Delicious and Affordable Homemade Pho with Your Instant Pot

Pho is a beloved Vietnamese noodle soup known for its rich, aromatic broth and fresh herbs. Eating it at a restaurant can be expensive, especially if you crave it often. Making pho at home with an Instant Pot or any pressure cooker lets you enjoy this comforting dish without breaking the bank. This guide shows how to prepare a flavorful pho broth and assemble the soup with simple, affordable ingredients. You’ll save money and have delicious pho ready to enjoy all week

Why Make Pho at Home

Restaurant pho bowls often cost $10 or more, and eating out regularly adds up fast. Making pho at home costs about $20 for enough broth and ingredients to serve a crowd or enjoy multiple meals. You can prepare the broth on a Sunday and eat pho throughout the week or freeze portions for later. This approach saves money and lets you control the flavors and ingredients.

This recipe is an interpretation of two recipes published by Vicky Pham on VickyPham.com. She is a wonderful Vietnamese food expert who advocates making Pho in the Instant Pot. While I find her recipes inspiring, they are often made a bit too large, with a few too many ingredients for a home cook with limited access to an Asian grocery store. This recipe simplifies a couple things while keeping true to the spirit of these recipes.

Serve you Homemade Pho with noodles and neck meat in the bowl, ladle in broth, and add the extras.

Using an Instant Pot speeds up the broth-making process without sacrificing depth of flavor. You don’t need hours of simmering on the stove. Plus, you can customize the recipe to your taste and dietary preferences.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Homemade Pho

Ingredients for Beef Pho.

Here’s a simple, budget-friendly list of ingredients for homemade pho:

• 3 pounds of beef neck bones

Affordable and flavorful, beef neck bones cost $10- $ 12 and yield a rich broth.

• 1 packet of pho spices

Available at Asian markets or on Amazon for about $4. One packet makes enough broth for two batches.

• Onion and ginger root

  These aromatics add depth and cost about $2 total.

• Salt, Sugar, Fish Sauce, and MSG (optional)

  These will add flavor to your broth. You can omit the MSG, but you will need fish sauce. I use white sugar instead of traditional rock sugar, but you can use any sweetener you're comfortable with.

• Bean sprouts and green onions

Nutritious and cheap, available at Asian markets and other groceries. A bunch goes a long way.

• 1/2 pound eye of round steak

A lean cut that costs about $6 per pound. You only need a fraction for your pho, roughly $3 worth.

• Rice noodles  

  These cost about $1 at Asian stores, Walmart, or Amazon.

• Fresh herbs  

  Thai basil and cilantro are inexpensive at Asian markets, usually around $1 per bunch. If you can't find Thai basil, it's okay. Cilantro can be found anywhere.

• Limes

For squeezing fresh juice into your pho, about $1 for a few limes.

The secret to these ingredients is using them to create a balanced dish. The salt, the sweet, the umami, and the acid are in balance. Don't be afraid to taste it and adjust according to your preferences.

How to Make Homemade Pho Broth in the Instant Pot

1. Prepare the bones and aromatics

   Roast the beef neck bones in the oven or brown them in the Instant Pot on sauté mode for extra flavor. Char the onion and ginger under the broiler or in a dry pan until slightly blackened.

   

   

   
   
   

2. Add ingredients to the Instant Pot

   Place the bones, charred onion, ginger, pho spice packet, sugar, and water into the pot.

   
   

3. Cook under pressure

   Seal the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for about 90 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.

   

   

   
   
   

4. Strain the broth

   Remove the bones and aromatics, then strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve to remove any solids. Set the bones aside to cool.

   

   

   
   
   

5. Add Seasoning and Skim off Scum

   Add the salt, sugar, fish sauce, and MSG (if using), and adjust to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes, using a scimmer or slotted spoon to skim off foam and impurities.

   
   

This broth can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for longer storage.

Assembling Your Pho Bowl

Your Homemade Pho broth is complete, but now you need to prepare and assemble your bowls.

Pho Bowls, ready for broth and assembly!

1. Pull meat off your neck bones, chop it up, and discard the bones.

   
   

2. Slice Your Eye of Round (or other Beef) Paper Thin

   When slicing your beef, cut perpendicular to the grain (the visible lines).

   Note: To be safe, use good frozen meat, and thaw immediately prior to use. Handle carefully.

   
   

3. Cook your noodles according to package directions.

   
   

4. Put noodles in individual bowls

   Put in bits of cooked neck meat and the white portion of a spring onion.

   
   

5. Pour in Very Hot Broth in Each Bowl

   Pour hot broth over the noodles, then immediately add raw beef round slices. Make sure they are submerged.

   If you slice the beef paper-thin and your broth is very hot, it will reach a safe internal temperature in the bowl. If you are unsure of safety, just microwave for a minute after putting the meat in the broth but before adding herbs and sprouts. Safety first.

   
   

6. Add fresh herbs, bean sprouts, sliced green onions, and a squeeze of lime.

   Add jalapeno slices or sriracha for extra heat. Add hoisin sauce for more flavor.

   
   

Tips for Making Pho Even Simpler

• To make this recipe simpler, you can skip charring the beef, onion, and ginger and just add them raw to the Instant Pot.

• While you can assemble your own pho spice packets, it is easiest to simply buy them online or at your local Asian market.

• Prepare the broth in large batches and freeze portions for quick meals. The original recipe was for an 8-quart Instant Pot. If you have such a large appliance, you can double this recipe and freeze half.

• Use affordable cuts like beef neck bones for the broth. While oxtail is more traditional, it is also much more expensive.

• Use eye of round or another cheaper cut to make thin raw beef slices, then add them to the broth and cook in it. When sliced this thinly across the grain, you do not need an expensive cut of meat. When looking for reasonably priced meats, look at Wild Fork Foods. They ship nationwide and have stores in many major cities.

• Shop at Asian markets for fresh herbs, noodles, and bean sprouts at great prices.

  
  

A fully assembled bowl of pho with beef slices, fresh herbs, lime wedges, and bean sprouts

Enjoy Pho Anytime Without Overspending