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This dish is like the Vietnamese version of chow fun or pad see ew—wide rice noodles, tender beef, and that deep, savory sauce that clings to every strand. It’s comfort food at its best. What makes this dish so special is its balance of flavor and texture—soft noodles, crisp vegetables, and juicy marinated beef all coming together in a quick, satisfying stir-fry.
The tricky part about making phở xào is handling the noodles. It’s very easy to overwork them, especially if you’re using fresh rice noodles. They can tear or turn mushy if you stir too aggressively. The key is to cook one portion at a time and to toss them gently. Treat them with care, and you’ll get that perfect, chewy texture that makes this dish so good.
I like using beef tenderloin for this recipe—it cooks quickly and stays beautifully tender. The marinade is simple but full of flavor: a mix of Maggi, sesame oil, garlic, and cornstarch to give the beef that glossy, velvety coating you get from a proper stir-fry. After marinating, the beef is seared with onions and Chinese broccoli, which add sweetness and a little crunch.
The stir-fry sauce brings everything together. It’s a combination of dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, hoisin, fish sauce, and just a touch of tapioca starch to help everything cling to the noodles. The flavor is deep, slightly smoky, and just a bit sweet—exactly what you want in a good noodle stir-fry.
If you’re using dried phở noodles, make sure to soak them overnight instead of boiling them; it keeps the texture intact. For fresh noodles, unravel them gently and cook one serving at a time so they don’t clump or break apart. Once everything comes together, toss in bean sprouts and chives at the end for freshness.
Phở xào thịt bò is one of those dishes that feels restaurant-worthy but is easy to make at home once you get the technique right. It’s quick, satisfying, and delivers that unmistakable wok hei aroma that makes every bite craveable.
Serve it straight from the wok and eat it while it’s hot—it’s Vietnamese comfort food at its finest.
Pho Xao Thit Bo
Ingredients
Stir fry sauce:
- 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp tapioca starch
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 Tbsp hoisin
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
Marinade:
- 1 lb beef tenderloin, sliced thin
- 1 tsp Maggi, or low sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- pinch sugar
- pinch black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 Tbsp stir fry sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 onion, sliced vertically, ½ inch thick
- 2 cups Chinese broccoli, thinly sliced diagonally across
- 1 package dried pho noodles, or fresh pho noodles
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- 1 cup chives, cut into one inch pieces
Instructions
- If using dry noodles, soak overnight, then when stir frying do one portion at a time. Do not cook all the noodles at once as the noodles will break.
- If using fresh noodles, then unravel noodles and fry one portion at a time.
- Mix all the ingredients for the stir fry sauce and set aside.
- Mix all ingredients for the marinade sauce and massage into beef. Set aside. You want to marinate the beef for 15-30 minutes.
- In a wok on medium high heat, add oil and cook onions for 2 minutes.
- Add beef and Chinese broccoli and stir fry for 3 minutes. Then add noodles, 1/3 at a time, and gently stir until noodles soften. Finally add bean sprouts and chives and gently mix in.
Nutrition
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