Try this Instant Pot Chicken Pad Thai recipe, or contribute your own.
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts diced
- 1 cup carrot matchsticks
- 4 green onions sliced
- 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1/2 cup jarred pad thai sauce (i like thai kitchen brand)
- 1/2 package rice noodles
- 1/2 each red and yellow pepper sliced
- 1/3 cup chopped peanuts
- 1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro
- Carbohydrate 16.0598666666667 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 43.5828000028947 g
- Fiber 6.63599998792013 g
- Protein 20.0556 g
- Saturated Fat 6.04562666706636 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (450g)
- Sodium 30.4483333454121 mg
- Sugar 9.42386667874654 g
- Trans Fat 2.00889666674506 g
- Calories 501 calories
Step-by-step
- Add olive oil, chicken, garlic, soy sauce, pad thai sauce, water and rice noodles to Instant Pot in that order, leaving noodles floating slightly above other ingredients. Set to manual and pressure cook on high for 2 minutes. Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to pre-heat and then 2 minutes to cook. When complete, press cancel and do a quick release of the steam, waiting until the pressure gauge drops back down and the lid is safe to open.
- Add carrot matchsticks, bell peppers and half of peanuts, tossing carefully with tongs. Place lid back on and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Remove lid and serve, then top with green onions, remaining chopped peanuts and cilantro. Enjoy!
Starch behavior in a sealed pressure environment differs entirely from open-pot boiling, meaning rice noodles absorb liquid at an accelerated rate under high pressure. Stacking the components matters significantly here; layering the liquid and sauce at the base with chicken before floating the noodles prevents the starches from scorching against the stainless steel insert. Tamari functions as a direct 1:1 gluten-free swap for standard soy sauce without altering the salinity balance, though jarred pad thai brands vary widely in sugar content.
Scaling Pressure Cooker Noodles
Multiplying pressure cooker recipes requires caution because liquid ratios do not scale linearly. Doubling the ingredients does not require doubling the water, as steam generation remains relatively constant inside a six-quart vessel. Retain the base water measurement and increase heavier vegetables proportionally, but monitor the starch volume closely to avoid gummy textures. Pressure cook for exactly two minutes, then execute a manual quick release immediately to stop residual carryover cooking.
- Noodles turn mushy if left under pressure past two minutes; verify the timer settings before sealing.
- Varying pepper varieties alters moisture levels; slice bell peppers uniformly to 1/4-inch strips for even softening during the five-minute resting phase.
- Stir gently with silicone tongs after releasing pressure to separate delicate strands without breaking the rice noodles.
