Updated January 13, 2020
Crockpot Beef Pho is made with simple, familiar ingredients that simmer into a fragrant, satisfying broth. When you’re ready to serve, add thinly sliced onions, rice noodles, beef, and fresh garnishes for a comforting meal.
Crockpot Pho
Soup season is in full swing at our house. When the weather turns cold I reach for warm, easy meals, and this Crockpot Beef Pho has become a favorite. It fills the kitchen with an irresistible aroma and requires minimal hands-on time.
This version is a “cheater” pho because it uses store-bought beef broth instead of simmering beef bones and oxtails for hours. I combine beef broth with fish sauce, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fresh ginger, and a touch of brown sugar in the crockpot. Let it cook gently on low and you’ll come home to an incredibly comforting, ready-made base for pho.
Finishing the soup is quick: thinly slice a white onion and add it with rice noodles so they soften in the hot broth. Add thinly sliced beef at the end so it cooks briefly and stays tender. Top each bowl with green onions, lime wedges, bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, jalapeño, and sriracha to taste. Simple, delicious, and perfect for chilly nights.
Ingredients for Pho in the Crockpot
This recipe mixes pantry spices with a few fresh items and garnishes you can pick up at the store.
Ingredients for the Soup:
- brown sugar
- fish sauce
- star anise
- cinnamon stick
- whole cloves
- knob of fresh ginger
- beef broth
- water
- white onion
- rice noodles
- shaved steak or sirloin steak
Garnishes (suggested):
- green onions
- lime wedges
- bean sprouts
- cilantro
- basil
- jalapeño
- Sriracha
Crockpot Pho Recipe
Start in the morning by placing brown sugar, fish sauce, star anise, a cinnamon stick, whole cloves, sliced ginger, beef broth, and water into the crockpot. Stir so the brown sugar dissolves and doesn’t sink to the bottom. Cover and cook on low for 7–8 hours.
You can also cook on high for 4 hours, or prepare the broth on the stovetop by simmering the spices in the broth for 45–50 minutes until fragrant. If you use a pressure cooker the broth will likely be ready in about 20–25 minutes, though I haven’t tested that method personally.
When the broth is finished, remove the whole spices and ginger with a slotted spoon and thinly slice the onion.
There are two easy ways to finish the pho: a quick method and a more traditional method.
Easy method: Add the rice noodles and thinly sliced onion to the crockpot and cook for about 10 minutes until the noodles are tender. While the noodles soften, thinly slice the beef if it isn’t pre-sliced and prepare your garnishes. Once the noodles are ready, add the beef and cook 1–2 minutes more, then serve immediately topped with garnishes.
Traditional method: Cook the noodles in the crockpot for about 10 minutes. While they cook, thinly slice onion and raw beef and divide the raw beef among serving bowls, adding a few onion slices on top. Ladle the hot broth over the raw beef to cook it in the bowls, then add the noodles and finish with garnishes. This method offers the authentic experience of pouring the hot broth over thinly sliced raw beef so it cooks instantly.
I usually choose the easy method for convenience, but the traditional pour-over technique is fun and impressive when serving guests.
For garnishes, I enjoy almost all of them but often skip fresh jalapeño because it can make the broth very spicy. Add it if you like heat.
Serving Pho to Kids
Let children choose the garnishes they prefer. My kids usually enjoy the rice noodles, basil, and broth and often add a squeeze of lime or try the bean sprouts. If serving young toddlers, cut the beef into small pieces since steak can be chewy. Offering multiple utensils—chopsticks, a fork, and a spoon—lets kids pick what works best for them.
Like Asian-inspired meals? Here are a few favorites:
- Grilled Pork Banh Mi
- Ground Pork Stir Fry
- 20-Minute Chicken Stir Fry
- Pork Fried Rice
- Shrimp Stir Fry
- Korean Ground Turkey & Rice Bowls
- Shrimp Banh Mi with Quick Pickled Vegetables
- Orange Ginger Beef Stir Fry
TIPS & TRICKS:
- If you prefer stovetop cooking, simmer the spices in a large pot for 30–40 minutes, then proceed with the recipe.
- For thin, even slices of sirloin, freeze the steak for 20–40 minutes until slightly firm—this makes slicing easier.
- Choose quality rice noodles; they cook quickly and give the proper texture for pho.
Crockpot Beef Pho
This “cheater” beef pho uses simple spices and sauces to create a flavorful broth that’s finished just before serving.
5 minutes
8 hours 20 minutes
8 hours 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 6–7 whole star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 10 whole cloves
- 2-inch knob of fresh ginger, sliced
- 8 cups beef broth
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 small white onion
- 7 ounces rice noodles
- 1 pound boneless sirloin steak or shaved steak
To Garnish:
- green onions
- lime wedges
- bean sprouts
- cilantro
- jalapeño
- sriracha
- basil
Instructions
- Add brown sugar, fish sauce, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, beef broth, and water to the crockpot. Stir so the brown sugar dissolves. Cover and cook on low for 7–8 hours.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the whole spices and ginger. Slice the onion as thinly as possible. Add rice noodles and onion slices to the crockpot and cook about 10 minutes.
- While noodles cook, thinly slice the sirloin if needed and prepare garnishes. When noodles are tender, add the beef and cook 1–2 minutes, or follow the traditional pour-over method by placing raw beef and onions in bowls and ladling hot broth over them to cook.
- Serve immediately topped with your favorite garnishes.
Notes
For easier spice removal, place whole spices in cheesecloth or a spice bag before adding to the broth. The article above explains the traditional pour-over serving method in more detail.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 394
Total Fat: 17g
Saturated Fat: 7g
Trans Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 8g
Cholesterol: 104mg
Sodium: 2578mg
Carbohydrates: 19g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 6g
Protein: 38g
Nutritional data is an estimate and will vary based on ingredients and portion sizes.
If you enjoyed this recipe, tag your photos with #theschmidtywife on social media — I love seeing your creations!
Peace & Love
Lauren, The Schmidty Wife
P.S. Looking for more crockpot soups and easy weeknight dinners? Try other crockpot recipes for comforting, hands-off meals and adapt the garnish ideas from this pho to create your own variations.
Note: Some product mentions in the original post were affiliate recommendations. I only suggest items I use and trust.