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Bowl of Crockpot Chicken Pho garnished with fresh basil, bean sprouts, and lime served on a light wooden table

Crockpot Chicken Pho

This Crockpot Chicken Pho is a time-saving, easy chicken pho recipe that brings authentic flavors to your table with minimal effort. Enjoy a delicious homemade pho in a crock pot, perfect for busy weeknights!
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours 20 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 8 cups chicken stock
  • 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts or bone-in
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 8 star anise
  • 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
  • 8 whole cloves
  • 6-8 oz pho rice noodles
  • 3-4 cups baby bok choy, chopped
  • 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • Optional Toppings: bean sprouts, fresh basil leaves, sliced jalapeños, lime wedges, Sriracha, hoisin, chili garlic sauce

Equipment

  • slow cooker or crockpot
  • Fine Mesh Sieve
  • Small Skillet

Method
 

  1. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and toast the cinnamon stick, cloves, coriander, and star anise for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently until fragrant.
  2. Season the chicken breasts with kosher salt and place them in your crockpot.
  3. Add the chicken stock, fish sauce, brown sugar, and sliced ginger to the crockpot. Stir to combine.
  4. Stir in the toasted spices, ensuring they’re evenly distributed.
  5. Set your crockpot to cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
  6. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the crockpot and shred using two forks.
  7. Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve to remove the ginger slices and whole spices, then return the broth to the crockpot.
  8. Add the shredded chicken and chopped bok choy back to the crockpot, turn the heat to high, and cook for an additional 15 minutes.
  9. While the bok choy cooks, prepare your toppings by arranging bean sprouts, basil, jalapeños, lime wedges, and sauces on a serving plate.
  10. Add the dry rice noodles directly to the broth and let them cook for 5-6 minutes (or according to package instructions).
  11. Ladle the pho into large bowls, top with desired garnishes, and finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Enjoy!

Notes

Toast the spices—it adds a depth of flavor that’s worth the tiny bit of extra effort. Use bone-in chicken for an even richer broth if time allows. Run out of baby bok choy? Regular bok choy, kale, or spinach are great substitutes. Want to save even more time? Prep your toppings while the pho cooks! Freeze leftover broth (without noodles) for a quick, weeknight meal later on.