This Instant Pot Chicken Pad Thai is a super quick and easy one pot dinner – the noodles cook alongside the other ingredients for minimal clean up!
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Ingredients in Pad Thai
This is such a delicious Pad Thai recipe, made easy thanks to your Instant Pot and pre-made Pad Thai sauce! Here's everything you need:
- chicken breasts
- garlic
- soy sauce or tamari
- jarred pad thai sauce
- rice noodles
- carrot matchsticks
- red and yellow pepper
- green onions
- chopped peanuts
- cilantro
Ingredient substitutions
Chicken – You can use frozen shrimp (make sure they are frozen so they don't overcook!) or you can mix chunks of tofu in after the fact. You can also add some scrambled eggs to the mix after the noodles are done cooking, just make sure to scramble them separately in a pan on the stove.
Rice noodles – Instead of thicker rice noodles, you can use vermicelli rice noodles. Unfortunately there are not many substitutions you can make here unless you cook the noodles separately. Spaghetti pasta tends to get stuck together if cooked in the Instant Pot but it is an option for you to cook separately while the chicken cooks. If you'd like to make this recipe low carb, you can turn the Instant Pot to saute mode after the chicken is cooked and toss in some zucchini noodles.
Pad Thai sauce – I use Thai Kitchen's Pad Thai sauce, but you can make your own! You can get the recipe from this Pad Thai post here.
How to make Pad Thai in the Instant Pot
This recipe is so easy to make and comes together in one pot for your convenience! Here's how to make it:
- Add olive oil, cut up chicken, garlic, soy sauce, pad thai sauce, water and rice noodles to Instant Pot. The key to getting the noodles to cook but not get mushy is to leave them floating slightly above the other ingredients – the liquid will rise up and cook them without leaving them overcooked or sticking to the bottom.
- Once your chicken and noodles are cooked, add the veggies and half of the peanuts, tossing carefully with tongs. Place the lid back on your Instant Pot and let it sit for 5 minutes (that's how the veggies will become tender)
- Remove the lid once more and serve, then top your Pad Thai with green onions, the remaining chopped peanuts and cilantro. Enjoy!
What type of sauce to use
I actually love Thai Kitchen's Pad Thai sauce (this is not a sponsored post, I just love this product), and I have made a version of homemade Pad Thai sauce that's relatively easy, but when you're looking to throw dinner together in a hurry sometimes you don't wanna haul like 5 to 10 sauces out of your pantry.
And really, tamarind is the secret ingredient to Pad Thai sauce and you can't always finds tamarind paste at the grocery store. But you can usually find Pad Thai sauce in the Asian and rice section. If you do want to try your hand at a homemade sauce though, you can always check out these Spiralized Pad Thai Meal Prep Bowls and add the ingredients to the Instant Pot instead!
Storing and reheating
You can store the leftovers of this recipe up to five days in the fridge. Sprinkle a little bit of water overtop before reheating, then microwave for 1-2 minutes until heated through. You can also reheat in the same manner in a pan on the stove for a few minutes. Garnish with fresh green onions and cilantro to keep the dish feeling fresh!
Can you freeze this recipe?
I have not tried freezing this recipe but based on the ingredients, I'd say it's worth a shot! To reheat, let it defrost in the fridge overnight and then sprinkle a tiny bit of water overtop to keep everything from drying out. From there, you can microwave or stir fry until heated through.
More easy Instant Pot recipes
Meal prep tools
- The Instant Pot DUO Plus 60
is the version I use in this recipe - I use these Thai Kitchen Rice Noodles, and buy this Pad Thai sauce
- I get grass-fed chicken from my monthly Butcher Box
is the version I use in this recipe
, and buy this 
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Instant Pot Chicken Pad Thai
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 chicken breasts, diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1/2 cup jarred pad thai sauce (I like Thai Kitchen brand)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 7 oz rice noodles
- 1 cup Carrot matchsticks
- 1/2 each red and yellow pepper, sliced
- 4 green onions, sliced
- 1/3 cup chopped peanuts
- 1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
- 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!
Video
Nutrition
Martha Roth says
I used extra firm tofu instead of chicken and brown rice pad Thai noodles. Also used a different pad Thai sauce. Added fresh mung bean sprouts at the end. It was delicious!
Taylor Stinson says
So happy you enjoyed Martha 🙂
Elizabeth O'Hagan says
Made this, great anticipation! However I was going to adopt by putting already cooked shrimp with melted butter and garlic and cilantro on and then popcorn chicken for the kids already cooked…. Noodles for a bit mushy I ended up pulling them out throwing them through a strainer and then leaving them in the instant pot…. Put my noodles in the bowl added the protein desired for each kid / adult, not bad.. still quite salty even though I used low sodium soy sauce maybe I have a very sensitive palate I don’t know
Elizabeth O'Hagan says
“Were “a bit mushy (voice to text, lol)
Alison says
Can you use frozen chicken? If so, how would you adjust the cook time?
So excited to make this, looks delish!
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Alison – I have not tried frozen chicken with this recipe and I would not recommend it as it would overcook the noodles (especially if the chicken breasts are whole and not cut up). You could always try pressure cooking the chicken first for 5 minutes, and then add the noodles and pressure cook again as directed. That would likely be the best way to do it. Hope this helps!
Deena says
If you don’t have an instant pot, how would you cook it in a slower cooker or on the stove?
Taylor Stinson says
I’m sorry Deena, this is an Instant Pot recipe. I’m unable to provide alternative cooking directions.
Alexandra McGrath says
Great recipe but my noodles were super undercooked 🙁
Taylor Stinson says
I’m sorry you had trouble Alexandra! I’m wondering if you used a slightly different type of noodle or if you had the noodles too far above the other ingredients.
Lori says
I made this and it was delicious and….I’d like to double the amount of chicken and rice noodles (family with 2 hungry teenagers!). Should I just double the entire recipe and add a minute to the cook time? (Asking specifically about the water amount and cook time, I guess. Terrific recipe- we just want more of it without having to make it twice!
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Lori – so happy you enjoyed! I have not tried doubling the recipe myself but I believe other readers have with success. I’d add 1-2 more minutes to the cook time and that should do it.
Heidi says
Absolutely delicious! I questioned the cook time and went with it. Spot on ! Yummy/
Taylor Stinson says
So happy you enjoyed!