Bo Kho is a spicy and flavorful Vietnamese beef stew that makes for a pretty epic bowl of noodle soup when you’ve maybe had your fill of pho or are looking for something a little different.
I’ve had Bo Kho at only a couple of places over the years, and they’ve been pretty wide-ranging in terms of quality. My favorite place to eat it is in the middle of New Jersey in the cafeteria of a Chinese grocery. You fork over $7.50, and just a few minutes later, you’re enjoying a big bowl of spicy beef broth with braised carrots, rice noodles, and plenty of crunchy onion and cilantro over the top. After a tough (read: mind numbing) day at Saturday Chinese school there was nothing better!
It’s one of those dishes that seems simple–spicy beef soup, right?–but that you know must be more complex given how flavorful and delicious it is when you’re enjoying the best possible version of it.
And, indeed, Bo Kho is flavored with chili, five-spice, fish sauce, lemongrass, plenty of garlic, and tomato. Its familiar red color comes from the addition of fragrant annatto, which imparts a distinctive red color! You can use or make annatto oil if you can get your hands on it, but for this recipe, I’ve used ground annatto powder and my homemade chili oil to get that spicy flavor.
Bo Kho at its most basic is considered a “beef stew,” given it can be prepared as a soup or a thicker stew, but to me, I always consider it more of a soup. It can also be served with rice or French bread, but we like it served with noodles! You can use rice noodles (“rice sticks” if you’re familiar with Vietnamese restaurant parlance) or egg noodles, too, if that’s your preference!
Let’s start!
For the beef:
- 2 to 2 ½ pounds boneless beef chuck or brisket cut into 1½-inch chunks
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons minced ginger
- 5 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2½ teaspoons five-spice powder
- 1½ teaspoons brown sugar
For the rest of the stew:
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 3-inch lengths (after removing any tough woody parts)
- 2 stalks lemongrass, minced (after removing any tough woody parts)
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, sliced thinly
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 8 cups of water
- 2 cups of pure coconut water/juice
- 2 whole star anise
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground annatto (optional)
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 8 large carrots, peeled and cut on the bias into 1½ -inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons homemade chili oil, or to taste
- wide rice noodles or egg noodles
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- Thai basil leaves
- Thinly sliced raw onion
- Lime wedges
First marinate the beef. Combine the beef with the garlic, ginger, fish sauce, five-spice powder, and brown sugar until each piece is evenly coated. Marinate for 30 minutes.
Next, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Add the stalks of lemongrass and allow them to infuse the oil for 1 minute. Next, add the minced lemongrass and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.
Add the onions and cook until translucent.
Then add all of the beef to the pot, and brown evenly on all sides.
Add the tomato paste.
Stir and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Add the water, coconut water, star anise, ground black pepper, chili powder, annatto, and paprika. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer for 1 hour.
After an hour has passed, add the carrots, salt, soy sauce, and chili oil. Simmer for another 40 minutes.
To serve, remove the large lemongrass stalks and any star anise pods you can fish out. Cook your noodles per package instructions, transfer to bowls, and ladle the soup over the top.
Garnish with cilantro, Thai basil, and raw onion, and serve with some lime wedges on the side.
Try this delicious Bo Kho recipe. It’s an awesome Spicy Vietnamese Beef Stew Noodle Soup!
Bo Kho: Spicy Vietnamese Beef Stew with Noodles
Ingredients
For the beef:
- 2 to 2 ½ pounds boneless beef chuck or brisket (cut into 1½-inch chunks)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 tablespoons ginger (minced)
- 5 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2½ teaspoons five-spice powder
- 1½ teaspoons brown sugar
For the rest of the stew:
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 stalk lemongrass (cut into 3-inch lengths, after removing any tough woody parts)
- 2 stalks lemongrass (minced, after removing any tough woody parts)
- 8 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 onion (sliced thinly)
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 8 cups water
- 2 cups pure coconut water/juice
- 2 star anise
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground annatto (optional)
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 8 large carrots (peeled and cut on the bias into 1½ -inch chunks)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons chili oil (or to taste)
- wide rice noodles or egg noodles
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup Thai basil leaves
- 1/2 cup Thinly sliced raw onion
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- First marinate the beef. Combine the beef with the garlic, ginger, fish sauce, five-spice powder, and brown sugar until each piece is evenly coated. Marinate for 30 minutes.
- Next, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Add the stalks of lemongrass and allow them to infuse the oil for 1 minute. Next, add the minced lemongrass and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the onions and cook until translucent. Then add all of the beef to the pot, and brown evenly on all sides. Add the tomato paste.
- Stir and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Add the water, coconut water, star anise, ground black pepper, chili powder, annatto, and paprika. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer for 1 hour.
- After an hour has passed, add the carrots, salt, soy sauce, and chili oil. Simmer for another 40 minutes.
- To serve, remove the large lemongrass stalks and any star anise pods you can fish out. Cook your noodles per package instructions, transfer to bowls, and ladle the soup over the top.
- Garnish with cilantro, Thai basil, and raw onion, and serve with some lime wedges on the side.
Nutrition
Hails says
I grew up eating this stew often and by many hands. I may be ignorant of regional differences or family differences of this dish. I trust that the stew in super tasty, but since my kids don’t eat spicy I left out the oil and chili powder. With that said, I have never cooked soy sauce into this stew before and I cook it semi-regularly. Traditionally there would not be soy sauce or the kind of chili oil, but like I said, I can be ignorant of individual family variations. The recipe was solid each step of the way until the soy sauce came in which threw it off for me as a cook at the stove, but in the end it didn’t matter as much with all the basil, lime and chili.
Also traditionally I have never had it “spicy” or would even consider this a spicy dish. We would always serve chili on the side for those who require it, but by no means it was meant to be a spicy dish.
I think this variation would be super yummy, but just know that it is pretty close to the traditional Vietnamese versions that I have enjoyed but not it with the “[email protected] ingredients of what is mentioned above. I also didn’t toast my star anise and found the amount lacking so I added a couple more, the chili oil probably would have carried some of that “sweetness” over.
Also would you be able to elaborate which soy sauce you would use for this? Vietnamese soy sauce is more close to Thai soy sauce than your Kikkoman soy or others
Hails says
I stand corrected. You were referring to change Chinese soy sauce. Thank you for your diligence.
Nancy says
This tastes just like it was out of my grandma’s kitchen. I never had the chance to learn all of her recipes before she passed, so thank you for this little reminder of her.
Judy says
You are so welcome, Nancy! That’s one of the reasons why we do what we do, for those moments like yours.
Courtney says
Delicious. Will make again for sure!
Judy says
Greaaaat!
Yuchen says
What do you think about substituting water with chicken stock? Or doing 1/2 water 1/2 chicken stock?
Sarah says
You could certainly do that, Yuchen!
Gina says
Hi, I’m planning on making this soon! Been eyeing it for so long. Can you tell me the name and brand if you remember, of the noodles you use in your photos? I loveeee them but I have trouble finding the right ones in a sea of noodles at the asian grocers. Are they from a dry pack? Thanks in advance.
Kaitlin says
Hi Gina, they are sold dry, not refrigerated! Though I have to say, sometimes even we have trouble navigating the range of Vietnamese “rice sticks” at the store. It’s really all a matter of preference but search for the packages labeled “rice stick”; they might also read “banh pho”—pho is the one recognizable word there so follow that and then just pick out the thickness / shape of noodle you like! Good luck! :)
Charles Franks says
First time making this recipe was amazing. My Niece is from Vietnam, she had two bowls and said it was great. Can’t beat that. Flavors are great. Easy to make. Thanks lots
Judy says
So glad you enjoyed it, Charles.
Georgia Thompson says
What chili powder is used in this recipe? Korean chili powder?
Judy says
Hi Georgia, you can just use McCormick Chili Powder, or Korean Chili Powder which is not as spicy. It’s up to you.