Home‑Style Beef Phở in the Pressure Cooker
A warm, homey, traditional beef phở broth made faster with the pressure cooker and a clean shortcut method: dry‑roasting the onion, ginger, and spices directly in a skillet. This technique delivers deep, nostalgic flavor without turning on the oven. Perfect for weeknight phở that still tastes like it simmered all day.
Equipment
- Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
- Large skillet
- Tongs
- Fine mesh strainer
Ingredients
Broth Base
- 2 lbs beef bones mix of marrow + knuckle or neck bones
- 1 large yellow onion halved
- 1 large piece ginger 3–4 inches, halved lengthwise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 whole star anise
- 4 cloves
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp fish sauce to start; adjust later
- 1 tbsp sugar or small piece of rock sugar
- 1 tsp salt to start; adjust later
- 8 cups water
For Serving
- Thinly sliced raw beef eye round or sirloin
- Cooked rice noodles
- Thinly sliced onion
- Green onions
- Cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Bean sprouts
- Jalapeño optional
- Hoisin + sriracha optional
Instructions
- Dry‑roast the aromatics: Heat a dry skillet over medium‑high. Place onion and ginger cut‑side down and cook until deeply browned and fragrant. Flip once to lightly toast the other side.
- Toast the spices: In the same skillet, add cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and coriander seeds. Toast 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
- Optional: Blanch the bones for a cleaner broth:
- Cover bones with water in a pot. Boil 5 minutes, then drain and rinse. Skip this step for the fastest version — broth will still be delicious.
- Build the broth: Add bones, dry‑roasted onion, dry‑roasted ginger, toasted spices, fish sauce, sugar, salt, and water to the pressure cooker.
- Pressure cook: Cook on High Pressure for 45 minutes, then allow natural release (15–20 minutes).
- Strain: Remove bones, aromatics, and spices. Strain broth through a fine mesh strainer for clarity.
- Season to finish: Taste and adjust with more fish sauce, salt, or sugar. Traditional phở broth is balanced and gentle — final seasoning happens in the bowl.
- Assemble bowls: Add cooked noodles to bowls. Top with thinly sliced raw beef, onions, green onions, and cilantro. Ladle hot broth over the beef to cook it.
- Serve: Add lime, sprouts, jalapeño, and sauces to taste.
Notes
- Natural release keeps the broth clear and full‑bodied.
- Dry‑roasting is a classic Vietnamese shortcut — fast, fragrant, and low‑mess.
- A mix of bones gives the best depth: marrow for richness, knuckle for body.
- Freeze broth in portions for quick weeknight phở anytime.