Phở xào is the pho variant made from sautéed or stir-fried pho noodles with beef and vegetables.
The Vietnamese word xào means stir-fried, so phở xào is a dry noodle preparation rather than the familiar soup served in a bowl. Flat rice noodles are cooked in a hot pan or wok, commonly with sliced beef, onions, bean sprouts, leafy vegetables, or other produce. The result has browned edges and a savory coating instead of a clear broth.
Phở xào belongs to the broader family of dishes built around bánh phở, the flat rice noodles used in pho. It is easy to confuse with phở áp chảo, a related preparation in which the noodles are generally fried with more oil and may become more heavily browned or crisp. Phở xào also differs fundamentally from phở bò, where the noodles and beef are served in broth. Both dishes use pho noodles, but their cooking methods and textures are distinct.