This is a quick, easy and VERY tasty recipe for chicken pho made with leftover roasted chicken. Ready in 20 minutes, this full-flavored chicken pho recipe delivers the savory promise of a slow cooked broth in about 20 minutes – the best!
I’m a little crazy for pho.
Yep – it’s just one of those Asian soup recipes I fall head over heels for in pretty much any form I find it in.
The only drawback arises when I’m totally craving pho, but am also pressed for time. Sure, I could order out and get delicious Vietnamese soup delivered to my doorstep. But Seamless already gets enough of my money 🙂
Luckily, I have a total all-pro hack for an easy chicken pho recipe that will deliver the full-flavored, savory promise of a slow cooked broth in about 20 minutes.
Seriously, this is a fun one!
But first, what is pho?
Pho is a Vietnamese soup made up of rice noodles, herbs and a savory broth made from aromatics like charred onion, ginger, star anise, fennel seed, cinnamon and simmered beef bones.
While there are a ton of regional variations from recipe to recipe in Vietnam, the one nearly constant factor is that, in Vietnam at least, pho is breakfast food.
Wait… what?
Yep – pho is traditionally eaten in the morning. It’s the perfect balance of filling yet light. Great if you’re headed in to work and need fuel for your body – but don’t want to be weighed down by a heavy meal.
In the West, we tend to eat it for lunch or dinner. Different strokes, right?
So is pho Vietnamese chicken noodle soup?
Not exactly. You see pho is the composed dish. And it can be served in a number of ways. Most usually, it is served with multiple cuts of beef and offal. It is wonderful with thinly sliced rare beef.
Btw… if you’re looking for a simple and delicious beef pho recipe (phở bò), check this out 🙂
So then, chicken pho (aka: pho ga – orphở gà) is Vietnamese noodle soup with served with chicken instead of beef, right?
Yep!
And, while that’s an oversimplification of a very layered and dense foodie topic, we’re here to cook, right?! So let’s get to it!
So here’s the big reveal for my super easy chicken pho recipe
The set up: The night before last, I served a roast chicken (one of those pre-cooked rotisserie deals they sell at the supermarket) with lentils, roasted veggies and a big bowl of gravy.
You see, I was born in Montreal – so I need a chicken and gravy fix as often as possible,hehe! But I digress…
The dilemma: Buying a roast chicken for two means there are definitely going to be leftovers the next day.
And that got me thinking…
One of the best and tastiest ways to serve leftover chicken is by making chicken noodle soup. Classic Americanchicken soup is comforting and delicious.
Why couldn’t the same rules apply for Vietnamese chicken pho!? I mean, the roast chicken should theoretically impart deep, smoky flavor to a broth in a super short amount of time.
The solution: So, I decided to try my theory – and, let me tell you, it did not disappoint!
Into the stockpot, that roast chicken went!
I am not exaggerating when I say this chicken pho recipeis absolutely TO DIE FOR.
In fact, this homemade pho is one of my favorite new quick chicken recipes. Perfect for those times you just need a dose of comforting, rich flavor, but don’t have enough time for said flavors to develop in the normal time frame.
How to make pho
As mentioned, this version differs quite a bit from a traditional pho soup recipe.
In Vietnam, you’ll see complex, time honored and close guarded broth recipes, handed down through the generations being prepared.
So, keeping in mind that this is a departure from the norm, let’s see how we can go about making this super quick chicken pho recipe in 20 minutes. Perfectfor busy work and school nights!
In keeping with the quick and easy theme of this chicken pho recipe, I am using store bought low sodium chicken stock. However I highly recommend making the broth yourself if you’re so inclined. It delivers an even more chicken-y taste!
Simply add a quart of chicken broth and around two tablespoons of thinly sliced ginger to a pot – and bring to a boil.
Shred your leftover rotisserie chicken with your fingers (or two forks). Add it to the boiling stock, along with a couple tablespoons of fish sauce. Cover and simmer that savory, bubbling goodness for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare your rice noodles according to the instructions on the package.
Once the soup and noodles are ready, just assemble your bowls: noodles, herbs like cilantro, basil and mint – and a heavy splash of broth.
Finally, just add a little fish sauce, julienned ginger strips and chiles to taste.
You totally have a bowl of savory Asian street foodon the table, without even leaving your doorstep!
What are the best pho noodles?
Most times, you’ll find pho served with rice noodles – sometimes referred to as rice stick noodles.
Most brands of Asian rice noodles will call for you to prepare them simply by soaking in hot water and draining – although some brands will call for a full boil. Read the package!
And, while some rice noodles come in thicker varieties, pho is usually served with noodles that are vermicelli thin.
An easy chicken pho recipe you can add your own mark to
Cooking should be a fun and carefree experience. Give yourself license to play around with different techniques and ingredients.
Obviously, the more you play, the more familiar you’ll become with making the things you’ll LOVE to eat.
The measurements for this easy chicken pho recipeare arbitrary. You can add more or less chicken – or noodles for that matter – depending on whether you want the soup to be an appetizer or a main.
Even the type of noodles and sides are optional; my husband loves using ramen noodles with a squirt of sriracha.I gravitate towards rice noodles and a squeeze of lime.
What makes this chicken pho recipetaste so darn good is the use of roasted chicken meat instead of regular boneless chicken breasts. The broth seriously tastes like it’s been simmering in a barbecue pit; intense and smoky!
That said, if you’re a vegetarian you can easily make this vegetarian pho broth recipe and use it in your own homemade pho creations.
It’s your world. Savor it!
I like pairing this chicken pho recipewith a lightspicy Thai mango apple salador some quickvegetable maki rolls.The recipe for this easy chicken phomakes enough for four appetizer size bowls or two mains.
Other yummy Asian recipes:
Vietnamese beef meatballs
Moo goo gai pan
Baked general tso chicken
Bihon pancit
Chicken egg foo young
Singapore chow mei fun
Did you like thisEasy Chicken PhoRecipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share?Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
This is a quick, easy and VERY tasty recipe for chicken pho made with leftover roasted chicken.
Ingredients
Scale
1 quart low sodium chicken stock
2 tablespoons ginger (cut into thin strips)
2 cups roasted chicken (shredded or roughly chopped)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 cup cilantro (finely chopped)
1 jalapeno (thinly sliced)
6 ounce rice noodles, dry
lime wedges
Instructions
In a medium pot over high heat, add broth and ginger and bring to a boil.
Shred the roast chicken using your fingers and add to the broth. Add fish sauce, lower heat and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Bring a pot of water to boil and turn the heat off. Add rice noodles and let soak for 6-10 minutes or follow instructions on the package. Strain and set aside.
Put your bowl of soup together by adding noodles and topping with jalapeno and cilantro.
Serve chicken pho recipe with lime wedge and white pepper.
Notes
This Easy Chicken Pho Recipe Is:
Very low in sugar High in manganese High in niacin High in selenium
Nutrition
Serving Size:
Calories:439
Sugar:1.9 g
Sodium:3000.2 mg
Fat:1.6 g
Saturated Fat:0.6 g
Carbohydrates:74.1 g
Fiber:1.8 g
Protein:27.8 g
Cholesterol:48 mg
Keywords: recipe, main, noodle soup, chicken noodle soup, Asian
Pho is nutritious and is high in protein, but does have high sodium and calories. It may help reduce inflammation and improve joint health. Pho (pronounced “fuh”) is a hearty Vietnamese soup usually made with a meaty broth, rice noodles, various herbs, and either beef, chicken, or tofu.
Broth - the soul of Pho. Beef bones play a crucial role in influencing the quality of the broth. Combined with spices such as ginger, charred onions, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and coriander seeds, the broth gains a distinct aroma.
Pho restaurants offer a variety of options for your choice of meat, so this flexibility works in the favor of health-conscious diners. Chicken pho generally has the least fat and is a good source of lean protein. If you're just here for the beef, round cuts are the leanest, followed by brisket and flank.
The one thing to be extra conscientious with pho is that it's very high in sodium, which can cause increased blood pressure and contribute to cardiovascular issues. 1 (Some bowls have more than 1,000 mg, which is practically the entire allotment of recommended sodium intake for the day.)
Pho is highly nutritious, and it is suitable for strengthening your joints. You can slurp the bone marrow from the meat broth for good joint health. It lessens the joints' pain and adds a good amount of protein to your body.
Experts also suggest that if pho is used for breakfast, then you should avoid salt for the rest of the day. To avoid imbalanced nutrition, you should not eat pho too often, and you should switch up diet with other food products. Any food, no matter how good it is, won't be good for your body if consumed too much.
Pho is very nutritious. From its ingredients, it's been shown to reduce inflammation and improve joint health. If you suffer from something like chronic pain or arthritis, you may want to entertain the idea of enjoying more pho. The broth particularly can be very anti-inflammation.
Ramen is always going to naturally be higher in calories though and there isn't much to do to bring that down. Vietnamese pho is designed to be filling but also low in calories so for pho lovers, that's a win. Carb-wise, pho contains roughly 45g of carbs per bowl compared to ramen which has approx. 60g of carbs.
Pho is a traditional Vietnamese dish that consists of a flavorful broth, rice noodles, meat (usually beef or chicken), and various herbs and spices. While many people in Vietnam do drink the soup after eating pho, it is not a universal practice.
Are you supposed to drink the broth in pho? Yes! The broth is the show's star in pho, giving the soup its unique flavor. The key is to savor each spoonful, so you can appreciate the complexity of flavors that make up this delicious dish.
One very important note for restaurant pho is that the tendons are never cooked/simmer together in the pho broth. Tendons are always cooked separately in restaurant environment. If we cook tendons together in the broth, then the collagen will come out as gelatin, making the broth murky and turning it into aspic.
Even though Vietnamese people do not eat Pho everyday, this is the favorite breakfast of many people every morning. Many people prefer to eat pho in the morning rather than other foods such as rice and bread.
It is typically eaten as a meal and is often enjoyed as a breakfast food in Vietnam. There is no specific recommendation for how often you can eat pho broth, as it depends on a variety of factors, including your overall diet, your nutritional needs, and your health goals.
Outside of the meat, the basic flavors of pho are pretty simple: charred onions and ginger (or a bit of sweetness, smoky depth, and pungency), star anise, cinnamon, cloves, and occasionally other spices (for aroma), fish sauce (for salt and its savory umami qualities), sugar (for sweetness, duh), and a slew of stir-in ...
Black cardamom, a seedpod about the size of an olive pit, gives pho its savory depth. The spice smells of menthol and smoke, and it imparts a surprisingly earthy aroma. Another pho signature spice, star anise, is a brown eight-pointed pod that lends a hint of licorice to the broth.
Star anise, cloves, and cinnamon are the aromatic trinity in traditional pho stock. Try adding a few whole spices to the store-bought stuff, along with fresh ginger and a glug of fish sauce.
What makes Vietnamese Pho soup so unique in flavor? VP is chock full of spices, other aromatics, and features a richly developed broth. The depth of broth development is the canvas the whole dish is created on. Several spices, and at least one herb, give it a unique flavor.
Introduction: My name is Stevie Stamm, I am a colorful, sparkling, splendid, vast, open, hilarious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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