Arrange the larger aromatics on a heat proof baking sheet and blow torch until fragrant. Alternately, toast all aromatics in a cast iron pan on the stove or in the oven broiler for a few minutes until fragrant.

Transfer charred aromatics along with sugar and all meats except the sirloin to Instant Pot/Pressure cooker. Fill to the max fill line with water, about 4 quarts. Set pressure to high and cook time to 35 minutes and cook. Quick release the pressure when cooking time is completed. See notes for stovetop instructions.

Once cool enough to taste, add fish sauce 1 tablespoon at a time until it’s just about overseasoned. Add extra sugar if needed. If you go too far, just add water. You may optionally strain the pho at this point to get as clear of a broth as possible.

Warm your bowls with hot tap water, then drain. Bring a pot of water to a boil and briefly blanch the noodles, then rinse with cold water and drain well. Divide noodles evenly into each of the warmed bowls. Thinly slice the sirloin (if needed) and top each bowl. Thickly chop all the other meats and divide evenly.

Cover with about 2 cups of hot broth per bowl and sprinkle chopped cilantro and sliced onions over top. Serve with a plate of bean sprouts, limes, Thai basil, and chilies. Have small dipping plates of sriracha and hoisin sauces for each person.

Toppings & Garnishes

Vietnamese food’s claim to fame are the fresh flavors and herbs and pho is no different:

Sliced raw onions and chopped cilantro are basically mandatory in my pho. I realize both are separately polarizing to two different groups of people. They’re pretty important to me though.

Thai basil is a must, but if you can’t get any, sweet basil is a sad-but-passable substitute.

Limes add brightness and offset the salty-sweet-umami-bomb in your mouth.

Vietnamese food is spicy, but pho isn’t, some say that’s because it originated in the less-spicy north. Regardless, Jalapeños or Thai chilies are always supplied to fix that issue for the people who love spice.

Bean sprouts add an earthiness and sometimes crunch to your soup. Many people like to blanch their sprouts and judge a pho place based on whether they took the time to blanch the sprouts first. Other pho restaurants ask you if you want them blanched or not. For me, I don’t like them at all and skip them.

Sriracha and hoisin sauce has been a fixture at pho restaurants since forever, even in Vietnam. Always feel welcome to add them to your soup and especially to make a dip out of them for your meats. They are 100% authentic, despite what Bon Appétit said about that (I still can’t believe they didn’t delete the tweet).

How to make pho in an Instant Pot:

Char your spices and aromatics. Ideally with a blowtorch so you can char all the spices at once, but if you have a grill, broiler, or cast iron pan, just char the onion/shallots, ginger, and cinnamon.

Load everything up in the instant pot along with 4 quarts of water. If you want to do this the easy one pot super fast way, just throw it all in. If you have a little more time, leave out the sugar and topping meats to braise slowly later.

Cook. Cook the broth on high pressure for 35 minutes. Do a quick release once done. If you intend to eat right away, prepare the rice noodles, meats, and garnishes while the broth is cooking.

Season. Add sugar (if you didn’t add it in the prior steps) and fish sauce (or salt) until the broth is just about overseasoned. It’ll balance out once you add the noodles.

Build. Add rice noodles and sirloin in your bowl, then fill the bowl up with about 2 cups (or more) of pho soup.

Top with onion and cilantro, then at the table, let everyone add thai basil, bean sprouts, chilies, hoisin, and sriracha to their liking.