Bo Kho Spicy Vietnamese Beef Stew
Bò Kho is a hearty Vietnamese Beefiness Stew that uses a homemade broth simmering in spices! It's comfort food with fall-apart beef and vegetables, perfect for weekend dinners or family celebration banquets. Serve it hot with your favorite noodles or crusty Vietnamese baguettes!

A hearty Winter warmer
Every time Winter comes, I love making a huge pot of Bò Kho to terminal for DAYS. The beauty of this dish is that the broth flavour intensifies as time passes and works wonderfully every bit a leftover meal.
Plus, if I have any unused baguettes, I can stuff them with Vietnamese meatballs – how perfect for piece of cake weeknight dinners and packed lunches!
Forth with Wonton Egg Noodle Soup (港式云吞面), Bò Kho is actually one of Dad's favorite noodle soups, and so I do love making it for him to eat. Here'due south why it's his number i: you lot get a rich tomato kicking that perfectly balances all the earthy spices. The meat is slow cooked until buttery and cook-in-your-mouth tender, deeply infused with aromatics.
Just that'southward non the end of it! Nosotros love to dunk crusty baguettes into the stew to soak upward every hearty drib, then slurp it upwardly with soft rice noodles.
Just look at how the noodles are so generously coated!
Should you eat it thick like a stew or thinner like a noodle soup?
I grew up eating our homemade Vietnamese Beef Stew equally a noodle soup. Grandma would always make it on the thinner side so we would go some existent slurping activeness going on.
But I've come up to learn that like Mum's Satay Beef Noodle Soup (which she used to make before she became a vegetarian), it can likewise exist enjoyed on the thicker side, much like a stew. It's fabricated fairly concentrated so you won't need to fill up your basin up with a lot of the soup like you would other noodle soups.
Eating Bò Kho this way reminds me of Japanese Tsukemen (つけ麺), where the flavor is uncommonly rich and a little goes a long way.
To get this consistency, just use less liquid or let the soup reduce for longer until it thickens. Then bring out the noodles and breadstuff for a delicious Winter warmer the whole family can love!

Why this recipe works
- Roasting the onions and ginger adds a smoky season to the stew for extra depth.
- Bò Kho spice marinade intensifies the meat essence with very picayune effort.
- Using coconut h2o keeps the soup naturally sweet without the need for too much sugar.
What y'all'll need
For the stock

Most the stock
We prefer to make our own beef stock because we tin can control the flavor and ingredients, but you lot can certainly use store-bought ones for convenience.
For the marinade

Almost the ingredients
Store-bought Bò Kho seasoning is but a very concentrated dry mix of beef, stock, carrots, aromatics and tomato paste. If you lot can't find information technology at Asian supermarkets, but utilize more than of the recipe ingredients or add together Chinese five spice.
For the soup

Most the coconut water
Fresh kokosnoot h2o straight from a coconut is platonic, but if that'south not easily available then the bottled version will piece of work too.
For the tendons

About the tendons
We buy tendons from our local butcher. Different tendon batches will have different textures, which affects cooking time. You lot'll find some are softer and some are naturally firmer.
For the noodles and garnish

Noodle substitutions
This Bò Kho recipe uses Vietnamese rice noodles (bánh phở) but information technology can also exist enjoyed with egg noodles or clear noodles (hủ tiếu). You lot tin can also get Vietnamese baguettes to soak upwards the soup make the most of the dish.
How to make this recipe

Offset past cutting the beef into 6cm (2.4″) chunks. Marinate the meat with the Bò Kho spices, garlic and 1 finely chopped onion for a minimum of 20 minutes.

To make the stock, bring a pot of h2o to a boil and add the bones in along with the peeled ginger. Let information technology simmer on a depression-medium rut for at least 3 hours.

Meanwhile, char the remaining onions and ginger until the outside is black and the juices only start to chimera from the within.
Remove the pare under running absurd water, then add the aromatics into the stock along with the kokosnoot h2o, stone sugar, common salt and craven bouillon powder. Permit information technology simmer on a depression heat every bit you lot work on the other ingredients.

Cut the lemongrass into 5cm (2″) segments along their length and apply a meat mallet or knife to beat out them until they brainstorm to split.

Rut upwards a wok on medium heat and add v tbsp oil in. When hot, throw in the lemongrass and tomato paste, so stir for 10 seconds.

Plow the heat upward to high and pour in the marinated beef. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until all sides are seared.
Tip: To avoid boiling the meat, carve up and melt the beefiness, lemongrass and love apple paste in 2-3 batches.

Bring the heat up to high for the stock and add the cooked meat in.

Wash and peel the daikon and carrots, and then cutting them into 4cm (1.half-dozen″) segments or to preference. Add them into the soup and let it simmer for another hour or until the meat is soft.
Note: Continue the vegetables on the larger side as they volition soften and intermission autonomously if too minor and simmered for long.

Equally the stock is cooking, bring a pot of h2o to a boil and melt the tendons for ii minutes to remove any odors. Bleed, scrape off any impurities and add together them into the stock to cook for another three hours or until soft on your preferred texture.
Remove the tendons from the soup and cut into smaller segments, then leave aside in a bowl to eat with the stew.
Serve the Bò Kho hot with noodles, baguette, fresh herbs, chili and a squeeze of lemon juice!
Recipe FAQs
Which beefiness cuts are all-time for Vietnamese Beefiness Stew?
Our family prefers using a balalnced mix of fatty and lean cuts and so you lot get flavor and a hearty bite. That'due south why this recipe calls for brisket and gravy, the parts traditionally used for stews and soups.
Which Bò Kho spice brand do I use?
We use the spice mix from Sing Kung Corp. But there are many others that you tin discover in Asian supermarkets.
Tin I make this in an instant pot?
Certainly! As per these instructions from Instant Pot representatives Amy and Jacky, you tin can sear the meat in the instant pot equally you would without 1. So melt on High Force per unit area for roughly 30 minutes with 10 minutes Natural Release.
Tips for the best results
- Marinate the beefiness overnight. Let the spices infuse into the meat for longer then that your Bò Kho is deeply fragrant. Make sure to take information technology out of the refrigerator at least 20 minutes before cooking and so it has time to come to room temperature.
- Double eddy the stock. This is a technique we utilize for all of our soups to ensure we go a clear and naturally sweetness broth with fewer impurities.
- Toast all the aromatics. Give the star anise and cinnamon bawl a light toast to bring out their fragrance.
- Sear the vegetables. Y'all can only throw the carrots and white radish into the soup, just searing the sides with tomato paste as yous would accept with the beefiness helps to add more than season.

More Winter warming dishes
- Bánh Canh Gà (Vietnamese Chicken Tapioca Noodle Soup)
- Bánh Canh Chay (Vegetarian Tapioca Noodle Soup)
- Bún Bò Huế Chay (Vegetarian Spicy Noodle Soup)
- Banh Canh Cua (Crab Tapioca Noodle Soup)
- Vietnamese Craven Curry (Cà Ri Gà)
- Chinese Roast Duck Noodle Soup (雪菜鴨絲湯米)
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For The Beef Stock
- 1 kg / ii.2 lb beef bones
- ten L / 42 Usa cup water
- xx thou / 0.04 lb ginger (peeled and lightly smashed)
For The Marinade
- 1 kg / 2.two lb gravy beef
- 800 g / i.8 lb beef brisket
- 60 g / 0.13 lb Bò Kho spice mix (we become it from Asian supermarkets)
- four star anise
- 2 Chinese cinnamon bark
- 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
For The Soup
- 1 Fifty / 4.22 Usa loving cup kokosnoot h2o
- 2 stalks lemongrass
- 280 g / 0.62 lb tomato paste
- 30 chiliad / 0.07 lb ginger (skin on)
- 3 onions (pare on)
- 400 k / 0.9 lb carrots
- 650 m / 1.4 lb white radish
- two 1/two tbsp salt (or to gustatory modality)
- 40 yard / 0.09 lb rock sugar (or to taste)
- one tbsp chicken bouillon powder
- 5 tbsp cooking oil
For The Tendon (Optional)
- 2 beefiness tendons
- water
For The Noodles and Garnish
- 1 bag rice noodles (we go cooked bánh phở from the local Asian supermarket)
- Vietnamese baguette (nosotros buy it from our local Vietnamese baker)
- Thai basil
- edible bean sprouts
- onion (thinly sliced)
- lemon/lime
-
First by cutting the beefiness into 6cm (2.4") chunks. Marinate the meat with the Bò Kho spices, garlic and 1 finely chopped onion for a minimum of 20 minutes.
-
To make the stock, bring a pot of water to a boil and add together the bones in along with the peeled ginger. Permit it simmer on a low-medium heat for at least 3 hours.
-
Meanwhile, char the remaining onions and ginger until the outside is blackness and the juices just start to bubble from the inside.
-
Remove the skin nether running absurd water, then add the aromatics into the stock along with the coconut water, rock sugar, salt and chicken bouillon pulverization. Let information technology simmer on a low heat every bit yous work on the other ingredients.
-
Cut the lemongrass into 5cm (2") segments forth their length and utilise a meat mallet or knife to crush them until they begin to split up.
-
Heat up a wok on medium heat and add five tbsp oil in. When hot, throw in the lemongrass and tomato paste, and so stir for 10 seconds.
-
Turn the heat up to high and pour in the marinated beefiness. Melt for one-2 minutes or until all sides are seared.
Tip: To avert humid the meat, carve up and cook the beef, lemongrass and tomato paste in 2-three batches.
-
Bring the heat up to loftier for the stock and add together the cooked meat in.
-
Launder and skin the daikon and carrots, then cutting them into 4cm (ane.6") segments or to preference. Add them into the soup and permit it simmer for some other hr or until the meat is soft.
Note: Proceed the vegetables on the larger side as they volition soften and intermission apart if likewise small and simmered for long.
-
As the stock is cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the tendons for two minutes to remove any odors. Bleed, scrape off whatsoever impurities and add them into the stock to cook for another 3 hours or until soft on your preferred texture.
-
Remove the tendons from the soup and cut into smaller segments, then leave aside in a bowl to eat with the stew.
-
Serve the Bò Kho hot with noodles, baguette, fresh herbs, chili and a squeeze of lemon juice!
- Marinate the beef overnight. Let the spices infuse into the meat for longer then that your Bò Kho is deeply fragrant. Make sure to take information technology out of the fridge at least 20 minutes before cooking and so information technology has time to come to room temperature.
- Double eddy the stock. We apply this technique for all of our soups to ensure nosotros go a clear and naturally sugariness broth with fewer impurities.
- Toast all the aromatics. Give the star anise and cinnamon bark a light toast to bring out their fragrance.
- Sear the vegetables. You lot can simply throw the carrots and white radish into the soup, but searing the sides with love apple paste every bit you would have with the beefiness helps to add more than flavor.
- You lot can salvage time and substitute the beef stock by using store-bought ones for convenience.
- Store-bought Bò Kho seasoning can be replaced with Chinese v spice. Only make sure to adjust to taste.
- We buy tendons from our local butcher. Different tendon batches will take different textures, which affects cooking fourth dimension.
- Nosotros used Vietnamese rice noodles (bánh phở) merely you lot tin can also eat it with egg noodles, clear noodles (hủ tiếu) or Vietnamese baguettes.
Calories: 605 kcal | Carbohydrates: 68 m | Protein: 35 thou | Fat: 21 chiliad | Saturated Fat: 6 yard | Cholesterol: 82 mg | Sodium: 4130 mg | Potassium: 1495 mg | Fiber: viii g | Saccharide: 19 g | Vitamin A: 8887 IU | Vitamin C: 36 mg | Calcium: 159 mg | Iron: five mg
If you lot recreated this authentic recipe, I'd love to see it! Tag me on Instagram at @wokandkin.
This post was originally published on fifteen/10/xix and updated with new photos in November 2021.
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Source: https://www.wokandkin.com/vietnamese-beef-stew-bo-kho/
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