Instant Pot Pad Thai

This amazing Instant Pot pad thai is a quick and simple dinner recipe, perfect for busy weeknights. Noodles, chicken, vegetables and sauce are all cooked together in the pressure cooker for an easy, delicious meal.

Jump to:

• Why you'll love it
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Top tips
• Serving suggestions
• Variations
• Leftovers
• Frequently asked questions
• You might also like these recipes
• Recipe

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Why you'll love it

• This recipe uses less oil than most pad thai recipes.
• A quick and simple dish - the whole thing comes together in only 20 minutes.
• Instant Pot Pad thai is a flavorful family favorite.
• The whole meal is made in one pot, with no side dishes needed.
• At 29g protein and 399 calories per serving, it's really nutritious and low calorie.
• You can easily adjust and adapt the recipe to suit your preferences.

Browse my collection of healthy Instant Pot recipes for more meal inspiration!

Ingredients

Chicken breasts: Chicken breasts are lean and cook fast. You can use boneless and skinless chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat.

Carrots + bean sprouts: The main veggies in the dish. You can omit, substitute or add any other veggies if you like.

Rice noodles: Large rice noodles are commonly used in pad thai, and the best noodles to use in this recipe. I don't recommend using vermicelli noodles, as they tend to be a little mushy.

Garlic: Adds flavor to the dish. Can be omitted.

Tamarind, fish sauce, soy sauce, sriracha, rice vinegar, brown sugar, black pepper: These add flavor to the sauce. Feel free to substitute these with store bought pad thai sauce.

Chicken stock + water: The liquid helps the noodles cook through.

Scallions, peanuts, cilantro: These optional toppings add a lot of color and flavor to the dish.

Instructions

1. Prepare the ingredients: Dice the chicken breasts into small pieces, grate or finely chop the garlic, and cut the carrots into very thin batons. The carrots should be the same size as the bean sprouts.
2. Mix the sauce: Combine the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl.
3. Cook the pad thai: Add the ingredients to the Instant Pot in the following order: Water, chicken, grated garlic, sauce, and rice noodles. Leave the rice noodles floating on top of the liquid. Seal the lid, and cook on PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL for 2 minutes on high pressure. Then, turn the valve to quickly release the steam from the pot.
4. Add veggies: Add the vegetables to the Instant Pot, give it a stir, and cover again with the lid. Use the KEEP WARM setting for 5 minutes. This should warm up the bean sprouts and carrots.
5. Add toppings and serve: Serve the pad thai in bowls, and top with sliced scallions (UK: spring onions / green onions), chopped peanuts and cilantro. Optionally, add a lime wedge.

Top tips

• Some recipes suggest that you should saute the chicken before cooking it. I don't recommend doing that, as the chicken breasts would be overcooked any dry by the time the noodles are done. If you prefer to use larger chunks of chicken rather than small pieces, you can saute them first to make sure that they are cooked through.
• Make sure that the noodles are touching the liquid in the Instant Pot, or they might not cook correctly.
• This recipe has only been tested in a 6 quarts Instant Pot.

Serving suggestions

This one pot Instant Pot recipe doesn't require any side dishes, and can be served in a bowl with some toppings. But it can taste even better with a flavorful and refreshing side. Here are some of my favorite options:

• Roasted Hazelnuts - Roasted hazelnuts is a great addition to the peanut topping. Adds flavor and crunch!
• Ginger Scallion Sauce - Drizzle some of this easy sauce over the pad thai for a simple, yet flavorful topping. Perfect if you like ginger!
• Chinese Garlic Green Beans - These easy green beans is a great vegetable side to serve with most Asian dishes.
• Thai Cucumber Salad - This refreshing cucumber salad is perfect with Thai food.

Variations

Extra veggies: Feel free to add extra veggies to the dish. The veggies should be diced or sliced into thin pieces. Peppers, onion or sugar snap peas are great options.

Other protein: You can substitute the chicken with other protein, such as shrimp or seared beef chunks.

Vegetarian pad thai: You can make the dish vegetarian by omitting the chicken. Feel free to add vegetarian protein such as beans or chickpeas instead.

Refined sugar free: The sauce contains brown sugar. You can substitute the sugar with some honey, or omit it all together. You can also use a sugar free store bought pad thai option.

Leftovers

You can store leftovers in a refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat the pad thai in a microwave or pot, and serve it warm.

The noodles tend to be a little dry after reheating, as they absorb any liquid from the sauce while they are stored in your refrigerator. I like to add a little water, or a little extra sauce to the leftover dish, as it really improves the texture.

Frequently asked questions

You might also like these recipes

• Instant Pot Pot Roast
• Instant Pot Chicken and Broccoli
• Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
• Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
• Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
• Instant Pot Tuna Casserole

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Recipe