Let Me Tell You About My Go-To Comfort Soup

You ever have one of those days when you just want a big ol’ bowl of something steamy and soul-hugging, but you don’t want to stand over the stove for hours? Yeah, that’s pretty much every Tuesday for me. That’s where this Instant Pot Chicken Pho comes in. I first made it on a chilly afternoon when I totally forgot to plan dinner (again), and haven’t looked back. Not to get too sappy, but making a quick pho that tastes like I actually put in all the effort? That feels like magic. Little warning: this isn’t grandma’s traditional recipe, but most days I’m not waiting for authenticity to get dinner done.

Why I Keep Coming Back to This Chicken Pho

I make this Instant Pot Chicken Pho when the weather turns lousy, or when someone in the house sniffles, or just whenever someone says, ‘What are we having?’ and I can see the panic in their eyes. My family goes bonkers for the rich broth (I sneak in extra star anise because, honestly, it’s my favorite spice and I’m in charge here). And, sure, sometimes things get messy or the noodles clump a bit—eh, what can you do? It still tastes like a bowl of kindness. Frankly, it’s just way easier than the old “babysit the broth forever” dance. Plus, leftover pho for lunch the next day is reason enough to double batch this, trust me.

Here’s What You’ll Need (And What I Cheat With)

2 pounds chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on): I’ve used drumsticks in a pinch if that’s what’s rolling around in the freezer. Grandma swore by organic, I grab what’s on sale.
8 cups water: Or chicken broth if you’re feeling extra.
1 large onion, peeled and halved: Yellow, white, red—doesn’t really matter, but yellow’s classic.
1 thumb of ginger (2-3 inches), sliced: Don’t even bother peeling if you’re pressed for time. Just scrub it well.
2-3 star anise pods: My husband says one is plenty, but what does he know?
1 cinnamon stick (or a pinch of ground if you forgot to buy sticks—works fine, promise!)
3-4 cloves (sometimes I just use a little ground, when the jar is hiding somewhere…)
Fish sauce, 2-3 tablespoons: Red Boat is legendary, but honestly, any fish sauce will do the trick.
Salt, 1 teaspoon
1 tablespoon sugar (rock sugar is fancy, I just use what’s on hand)
8 oz dried rice noodles (pho noodles): If I have fresh, great; otherwise, dried is fine—sometimes I use pad Thai rice sticks if the shop is out, shhh.
Toppings: Lime wedges, fresh basil, cilantro, bean sprouts, jalapeños, sliced scallions, hoisin and sriracha if you’re feeling wild.

So, How Do You Actually Make It?

Broil the onion and ginger: (optional, but…) Crank on the broiler; stick the onion and ginger under until they’re charred and fragrant. Or skip this if you can’t be bothered—I do, like, half the time.
Dump it all in the Instant Pot: Toss in chicken, charred onion and ginger (or not), star anise, cinnamon, cloves, sugar, salt, and pour that water (or broth) over. Secure the lid. Set to ‘Manual’ or ‘Pressure Cook’ on High for 20 minutes. Walk away, go do literally anything else, come back when it beeps.
Natural release, then fish out the good stuff: Let the pressure naturally release (takes about 10 minutes), then flip the valve. Scoop out the solids—nobody wants to chomp down on a whole clove—or strain the broth into another pot if you want it super clear. This is usually when I sneak a taste (burnt my tongue once, but worth it).
Shred the chicken: Pull the chicken off the bones with two forks (I use my hands… carefully). Chuck away the bones and skin, throw the meat back into the pot.
Add fish sauce & adjust: Splash in a few glugs of fish sauce. Taste and add more salt or sugar if you think it needs it. Seriously, make it your own here.
Prep the noodles: Boil water, soak/cook rice noodles until tender per the bag (some just need a soak, others actually want boiling—go figure). Drain and set aside.
Assemble and top: Drop a tangled pile of noodles into each bowl, ladle hot, fragrant broth and chicken on top. Now, pile on whatever garnishes you like. More is more, in my mind.

Notes: Real-Life Discoveries (a.k.a. Oops Moments)

If you skim the broth, it looks prettier. But, eh, nobody in my house notices if I skip it.
Forgot the star anise once—tasted weirdly flat. Won’t do that again.
If your chicken is frozen, just add 5 minutes to Instant Pot time. Found that out after forgetting to defrost (twice).

Variations I’ve Toyed With (Some Good, Some Meh)

I swapped in turkey legs one time—tasted good, but man, the house smelled like Thanksgiving all day.
Tried tossing in a splash of coconut milk; pretty tasty but, honestly, not really pho anymore. Still kind of fun though.
Would not recommend beef broth as a base here, did that once by accident. Too rich… just odd.

Equipment You Might Want (But Don’t Stress)

Instant Pot: Obvious, yeah? (Slow cooker works—just crank the time up to 5–6 hours, or honestly, big soup pot on the stove if you’ve got the patience.)
Fine mesh strainer: Nice, but I usually just use a slotted spoon and half the bits sneak through and it’s totally fine.
Tongs or two forks: For wrangling the chicken, though one time I just used my (clean!) hands because I couldn’t be fussed.

How To Store It (Doesn’t Really Last Long, Though)

If you somehow have leftovers, broth and chicken keep 3-4 days in the fridge, noodles separately (otherwise, you get noodle mush). Freezes OK, but just the broth and chicken, not the toppings or noodles. But honestly, in my house it never lasts more than a day; someone always finds the pot before I do.

How I Like To Serve It Up

I pile everything on—thinly sliced jalapeños, a frankly embarrassing amount of cilantro (my kids roll their eyes), and generous lime juice. Sometimes I toss a handful of crispy shallots on top if I’m feeling fancy. If we’re having a crowd, we do a little pho bar situation—everyone tops their own, and it feels oddly festive, even on a random Tuesday night.

A Few Hard-Learned Tricks (From My 87 Attempts)

Don’t skip charring the onion/ginger if you have 5 minutes—it seriously adds magic. I once tried skipping it on a really lazy day; it tasted off somehow.
Noodles? Soak/cook right before eating; otherwise, you get a gummy mess. Ask me how I know (hint: pot of glue…)
If you rush the natural release, sometimes gets foamy all over your counter. Learned that the hard way—just walk away and let the pressure do its thing.

FAQ I Actually Get All the Time

My broth looks cloudy, did I mess up?: Ha, nope! That’s just life in a pot. If it really bugs you, strain it but, honestly, it tastes the same.
Can I use boneless chicken?: You totally can; it’s faster to eat, but you miss a bit of that deep flavor. Still, on a weeknight, why not?
Is it spicy?: Not unless you pile on the chiles. Kids often demolish this without even blinking.
Fish sauce smells weird in the bottle, is that right?: Yeah, it’s a punch in the nose, but once it’s in the soup, you’ll see—tastes nothing like it smells!
Can I make this on the stovetop?: Sure thing, just simmer the chicken and aromatics for about an hour. Just keep an eye on it and maybe check TikTok less than I usually do.

So, that’s my slightly rambling, usually successful way to make a big bowl of Instant Pot Chicken Pho. Honestly, try it next chilly night when you need a little soup hug.

Instant Pot Chicken Pho