Simple Slow Cooker Pho is super easy. This cheater recipe saves you money, no need for takeout.
Vietnamese pho is such a great meal for any night of the week. Who wouldn’t welcome a bowl of noodle soup?
A savoury broth with the flavours of star anise, cloves, and cinnamon, with a touch of fish sauce.
RECIPE and INSTRUCTIONS for this homemade pho are at the bottom of this post.
I love Asian takeout. Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, all so full of flavour. Since I love cooking at home, making some of these wonderful dishes is a fun way to travel the world without leaving the kitchen.
This chicken pho recipe packs a flavour punch. If you love chicken noodle soup, this is the Asian version.
Looking for a little more soup fun, Cambodian Pineapple Soup is fun to make too.
Are YOU a noodle lover? We sure are. Authentic Ukrainian Egg Noodle Casserole and fun Chinese Spaghetti and Meatballs are a few of the dishes we enjoy.
We enjoy noodles in stir fries too. Fried cabbage and noodles is the perfect meal for busy weeknights, and is a fraction of the cost of takeout.
Can You Cook Pho In The Slow Cooker?
YES! This really is a simple soup to make, and the perfect crockpot dinner recipe.
The broth, chicken and shrimp are all prepared in the slow cooker. The noodles and bean sprouts are the only things you need to make on the side.
Slow Cooker Pho Ingredients
- chicken breasts
- chicken stock
- brown sugar
- *(affiliate) fish sauce
- tamari sauce
- cinnamon stick, star anise, and whole cloves
- cooked shrimp
- bok choy
- fresh basil
- lime
- jalapeno
- *(affiliate) Sriracha sauce
- *(affiliate) rice noodles
- bean sprouts
How To Make Chicken Pho In The Slow Cooker
- Just like all slow cooker recipes, this pho soup is no exception.
- Lightly coat the slow cooker with cooking spray.
- Place the chicken breasts into the slow cooker.
- Combine the stock, fish sauce and seasonings, and pour over chicken breasts.
- Cook on low for 9 hours.
- Prepare shrimp and bok choy (see instructions in recipe card), and add to the pot.
- Continue to cook for 30 minutes.
- Remove chicken, shred and return to pot.
- Prepare rice noodles according to directions on the package.
Recipe Tips
- I love chicken and shrimp so I decided to use both in this pho soup. You can make this a chicken only version if you like. You can also use chicken thighs for this recipe.
- Thai basil is not always easy to find, so you can use whatever fresh basil you can find at the grocery store (or your garden).
- For the rice noodles, I chose the kind you would find in Pad Thai. I cooked them ahead of time and placed them in the fridge.
- I blanched my bean sprouts (some people prefer to eat them raw).
- For pho toppings, I used jalapenos and Thai basil. Nuts like cashews or peanuts would be a great option too. Also, you might consider sliced snap peas or bell peppers.
Is Pho Healthy?
I guess it depends on what YOU class as healthy. For some people, it may be high on sodium because of the fish sauce, but you could adjust the amount you use.
It contains rice noodles (that are gluten-free). Protein from the chicken and shrimp. You get some veggies from the bok choy and bean sprouts.
Vietnamese noodle soup is a tasty dish that acts as a main course. Just like noodle bowls.
Pho in the crockpot is easy and totally delicious. Perfect for any night of the week. Better than takeout. Hope you give it a try soon.
Since I know you will LOVE this recipe, Slow Cooker Creamy Fish Soup is the ultimate comfort food. Easy, hearty and so delicious.
Slow Cooker Spicy Kale Soup is the ultimate comfort food. Hearty and delicious. The heat comes from the dry-cured sausage.
This recipe was inspired by Served From Scratch Crockpot Chicken Pho.
What is YOUR favorite flavour of pho soup?
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Vietnamese Slow Cooker Pho
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts (skinless/boneless)
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoons tamari sauce
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 10 star anise
- 2 inch piece of fresh ginger (peeled and sliced)
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 pound frozen cooked shrimp (thawed/tail on)
- 4 cups baby bok choy (chopped)
- ½ cup Thai basil (roughly chopped)
- 2 jalapenos (sliced)
- 1 lime (quartered)
- Sriracha sauce (as needed)
- 12 ounces Pad Thai noodles (pre cooked)
- 12 ounces Fresh bean sprouts (raw or blanched)
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in slow cooker.
- Combine stock, fish sauce, cinnamon, star anise, ginger, cloves, tamari, and brown sugar.
- Pour over chicken breasts.
- Cook on low for 9 hours.
- Roughly chop bok choy.
- Rinse and dry shrimp.
- Remove chicken breasts from slow cooker along with the cinnamon stick, cloves, and star anise.
- Add bok choy and shrimp to the slow cooker.
- Replace lid, turn slow cooker to high and cook for 30 minutes.
- At this point, you can blanch the bean sprouts in boiling water. If you are eating them raw, be sure to RINSE thoroughly.
- Shred the cooked chicken breasts.
- Return shredded chicken to pot and heat for a few minutes.
- Place noodles in bowls, ladle broth, garnish with jalapenos, basil, Sriracha and bean sprouts.
- ENJOY!
Nutrition Information
Christopher
I’ve tried several pho recipes and finally found one that was top notch using a whole chicken….but now i see this and must try. My question is the recipe i liked had half the star anise and clove…won’t this be overpowering?…and is my crockpot big enough?
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Thanks so much for the questions. I have sent you an email with my thoughts. ENJOY!
Trish Bozeman
We love pho but have never thought to use the slow cooker to make it! Absolutely genius. A great way to get a rich and flavorful broth, but it’s super easy too. Great recipe, Gloria!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
This is such a great recipe. I am making some this weekend. The slow cooker does a great job on this tasty soup. ENJOY!
Dana
I’ve been dying for a huge bowl of pho! Since moving to our new little town, we have to drive at least 30 minute to get a bowl of pho. And that’s hard with a baby. I can’t wait to make this and *finally* sate my craving.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
This is a super cheat way to get your pho on!! I am making a huge pot on Sunday. Super easy and super delicious. ENJOY!
Carmy
Amazing! I love pho and I love that you used the slow cooker for it. I’ll bet that the kitchen smelled MOUTHWATERING while this was brewing. I’m craving pho now.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Oh yes, the aroma is wonderful. Hope you give this recipe a try.
Lisa
I’ve had pho made by a Vietnamese chef who specialized in it and it quickly became one of my favorite soups. Your recipe seems completely do-able, so I’m really looking forward to making it at home… and yes, I’ve had trouble finding Thai Basil, so I’m glad I can substitute regular basil here.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
It is so doable….slow cookers are the best invention ever. Hope you give this delicious soup a try. I need to make more myself.
Kendra
Could I use bone-in skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast?
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Absolutely…that would work just fine. ENJOY!
Kendra
Made this tonight! YUMMY! I used boneless skinless chicken thighs as the bone-in option was unavailable. I also omitted the shrimp because we have a family member who doesn’t like shellfish. The only thing that I noticed that I will change the next time… is as I got to the bottom of my bowl I was overpowered by the anise so next time I probably won’t add as much. This will be made over and over again in this household! So delicious!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
So glad you and your family enjoyed this tasty recipe. Adapting to your tastes is awesome. Thanks so much for letting me know.
Amanda
What a fabulous recipe! I love how easy the slow cooker makes everything, and it’s so delicious and comforting. I’m especially a huge fan of those fresh jalapenos. Thanks so much for sharing!
Homemade & Yummy
I love my slow cooker. This soup is so good…and so much cheaper than takeout too.
zara
I had to come back and tell you that we made the Pho this weekend. It was delicious!! We got our slow cooker out and then got busy opening more boxes. The soup was such a treat and so flavorful!! It was so miserable outside that this soup made our evening pleasurable!! We love trying new dishes and cuisines.
Homemade & Yummy
SO glad to hear you loved this super delicious recipe. So easy to make right?
Jyothi (Jo)
I looove pho, especially the broth that is so flavour packed. What a delicious looking pho Gloria! Love the detailed explanations of the recipe, saving it
Homemade & Yummy
You are welcome. This is super easy to make and super delicious to eat.
jagruti
A great recipe for seafood lover, this soup is packed with flavours and lots of goodness. Thanks for sharing such a brilliant recipe.
Homemade & Yummy
ENJOY…we LOVE this recipe.
Jenni LeBaron
I’d never thought to make pho in my slow cooker but it’s brilliant. I love a big bowl fo pho with plenty of chili sauce and this recipe looks fantastic!
Homemade & Yummy
YES this is awesome in the slow cooker. All the rest can be made ahead of time and everything brought together when the soup is ready.
Julie
Thank you for breaking this down so easily — I’ve actually never had pho and never really knew what it entailed. I can’t wait to give this a go at home soon!
Homemade & Yummy
You will be amazed at how easy this is to make. ENJOY!
Charity
I’ve recently gotten into pho. Very excited to try a slow cooked version because my days have been busy lately. Dinner needs to cook itself lol!
Homemade & Yummy
I love my slow cooker…and this delicious recipe.
Sara
YES! I absolutely LOVE pho! I order it nearly every other week from a local restaurant – but honestly never considered making it at home. And I’m so with you; I’m a crockpot / slow cooker lover for life. I have seen so many people jump on the IP bandwagon, but I’m holding strong and sticking with what I love! There’s something so comforting about coming home to something that’s been simmering all day … and knowing that that something is pho would just be the best welcome home gift ever! Your ingredients here are perfect!
Homemade & Yummy
YES…slow cookers rock. Give this recipe a try…you will be hooked and making pho at home all the time.
Jessica
One of my favorite restaurants in New Orleans makes the most incredible pho. I tried a variety of recipes and I haven’t found one I like yet but this sounds incredible. I love that this can cook throughout the day just in time for dinner.
Homemade & Yummy
Well I hope you give this a try. This way you can have delicious pho whenever you like.