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Pho Ga Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup

Bowl of Pho Ga Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup with clear golden broth, rice noodles, and fresh herbs
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Light yet flavorful Vietnamese chicken noodle soup with clear golden broth, tender chicken, and aromatic spices. Traditional Hanoi-style recipe with stovetop and pressure cooker methods.

Ingredients

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  • 1 whole chicken (about 3–3.5 lbs, note: 4+ lb chickens need 5–7 minutes extra cooking time)
  • 3 thumb-sized pieces of ginger (peeled and sliced in half vertically)
  • 5 large shallots (peeled)
  • 1 small piece of cassia bark or 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2–3 star anises
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds (or 3–4 cloves, added in final 20–30 minutes only)
  • 1 black cardamom pod (cracked open)
  • 2 teaspoons salt (plus more to parboil the chicken)
  • 2–3 tablespoons fish sauce (add only at the end)
  • 9 cups water (yields about 6–7 cups finished broth)
  • Pho rice noodles (fresh or dried)
  • Scallions
  • Half an onion (sliced very thinly)
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • Birds-eye chili pepper (sliced)
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil, add salt and chicken. Boil for 1 minute, then remove chicken and discard liquid. This removes impurities and ensures crystal-clear broth.
  2. Dry roast ginger and shallots in a pan over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until fragrant and lightly charred with brown spots. Set aside.
  3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add cassia bark, star anises, coriander seeds, and black cardamom. Toast for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Watch carefully to prevent burning. Place in spice pouch or tie in cheesecloth. If using cloves instead of coriander, set aside to add later.
  4. Place parboiled chicken in clean pot with ginger, shallots, spice pouch (without cloves if substituting), 2 teaspoons salt, and 9 cups water. Bring to boil, skim foam thoroughly, then lower to gentle simmer with small bubbles occasionally breaking surface.
  5. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until chicken reaches 165°F internal temperature or juices run clear when pierced. Meat should feel firm but give slightly when pressed.
  6. Immediately place chicken in ice water bath to stop cooking. After 3-5 minutes when cool enough to handle, separate meat from bones and return all bones to pot.
  7. Continue simmering broth with bones for 60-80 minutes until flavors concentrate and broth turns deep golden. If using cloves, add them for final 20-30 minutes only. Skim any foam that rises.
  8. Before serving, taste broth. Start with 2 tablespoons fish sauce, stir well, taste, then add remaining tablespoon if needed for saltiness and depth.
  9. Cook pho rice noodles according to package directions (usually 5-7 minutes for dried, 1-2 for fresh). Drain and rinse with cold water. Shred or slice chicken into bite-sized pieces.
  10. Divide noodles among bowls. Top with chicken, sliced scallions, thin onion slices, and about 5-6 turns of cracked black pepper per bowl.
  11. Bring broth to rolling boil and immediately ladle over noodles and chicken, filling bowls three-quarters full. Hot broth will cook raw onions. Serve immediately with chili slices and lime wedges for customization.
  12. For pressure cooker: Use 6 cups water, pressure cook chicken on High for 3-4 minutes (3 min for under 3.5 lbs, 4 min for 3.5 lbs and above), manually release. After removing chicken and bones, add remaining aromatics and spices, pressure cook 25-35 minutes on High, natural release (takes 10-15 minutes). Can add up to 2 cups boiling water to reach 6-7 cups total.

Notes

  • Use shallots instead of onions, especially for pressure cooker, as onions create unpleasant sulfuric taste during pressure cooking.
  • Add fish sauce only at the end, never during simmering, to prevent sourness from prolonged heat.
  • Parboiling chicken is essential for crystal-clear broth. Never skip this step.
  • If using cloves instead of coriander seeds, use only 3-4 cloves and add during final 20-30 minutes only to prevent bitter, medicinal taste.
  • Total time: Stovetop method takes about 2 hours (30 min prep, 90 min cooking). Pressure cooker method takes about 1 hour (30 min prep, 30 min cooking).
  • Always cool broth quickly before refrigerating. Divide into smaller containers. Never leave at room temperature more than 2 hours.
  • Broth tastes better the next day as flavors continue to develop.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.benefitiany.com/pho-ga-vietnamese-chicken-noodle-soup/