Easy chicken pho
A fragrant, gingery broth ladled over rice noodles and tender chicken, then piled with herbs, bean sprouts, lime and chile the way you like it.
- 60 min total
- 35 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 4
- About $4.51 a serving
- 440 calories
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Read the steps once before you start. Everything goes smoother after that.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 yellow onion, halved
- 2 oz fresh ginger, about a 3-inch piece, sliced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- ½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 lb chicken breasts
- 8 oz rice noodles, flat
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- 1 package fresh basil, leaves picked
- ½ cup cilantro, leaves
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce (optional)
- 2 tsp sriracha (optional)
From your pantry
- 2 cups water
- 2 tsp sugar
Each serving has about 440 calories, 35 g protein, 64 g carbs and 5 g fat, and costs about $4.51 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No chicken broth? Vegetable broth or bone broth works.
- No chicken breasts? Boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins work.
- No cilantro? Fresh parsley works.
- No limes? Lemons work.
- No sriracha? Hot sauce works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the onion without it and the ginger into thick coins.
Halve. Halving means cutting something into two equal pieces. Even halves cook at the same speed, so one doesn’t dry out while the other finishes.
How you’ll know: The two pieces look like mirror images of each other.
Peel. Peeling means removing the skin with a vegetable peeler or a small knife. It takes off tough or bitter skins, though potato and carrot skins are fine to leave on unless the recipe insists.
How you’ll know: The color underneath is even all over, with no patches of skin left behind.
Slice. Slicing means cutting food into flat pieces of about the same thickness. Even slices cook evenly, so none are raw while others burn.
How you’ll know: Lay a few side by side: they’re close to the same thickness from one end to the other.
Set the onion and ginger cut side down in a dry large pot over medium-high heat and let them , without moving, for 5 minutes, until blackened underneath.
Char. Charring means cooking over very high heat until some spots turn black. Those dark spots add a smoky, slightly bitter flavor that balances sweet or rich food.
How you’ll know: You see black spots and blisters in places, while most of the surface keeps its own color.
Medium-high heatTimer: 5 min
Dolly’s tip: Yes, blackened. Charring is what gives pho broth its sweet, smoky depth.Pour in the broth and water, add the five-spice, fish sauce and sugar, and over high heat.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
Lay in the chicken, turn the heat to low and for 18 to 20 minutes, until the thickest part reads 165°F.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Low heatTimer: 19 min
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
While the broth simmers, soak the noodles in a bowl of very hot tap water for 8 to 10 minutes, until soft but still chewy, then .
Drain. Draining means pouring off liquid, like tipping pasta into a colander or spooning extra fat out of the pan. Pour hot grease into a can or jar, not the sink, where it hardens and clogs the pipes.
How you’ll know: Only a few drips are left, and the food isn’t sitting in a puddle.
Timer: 9 min
Lift the chicken out and slice it thinly. Scoop the onion and ginger out of the broth with a slotted spoon, then taste and add more fish sauce if it needs salt.
Set out the bean sprouts, basil, cilantro, lime wedges and jalapeño on a plate so everyone can add their own.
Divide the noodles and chicken among big bowls, ladle the -hot broth over, and top with herbs, sprouts, lime, and hoisin and sriracha if you like.
Boil. Boiling means heating a liquid until big bubbles rise and break all over the surface. It’s the fastest way to cook pasta, potatoes and eggs, because it’s as hot as water gets.
How you’ll know: Bubbles are breaking across the whole surface, not just at the edges, and steam is rising.
Dolly’s tip: The broth needs to be really hot when it hits the bowl. It warms the noodles and wilts the sprouts.Food safety: If you’re pregnant, or cooking for small children or older people, cook the bean sprouts until steaming hot or leave them out. Raw and lightly cooked sprouts carry a small risk that rinsing doesn’t remove.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
