There’s something deeply comforting about a steaming bowl of chicken pho with the aroma of star anise and cinnamon, the tender bites of chicken, and the warm, flavorful broth that fills your kitchen as it simmers. This gluten-free chicken pho has become a favorite in our house, and once you try it, you’ll understand why.
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I am sure you have figured out that I love to cook! I can’t it that I feel at home in the kitchen. Besides, Mr. Fearless Dining and my kids never complain. I wasn’t sure how it would turn out when I decided to make this gluten-free chicken pho recipe. Let me say it exceeded all of our expectations!
Typically, pho is naturally gluten-free because chicken pho broth is gluten-free. Be careful, though, when you are dining out because it isn’t uncommon for pho restaurants to cook rice noodles in a shared pot of boiling water with wheat noodles.
When cooking gluten-free food at home, you know exactly what is going in it, and that takes away a lot of worries. I put together this guide for gluten-free living to give you lots of tips. Check out all of my delicious gluten-free soup recipes for more recipe inspiration.
Ingredients For Gluten-Free Chicken Pho:
- Bone in Chicken – After testing bone-in and boneless, you want to use bone-in chicken. Use a small whole chicken or chicken parts.
- Onions and Garlic – I prefer using yellow onions in this recipe.
- Ginger – Use fresh ginger if you can find it, otherwise powdered ground ginger will work in a pinch.
- Fish Sauce – I used the Red Boat brand, which is gluten-free. Check the label to ensure your fish sauce is gluten-free.
- Spices – Star Anise and a Cinnamon Stick.
A Note From My Kitchen
This recipe came about because we were spending a fortune at our pho restaurants. I suspected it would be easy to make a recipe that was close to what we got at the restaurant, but I had no idea how good this recipe would turn out! I tested cooking this pho with bone-in and boneless chicken, and from the results I got, using bone in chicken is a lot tastier.
Let this soup simmer for as long as you can. Add a little more chicken broth if it cooks down too much. The flavors really deepen, and this soup will taste even better the next day!
How to Make Gluten-Free Chicken Pho (Step-By-Step)
Making homemade chicken pho is easier than you think. Grab a bit soup pot and a lid for the pot. See below for slow cooker instructions.
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Step 1: Sauté the onions and garlic in a pan. I cooked them in avocado oil as it can be used at high heat. Do not use olive oil or a low heat tolerance oil, or you may get a slightly rancid taste.
Step 2: To make the chicken pho broth, add in chicken pieces and spices, including star anise and cinnamon stick. Next, add the water, ginger, fish sauce, and the sugar. (There is a tiny bit in this recipe. You can omit it if you prefer.)
Step 3: Cover and bring the soup to a boil, then turn the temperature to low and simmer for 3 hours. Check the soup every hour and add more liquid if needed.
Step 4: When the soup is ready and smells and tastes like it has rich flavor, bring a smaller pot of water to boil. Add the rice noodles and cook according to package instructions.
Step 5: Assembly. Add rice noodles and pieces of chicken to a soup bowl. Pour the broth over the noodles and top with fresh basil and bean sprouts.
All of the Asian rice noodles I have seen are gluten-free, but always read the label just to make sure. Traditional pho uses thin rice noodles
Looking for some delicious toppings for this chicken pho recipe?
Topping Ideas for Chicken Pho:
- Jalapeños – Slice or dice a jalapeno and sprinkle on top of the soup. It adds a fun little kick to the dish!
- Fresh Basil Leaves – You will be glad you tried it when adding fresh basil leaves because they are sweet, savory, and so good.
- Bean Sprouts – They enhance the flavor and texture of the soup.
- Lime – I think a lot of food is better when you give it a sprinkle of lime. The tanginess is incredible and pairs nicely with this dish.
- Sriracha – For those who love to add more spice.
If you love easy chicken dinners, you should also check out my Gluten-Free Chicken Recipes!
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- To cook this gluten-free chicken pho recipe in the slow cooker, follow the directions for cooking the onion, garlic, and oil above. Add them to the slow cooker when the onions become translucent.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 3 hours, then switch to low for 2-3 more hours. The longer and slower it cooks, the stronger the flavors and juices will be.
Storage and Freezing Tips:
Pho is easy to make, and it is so easy to store or freeze to enjoy another day. Here is how:
- Leftover chicken pho soup can typically be stored in the fridge for about 4 days. Toss it out if you notice an odd odor or if it just smells sour.
- Yes, you can freeze the chicken pho broth. The rice noodles do not freeze well, so I recommend saving the broth and chicken. Place the leftover chicken pho soup in Souper Cubes. This will freeze your soup in single-serving portions!
- To thaw pho, place it in the refrigerator overnight or defrost on the counter. Heat it in a saucepan with new rice noodles until it is heated properly.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Technically, you can use chicken breasts for this chicken pho recipe, but I do not recommend it. Part of what makes this chicken pho soup so amazing is the depth of flavors from cooking it with the chicken bones.
I highly recommend using a whole chicken or chicken with the bone because it adds nutrients to your soup, not to mention a lot more flavors!
More Homemade Chicken Soup Recipes:
- You are going to love my Grandma’s Homemade Chicken Soup recipe. It is so easy to make.
- If you need something quicker, this Instant Pot Version of Grandma’s Chicken Soup has the same flavor and is ready in a fraction of the time.
- Another popular recipe, this Instant Pot Vegetable Soup with Shredded Chicken helps avoid food waste as you use the veggies that are spoiling soon.
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Slow Simmered Gluten-Free Chicken Pho
Equipment
- Soup pot
Ingredients
- 2 pounds raw bone-in chicken
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 sliced onion
- 2 inch piece of fresh ginger
- 3 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 cloves minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon cane sugar
- 8-9 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- rice noodles
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Instructions
- In a soup pot, add 2 tablespoons cooking oil and heat over medium heat one minute.
- Add 1 sliced onion and 5 cloves minced garlic, sauté for 3 minutes.
- Add 2 pounds raw bone-in chicken, 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, 3 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 tablespoon cane sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 8-9 cups water to the pot. (the rest of the ingredients)
- Cover and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 3 hours. Add more water as needed.
- Prepare rice noodles per package instructions. I use thin rice noodles for pho.
- Assembly: Add some cooked noodles to your bowl, add soup and chicken. Top with fresh bean sprouts, fresh basil, lime, and jalapeño.
Notes
- I used a bit more salt, but salt is a personal preference. I recommend testing the soup after an hour and adding a little more salt then if you like.
- The typical noodle for pho is a rice vermicelli noodle that you can find in most grocery stores. You can also use these gluten-free ramen noodles for something different.
- You can use any cuts of bone in chicken. The bones add more nutrition and flavor to the broth.
- This soup will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
- To cook this gluten-free chicken pho recipe in the slow cooker, follow the directions for cooking the onion, garlic, and oil above. Add them to the slow cooker when the onions become translucent.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 3 hours, then switch to low for 2-3 more hours. The longer and slower it cooks, the stronger the flavors and juices will be.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
Made this for dinner tonight, very flavorful. Thanks for posting the recipe!
I am so glad you loved this pho recipe…it is pure comfort food for us!
So, do you use skin on chicken? And, do you leave the chicken on the bone? It seems strange to me to have whole pieces of chicken in a soup.
Also, where does one buy star anise?
These combo of flavors sound intriguing.
You can use chicken with or without the skin. My local grocery store carries star anise in the spice section. (I shop at Safeway, which is part of the Albertson’s chain.)