Instant Pot Pad Thai

What are the Ingredients for Instant Pot Pad Thai?

To make the pad thai, here is what you will need:

• Spaghetti noodles
• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 bunch of scallions
• 1 can of bean sprouts, or 14 ounces of fresh bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup of broth (chicken, beef or vegetable will work)
• Seasoned  rice vinegar
• Soy sauce
• Sesame oil
• Sriracha or other hot chili sauce
• Red pepper flakes
• Honey
• Garlic powder
• Chopped peanuts
• Limes

How do you make Instant Pot Pad Thai?

This is one of those dishes that truly makes the Instant Pot what it is.  One pot, fast, easy and best of all yields a delicious dish.  

Begin by prepping all of the ingredients you will need.  

• Break the spaghetti noodles in half
• Peel the sweet potato and slice it into matchsticks that are approximately 1” long and a little over a quarter inch thick
• Seed the bell pepper and also slice into matchsticks that are approximately 1” in length and about ¼” in width.
• Chop the scallions.  You may wish to save some of the green scallions to use to top the finished dish.
• Drain and rinse the bean sprouts, whether fresh or canned..
• Add the noodles and veggies to the bowl of the Instant Pot.
• Next measure and add the broth, seasoned rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, red pepper flakes, honey and garlic powder.  Do not add the peanuts or the limes.
• Give the dish a gentle stir to combine.  Set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 5 minutes.
• When the cooking time is done, allow for a natural pressure release of 5 minutes and then quick release any remaining pressure.  
• Remove from the Instant Pot to bowls.  Serve immediately topped with the chopped peanuts, lime wedges to squeeze over the dish and any reserved scallions.  You may also want to serve with some additional sriracha sauce, if you prefer a spicy dish.  

What to serve with Instant Pot Pad Thai?

Fist of all, let’s be real here…I’m not Thai, I have no Thai background and am assuming that while this dish tastes much like the one at one of my favorite take out spots, I could not actually say if it is ‘authentic’ or not.  So, similarly, my side dish suggestions may not be what would be traditional.  But, just for some ideas, here goes:

• I think a nice citrus salad might pair well with the noodles.  Make a medley of grapefruit, oranges, tangerines, whatever you prefer to have a light side.
• Eggrolls or spring rolls would be great.
• Crab rangoon
• A light soup, such as a hibachi, eggdrop or onion soup would make it a meal.
• Or do as I most often do and serve it alone as it really is a meal unto itself.

How to Make this Dish Stovetop?

If you don’t own a pressure cooker (and you, really, really should) or just feel like going old school.  Here is how you can convert Instant Pot Pad Thai to the Stovetop:

• Prepare all of the veggies as directed in the recipe.  
• Cook the spaghetti as directed on the box.
• Halve the broth and set aside.  
• Stir together the remaining seasonings:  the seasoned rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha sauce, red pepper flakes, honey and garlic powder.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the sauce, not the broth) and heat for 2-3 minutes, lower to a simmer.  Add the sweet potatoes, and saute for 5-10 minutes until well softened, add the red peppers, bean sprouts and scallions for another 5 minutes.   
• Keep checking until the peppers and sweet potatoes are cooked through.  Thin with the broth one Tablespoon at a time if the sauce begins to get too thick.  
• Add the cooked noodles, toss well and, again, add broth as needed to achieve the desired thickness of the sauce.
• Move to bowls and serve topped with the chopped peanuts, lime wedges for squeezing and additional sriracha sauce as desired.

Instant Pot Pad Thai

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 8 oz spaghetti broken in half
• 1 Large sweet potato peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped into matchsticks
• 1 bunch scallions chopped
• 14 oz bean sprouts drained and rinsed
• 1 cup of broth chicken, beef or vegetable
• 2 Tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons sriracha sauce
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ cup chopped peanuts
• 2 limes cut into wedges

Instructions

 

• Add all except for the peanuts and limes to the bowl of the Instant Pot.
• Stir to combine.
• Set to manual high pressure for 5 minutes.
• Allow a manual pressure release of 5 minutes and then quick release any remaining pressure.
• Serve immediately, topped with the chopped peanuts and served with the lime wedges for squeezing over the dish.