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.”

a plate of Pho Xao Gion, a Vietnamese dish featuring crispy fried Pho noodles topped with stir-fried beef and a medley of fresh herbs and vegetables

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.

A bowl of Pho Bo Sot Vang, Vietnamese beef stew infused with red wine and aromatic spices.
Phở Bò Sốt Vang (Red Wine Beef Stew Phở)
Vietnamese Phở Trộn
Phở Trộn (Phở Salad with Chicken)
Steaming bowl of Pho Sa Tế with flat rice noodles, rich satay broth, and an assortment of fresh toppings
Phở Sa Tế (Phở with Peanut Butter Broth)
a bowl of Pho Ga (Chicken Pho)
Instant Pot Chicken Phở

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

1

For theo crispy Pho base

Ingredients for Pho Xao Gion: sliced beef, fresh pho noodles, eggs, garlic
  • 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
2

For the toppings

Ingredients for Pho Xao Gion: carrot, onion, tomato, green beans, mung bean sprouts, cilantro, scallion
  • 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.
3

Dipping sauce

Close-up of a bowl filled with Hanoi-style dipping fish sauce, garnished with sliced carrots, kohlrabi.
Hanoi-style dipping fish sauce

Helpful Tips

a plate of Pho Xao Gion, a Vietnamese dish featuring crispy fried Pho noodles topped with stir-fried beef and a medley of fresh herbs and vegetables
  • 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

Vietnamese Egg Coffee (Ca Phe Trung)
Vietnamese Egg Coffee
(Cà Phê Trứng)
a bowl of Bun Cha Ha Noi
Bún Chả Hà Nội
(Northern rice noodles with grilled pork)
A plate of Bun Dau Mam Tom
Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm
(Rice noodles with fried tofu and shrimp paste)
Bun Moc (Vietnamese noodle soup with pork balls)
Bún Mọc
(Rice noodle soup with meatballs)

Thanks a bunch for giving my recipe a shot! If you enjoyed it, I’d truly appreciate a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating or a comment to let me know your thoughts.

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a plate of Pho Xao Gion, a Vietnamese dish featuring crispy fried Pho noodles topped with stir-fried beef and a medley of fresh herbs and vegetables

Phở Áp Chảo (Hanoi-style Crispy Pan-Fried Phở with Beef)

Cielle
Phở Áp Chảo (Or Phở Xào Giòn) is an inventive Hanoian twist on Pho. Easy and delicious with full of textures, it features a platter of crispy fried Pho noodles with delectable stir-fried beef and veggies.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Vietnamese
Servings 2 people

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:

  • lb sliced beef (300g) (top round steak, flank steak, sirloin, strip, or rib-eye cuts)
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 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)
  • 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.
    marinated sliced beef in a bowl
  • 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.
    Ingredients for Pho Xao Gion: carrot, onion, tomato, green beans, mung bean sprouts, cilantro, scallion

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.
    pho noodles and egg yolks in a bow
  • 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.
    the crispy pho noodles in a pan

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.
    medium rare stir-fried beef in a pan
  • 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.
    stir-fried carrrot, green beans and onions
  • 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.
    stir-fried beef and vegetables for Pho xao gion in a pan
  • 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.
    add cornstrarch slurry to the stir-fry
  • 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.
    a plate of Pho Xao Gion, a Vietnamese dish featuring crispy fried Pho noodles topped with stir-fried beef and a medley of fresh herbs and vegetables

Notes

  1. If using dry Pho noodles, follow the package instructions to soak, boil, and drain them for rehydration.
  2. Ensure that all other components are ready before stir-frying the beef since the beef should be served hot.
  3. 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.
  4. If you’re incorporating bok choy or napa cabbage, add them to the pan after the onions.
  5. You could substitute cornstarch with potato starch or tapioca starch.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Anonymous
Anonymous
7 months ago

5 stars