Pho Xao
Stir-fried rice noodles tossed with tender chicken, shrimp, and beef in a savory-sweet caramelized sauce. A showstopping one-pan Vietnamese dish that tastes like a restaurant but cooks at home in under 30 minutes.
- Total time
- 28 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 545
- Protein
- 38g
Ingredients
- 6 oz dried rice noodles (about 1/4 inch wide)
- 4 oz chicken breast, boneless and skinless
- 4 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 4 oz beef sirloin or rib-eye
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 clove garlic cloves, minced
- ½ whole onion, large
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 whole scallions (green and white parts)
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, then add the rice noodles and stir immediately with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking.
- 2
Cook the noodles, stirring once halfway through, until they are completely soft but not falling apart—you should be able to bend one between your fingers, about 8–10 minutes total.
- 3
Drain the noodles in a colander, rinse under cold water until cool, then set them in a bowl and toss lightly with 1 tablespoon of olive oil so they don't clump together.
- 4
Place the chicken breast on a cutting board and slice it lengthwise from the thick edge to the thin edge, creating long, thin strips about the thickness of a pencil, then cut those strips crosswise into 2-inch pieces.
- 5
Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels—moisture will prevent them from browning properly in the pan.
- 6
Place the beef on a cutting board and slice it against the grain (perpendicular to the lines of muscle) into thin strips about 1/8 inch thick, then cut those strips into 2-inch pieces.
- 7
Cut the onion in half lengthwise from root to tip, then place the flat side on the cutting board and slice across into thin crescent-shaped pieces about the width of a toothpick.
- 8
In a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, and minced ginger with 2 tablespoons of water until the sugar dissolves completely.
- 9
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until it shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.
- 10
Add the chicken pieces to the hot oil and cook without moving them for 2 minutes—you should see the bottoms turn golden and opaque.
- 11
Stir the chicken and cook for another minute, then push it to the edge of the pan and add the beef pieces to the center.
- 12
Let the beef sit without stirring for 1 minute to develop a brown crust, then stir and cook until it's no longer dark red inside, about 2 minutes more.
- 13
Push the chicken and beef to the edges of the pan, then add the shrimp to the center and cook without moving for 1 minute until the bottoms turn pink.
- 14
Stir the shrimp and cook for another minute until the centers are opaque—cut one in half to check; there should be no translucent gray inside.
- 15
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the sliced onion to the pan and stir constantly for 90 seconds until the onion starts to soften.
- 16
Pour the fish sauce mixture into the pan and stir everything together, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen any stuck-on brown bits—the sauce should look glossy and coat the meat.
- 17
Add the cooked rice noodles to the pan and use tongs or two wooden spoons to toss and fold everything together for 2 minutes until the noodles are evenly coated and heated through.
- 18
Remove the skillet from heat and sprinkle the scallions and cilantro over the top in an even layer.
- 19
Transfer the pho xao to a serving plate or bowl and serve immediately while still hot.
Tools you’ll need
- large pot
- colander
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- paper towels
- small mixing bowl
- whisk
- large skillet or wok (14-inch preferred)
- wooden spoon
- tongs
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