This easy Slow Cooker Beef Pho simmers away all day, creating a flavorful broth that you and your family can enjoy on a cold day!
Well hello! It has been awhile. Mr. Briar and I just returned from our explorations of the East Coast, visiting New York, Vermont and Boston! If you were following along on Snapchat and Instagram, you saw that we loved each place, and certainly enjoyed all the delicious food and drinks that they had to offer. I have been thinking about incorporating some travel posts into Fox and Briar, so I will probably do a few posts about our trip, look for those soon!
Disclaimer: I partnered Fred Meyer for this recipe, however, my opinions, as always, are 100% my own. Integrity is important to me, and I only share brands and products that I think are awesome. Thank you for supporting Fox and Briar!
In the meantime, let’s talk about this Slow Cooker Beef Pho! Now that Fall is on the horizon, I am starting to think about comfort food, and nothing is more comforting than a big bowl of hot soup. I first discovered pho a few years ago, and it was one of my favorite things to eat on dark, rainy Oregon days. The rich broth, laced with spices, noodles and tender meat is everything you need. Plus you get to top it with all sorts of fun things like fresh herbs, lime juice, hoisin sauce and sriracha. Each person can customize the soup to their own specifications.
To make authentic Pho, you need to simmer bones for hours in a pot to get that rich broth. I decided to try my best to make a “faux pho”, keeping all the delicious flavors but making it a little simpler for people who have busy lives. I love using my slow cooker for things like this, because you can run it all day or even overnight without having to watch the stove. My slow cooker gets heavy usage in fall and winter, and it is just perfect for this recipe.
A few notes about this recipe. First, the noodles need to be kept separate from the soup. Just like in my Easy Chicken Ramen, the noodles will disintegrate if they are left in the soup for too long. It is better to prepare them separately and then let each person take as many noodles as they want, then cover in the broth. Second, don’t skip the additional toppings! Those are what make the soup, and if you ever get pho at a restaurant and don’t get extra toppings it would be an outrage! I love the fresh herbs and lime juice especially.
I used oxtail here instead of beef bones. The meat from them after simmering all day is incredible! Plus they lend lots of meaty flavor to the broth. In addition, you add extra slices of beef to the soup, and just cook it by pouring the hot broth over it. If this freaks you out, just add the meat slices to the soup a few minutes before serving and they will be cooked very quickly. The way I actually made this soup was after I cooked the broth all day in the slow cooker, I strained it and transferred it to a large bowl. I refrigerated it overnight and then all of the extra fat solidified at the top. I removed the top layer of solidified fat and then reheated the soup. It is the easiest way to remove the excess fat. But if you don’t want to take the extra time to do that, just use a skimmer to skim the excess fat from the top of the soup.
More Soup to keep you warm!
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Slow Cooker Beef Pho
Ingredients
- 2 pounds oxtail can also use short ribs, or a mix of both
- 1 pound top sirloin sliced very thin
- 8 cups beef broth
- 1 large onion peeled and cut in half
- 8 inch piece of ginger sliced lengthwise and sliced into about 8 pieces
- 3 carrots cut into a few large pieces
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 2 teaspoons whole coriander
- 3 cloves
- 1 cardamom pod
- 1 teaspoon fennel
- salt to taste
- rice noodles
Toppings:
- fresh herbs such as basil, cilantro, and mint
- lime slices
- hoisin sauce
- sriracha
- jalapeno slices
Instructions
- In a frying pan over medium heat, toast the cinnamon, star anise, cloves, coriander, fennel and cardamom until fragrant, stirring frequently and being careful not to burn. Add to the crock pot.
- In the same pan, add the ginger and onion with the cut sides down and cook until they start to become charred, about 10 minutes. Add to the crock pot.
- Add the carrots and oxtails (or short ribs) to the crock pot. Pour in beef stock and an additional one cup of water. Add the soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar.
- Cook on low for 8 hours.
- When done, remove meat and set aside. Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer to remove the solids. Skim fat off of the top or you can refrigerate and the fat will solidify on the top, making it very easy to remove.
- Remove the meat from the bone and add the meat back to the broth. Taste the broth and add salt or more fish sauce if needed.
- Cook the rice noodles according to package instructions, set aside.
- To prepare each bowl of soup, add a serving of rice noodles to the bowl and add slices of the sirloin steak. Pour the hot broth over the noodles and meat, which will cook the steak slices (if you don't want to do this, just add the steak slices to the hot broth a few minutes before serving to cook it)
- Serve with the additional toppings and allow each person to garnish the soup as they wish.
Notes
**The amount of salt you will add depends on how much is in the broth and also your tastes, so it is best to add it at the end if needed after tasting the broth.
***Usually the slices of raw steak ar added to the bowl and then the hot broth is poured over it to cook them. However if you are squeamish about that, add them to the broth a few minutes before serving to cook them (don't cook them too long or they will get tough)
Disclaimer: I partnered Fred Meyer for this recipe, however, my opinions, as always, are 100% my own. Integrity is important to me, and I only share brands and products that I think are awesome. Thank you for supporting Fox and Briar!
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Shelby says
Hi Meghan,
Just a quick question:
I found most of the spices at my local grocery store, but wasn’t able to find any star anise pods at all. Do you know of a similar swap for them for this recipe? Or will it be affected kind of badly without it? I am going to make this pho in the next day or 2, so please try to let me know. Thank you!
Meghan says
Hi Shelby – it does lend a specific flavor that can’t really be substituted. But I think the pho will still taste great without it. You can just leave it out.
Cris says
Most Asian supermarkets will have star anise.
George Smith says
It was absolutely delicious. Used the short ribs version and cooked it for 11 hours in the crockpot on low. Broth was superb and meat was so tender and tasty. Will try the next version with chicken or shrimp. Excellent recipe.
Meghan says
Yay, so glad you loved it!
Christopher Nguyen says
What size crock pot do you recommend?
Meghan says
Hi, I used a 6 quart!
Hannah says
Hi.
I want to try his recipe.
Do you think it would it work with just beef bones?
Then just add all the meat I want before serving.
Meghan says
Hi Hannah – I haven’t tried it myself but I think it would be fine!
Thea says
Tried this the other day and it was marvellous!
I just had to add a bit more salt, so good!
Meghan says
So happy to hear that! Thanks Thea!
Chezez says
Hi – I am wondering if it is necessary to blanch/boil the shortribs or oxtail prior to putting in the slow cooker? I know you have to with beef bones to get rid of the scum but i guess thats less of an issue using shortribs/oxtail?
Meghan says
Hi! I didn’t have to do that with this recipe. What I did instead was refrigerate the broth, then remove the fat that solidified at the top. That also took care of any scum there might have been, but there wasn’t a huge amount of it. Let me know if you give it a try!
Michelle says
I made this this weekend and it’s so good! And ridiculously easy! I used GF soy sauce, but otherwise followed the recipe pretty much exactly . It made plenty, so I gave some to my mum and she loved it too!
Will have to try your chicken ramen next!
Meghan says
Yay! So glad you made it and loved it! Thanks Michelle!
E. Priebe says
New to your blog. Made your chicken ramen and it was very, very good – and easy. Can’t help noticing though that almost all the comments on your recipies talk about how good they “look” and how they can’t “wait to try it”. The recipe I made was great – and you seem to have a very loyal group of friends that post – but it’s a little off-putting because all the posts sound like they are from friends or from… let’s say other than end user’s. It’s a beautiful blog, and you seem very talented. This is offered as constructive criticism…
Meghan says
H Eileen, thanks for the feedback! Unfortunately, very few people that try the recipe actually leave comments. I wish more of them did! Some of the people who leave comments are other bloggers. It’s pretty common in the blogging community to leave comments on other blogs. However, I don’t do much to encourage this as I understand that readers don’t find these helpful. I’m so glad you enjoyed the chicken ramen, and I hope you find some other recipes you enjoy just as much!
skinny cook says
I made this recipe today and it was spectacular! So delicious and EASY to prepare! The flavor is amazing and such a beautiful presentation. I am an outsider and in no way affiliated with this site. I’ll be back for more recipes!!
Amy says
Hi! Can I use pho spice package at the store to replace some of the ingredients?
Meghan says
Hi Amy, I can’t say how that would affect the taste as I’ve never tried them myself. Let us know if you give it a shot!
Datlene says
I want to make this dish but Can I skip the sliced beef ? It seems the beef from the ribs woukd be plenty?
Meghan says
Hi Darlene – it is really up to you and how much meat you want in the pho. I found that after the long cooking time, the oxtail meat was in tiny pieces and it didn’t seem like much meat. But you can try it and see what you think.
Karen says
i just tried this recipe, finding that I’m craving all. the. warm. things. this winter. I know this is not traditional “pho”, but I am on a grain free diet so after doing the slow cooker thing overnight, I added Trader joe’s red lentil pasta at the end and it cooked on its own perfectly, just within the heat of the pot. Right now the broth is Very rich, so I have it in the fridge so that top fat can harden. (have you ever re-used that fat for another purpose–just curious). Thanks!
Meghan says
Hi Karen – I’m so glad to hear that! I have never used the extra fat for another purpose – if you do, let us know how it goes!
Laura says
Sounds delish!! Just wondering if the ginger needs to be peeled and are the carrots really necessary? thanks!
Meghan says
Hi Laura – I did peel the ginger for this, but you could probably get away with not peeling it. As far as the carrots, I would recommend them. They add a sweetness and depth of flavor to the broth that you wouldn’t get without them. I hope you enjoy the pho!
Alaina @ A Not So Quiet Kitchen says
Everyone in my house LOVES pho but I’ve never actually made it before! I love that this is a quicker version! I seriously just want a huge bowl of this right now! I’m definitely saving this recipe for later, but not that much later 😉
Meghan says
I know, it seems so complicated to make, but this was so easy! I hope you guys love it!
Adina says
I don’t have a slow cooker but I have a huge pot of beef bone broth simmering on the stove top right now. I can imagine using some of that broth to make this, it sounds delicious and it is something I have never made before.
Meghan says
I think it would be easy to convert to stovetop Adina! Thanks so much!
Nicole @ Young, Broke and Hungry says
The reason why I never made Pho is because of the labor intensive step of making the broth, but doing it in a slow cooker is genius! I can’t wait to make this recipe.
Meghan says
Thanks Nicole! Yes, the slow cooker makes it so much easier!
Christine | Mid-Life Croissant says
I have never had pho! But that silky, meaty broth sounds soooo satisying. Having a soup simmering away on a cool Fall day is pretty much my idea of life inside a Norman Rockwell painting. Can’t wait to try this.
Meghan says
Christine, I can’t believe you have never had pho! You must have some immediately!
Jess @ Sweetest Menu says
Ooh sounds like you had a wonderful holiday! I just love New York and Boston – magical parts of the world! Meanwhile I am drooling over this pho and LOVE that it can be made in a slow cooker! Amazing!
Meghan says
Yes, the east coast is so beautiful! We had an amazing time. Thanks so much Jess!
Michelle @ Giraffes Can Bake says
I’m so glad you had an awesome time on your trip, I’m totally jealous!
This is a great recipe to come back to, so much deliciousness! And I’m a big fan of slow cooker recipes, anything that makes cooking easier is a plus for me!
Meghan says
Thanks Michelle! Slow cookers make everything so much easier, and it is so great coming home to a hot meal after a long day!
Julie says
This soup looks so clean and delicious. I would just love a bowl of this with all of those yummy toppings. I’m glad you had a great time on your travels!
Meghan says
Thanks so much Julie!
annie says
I would LOVE to see a post about your travels. Everything you ate looked awesome.
Meghan says
Yay, thanks Annie! I’m still working on those posts, but they are coming!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
I saw a lot of your posts on social media and it certainly looked like you and the Mr. had an awesome time on the east coast!! So happy for you guys! This beef pho looks AMAZING, girlfriend! LOVE that you cooked this in the slow cooker! I can only imagine how fabulous this makes your house smell… but I’m willing to bet it tastes even better!! Cheers, Meghan!
Meghan says
Thanks so much friend!
Amanda @ The Pretend Baker says
I’ve never tried pho! I don’t know why…. but I think now I need to for sure! This sounds fantastic. Also, your trip looked amazing! I was following along, super jealous! Welcome back darling 🙂
Meghan says
Thank you so much lady! I bet you will LOVE pho!
Clarissa says
GIRL! You had me at “slow cooker” <3 <3 This looks incredible and I'm so stoked about it being so easy for me to throw it together!
-Clarissa @ The View From Here
Meghan says
Yay, thanks so much lady!
Stephanie|The Foodie and The Fix says
I’ve never made pho before and I love that you made it SO easy in the slow cooker! I don’t use mine as often as I’d like and this looks like a great addition to my fave slow-cooker recipes. I agree, the best part of pho is the lime and herbs, though the hoisin’s no slouch either 😉 It looked like you guys had an amazing trip! That hotel that used to be a jail was awesome!
Meghan says
Yes! The hoisin is a must as well! Thanks so much Stephanie!
Demeter | Beaming Baker says
Happy homecoming, Meghan! I SO wish that we could have had the time to meet up. So sorry about my schedule! Anyway, I’m so glad that you two loved every spot you went to! Meanwhile, this pho is the perfect way to usher in the fall. I love all the comfort foods, but especially when you prepare them. 🙂 Plus: hoisin sauce and sriracha. YES. All the YES’s. Can I just say also: your photography is so. Incredibly. Amazing. Love it. Hope you have a wonderful weekend, my friend. xo
Meghan says
Aww, you are the sweetest Demeter! Thank you! And I so wish we could have met up too, still need to do that blogger retreat! Cheers, friend!
Dawn @ Girl Heart Food says
Hubby and I make ‘faux pho’ all the time and it is one of the best things EVER!!! Love that you used the slow cooker here. Great idea. I can imagine the flavour and it’s making me hungry! Totally use extra sriracha and extra cilantro for garnish. Make that extra everything, lol 😀
Saw lots of your trip pics on social media and looks like you guys had an awesome time! I’m all about the food. Would love to see some travel posts. That would be fun to read for sure.
Pinning this one and trying soon 🙂
Have a great weekend!
Meghan says
Thanks for pinning friend! Yes on alll the food, we ate everything! Haha!
E.A. says
OMGaaah!! That just sounds deliciously Nurturing!!
I love how you incorporate your recipes with your
life-experiences & intuition~~SO good!!!
I will be making this & tagging you…
It’s so fun to see how your insights & creations become meals for such a variety of folks~~
Thanks also for the photographs! Incredible~~
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Meghan says
Yay! I hope you love it!
E.A. says
We LOVE it!! Hubby can’t stop eating it & im like, “hey!! Sharin’!!–if you like your fingers!?–”
?LOL! Honestly, you hit a major home run with this, #foxandbriar!