Traditional Bo Kho Recipe (Vietnamese Beef Stew)

Bo kho in a bowl served with a French baguette.

4.74 from 50 ratings

Traditional Bo Kho Recipe (Vietnamese Beef Stew)

A comforting, Vietnamese take on beef stew. This traditional Vietnamese beef stew or Bo Kho includes beef, lemongrass, daikon, and other yummy ingredients.

Prep Time45

Cook Time1 30

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: bo kho, bo kho recipe, Vietnamese beef stew

Servings: people

Calories: 196kcal

Author: Becca Du

Ingredients

Beef Marinade

1 lb beef shank cubed, see note 1
1 lb beef chuck cubed, see note 1
2 cloves garlic minced
1 piece ginger 2-3 inches, thinly sliced
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp five spice powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Beef Stew

3 cloves garlic minced
1 piece ginger 2-3 inches, thinly sliced
1 yellow onion thinly sliced
1/2 cup red wine
1 stalk lemongrass cut into 2 inch pieces
2 large carrots
1 daikon cut into chunks
2 star anise
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup beef broth see note 2
4 cups water see note 3

Toppings & Garnishes

mint see note 4
1 lime see note 5

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Marinate the beef chuck and beef shank for 30 minutes with 2 cloves of garlic, 1 2-inch piece of ginger (sliced thinly), fish sauce, five spice, cinnamon, and vegetable oil. Make sure to include the bone from the beef shank in the marinade. Set aside.
In a large soup pot, saute onions, the rest of the ginger, and the rest of the garlic for 1 minute. Next, add the marinated beef and cook for 2-3 minutes until all sides are seared. Deglaze the pot with red wine and cook until the alcohol is burned out. You shouldn't be able to smell the alcohol anymore once it has burned out.
Add in the lemongrass, carrots, daikon, bay leaf, salt, tomato paste, beef broth, and water. Bring the soup to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 1-1.5 hours until beef is tender. Check on the soup every half hour and scoop away any impurities that you see.
After the broth has finished simmering, taste the soup for seasoning. If it tastes bland, add more salt or fish sauce until the soup tastes just right.
Ladle soup into a bowl. Top with mint and lime juice to finish it off. Eat with bread, rice, or rice noodles.

Video

Notes

Use beef with a good amount of fat. I use a combination of beef shank and beef chuck because of the fat content. That's how you get a rich broth. I also like to use beef shank with the bone in because bones make for the best broths.
Beef broth can be substituted with 1 tablespoon of beef bouillon or chicken broth.
Water can be substituted with more beef broth, chicken broth, or coconut water.
Mint can be substituted with Thai basil.
Lime can be substituted with lemon.
Storage Instructions - Bo Kho can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I usually like to put bo kho into freezer safe bags when storing in the freezer.

Nutrition