This Instant Pot Pad Thai recipe will make you forget about takeout when you can have an even tastier meal in under 30 minutes. Made with a homemade sauce and a ton of veggies, you can mix up the protein to have a different meal every time.
I'm all about Asian meals. I just love the combination of flavors - from Thai chicken satay to Asian turkey meatballs to salmon stir fry.
And while most recipes can be prepared quickly, they really are perfect to use with an Instant Pot. So while I have a traditional Pad Thai recipe, I wanted to take advantage of the ease of the pressure cooker that adds flavor in a short amount of time.
The great thing about Pad Thai is it hits all five major flavor profiles - salty, sour, sweet, spicy and bitter. I will say this isn't a traditional Pad Thai sauce. There is no tamarind juice or paste and the sugar comes from maple syrup instead of palm sugar.
But believe me when I say the flavor is outstanding. It is a dish which everyone will love.
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Ingredient Notes
- Coconut milk - adds a creaminess to the sauce.
- Peanut butter - I get some inspiration from Thai satay which adds a slight peanut butter flavor.
- Maple syrup - Pad Thai is known for a slight sweetness and this is where it comes from.
- Soy sauce - the salt which offsets the sweetness.
- Brown rice noodles - the traditional noodle used in this recipe which soaks up the sauce.
- Veggies - carrots, bean sprouts, peas, peppers and green onions all add crunch and flavor.
- Chicken - you want the pieces to be bite-sized but large enough so it stays juicy.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe, you can mix up the ingredients if you want. Some variations include:
- While I like coconut milk as it pairs well, heavy cream can be used as well.
- If you have a peanut allergy, almond butter or even sunflower seed butter can be substitute.
- Maple syrup is my go-to for this dish, but granulated sugar or honey works too.
- If you need the dish to be gluten-free, replace the soy sauce with tamari sauce.
- Just use more soy sauce in replacement of fish sauce if you don't have it.
- You don't have to use just carrots, bean sprouts, peppers and peas. In fact if you don't like one of them just remove them. You could add snap peas, mushrooms, onions or whatever your heart desires.
- While I like to use chicken thighs, chicken breasts work great too.
- If you want to go light on carbs, replace the brown rice noodles with zucchini noodles or another vegetable noodle.
Step-by-Step Photos
Add the milk, water, peanut butter, maple syrup, fish sauce, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, lime juice, carrots and chicken to the Instant pot. Close lid and turn vent to "sealing." Set Instant Pot to manual/high pressure for 7 minutes.
Allow it to naturally release for 5 minutes before doing a quick release. While sauce and chicken is cooking, bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Toss with some olive oil to prevent the noodles from sticking.
Add the remaining veggies, stirring to combine. Close the lid for 5 minutes so they steam. Add in the noodles and toss. Serve immediately.
FAQs
I have the 6 quart Instant Pot. It is super simple to use and makes great meals.
You can but I highly recommend against it with this Instant Pot Pad Thai recipe. Rice noodles are starchy so they can get really sticky. Also if you cook too long, they will turn to mush which you don't want.
The great thing about an Instant Pot is either works. If using frozen, just add 5 minutes to the cooking time.
Of course. Pork, beef or shrimp all work great. Even tofu is a good substitute. You just will have to change the cooking times based off the protein you use.
If you plan on keeping leftovers, I'd keep the noodles separate from the sauce or they will soak it all up and get mush over time. You can keep in the fridge for 2-3 days or frozen for 3 months.
My preferred method is placing the leftover noodles in a skillet with the sauce. Cook on medium-low until heated through.
You can also microwave. Place in a microwave-proof bowl with a splash of water and microwave for 1 minute. Stir and microwave for another minute or until heated through.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Rice noodles are the only way to go with this homemade Pad Thai. You can try other noodles but they don't work well with this dish.
- Whatever protein you use, be consistent with the cuts so they cook evenly.
- While it isn't traditional in a Pad Thai sauce, the peanut butter adds additional complexity to the dish and makes it a mix of Pad Thai and Satay.
- Only cook the noodles till al dente and then throw in cold water to stop the cooking process. They will cook more as you add to the Instant Pot and toss with the sauce.
- If you want some additional crunch for this Instant Pot Pad Thai recipe, toast the peanuts although it isn't a necessary step.
Other Instant Pot Recipes
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Instant Pot Pad Thai
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut milk
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 tablespoon lime juice (1 lime)
- 2 cups carrots, shredded (about 2 medium carrots)
- 1 ½ lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1" pieces
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and diced
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 lb brown rice noodles
- ½ cup peanuts, chopped
- lime wedges, chopped cilantro and crushed red pepper flakes for garnish
Instructions
- In the Instant Pot, add the coconut milk, water, peanut butter, maple syrup, soy sauce, fish sauce, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and lime juice. Toss in the carrots and diced chicken.
- Close lid and turn vent to "sealing." Set Instant Pot to manual/high pressure for 7 minutes. Allow it to naturally release for 5 minutes before doing a quick release.
- Bring large pot of salted water to a boil and cook noodles according to package instructions to be al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking process. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil to prevent noodles from sticking and set aside.
- Add bean sprouts, peas, pepper and green onions to Instant Pot and stir to combine. Close lid for 5 minutes so the veggies steam. Stir in the noodles and toss everything to combine.
- Serve immediately and garnish with some peanuts, cilantro, fresh lime juice and crushed red pepper flakes.
Notes
- Rice noodles are the only way to go with this easy Pad Thai recipe. You can try other noodles but they don't work well with this dish.
- Whatever protein you use, be consistent with the cuts so they cook evenly.
- While it isn't traditional in a Pad Thai sauce, the peanut butter adds additional complexity to the dish and makes it a mix of Pad Thai and Satay.
- If you don't have maple syrup for the sauce, you replace it with honey or brown sugar.
- If you have a wok use it. This allows you to push eggs and protein to the sides without overcooking them as you are preparing this Pad Thai recipe.
- Only cook the noodles till al dente and then throw in cold water to stop the cooking process. They will cook more as you add to the wok and toss with the sauce.
- If you want some additional crunch for this Pad Thai recipe, toast the peanuts although it isn't a necessary step.
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