Beef · Slow cooker adaptation

Slow Cooker Vietnamese Beef Stew (Bo Kho)

A Vietnamese beef stew built on shank cubes marinated with garlic, shallots and lemongrass, then simmered low with star anise, cinnamon and a can of coconut soda until the meat gives up under a chopstick. The kind of pot that makes the kitchen smell warm all afternoon and gets torn into with a torn baguette.

R By Richard · Adapted from Cooking Island · Published 4 July 2026
👁 67.3k source views ❤️ 1.2k source likes
⏱Prep 30 min
🍲Slow cook 8 hr (Low) / 5 hr (High)
🍽Serves 6
Vietnamese Beef Stew That's Seriously Addictive | Bo Kho Recipe

Source video by Cooking Island on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules and is marked for human review.

Bo kho is Vietnam's aromatic beef stew, warm with lemongrass, star anise and cinnamon, thickened lightly with tomato paste and given a subtle sweetness by a can of coconut soda. The source is a hob recipe with a 60 to 90 minute simmer; the slow cooker version keeps the on-hob sear and aromatic build (they matter), then does the long braise on Low so the shank melts into ribbons. Roast a whole onion with the star anise and cinnamon stick first for a deeper, sweeter aromatic base, smash a stalk of lemongrass, and add the carrots and potatoes late so they hold their shape. Serve with a crusty Vietnamese baguette or over rice noodles.

Slow cooker notes: Sear and aromatic sauté kept on the hob because the slow cooker cannot brown. Coconut soda kept at 1 can (355 ml) as stated; the water top-up is reduced from 'just enough to cover the meat' to about 200 ml because slow cookers retain more liquid over a long cook. Whole spices (star anise, cinnamon stick, roasted onion, smashed lemongrass) go in from the start rather than being removed halfway so the low heat can pull the aromatics out fully; fish them out before serving. Carrots and potatoes go in for the final 1.5 to 2 hours on Low (or 45 minutes on High) so they stay tender but not mushy. Final 1/2 tbsp sugar seasoning kept as stated.

Ingredients

Marinade
  • 900 gbeef shank or chuck, cut into 4 cm (1.5 inch) cubes
  • 6 clovesgarlic cloves, finely minced
  • 2 smallshallots, finely minced
  • 2 whitesspring onions (white part only), finely minced
  • 1 tbspfresh ginger, finely minced
  • 0.5 tbspchicken bouillon powder
  • 1.5 tbspfish sauce
  • 2 tbspmirin
  • 1 tbspsriracha
  • 1 tspground black pepper
  • 2 tspbo kho seasoning powder
  • 1 tbspneutral oil
Aromatics
  • 1 wholeonion, unpeeled, roasted at 200C (400F) for 10 minutes
  • 3 wholestar anise
  • 1 stickcinnamon stick
  • 1 stalklemongrass stalk, white part only, lightly smashed
To sear
  • 1 tbspannatto oil or neutral oil
Braise
  • 1.5 tbsptomato paste
  • 355 mlcoconut soda
  • 200 mlwater
  • fine sea salt
Vegetables
  • carrots, peeled and cut into 3 cm chunks (add late)
  • waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 cm chunks (add late)
To finish
  • 0.5 tbspcaster sugar (add late)
To serve
  • spring onion greens, finely sliced (add late)
  • crusty Vietnamese baguette (bánh mì)

Method

  1. Cut the beef into 4 cm cubes. In a large bowl mix the minced garlic, shallots, spring onion whites, ginger, chicken bouillon, fish sauce, mirin (or 2 tsp sugar), sriracha, black pepper and bo kho seasoning. Stir in the neutral oil, add the beef, mix to coat, then cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 60 minutes (longer gives deeper flavour).

    ~10 min

  2. While the beef marinates, roast the whole onion (skin on) at 200C (400F) for 10 minutes to sweeten it, then lightly smash the white part of the lemongrass stalk with the flat of a knife. Peel and chunk the carrots and potatoes and set aside for later.

    ~15 min

  3. Heat the annatto oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. Add any remaining minced ginger, then the shallot and spring onion whites, and finally the garlic (last so it does not burn). Cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

    ~3 min

  4. Turn the heat to high. Add the marinated beef in a single layer and sear, turning, for about 5 minutes until well browned on all sides. Stir in the tomato paste and cook out for 1 minute.

    ~8 min

  5. Tip the beef and any pan juices into the slow cooker. Add the roasted onion, star anise, cinnamon stick and smashed lemongrass. Pour in the can of coconut soda and 200 ml water. Season with a pinch of salt, stir once, cover.

    ~4 min

  6. Cook on Low for 6 hours (or High for 3 hours), then add the carrot and potato chunks, stir gently, and continue on Low for a further 1.5 to 2 hours (or High for 45 minutes) until the beef pulls apart under a chopstick and the vegetables are tender.

    ~480 min

  7. Fish out and discard the onion, cinnamon stick, star anise and lemongrass. Stir in the 1/2 tbsp sugar, taste, and adjust with more fish sauce or salt if needed. Scatter with sliced spring onion greens and serve with crusty baguette or over rice noodles.

    ~3 min

Frequently asked

What is bo kho seasoning and can I make it myself?
It is a Vietnamese premixed spice powder built around star anise, cinnamon, lemongrass, five-spice, chilli and annatto. Asian supermarkets stock it under 'bột bò kho'. As a rough home substitute, mix 1 tsp Chinese five-spice, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and 1/4 tsp ground turmeric per 2 tsp called for.
Do I really need to sear the beef?
Yes. Slow cookers do not brown, so the crust you build in the pan is where the depth of flavour comes from. Ten minutes of sear buys you a much richer stew.
Can I skip the coconut soda?
Coconut water works and keeps the subtle sweetness. Plain water plus 1 tsp extra sugar is a serviceable last resort but flatter.
Why add the carrots and potatoes late?
A full 8 hours on Low turns them to mush. Adding them in the last 1.5 to 2 hours gives you tender chunks that hold their shape against the beef.
What do you serve with bo kho?
Traditionally a torn Vietnamese baguette for dunking, or laid over cooked rice noodles (bún) with fresh Thai basil and lime. It also holds well overnight and reheats beautifully.
Extraction notes (transparency): Most quantities grounded in the on-screen ingredient card: 2 lb beef shank, 5 to 6 cloves garlic + 1 tbsp minced, 1 to 2 shallots + 1 tbsp minced, 2 white parts of spring onion + 1 tbsp minced, 1 tbsp minced ginger, 1/2 tbsp chicken bouillon, 1.5 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp mirin OR 2 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp sriracha (optional), 1 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp bo kho seasoning, 1 tbsp neutral oil in the marinade, 1 whole onion, 3 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 lemongrass stalk, 1 tbsp annatto oil for the sear, 1.5 tbsp tomato paste, 1 can (355 ml) coconut soda, 1/2 tbsp sugar to adjust at the end. Quantities not stated on camera for: carrots (host says 'cut into chunks'), potatoes (same), salt ('adjust to your taste'), and the top-up water ('just enough to barely cover the meat'), left as approximate ranges with notes. Oven temperature for pre-roasting the onion is stated (200C / 400F for 10 min).