up to 5 days. To reheat, cover them with boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, then drain.
- The chicken breast can be poached, shredded, and refrigerated for up to 5 days.
To serve later, reheat the amount of broth you need until boiling hot. Warm the noodles, place them in bowls, add cold shredded chicken and herbs, then pour the hot broth over top.
If making beef pho instead, chill the steak in the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes to firm it up, then slice it paper thin. Let the slices come to room temperature before adding them to the bowl. Make sure they are fully submerged in the boiling hot broth so they cook properly.
Bean sprouts add crunch. If you do not have them, use finely shredded green cabbage, julienned daikon radish, or shredded carrots.
If you use chicken wings for the broth, remove the tender meat from the cooked wings and save it for chicken salad, fried rice, tacos, omelets, or another meal.