Phở Áp Chảo (also known as Phở Xào Giòn) is a creative Hanoian twist on the traditional Phở.
This dish features crispy fried Phở noodles, often shaped into a single round piece that can be cut into pizza-like slices, earning it the playful nickname “Phở Pizza.”

What is Phở Áp Chảo?
In Vietnamese, Phở Áp Chảo literally means “Pan-fried Phở,” while Phở Xào Giòn means “Crispy Stir-fried Phở Noodles”.
This Hanoi-style Phở Áp Chảo features crispy fried rice noodles paired with savory stir-fried beef. If you’re a fan of Mì Xào Giòn (Crispy Bird’s Nest Egg Noodles), this dish is sure to win you over.
Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is also the ultimate destination for Phở lovers. While classics like Beef Phở (Phở Bò) and Chicken Phở (Phở Gà) are iconic, a culinary adventure in Hanoi will reveal a world of creative Phở twists you won’t want to miss such as:
Phở Bò Sốt Vang: A flavorful twist on Phở, featuring tender beef stewed in red wine.
Phở Trộn: A refreshing take on Phở, served as a salad with a tangy soy sauce dressing.
Phở Cuốn: Delicate Phở sheets wrapped around savory fillings, like a Phở-inspired spring roll.
Phở Chiên Phồng: Crispy deep-fried Phở sheets paired with stir-fried beef and veggies.
I adore all kinds of Phở, not just the classic Northern-style. Southern favorites like Phở Sa Tế (with a rich peanut butter broth) and Phở Bò Kho (beef stew Phở) are equally irresistible to me.
Living in Germany, when time is short, I rely on Instant Pot Chicken Phở or Instant Pot Beef Phở for a quick and satisfying fix.




In the South, Phở Áp Chảo is just another name for Hủ Tiếu Áp Chảo (Hủ Tiếu Xào), a dish influenced by Chinese immigrants in Saigon.
It’s quite similar to Beef Chow Fun, Pad See Ew (Thai Stir-fried Noodles), or Pad Kee Mao (Thai Drunken Noodles).
Ingredients
For theo crispy Pho base

- Fresh Flat Pho Noodles: Choose the type made for Northern Phở. Follow the package instructions to soak, boil, and drain for rehydration.
- Cornstarch: the key ingredient for a crispy Pho base.
- Egg yolks: they give a nice color and richer flavor to the dish, but you can also use a whole egg.
- Chicken powder & cooking oil
For the toppings

- Sliced beef: you could use top round steak, flank steak, sirloin, strip, or rib-eye cuts.
- Cornstarch: Used both for tenderizing the beef (like in Bún Bò Xào – Rice Noodle Salad with Stir-fried Beef) and thickening the slurry.
- Vegetables: bean sprouts, green beans, carrots, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and scallions.
- I highly recommend cilantro, onions, and scallions, other vegetables are flexible. You could use bok choy or napa cabbages also.
- Seasoning: soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, garlic and cooking oil.
Dipping sauce
- You could use the classic Nước Chấm, Hanoi-style dipping fish sauce or soy sauce for this recipe.

Helpful Tips

- With dry Pho noodles, simply follow the package instructions to soak, boil, and drain them for rehydration.
- Ensure that you have all the other components prepared before stir-frying the beef. The beef should be served while it’s still hot.
- Cook the beef and the Pho noodles in small batches to prevent overcrowding the pan. I usually stir-fry 2/3 lb (300g) of beef and pan-fry 0.5 lb (250g) of Pho noodles at a time.
- If you’re using bok choy or napa cabbage, add them to the pan after the onions.
- Besides cornstarch, you could use tapioca starch or potato starch.
More Northern Vietnamese Recipes

(Cà Phê Trứng)

(Northern rice noodles with grilled pork)

(Rice noodles with fried tofu and shrimp paste)

(Rice noodle soup with meatballs)

Phở Áp Chảo (Hanoi-style Crispy Pan-Fried Phở with Beef)
Equipment
- 1 nonstick pan
Ingredients
For the Pho base:
- 1 lb fresh flat pho noodles (500g) (read note 1 for about dry noodles)
- ½ tbsp chicken powder
- 2 egg yolks (or 1 egg)
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- Cooking oil
For stir-fried beef and vegetables:
- ⅔ lb sliced beef (300g) (top round steak, flank steak, sirloin, strip, or rib-eye cuts)
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1½ tbsp soy sauce (to your taste)
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce (to your taste)
- ½ tbsp sugar (to your taste)
- ½ tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 cup mung bean sprouts (200g)
- 1 tomato (cut into wedges)
- 1 onion (cut into wedges)
- 3½ oz carrot (100g) (julienned)
- 6 oz green bean (170g, 6-7 green beans) (trimmed and chopped into 1-inch / 3 cm long pieces)
- 1 handful cilantro (chopped)
- 2 sprigs scallion (chopped)
- 1 pinch salt (to your taste)
- Chicken powder (to your taste)
For the slurry
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water (to mix with cornstarch)
- ¼ cup water (60ml)
Dipping sauce
- Hanoi-style dipping fish sauce
- Nước Chấm (dipping fish sauce)
- Soy sauce
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients
- Marinate the beef with oyster sauce, soy sauce, minced garlic, sugar, cooking oil, and cornstarch for about 20 minutes.
- Thinly wedge the onion and tomato. Julienne the carrot. Chop the cilantro and scallions. Trim and chop the green beans into 1-inch (3 cm) long pieces. If you are using Bok Choi or Napa Cabbage, cut them into 2-inch (5 cm) long pieces.
Cook the pho base:
- Mix the Pho noodles with chicken powder.
- Add egg yolks to the noodles and mix until the noodles are well coated. Then gently mix in the cornstarch to ensure it coats the noodles evenly.
- Option 1 (Deep-frying for a crispy Pho base) – In a pan, heat a sufficient quantity of cooking oil, ensuring it covers the rice noodles entirely. Once the oil reaches the desired temperature, add the Pho noodles, making sure they are separated and molded into circular shapes. – Submerge the noodles in the hot oil and fry until they become crispy. After achieving the desired crispiness, delicately remove them from the oil and place them on a rack to drain and remove any excess oil.
- Option 2 (Pan-frying for a healthier version, crispy outside, soft inside): – Heat 3 tbsp cooking oil in a non-stick pan. Arrange the rice noodles in the pan, separating and shaping them into a round form. – Pan-fry the noodles until the bottom side becomes crispy. Gently use a spatula to flip the Pho pizza and cook the other side until it turns crispy also. Finally, transfer the rice noodles from the pan to a plate.
Stir-fry beef and vegetables:
- In the same pan, heat 1 tbsp cooking oil. Once the oil is hot, stir-fry the beef until it reaches medium-rare. Then, transfer the beef to a bowl.
- In the same pan, add another 1 tbsp cooking oil. Sauté the onion until it becomes slightly translucent. Next, add the green beans and carrots, seasoning them with a pinch of salt. Stir-fry the vegetables for about two minutes, or until they are halfway cooked.
- Incorporate the mung bean sprouts and tomatoes, and stir-fry for an additional 2 minutes. When the vegetables are cooked, add the cilantro and scallions. Reintroduce the cooked beef and mix until well combined. Season to your taste with chicken powder and soy sauce.
- Pour in roughly 1/4 – 1/3 cup of water (60-80ml) into the stir-fry. Prepare the slurry by mixing 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water, and add this mixture to the pan. Cook over high heat until the sauce thickens.
- Place the stir-fried beef and vegetables with the sauce on top of the fried Pho noodles. Enjoy it as is, with a drizzle of Nước Chấm, soy sauce, or with Hanoi-style Nước Chấm.
Notes
- If using dry Pho noodles, follow the package instructions to soak, boil, and drain them for rehydration.
- Ensure that all other components are ready before stir-frying the beef since the beef should be served hot.
- To prevent overcrowding the pan, cook the beef and Pho noodles in small batches. I typically stir-fry 2/3 lb (300g) of beef and pan-fry 0.5 lb (250g) of Pho noodles at a time.
- If you’re incorporating bok choy or napa cabbage, add them to the pan after the onions.
- You could substitute cornstarch with potato starch or tapioca starch.