The Best Instant Pot Pad Thai
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Instant Pot Pad Thai is our favorite flavorful shrimp pad thai made using an Instant Pot! No need to thaw shrimp ahead of time! A quick and easy meal for busy weeknights.
This is an Instant Pot variation on our classic Shrimp Pad Thai recipe. If you forget to thaw your shrimp before cooking, don’t worry. Good news is that you’ll be able to cook your frozen shrimp in the instant pot.
You can follow this recipe when your shrimp is still frozen and you’d like to save time. Since shrimp cooks very quickly, thawed shrimp could be easily overcooked in an instant pot.
Cooking Rice Noodles in an Instant Pot
Compared to the traditional way of soaking rice noodles until al dente, cooking them in an instant pot is a faster way to get your meal ready: just add your thai noodles into the instant pot with other sauce ingredients, cover with 2 cups of water. Cook on manual high for 2 minutes and quick-release pressure.
Note: For people who are new to the instant pot, just be aware that even it says it’s 2 minutes on high pressure, the pot actually takes about 10-15 minutes to preheat before it pressure-cooks. But it’s still shorter than the traditional method.
Zero-Minute Pressure Cooking Time
Shrimp cooks really quickly, we use “zero minutes” technique that’s recommended for cooking vegetables such as broccoli.
Set the cooking time to “Zero” minutes on high pressure, followed by a quick release. Even though the timer is set to zero, the cooking still happens during the pressure build-up.
For this recipe, you need to add shrimp, bean sprouts and carrots into the instant pot and cook them together. Make sure to cut your carrots into very thin slices so that they can be cooked through in the same amount of time.
How to Make Instant Pot Pad Thai
- Add oil, brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic and water to the instant pot. Then add rice noodles. Set to manual and pressure cook on high for 2 minutes.
- Do a quick release of the steam, and then add frozen shrimp, bean sprouts and carrots.
- Set the cooking time to “Zero” minutes on high pressure, followed by a quick release.
- Toss everything carefully with tongs.
- Top with green onions, peanuts, cilantro and red pepper flakes.
More Instant Pot Recipes You’ll Love
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
- Instant Pot Honey Garlic Shrimp
- Instant Pot Barbecue Pulled Pork
Instant Pot Pad Thai
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 8 oz Thai rice noodles
- 2 cups water
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 lb frozen raw shrimp
- 2 carrots , sliced into thin strips
- 2 cups bean sprouts
Topping ingredients
- green onions, chopped, divided
- 1/4 cup peanuts, crushed
- 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
- red pepper flakes , optional
- lime, optional
Instructions
- Add oil, brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic and water to the instant pot.
- Add rice noodles on top. Set to manual and pressure cook on high for 2 minutes. (Note that Instant Pot will take 10-15 minutes to come to pressure.)
- Do a quick release of the pressure, then open the lid when it's safe.
- Add frozen shrimp, bean sprouts and carrots. Close the lid.
- Set the cooking time to “Zero” minutes on high pressure, followed by a quick release.
- Remove the lid and toss everything carefully with tongs.
- Squeeze fresh lime to taste along with peanuts, cilantro and green onions. Serve and enjoy!
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Is there a method to prevent burning of the sugar to the base? Love the recipe!
Hi Connor, Thanks for your comment – just add a bit more liquid to the Instant Pot. Hope that helps!
It doesn’t say to add the water…..lol
Hi Tony, Thanks for pointing it out. I’ve added it to the recipe!