This Vietnamese-inspired Chicken Pho is everything you love about pho but with some shortcuts to make it possible any night of the week! Rice noodles and aromatics are loaded into a bowl with flavorful broth and savory grilled chicken. The grilled chicken adds so much savory flavor and makes excellent leftovers.
By jazzing up store-bought chicken broth, we’re able to save TONS of time. Pho normally takes hours to make, but this easy recipe is ready in just 90 minutes!
“Made this tonight and was completely shocked at how easy it was to follow and how tasty it was. I will be having this again and look forward to trying so many more recipes on this site!” – Hannah, So Much Food reader
Table of contents
This Homemade Chicken Pho Ticks All the Boxes
Pho (pronounced fuh) is an extremely popular and historic dish of Vietnam that’s typically made with meat that cooks in a flavorful broth with rice noodles and topped with a variety of fresh herbs. While most bowls of pho that you find in Vietnamese restaurants usually feature beef — beef brisket, thinly shaved rare beef, beef meatballs, and perhaps even tripe — you may also see chicken pho on the menu.
Now, I LOVE my beef short rib pho recipe, but it takes 3+ hours to prepare and I don’t usually have that kind of time on busy weeknights. Enter: this quick(er) chicken pho with a semi-homemade broth that will warm you from the inside out.
To save us some time, we’re jazzing up store-bought chicken broth with roasted chicken wings and tons of aromatics and spices. An hour of simmering later and you’ve got broth that tastes nothing like the boring store bought stuff!
Note: This recipe is not authentic. I am not Vietnamese and have no cultural background in Vietnamese cooking. When I set out to create this recipe, I simply wanted to make a recipe with flavors that paid homage to the original. If you’re looking for an authentic chicken pho recipe, check out this recipe from Becca at Cooking Therapy.
Jenny’s Tips for Making the Best Pho
For maximum savory flavor, grill your chicken. I went to a Pho restaurant here in San Antonio and they offered the option of having grilled pork or chicken on top. I was blown away by the savoriness that the grilled meat lent to the soup. By all means, you can opt for chicken to simmer in the soup, but the grilled chicken is SO good.
Using the right noodles (bánh pho) is essential to great pho. At your local Asian or Vietnamese market, look for flat, thin, rice noodles. They are flat in shape, white in color, and smooth, soft, slippery and very slightly chewy in texture. They’re usually labeled as bánh pho, or pho noodles. You can also find them on Amazon here. I’m always going to encourage you to visit your local Asian market before turning to Amazon.
Pile on the toppings! Whenever you dine out at a pho or Vietnamese restaurant, you’re presented with a plate piled high with bean sprouts, jalapeños or chilies, fresh herbs, and limes. You can also season your broth with the hoisin and sriracha usually found at the table. It’s a fun an interactive dish, and I always keep this element when I serve chicken broth pho at home.
Tools You’ll Need
Key Ingredients
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities, and method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Chicken. I love grilled chicken thighs, so that’s what I used here. You can also use chicken breast, or fully cooked rotisserie chicken for a shortcut.
- Chicken broth. We’re jazzing up store bought broth, but I would still opt for quality chicken broth.
- Chicken wings. Simmering chicken wings in the store bought broth will take it to homemade level in an instant. Wings are my favorite budget-friendly option for making my own chicken stock. They’re widely available and have a great meat-to-bone ratio.
- Aromatics. The broth is all about aromatics, so we’re using white onion and fresh ginger, which we’ll char before adding to the broth.
- Spices. Cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, and star anise give our chicken pho broth its hallmark flavor.
- Fish sauce. Fish sauce is a staple ingredient in Vietnamese cooking and adds rich savoriness to the broth. Don’t skip this ingredient! Fish sauce adds umami and in the broth does not taste fishy.
- Rice Noodles. Look for bánh pho noodles at your local Asian market, or in the Asian aisle at most well-stocked grocery stores.
- Hoisin and Sriracha. I always serve hoisin and sriracha on the side so I can season the broth to taste, just like in a Vietnamese restaurant.
- Toppings. The best part! I love topping my bowl with Thai basil, cilantro, bean sprouts, sliced jalapeño, and limes.
Jenny’s Tip: You can find all these ingredients at your local Asian or Vietnamese market. I encourage you to visit and patronize local businesses before buying ingredients on Amazon.
How to Make Chicken Pho in About 90 Minutes
- Roast the chicken wings. Roasting the wings before adding them to the broth adds another layer of flavor to dress up the store bought chicken broth. Toss the wings with a bit of oil, salt, and pepper, and lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Roast at 425ºF for 20 minutes.
- Char the aromatics. While the wings are roasting, heat a cast iron over medium heat and add just a little bit of oil. Add the onion, cut side down with the ginger slices and cook them until they’re a bit charred all over. Again, it’s all about layering flavors here!
- Make the pho broth. Combine the roasted wings, aromatics, spices, and chicken broth in a large stock pot. Bring to a simmer, skimming away any foam. Simmer at a gentle boil for at least an hour (the longer the better!), and remove from the heat.
- Strain the broth. I like to strain it into a smaller pot, then I return the broth to the stove and season it with a little sugar, fish sauce, and salt or msg.
- Marinate and grill the chicken thighs. The chicken is tossed with a little hoisin sauce, soy sauce, garlic and ginger and left to soak up all that flavor before being grilled. You can use an outdoor grill if you have one, or keep this a stovetop-friendly recipe by using a grill pan.
- Assemble your pho. After cooking the noodles, divide them between your bowls and top with some thinly sliced white onion, green onion, chopped cilantro, and jalapeño slices. Add the sliced grilled chicken on top, then ladle the hot pho broth over top. Don’t forget to add more herbs, bean sprouts, and lime on top before digging in!
Jenny’s Tip: Let the noodles sit in the hot broth for about 5 minutes before eating. This gives them time to soak up some of its umami flavor and makes for a more delicious bowl of pho.
Make-Ahead Instructions
The broth and chicken freeze wonderfully, and I love having a stash in my freezer so I can make chicken pho whenever the craving hits.
To freeze Pho broth, cool the broth to room temperature and store in an airtight container. I love using these quart-size deli containers. It’s a holdover from my restaurant days and they are so great for storing food in. They’re perfect for freezing broth. Label and freeze for up to 6 months.
In the fridge, the chicken broth is good for about a week. ALWAYS store your broth and noodles separately. The noodles will get waterlogged and it’s not a great texture. If you have leftover noodles, toss them with a little oil and store in a ziplock bag in the fridge for up to 3 days. I usually prefer to make noodles fresh every time, so I tend to only make as much as I’ll need.
The grilled chicken will hold in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Just reheat in the microwave before using. You can also freeze the cooked (or uncooked chicken in the marinade) chicken. Store in a freezer-safe ziplock bag, pressing as much of the air as possible out. Freeze for up to 3 months.
If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Vietnamese-Inspired Dinners You’ll Love
- Beef Short Rib Pho
- Spring Roll Bowls
- Banh Mi Hot Dogs
- 30-Minute Chicken Vermicelli Bowls
- Grilled Pork Banh Mi Sandwiches
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Quick Chicken Pho Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken Pho Broth
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups water
- 1 lb whole chicken wings
- 1 white onion, cut in half
- 2 inches fresh ginger, cut into slices
- 4 whole star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup fish sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
Grilled Chicken
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons hoisin
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
For Serving
- 1 lb Pho rice noodles
- 1/2 white onion, very thinly sliced
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup chopped cilantro leaves
- 1 bunch Thai basil leaves
- 1 jalapeño, sliced
- 2 cups fresh bean sprouts
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
- hoisin sauce
- sriracha
Instructions
Grill the Chicken Thighs
- Marinate the chicken thighs. In a large mixing bowl, toss the chicken with the soy sauce, hoisin, ginger, and garlic. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. You can do this ahead of time and marinate the chicken in the fridge for 8 hours, up to 24.
- Grill the chicken thighs. Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium heat. Add a little bit of neutral oil and grill the chicken until cooked through to 165ºF. Rest the chicken for 10 minutes and then slice before serving.
Make the Pho Broth
- Preheat an oven to 425ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roast the chicken wings. In a large bowl, toss the wings with a little oil, salt, and pepper. Lay the wings on the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.
- Char the aromatics. While the wings roast, heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add a little oil. Char the onion, cut side down, with the ginger until both are charred. Remove from the heat.
- Simmer the broth for 1 hour. Add the wings, charred onion, charred ginger, cinnamon, anise, and coriander to a large stock pot. Add the chicken broth and water. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, skimming away any foam or scum that rises to the surface. Simmer at a gentle rolling boil for 1 hour.
- Strain and season. After an hour, strain the broth through a mesh strainer into a smaller pot and return to the stove. Season to taste with fish sauce, sugar, and salt or msg. Keep the broth hot.
Garnish and Serve
- Cook the noodles according to package instructions and drain. Divide them among bowls and top with thinly sliced onion, sliced scallions, cilantro, jalapeño, and sliced grilled chicken. Ladle the broth on top and serve with bean sprouts, Thai basil, limes, hoisin, and sriracha.
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Rate & Review This Recipe
Made this tonight and was completely shocked at how easy it was to follow and how tasty it was. I will be having this again and look forward to trying so many more recipes on this site!
Hello! Would it change the recipe or taste If I used chicken breast instead of wings???
I would use bone-in if possible. The reason I like using wings is because the bone gives the broth more flavor and they’re inexpensive. You can use breast though.