The Best Bun Bo Hue (Spicy Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

Bun Bo Hue or Spicy Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup is one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes of all time. There is a reason this dish continues to be a favorite among the Vietnamese community! It has all the flavor profiles from spicy to sweet to savory. It does take some time to make, but I promise you it will be worth it. In my post, learn all the tips and tricks from creating the broth to perfectly cooking noodles, so you get consistent results every time.

When the weather turns cold, I turn to good ole Vietnamese noodle soups for warmth. Making these noodle broths from my culture connects me to it like nothing else. One of my favorites is Bun Bo Hue or Spicy Beef Noodle Soup. Bun Bo Hue (BBH) is one of the most popular noodle soups in Vietnam, but it’s not well known in the US. I like it consider it the spicy cousin of pho. It has a spicy beef and pork based broth and is served with thick rice noodles, beef, pork hocks, and lots of herbs.

The origins of Bun Bo Hue

What does Bun Bo Hue mean?

Bun Bo Hue literally translated means noodles from Hue. Hue is a city in central Vietnam that was once the capital. This dish is called Bun Bo Hue, so people know where it comes from. In that region, it is simply called Bun Bo.

When I think of Bun Bo Hue, I think of my uncle’s house. This is his signature dish. I remember when I was a kid he used to make gallons of BBH broth and invite all of our friends and family over for dinner. It was his way of connecting with other people through his food. My cousin and I would watch him cook the soup for hours, waiting and anticipating when we could have a bowl. The thing I probably remember most about his broth is how SPICY it was. He does not joke around. I could not handle my spicy foods back then, but that didn’t stop me. I would just have a large glass of milk ready.

Making my version of Bun Bo Hue

In my version of bun bo hue, I use a combination of beef and pork to make the broth. Pork is something that is very commonly use in Vietnamese cooking to get a deep sweet and umami flavored broth. Other than bun bo hue, you can also find it in other Vietnamese favorites like banh canh cua, canh chua, and bun rieu. In this broth, pork adds some sweetness which helps balance out the savory flavor from the beef. It is definitely the ultimate example of balance in Vietnamese cooking.

What is the difference between Bun Bo Hue and Beef Pho?

BBH and Pho are really similar dishes, but there are a few distinct differences.

1. The most noticeable difference is BBH is spicy, and pho is typically not spicy. The broth for BBH also tends to take on a red color due to all the spices added. A pho broth is typically more clear and a light brown/yellow color.
2. BBH includes pork in the broth in the form of pork hocks. A beef pho broth is made with only beef.
3. The noodles that are traditionally served in both are very different. BBH typically uses thick rice noodles that are chewy, and pho uses thinner rice noodles that are more tender. Pho noodles also tend to be better at soaking in the broth than BBH noodles.
4. The toppings are also very different between both noodle soups. BBH usually has more toppings between the beef, pork hocks, cha lua, and all the herbs. Pho typically only has beef, herbs, and sauces.

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

Broth Ingredients

• Beef shank – This is part of the leg of the cow, so it has a lot of muscle and tough meat. Sometimes depending on supply, you can’t find beef shank at the market. Good substitutes are beef chuck and beef brisket. Definitely try to incorporate some beef bone somewhere to get that full rich broth.
• Pork hocks – Pork hocks are the part of the leg that lies right above its hoof. It has a lot of tendons, but the main part people eat is the skin. This ingredient can be difficult to find unless you have an Asian market near you. You might be able to find these things at your local butcher. Make sure to get the butcher to cut it into small pieces for you because it’s difficult to cut on your own. A good substitute for pork leg is pork shoulder with the bone still attached.
• Beef chuck – This is mostly for flavor and extra meat to go on top of the bowl of noodles. I love beef chuck because it has some fat which adds to the richness of the broth. A good substitute for beef chuck is brisket.
• Garlic – Use 3-4 cloves of garlic. Keep them whole, so you can take them out easily after the soup is done.
• Bun bo hue powder – This powder is for the red color and the taste. BBH powder can be found at Asian grocery stores. It can also be recreated at home. See my recipe for Bun Bo Hue powder below!
• Shrimp paste – Shrimp paste gives the soup a umami flavor. There are no real substitutes for this paste. If you can’t find it, I would recommend using fish sauce instead.
• Daikon – This vegetable adds some subtle sweetness to the soup. I tested this recipe with Korean radish, and it works really well as a substitute. Another good substitute are white turnips.
• Yellow onion – I used a yellow onion for my recipe, but you can also use white onion. Traditionally, it’s more common to use a yellow onion.
• Lemongrass – This adds a slightly sour flavor to the soup. You can also use lemongrass paste (add 2 tbsp to the broth).
• Fish sauce – Add fish sauce to taste. I added 2 tablespoons, but you can add more if you feel the soup is not flavorful enough.
• Granulated sugar – I used white sugar for my recipe, but for a healthier alternative, use coconut sugar, palm sugar, or rock sugar.
• Chicken broth – Adds more flavor to the broth. This can be substituted with vegetable broth or beef broth.

Sate Chili Ingredients

The sate chili gives the broth it’s red color, and also adds some flavor to it!

• Annatto seeds – Annatto seeds is what give this sate chili its red color. A note of caution – Be careful not to stain your clothes with the annatto oil, it’s really hard to clean off. If you can’t find annatto seeds, I would substitute with a teaspoon of paprika.
• Vegetable oil – You can use vegetable oil or olive oil for this sate chili. Both work well.
• Chili flakes – This helps give the sate chili its spicy flavor. Use more or less depending on how spicy you want to make the soup.
• Shallot, lemongrass, and garlic – Add flavor to the sate chili.
• Salt for seasoning

Noodle Bowl

There are so many different toppings you can use based on your personal preference. I will list the ones I did use first and then a few that are common but I did not use.

Ingredients I Included

• Thick rice noodles or Bun Bo Hue Noodles – The noodles that are traditionally used for Bun Bo Hue are thick rice noodles. They’re 2-3 times bigger than vermicelli noodles, and they are chewier. They not only add texture to the bowl, but it also soaks up the soup really well. If you can’t find these noodles (pictured above), use vermicelli noodles. Personally, I don’t think Bun Bo Hue is the same without the thick rice noodles, so I would highly recommend using them if you can.
• Cilantro, green onions, mint, and bean sprouts – I used these herbs to add some freshness to balance out the savory flavors of my broth.
• Cha Lua (optional but recommended) – Cha Lua is a steamed pork meatloaf that adds more flavor and texture to the noodle bowl. Personally, I love it, and it’s always in my BBH.
• Lime – Adds freshness to the noodle bowl. Lime can be substituted with lemon.

Ingredients I did not Include

• Pork Blood Cake – This is a VERY common topping for Bun Bo Hue, and most restaurants will include it in your noodle bowl. It has a really interesting flavor and texture. It tastes almost like a really game-y jello, and I personally don’t like it so I don’t include it.
• Shredded Red Cabbage – This also a very common topping that you will see. It adds another layer of freshness and texture to the dish.
• Fried Tofu – Fried tofu is not as common as the above 2, but you definitely still see it from time to time. It adds more texture, and it also tends to soak up the flavor of the brother really well.

How to make homemade Bun Bo Hue powder

In my most recent test of this recipe, I found it pretty difficult to find pre-made Bun Bo Hue powder, so I ended up making my own. Here’s how you do it!

1. Combine 2 tbsp of paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp of star anise powder, 1/4 tsp ginger powder, 1/4 tsp of powdered cloves in a bowl.
2. Mix until combined and set aside.

How to make Bun Bo Hue at home

I am not going to lie, this noodle soup takes a lot of work. It has a lot of ingredients and more than a few steps. But in the end, the effort is well worth it. Here’s how you make it!

1. Clean the meat. Put the pork leg, beef shank, and beef chuck into a big soup pan and add water until it just covers the meat. Bring it to a boil. Once the water boils, remove it from the heat and pour out the water. Take out all the meat and set aside.
2. Add 3 cloves of garlic, 2 tbsp bun bo hue powder, 1 tbsp of shrimp paste and 1 tablespoon of oil to a soup pan. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. (You can use the same one you used to parboil the meat to save time.) Add in the beef shank and beef chuck, and cook until the beef is brown on all sides.
3. Add in water until it just covers the meat. I added 3 quarts or 12 cups of water. Bring to a boil, and scoop away any impurities that you see.
4. Lower the heat, and add the pork hocks back to the pot. Also, add 1 onion, 1 daikon, and 2 stalks of lemongrass. Simmer for 2-3 hours.
5. After 2 hours, check that the meat is cooked through. Leave them in the broth if they need to be cooked more. Once cooked through, take out the meat. Slice the beef and set aside. The beef is cooked through once it’s tender and falls off the bone.
6. Add 2 tsp of salt, 2 tbsp of fish sauce, 1 tbsp of sugar, and 1 can of chicken broth to the soup. Simmer the soup for another 30 minutes.

1. While the soup is simmering, make the sate chili. Combine 1/4 cup of vegetable oil and 2 tsp of annatto seeds in a small sauce pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the oil turns red. Discard the seeds and add the rest of the ingredients for the sate chili to the pan. Cook for 1-2 more minutes and remove from the heat.
2. After 15 minutes of simmering, add the sate chili to the broth and stir.
3. Taste the soup and see if it has enough flavor. If not, add more fish sauce until it tastes just right. Turn off the heat.
4. Now it’s time to assemble your bowls of soup! Grab a handful of cooked noodles and put them in a bowl. Top it with some of the beef slices, a piece of the pork hock, cilantro, green onions, bean sprouts, cha lua, and a small teaspoon of shrimp paste (optional). Ladle some soup over these yummy ingredients and serve.

Tips on how to make the perfect Bun Bo Hue

Cleaning the meat is the key to a good broth

It is really important to clean the meat first before you make the soup. That is the key to any good Vietnamese soup. Do this by adding meat to water and bring it to a boil. Then throw away all the water. All the gross stuff from the meat will go away with the water. As an extra bonus, you can also clean the pot you used to make sure all the impurities don’t get into your broth.

Make a day ahead for the best flavor

Broths especially Vietnamese broths taste better the next day. All the ingredients marinate overnight, and the flavors are so much better the next day.

Avoid boiling too much for a clearer broth

The key to a clear, clean broth is to not boil the broth too much. When I make broths, I typically keep it on a very low simmer so everything cooks slowly. Over boiling the broth tends to make it cloudy.

How to properly boil rice noodles

This is not talked about a lot but there is a method to boiling rice noodles. First combine water and pinch of salt in a pot. Make sure you use a big enough pot so your water doesn’t boil over. Once boiling, add the noodles and cook until cooked through. Taste the noodles to test if they’re done.

Once done, pour the noodles out into a colander and run it under cold water. This step is VERY IMPORTANT. Rice noodles are not like pasta. You must rinse off the starch or they will be gummy and sticky.

How to make this soup for more people

This recipe serves 5-6 people depending on how much each person eats. To make this recipe for more people, simply add more chicken broth to increase the quantity of soup. This is something my mom did for us growing up. Also make sure you have enough of the noodles and toppings for the extra people.

How do you eat Bun Bo Hue?

Bun Bo Hue is normally served with a side of herbs, lime, chili, and a dollop of shrimp paste, so you can customize your bowl to your taste. I typically add everything except the chili to my bowl. Very traditional people like my uncle will bite a piece of chili and then spoon some noodles into his mouth, so he gets a very spicy bite. I however cannot handle that.

How do you store Bun Bo Hue?

All the components of this dish should be stored separately in airtight containers in the fridge. Once you are ready to eat, put it all together and serve. The broth, meat, and noodles can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. The vegetables can be stored up to a week.

Reheating Bun Bo Hue

First start by reheating the broth. You can either microwave it for 4-5 minutes or bring it to a boil in a pot. I then microwave the noodles for 1-2 minutes. Once both are hot, I combine them in a soup bowl and add the rest of the toppings. If you would like to microwave the broth and noodles in 1 bowl, I would first microwave the broth for 3-4 minutes, then add the noodles to the broth and microwave for an additional 2-3 minutes until hot. Optional – You can microwave the meat with the noodles.

Did you make this dish?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

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