Vietnamese · main

Vietnamese Chicken Pho (Pho Ga)

Vietnamese Chicken Pho (Pho Ga) reads umami 7.4, salinity 6.4 and funk & ferment 5.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Vietnamese main, about 1 hr 42 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 9.1 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.6 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 6.4 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.1 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 2.6 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.7 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.4 · Salinity 6.4 · Funk & Ferment 5.9 · Citrus 5.1 · Warm Spice 4.9 · Marine & Briny 4.7 · Sourness 4.6 · Sweetness 4.5 · Allium 3.6 · Herbaceous 3.1 · Richness 2.5 · Heat 1.8 · Floral 1.1 · Earthy 1.0 · Bitterness 0.6

What's in it (16)

• boneless chicken — 1361 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• ground ginger — 45 g
• freshly ground star anise — 300 g
• cinnamon — 2 g
• whole coriander seeds — 5 g
• water — 2839 g
• fish sauce — 59 g
• granulated sugar — 25 g
• salt — 5 g
• dried chinese plain noodles — 397 g
• scallions — 400 g
• cilantro leaves — 30 g
• bean sprouts — 473 g
• lime — 65 g
• jalapeno — 100 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 42 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 80.1 kcal, 8 g protein, 1.5 g fat, 9.8 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

1. Char the onion and ginger under a broiler or directly over a gas flame, turning occasionally, until blackened in spots, 8-10 minutes; rinse the charred skins off under cool water and pat dry.
2. Place the chicken in a large stockpot, cover with cold water by 2 inches, and bring to a boil over high heat; boil hard to purge scum and impurities, 5 minutes, then drain the chicken and rinse both chicken and pot under cold water.
3. Return the rinsed chicken to the pot with the charred onion, ginger, star anise, cinnamon stick, and coriander seeds; add the 12 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, skimming any foam that rises, until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165F at the thickest part, 30-35 minutes.
4. Lift the chicken from the broth and set aside to cool; once cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones in bite-size shreds, discarding the skin and bones, and cover the meat so it doesn't dry out.
5. Return the bones to the pot and continue simmering the broth, uncovered, until deeply fragrant and reduced by about a quarter, 45-60 minutes more.
6. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot, pressing on the solids before discarding them.
7. Stir the fish sauce, sugar, and salt into the strained broth; taste and adjust seasoning, then keep warm over low heat.
8. Bring a separate pot of water to a boil and cook the rice noodles according to package directions until just tender, 3-4 minutes; drain well and divide among deep serving bowls.
9. Top the noodles with the shredded chicken and ladle the hot broth over each bowl.
10. Serve immediately with the scallions, cilantro, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and jalapeno alongside for guests to add.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Pho Ga (Chicken Noodle Soup) — Vietnamese
• Weeknight Beef Pho — Vietnamese
• Beef Pho with Rice Noodles — Vietnamese
• Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken — Vietnamese
• Banh Mi Meatball Bowls — Vietnamese

Keep reading: what umami, salinity, funk & ferment mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

See how this dish fits your palate — take the short taste test →

Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.