I made this one-pot bò kho at 9 months pregnant. I wanted comforting Vietnamese food without the hassle — no parboiling and cleaning beef bones, sautéing in front of a hot stove, or washing multiple pots. Total prep time and cleanup is less than 30 minutes; the oven does the rest of the work. I don’t have a crockpot or Instant Pot, but I imagine you could use one instead — might even be easier!
Ingredients
2 lb chuck roast
4 tbsp Pyramid brand bò kho seasoning
1 shallot
1 bulb garlic
1 stalk lemongrass
1 medium onion
2 carrots
1 medium daikon
4 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups coconut water
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
20g rock sugar
Salt, fish sauce, mushroom seasoning to taste
Water – fill to top of 6qt pot with all ingredients in
Instructions:
1. Season the chuck roast with salt and bò kho seasoning. My rule of thumb: a thin layer of salt to cover the surface of the protein, and a more generous, medium-thick layer of bò kho seasoning.
2. Peel and cut all the vegetables.
3. Add the seasoned chuck roast, aromatics, and vegetables to a Dutch oven, along with the tomato paste, coconut water, and water.
4. Add 1–2 more tbsp bò kho seasoning, fish sauce, and rock sugar. Start with 1 tbsp fish sauce and 20g rock sugar — you can always adjust later.
5. Cover and place the Dutch oven in a 350°F oven for 3 hours.
6. At the 2-hour mark, add the cinnamon stick and star anise.
7. After 3 hours, cut the beef into cubes with kitchen scissors and season to taste.
8. Add green onion, cilantro, basil, and lemon.
9. Enjoy with phở noodles or bánh mì (Vietnamese bread).
