Slow Cooker Vietnamese Pho-Inspired Beef Broth
A richly spiced and aromatic slow cooker beef broth inspired by Vietnamese pho, perfect for warming bowls of noodles or as a flavorful soup base. This Vietnamese-inspired soup recipe (gluten free), ready in about 495 minutes, pairs beef bones with marrow, onion, halved, ginger, sliced for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 150 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with rice, quinoa, or a quick salad. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef bones with marrow
- 1 medium onion, halved
- 3 slices ginger, sliced
- 4 whole star anise
- 1 stick (3 inches) cinnamon stick
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 10 cups water
- 1 tbsp rock sugar or white sugar
The slow cooker we’d leave this in all day → Best Slow Cookers in 2026: Top Picks + Buying Guide
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Char 1 medium halved onion and 3 slices ginger directly over an open flame or under a broiler for 5 minutes until blackened and fragrant.
- Step 2: Place 2 lbs beef bones with marrow in a slow cooker along with the charred onion, ginger, 4 whole star anise, 1 cinnamon stick (3 inches), and 3 whole cloves.
- Step 3: Add 10 cups water, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp rock sugar, and 2 tbsp fish sauce to the slow cooker.
- Step 4: Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, skimming any foam or impurities from the surface every 2 hours.
- Step 5: After cooking, strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve, discard solids, and adjust seasoning with extra fish sauce or salt if needed.
- Step 6: Serve hot as a base for noodle soup or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.








