This is a from-scratch beef pho made with a mix of bones — oxtail, marrow, and whatever else you have in the freezer — plus a quart of chicken broth to round things out. The broth simmers for two and a half hours, mostly unattended, and the result is noticeably deeper than anything from a carton. If you have the afternoon, this is worth it.
The short version of why this works
Two steps do most of the work. First, broiling the onions and ginger until they’re properly blackened — not just browned — gives the broth its characteristic smoky-sweet depth. Second, keeping the heat at a bare simmer once the bones go in. A rolling boil agitates the fat and proteins into the liquid and turns the broth cloudy and greasy. Low and slow keeps it clear and clean-tasting. Everything else is seasoning.
Shopping notes
- Beef bones: Oxtail and marrow bones are the best combination here. Oxtail adds body and richness; marrow bones add fat and flavor. Ask your butcher — they’re often cheaper than you’d expect and sometimes sold frozen.
- Yellow rock sugar: Found at most Asian grocery stores, usually near the tea. It dissolves slowly and gives the broth a mild, clean sweetness without the slight molasses edge of brown sugar. Brown sugar works fine as a substitute.
- Banh Pho noodles: Look for flat dried rice noodles labeled ¼-inch or 5mm wide. Vermicelli is too thin; pad thai noodles are usually too wide. Asian grocery stores carry them reliably; larger supermarkets are hit or miss.
- Fish sauce: Don’t skip it or reduce it — it’s doing the salt work in this broth. Any brand is fine.
- Hoisin sauce: Contains wheat, so the recipe is not gluten-free if you use it. Tamari-based hoisin exists but is harder to find; just leave it off if gluten is a concern.
Make-ahead notes
The broth is the only part worth making ahead, and it keeps well. Refrigerate it for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months — freeze in quart containers so you can thaw only what you need. Before reheating, skim the solidified fat layer off the top (this is easier to do cold than hot). Bring the broth to a full boil before ladling it over the noodles and raw beef; a full boil is necessary to cook the beef slices safely. Noodles and garnishes should always be prepared fresh the day you’re serving.
Common problems and fixes
- Broth is cloudy: The heat was too high at some point. It won’t affect the flavor much, but next time keep it at a gentle simmer — just a few bubbles breaking the surface. You can also strain the finished broth through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a paper towel to clear it up somewhat.
- Broth tastes flat or thin: Add fish sauce a teaspoon at a time before adding salt — fish sauce builds savory depth in a way that plain salt doesn’t. A small extra piece of charred ginger stirred in during the last 30 minutes also helps.
- Beef slices aren’t cooking through: The broth wasn’t hot enough when ladled. It needs to be at a full, rolling boil straight from the pot — not just hot. Pour it over the beef immediately and don’t let it sit before serving.
- Noodles are gummy or clumped: They were soaked too long or sat in water after draining. Soak until just pliable, drain well, and use them right away. If they’ve clumped, rinse briefly under hot water and separate with tongs before adding to the bowl.
- Spice bundle fell apart in the broth: Skip the cheesecloth entirely — use a fine-mesh sieve to strain the finished broth instead. It catches everything in one pass and saves you the fuss of wrapping. That’s the one step where less equipment actually works better.
Homemade Pho Recipe (Rich Bone Broth)
Ingredients
Broth Ingredients
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 5 quarts water
- 1 pound chicken bones and giblets
- 1 medium pork shoulder bone
- 5 pounds beef bones oxtail, marrow, etc.
- 2 large onions halved
- 4 oz fresh ginger unpeeled
- 5 whole star anise
- 6 whole cloves
- 5 pieces cardamom pods
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 3 inch cinnamon stick
- 1½ tablespoons kosher salt adjust to taste
- 4 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 ounce yellow rock sugar or 1 tbsp brown sugar
Pho Ingredients
- 14 ounces Banh Pho flat rice noodles dried, flat (¼-inch / 5mm)
- 1 pound flank steak sliced as thinly as possible against the grain
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves loosely packed
- ½ cup cilantro (coriander) roughly chopped
- ½ cup mung bean sprouts
- 2 medium limes cut into wedges
- 1 whole chilli pepper sliced
- to serve hoisin sauce
- to serve sriracha
Instructions
- Set your oven to broil on high (500°F / 260°C or your oven's maximum broil setting). Slice the onions in half and add them on a sheet tray with the ginger. Broil everything for 5 to 10 minutes, or until skins are blackened. Remove skins and discard.
- Place the charred onions, ginger, star anise, cloves, cardamom pods, coriander seeds, and cinnamon stick on a large piece of cheesecloth and tie into a spice bundle. Add the chicken bones, giblets, pork shoulder bone, and beef bones directly into a large stockpot alongside the spice bundle.
- Place the bundle in a large stockpot and cover with chicken broth, water, kosher salt, fish sauce, and yellow rock sugar and set to high heat.
- When the mixture reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low so the broth maintains a gentle simmer (small bubbles breaking the surface, not a rolling boil). Simmer uncovered for 2 hours 30 minutes, skimming off any impurities and fat that float to the top along the way.
- In a separate large heatproof bowl, cover the banh pho noodles with boiling water and allow to sit for 1 to 3 minutes, or until they’re al dente and flexible. Drain the noodles and rinse briefly under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
- Arrange a platter with cilantro, Thai basil, mung bean sprouts, lime wedges, sliced chilli pepper, hoisin sauce, and sriracha.
- When the 2 hours 30 minutes is up, carefully remove the cheesecloth bundle from the broth and place it in a large bowl to cool down until it can be discarded. Leave the broth to simmer gently.
- In a bowl, place noodles and slices of raw beef on top to your desired volume of each.
- Bring the broth back to a rolling boil. Ladle the boiling pho broth over the beef and noodles — the direct contact with boiling liquid will cook the thin slices of beef within 30–60 seconds to a perfect medium-rare.
- Taste the broth first before adding anything, and then add any of the prepared garnishes and sauces that you desire to tweak the broth’s flavour to your preference.
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Can I use store-bought broth instead of making it from scratch?
You can, but the result will be significantly thinner and less complex. If you go that route, use a good-quality beef bone broth as the base and add the charred onion, ginger, and toasted spices — even 45 minutes of simmering with aromatics will improve a store-bought broth considerably.
Is it safe to put raw beef straight into the bowl?
Yes, as long as the broth is at a full rolling boil when you ladle it over the beef. The heat of the broth cooks the thin slices through almost instantly. Slicing the beef as thinly as possible — ideally partially frozen to make slicing easier — is what makes this work.
Can I make this with only beef bones, without chicken or pork?
Absolutely — traditional pho bo uses only beef bones. The chicken broth and pork bone in this recipe add extra richness and body, but a pure beef version is completely authentic and still excellent. Just use 6 pounds of mixed beef bones total.
My grocery store doesn’t have flank steak. What else works?
Eye of round or sirloin are the most common substitutes — both slice thinly and cook quickly in the hot broth. Avoid anything too fatty or thick-cut, since the beef needs to cook through from the broth heat alone.
Do I need to blanch the bones before simmering?
It’s worth doing if you want a very clean, clear broth. Cover the bones in cold water, bring to a boil for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse before adding them to the pot. It removes impurities that would otherwise cloud the broth and create foam you’d have to skim repeatedly.
How do I store and reheat leftover assembled pho?
Don’t store assembled bowls — the noodles absorb the broth and turn soft. Store the broth separately and keep any leftover cooked noodles in a sealed container with a splash of oil to prevent sticking. Reheat the broth to a full boil, then assemble fresh bowls.
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