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?
I would love for you to signup for my WEEKLY NEWSLETTER and FOLLOW ME on social media too.
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
Helene Cohen Bludman
I love soup and I love the crockpot, so this recipe will definitely be made. It looks delicious.
Chef G
Crockpots are awesome…and this soup is perfect for it.
Ashley @Irishred02
My husband loves Pho! I should try to make this for him
Chef G
If he likes pho he will love this!!
Crystal
I’ve never had this before, but it looks so good and so many great flavors! It may be time to bring out my slow cooker.
Cynthia L
I love my slow cooker also. This soup would really warm you up on a cold day. I love the combination flavors in this soup and the heat that the jalapeños bring.
Chef G
It’s a keeper in our house that is for sure.
Erin @ Stay At Home Yogi
I also love my crockpot but I have really only used it for a few things – chili, black bean soup, and minestrone soup! This would really be something different to try!
Chef G
Crockpots are so awesome and you can make so many things in them….LOVE THEM!!
A GEEK DADDY
We haven’t been able to get Asian take-out in a long time because of our kids food allergies and concerns about contamination. I’ve missed it and your post has inspired me to give it a shot at making up some ourselves in the slow cooker where I know it will be safe to share with the kids. I hadn’t thought about using the slow cooker for that type of thing to be honest – use it mostly for chili. Your photos look so good we’ll be giving simple slow cooker Pho a shot with the recipe you provided.
Chef G
Well thanks so much for the kind words. Hope you give it a try and enjoy it as much as we do.
Christina Berry
This looks delicious, and I love anything I can make in my slow cooker! Definitely pinning this one to make later! Thank you for sharing!
Chef G
You are welcome…hope you give it a try and enjoy!!
Rebecca Bryant
This looks delicious. I love using my crockpot to cook.
Chef G
Crockpots are awesome that’s for sure.
Shirley Wood
My Slow Cooker and I are on a first name basis. I’m always trying to learn how I can cook anything and everything in the slow cooker! Your recipe sounds really nice with so many flavor combinations, especially shrimp which I love1
Chef G
Hope you give it a try…you will love it!!
Corina
I love slow cooker recipes and this is a great way of getting all the flavours into the chicken as it cooks.
Chef G
Slow cookers are so awesome….one of the best inventions ever.
Olivia @ Olivia's Cuisine
What a beautiful meal. And bonus points for being made in the slow cooker. 🙂
Chef G
Thanks…slow cookers are awesome for sure.
Sam | Ahead of Thyme
I need to bring out my slow cooker! This looks so good!
Chef G
Love slow cookers.
Patricia @ Grab a Plate
I love Pho, but I’ve never made it. Thanks for sharing such an easy way to deliver! Yum!
Chef G
It is great…I have to make it again soon.
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
I hadn’t thought of the slow cooer for pho, but of course it makes perfect sense!
Chef G
Oh yes it certainly does.
The Food Hunter
This is making me hungry!
Chef G
I don’t blame you…it is really good.