Oxtail pho, or pho duoi bo, is a deliciously pho recipe that infuses the beef bone nutrients into the broth, making for an especially delicious bowl of pho.
Similar to my healthy chicken pho recipe, this easy recipe is simplified with the usage of the Instant Pot, but will also include instructions for the stove top method.
💭 What is Oxtail Pho?
Oxtail pho is a variation of pho, a Vietnamese beef noodle soup. It consists of the classic clear broth of pho infused with Vietnamese spices and the amazing flavors of beef bones, paired with pho noodles.
Oxtail pho is typically one of the higher-tier types of pho at pho restaurants given the labor of love that goes into making the dish and the higher cost of oxtail compared to other beef cuts.
🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- Way easier to make than traditional pho – No hours of simmering soup needed. Similar to my Korean oxtail soup recipe, with an instant pot, you can speed up the cooking process from 4 hours to 1 hour.
- Restaurant quality taste from home – By utilizing the key cooking techniques used to make top-tier restaurant quality pho, you can make it a restaurant-quality bowl of noodle soup from home at a fraction of the cost without leaving the comfort of your own home
- Healthy and nutritious, made with lower calories with careful portioning while infusing all the health benefits of oxtail.
🍏 Calories and Nutrition – How to Make It Healthy
While oxtail pho is delicious, it can easily add up in calories given the calorie density of oxtail. While oxtail is very nutritious, it is also not quite the leanest protein source.
Thankfully, with careful portioning, this recipe for oxtail pho is only 526 calories with 42 grams of protein, 16 grams of fat, and 50 grams of carbs.
Here’s what I did to make this higher in protein and slightly lower in calories:
- Portioned the oxtail – I used 4 oz of oxtail. This gives me ample protein content while limiting my fat intake.
- Portion the noodles – I used exactly 52 grams of rice noodles, which only adds about 190 calories. Adding too many rice noodles can blow the calorie count on this dish. Restaurants typically serve an outsized amount of noodles so be mindful of that when ordering this dish when eating out.
- Portioned the stock ingredients mindfully – Using the portions below, the soup ingredients only add a negligible amount of calories. The soup flavor comes from a combination of the oxtail, the toasted spices, and charred aromatics.
- Use cooking spray – Traditional oil adds a whopping 120 calories to the dish, whereas cooking spray is 0 calories
For a detailed breakdown of each ingredient, their portioning, and how they make up the nutrition profile of this oxtail pho recipe, you may refer to the table below:
📋 Ingredient Notes
To make the oxtail pho, you’ll need the following.
Oxtail – I used 6 ounces of oxtail. You can find oxtail at most Asian grocery stores, major grocery stores that have a butcher, or a butcher shop.
Pho Noodles – I used a serving of rice noodles, which is typically served with pho. You can buy them at your local Asian grocery store, although some major grocery stores also carry them.
Pho Spices– Typical pho spices include star anise, fennel, cinnamon, cloves, and coriander seeds. They’re usually toasted and give pho broth its delicious spice-laden flavor. You can find most of these at your local grocery store. Check out my Asian spices guide to learn more.
Charred Ginger and Onion – The roast onion and ginger give the pho its signature flavor.
See recipe card for full breakdown of ingredients and quantities.
📖 Substitutions and Variations
Use short ribs – If you can't find oxtail, short ribs would be a great substitute.
With chicken– You can opt to make chicken pho if you prefer a leaner protein source. Check out my healthy chicken pho to see how I put it together.
Enhance the broth flavor – Add a cube of beef bouillon to the stew to enhance the beefy flavor of the dish.
Switch up the fresh herbs – Pho is also served with Thai basil and/or mint.
Use rock sugar – Traditionally, rock sugar is used in place of sugar. If you're able to find it, you can use this instead.
Season with hoisin sauce – You can serve the dish with a side of hoisin sauce for additional seasoning.
Cook on stovetop – To make this on stovetop, follow all the directions below but in a large stock pot. At the step where you're supposed to pressure cook, simmer the broth for 4 hours.
🔪 Step by Step Instructions
Parboil the oxtail – Fill the Instant pot with water and add in the oxtails, ensuring there is enough water to fully cover the oxtails. Turn the Instant Pot onto sauté mode and bring the water to a boil and let simmer for about 5 minutes until the water turns cloudy with debris rising to the surface. Turn off saute mode, drain the water, and remove the oxtail pieces from the pot.
Toast the spices and char the aromatics – Spray the instant pot with cooking spray. Cut the ginger and yellow onion so that it has a flat surface area and add to the instant pot. Place the cinnamon stick, coriander, cloves, and star anise in the instant pot and turn on sauté mode. Toast until you smell the fragrance of the spices and the aromatics that have been charred. You can also choose to roast the aromatics in an open flame on the stove.
Make the stock – In the instant pot, add about 2 cups of water and the oxtail. Close the lid and pressure cook at high pressure for 45 minutes and let it naturally release for 10 minutes.
Prepare the noodles and garnishes – While the stock is cooking, cut the garnishes in preparation for putting together the noodle bowl. Slice the chili peppers, limes, and scallions. And cook the pho noodles according to the package instructions.
Adjust the stock – Once the stock has reached its cooking time, turn the quick-release knob and let the pressure fully release before opening the lid. Add the fish sauce and sugar and stir thoroughly.
Serve and enjoy – In a large bowl, add the noodles, add the hot broth, garnish with cilantro, green onions, chili, and lime, and enjoy!
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
Oxtail is a very healthy meat given its high protein content and high nutrient content from the bone marrow and connective fats. To learn more, check out my post on Oxtail’s health content.
You can make the broth of the oxtail pho in advance - the broth is typically even better the next day as it gives the flavors time to infuse more. I would only make the broth ahead of time and recommend adding the noodles when you’re about to eat. The broth will last in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
The connective tissue and bone marrow from the oxtails are infused into the broth, giving the oxtail pho it's signature rich taste.
💡 Expert Tips
Taste Test And Season to Adjust – Adjust the oxtail pho broth with sugar, fish sauce, or water to achieve the desired flavor.
- If it is too bland, add sugar and fish sauce.
- If it is too salty, add some sugar.
- If it is too sweet (unlikely to happen with this recipe if the portion sizes are followed), add some fish sauce or more water.
Parboil the oxtail – Parboiling the bones will remove any impurities from the bones and help achieve a more nutritious broth. Not doing so will result in an unappetizing oxtail pho with all kinds of floating debris. Don't skip this step!
🍽 Related Recipes
If you liked this oxtail pho recipe, check out the following:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & if you REALLY like this recipe, consider a review further down the page. Thank you!
🍳 Recipe
Oxtail Pho Recipe (Instant Pot and Stovetop)
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot (Optional)
Ingredients
Stock Ingredients
- 4 oz Oxtail
- ½ Yellow Onion
- 3-4 slices Ginger
- 2-3 Fennel seeds
- 1 Star Anise Pod
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 2 Cloves
- 2 Coriander Seeds
Noodles and Garnishes
- 50 g Rice noodles
- Cilantro and Scallions (For garnish)
- Lime, jalapeno, chili (Optional, for garnish)
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Parboil the oxtail – Fill the Instant pot with water and add in the oxtails, ensuring there is enough water to fully cover the oxtails. Turn the Instant Pot onto sauté mode and bring the water to a boil and let simmer for about 5 minutes until the water turns cloudy with debris rising to the surface. Turn off saute mode, drain the water, and remove the oxtail pieces from the pot.
- Toast the spices and char the aromatics – Spray the instant pot with cooking spray. Cut the ginger and yellow onion so that it has a flat surface area and add to the instant pot. Place the cinnamon stick, coriander, cloves, and star anise in the instant pot and turn on sauté mode. Toast until you smell the fragrance of the spices and the aromatics that have been charred. You can also choose to roast the aromatics in an open flame on the stove.
- Make the stock – In the instant pot, add about 2 cups of water and the oxtail. Close the lid and pressure cook at high pressure for 45 minutes and let it naturally release for 10 minutes.
- Prepare the noodles and garnishes – While the stock is cooking, cut the garnishes in preparation for putting together the noodle bowl. Slice the chili peppers, limes, and scallions. And cook the pho noodles according to the package instructions.
- Adjust the stock – Once the stock has reached its cooking time, turn the quick-release knob and let the pressure fully release before opening the lid. Add the fish sauce and sugar and stir thoroughly.
- Serve and enjoy – In a large bowl, add the noodles, add the hot broth, garnish with cilantro, green onions, chili, and lime, and enjoy!
Stovetop Instructions
- Parboil the oxtail – Fill a large pot with water and add in the oxtails, ensuring there is enough water to fully cover the oxtails. Bring the water to a boil and let simmer for about 5 minutes until the water turns cloudy with debris rising to the surface. Drain the water, and remove the oxtail pieces from the pot.
- Toast the spices and – In a skillet, toast the cinnamon stick, coriander, cloves, and star anise until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Char the aromatics – Cut the ginger and yellow onion so that it has a flat surface area and roast it in a skillet or on an open flame on the stove.
- Make the stock – In a large pot, add about 4 cups of water and the oxtails, along with the toasted spices and charred aromatics. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for at least 4 hours.
- Prepare the noodles and garnishes – When the stock is about to be ready, cut the garnishes in preparation for putting together the noodle bowl. Slice the chili peppers, limes, and scallions. And cook the pho noodles according to the package instructions.
- Adjust the stock – Once the stock has reached its cooking time, add the fish sauce and sugar and stir thoroughly.
- Serve and enjoy – In a large bowl, add the noodles, add the hot broth, garnish with cilantro, green onions, chili, and lime, and enjoy!
Leave a Reply