Weeknight Beef Pho with Rice Noodles

Steps

1. Step 1

   Put the sliced beef on a plate in the freezer for 15 minutes while you work, or if your beef is whole, freeze it 20 minutes and then slice it as thin as you can against the grain. Cold beef slices much more easily.

   15 min

   • 1 lb beef sirloin or eye of round
2. Step 2

   Turn the broiler to high. Put the onion halves and ginger cut-side up on a small foil-lined baking sheet and broil on an upper rack until well blackened in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. They should look charred, not just browned.

   10 min

   • 1 yellow onion
   • 1 piece fresh ginger (3-inch)
3. Step 3

   Meanwhile, toast the star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, and coriander seeds in a large dry pot over medium heat, shaking often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

   2 min

   • 3 star anise pods
   • 1 cinnamon stick
   • 3 whole cloves
   • 1 tsp coriander seeds
4. Step 4

   Add the beef broth, the charred onion and ginger, the fish sauce, and the sugar to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, partly covered, for 20 minutes.

   20 min, hands-off

   • 1 yellow onion
   • 1 piece fresh ginger (3-inch)
   • 8 cups beef broth
   • 2 tbsp fish sauce
   • 1 tsp sugar
5. Step 5

   While the broth simmers, cook the rice noodles in a separate pot of boiling water just until tender, 4 to 6 minutes (check the package). Drain, rinse briefly under cold water so they don't stick, and divide among 4 deep bowls.

   6 min

   • 12 oz flat rice noodles, banh pho (1/4-inch wide)
6. Step 6

   Arrange the herbs, bean sprouts, scallions, lime wedges, chiles, and sauces on a platter so everyone can add their own at the table.

   5 min

   • 2 cups bean sprouts
   • 1 bunch fresh Thai basil or regular basil
   • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
   • 3 scallions
   • 2 limes
   • 2 jalapeño or Thai chiles
   • hoisin sauce and sriracha
7. Step 7

   Strain the broth through a sieve into a clean pot, discarding the onion, ginger, and spices. Taste and add salt or a splash more fish sauce until it tastes well seasoned and a little salty on its own. Bring it back to a hard boil.

   3 min

   • salt
8. Step 8

   Lay the thin raw beef over the noodles in each bowl, then ladle the boiling broth directly over the meat, about 2 cups per bowl. Let it sit 1 minute: the broth cooks the beef to medium-rare. Serve right away with the platter of herbs and lime.

   1 min

   • 1 lb beef sirloin or eye of round

Where it’s from

Written by AI from an idea

Version 1, saved Oct 4, 2026