Name: Rotisserie Chicken Pho
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: asian
Ingredients: 2 quarts chicken broth; 1 cinnamon stick; 5 cloves; 2 star anise; 1 garlic clove, minced; 2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger; ½ – 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce; ½ tablespoon fish sauce; 8 ounces rice noodles, small or medium size; ½ rotisserie chicken, meat only, chopped or shredded; 2 thinly sliced green onions; 1 15-ounce can bean sprouts, drained and rinsed; Fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced; Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped; 2 thinly sliced green onions; Lime wedges

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Rotisserie Chicken Pho in a white bowl topped with fresh herbs and a lime wedge

I’ve only had a few experiences with pho in my life. My mom and I try out a pho restaurant here on the other side of town that was pretty decent, and my sister and I got takeout from a place down the street that was great, had some crazy meatballs that were a bit too exotic for me. For all I know, it could have been the most authentic pho in the world, but we just weren’t expecting what we got. The worst part is, the pho was the best thing we ordered that night.

But, I still found myself intrigued by pho and it’s potential. Since takeout isn’t really an option around here, I decided to try making some myself at home. Of course, I can’t verify how authentic this rotisserie chicken pho recipe actually is – I mean it uses rotisserie chicken – but the flavors ended up very similar to the first pho I tried, and I was really satisfied with the outcome.

More Asian-inspired takeout recipes: easy Thai basil chicken / Asian pork wonton tacos / quick peanut noodles

overhead shot of rotisserie chicken pho in a blue Dutch oven

What is pho broth made of and what makes this chicken pho recipe unique?

The key to achieving the right flavor lies in 4 simple pho ingredients – anise, cinnamon, clove and fish sauce. They’re also ginger and garlic in there, but I consider them fairly common ingredients, so I wouldn’t say that they contribute to the uniqueness of the soup.

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When I’m making something new like this, I try to take some small shortcuts to make it more manageable, and by using rotisserie chicken, we cut the cook time of the soup in half. In fact, you can chop up the chicken while the broth and noodles are cooking. This easy pho recipe is also a great option for using leftover Thanksgiving turkey.

Don’t let the crazy ingredients scare you off. It’s really a simple soup, and the remaining spices you have can be used to make some vin chaud this holiday season. Just make sure you store them properly so they don’t lose their flavor.

closeup shot of Rotisserie Chicken Pho topped with fresh herbs and lime wedge

How to make pho

Season your broth. Start by bringing your broth to a boil with all the ginger, garlic, anise, cinnamon, cloves, Sriracha and fish sauce. This gets all the flavor into your pho. If you want your soup to be spicy, add extra Sriracha.

Cook the rice noodles. Add your rice noodles and cook them for the length of time indicated on the package.

Add the chicken, bean sprouts and green onion. When you have about 2 minutes left in the cooking time, add the chicken and bean sprouts. This will get them to the proper temperature and ready to eat when the noodles are ready.

Customize with garnishes. Pho is traditionally served with all the fixings, and can be customized to each individual’s taste. Try fresh cilantro, basil, lime wedges, and thinly sliced chili peppers (if you can handle it).