We love ordering Pad Thai when we’re out at Thai restaurants. It’s one of our favorite chicken Thai dishes. The flavors are so fresh and delicious! When thinking about how I could recreate this family favorite at home, I knew I wanted to capture similar flavors but without a lot of complicated steps. Enter the Instant Pot! I love using the Instant Pot when I want to get dinner on the table quickly with minimal prep and clean-up. Cooking chicken Pad Thai with this method ensures that the chicken is tender and juicy every time! Although definitely not authentic, this recipe uses some really great Asian-inspired flavors. This version has juicy chicken thighs, bell peppers, carrots, rice noodles, and an amazing homemade sauce made with peanut butter, rice wine vinegar, soy and fish sauces, and a touch of Sriracha sauce for added flavor. You will love how simple it is to make this Pad Thai at home. If you’d like to make an entire Thai-inspired feast, check out my recipes for Thai Mango Sticky Rice, Roasted Carrot Soup, and Coconut Shrimp Curry!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
What is Pad Thai?
Pad Thai is traditionally served as street food in Thailand. It is typically made with rice noodles, shrimp, peanuts, scrambled eggs, and bean sprouts. The ingredients are fried in a wok in a delicious sauce. You’ll usually find Pad Thai on the menu in most Thai restaurants around the world. Not entirely authentic, the dish we are served may come with chicken or tofu and various other toppings. With protein, veggies, and rice noodles all in one dish, it’s clear to see why this meal is so popular! I wanted to adapt this recipe for my Instant Pot, as I’m always on the hunt for recipes I can get on the table in a short amount of time. All the great flavor with minimal fuss makes this recipe a winner!
Ingredients In Instant Pot Chicken Pad Thai
The list of ingredients may look a bit long, but you have the option of using a premade Pad Thai sauce from a jar or making your own sauce at home. Either way you’ll end up with a delicious meal! Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Chicken thighs: Look for boneless and skinless thighs which you can dice into bite-sized pieces. I like to use the thighs because they remain juicy when cooked. Thai flat rice noodles: These noodles are made of rice, and you can often find them in the Asian aisle of your grocery store. They are also available to order online. Vegetables: Carrots, red and yellow peppers, bean sprouts, and green onionsToppings: Roasted peanuts, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges
For the sauce you can use jarred Pad Thai sauce to save time or make your own homemade sauce.
Here’s what you’ll need to make the sauce at home:
Vegetable oil: You want to use neutral tasting oil for the sauce.Fish sauce: This sauce is popular in Asian cuisine, and it adds an ‘umami’ taste to the sauce.Soy sauce: I use low sodium soy sauce so I can control the salt in the dish. Rice wine vinegar: This vinegar is made from fermented rice and can be found in the Asian section of your grocery store.Sriracha hot sauce: This sauce is made with crushed chilis. Rather than adding heat to the sauce, it’s used to add flavor. Light brown sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness to the sauce.Garlic: A classic aromatic, minced garlic is a must.Peanut butter: Go for creamy unsweetened peanut butter for a smooth and creamy sauce. You can also choose to leave it out entirely, but I think it’s very delicious!
How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Pad thai
This method of cooking chicken Pad Thai is simple and quick and delivers big on flavor! Here are the steps to follow:
Recipe Tips
Cut even sizes. Try to cut your chicken and vegetables into even-sized pieces to help them cook more evenly and at the same rate.Amount of liquid. You might think that this is too much liquid, but it’s not! The noodles will absorb the sauce.Clump-free noodles: Sometimes it happens that noodles cooked in an Instant Pot can end up clumped together. To help avoid this, you can break them in half and place them in a criss-cross pattern. Lay half the noodles down in one direction and the other half on top in the other direction.
Variations
This Instant Pot chicken pad Thai recipe is very easy to customize to your preferences. Try some of these suggestions or come up with some of your own!
Add shrimp for additional or alternative protein. Add it while the veggies are steaming.Toast the peanuts before adding them as a garnish. This gives the peanuts an extra crunch.Add some crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce to add some heat.Add more vegetables. Broccoli or zucchini would be good options. Add scrambled egg. Scramble 2 eggs at the beginning of the cooking process, break them apart and set them aside. I use a similar method in my instant pot fried rice recipe. If you’re having trouble finding rice noodles, substitute them for fettuccine noodles.
Storing Tips
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days. To reheat, place the leftovers in a microwavable bowl and sprinkle a bit of water on top so the noodles don’t dry out. Microwave for 1 minute, then stir everything. If it is not completely heated through, put it back in the microwave for another 30 seconds.
How to Serve Chicken Pad Thai
Serve your Instant Pot Pad Thai in bowls and top with chopped green onion, cilantro, peanuts, and lime wedges. If you’d like to round out your meal with more Thai-inspired dishes, try serving it with:
Green salad with papayaCoconut shrimp curryThai mango sticky riceSteamed dumplingsCrispy spring rollsSavory Coconut rice
I hope you enjoy making this Instant Pot Chicken Pad Thai at home. I know the kids will love it too, even the pickiest eaters! Pin it for more people to enjoy too! © Little Sunny Kitchen
