Make these delicious, fuss-free Instant Pot Veg Pad Thai Noodles in less than 30 minutes. This recipe is better than take-out, one-pot, vegan, and can be made gluten-free.

About Instant Pot Veg Pad Thai

Instant Pot Pad Thai Recipe answers your Thai noodles cravings in under 30 minutes. It’s one pot, super easy, quick, and fuss-free, making your weekday meals easier and yummier.

Pad Thai noodles are spicy, saucy, and full of flavors. I can have these on a daily rotation. Now that I have perfected making pad Thai in the instant pot, this is no longer a distant dream. These noodles are also definitely better than your favorite take-out.

The best part is that you can customize them as per your taste and preferences. I have shared a vegan, vegetarian recipe, but you can add proteins like chicken, shrimp, pork, egg, or even tofu. Add the veggies you like and skip the ones you don’t. You can also adjust the sauces as per your taste.

If you want to try more Instant Pot recipes, make these

• Instant Pot Cuban Chicken Soup
• Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

For Pad Thai Sauce

To make the tangy, spicy sauce, you will need veg stock, dark soy sauce, brown sugar, tamarind paste, red chili paste, salt, and water.

While adding salt, remember that sauces already have some, so taste before you add extra. You can also increase the red chili paste to make the sauce spicy.

To make it gluten-free, use tamari sauce instead of soy sauce.

For The Noodles

Noodles – Pad Thai is made using flat rice noodles, but if they aren’t available, you can use any other noodles or spaghetti. You can also opt for brown rice noodles as a healthy alternative.

Veggies – I have used onions, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and bean sprouts, but you can also add broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, etc.

You can also add tofu, chicken, pork, shrimp, or even scrambled eggs for added protein.

Peanuts – Add some roasted and coarsely crushed peanuts for that nice crunch.

Oil – Use sesame oil for an authentic taste, but feel free to use regular cooking oil if you don’t like its taste.

Garlic – This is my favorite ingredient, especially when I make noodles. It adds a lot of flavors that no other ingredient can.

Red Chilies – Adjust them as per your taste.

Cilantro and Lime Wedges – Garnish the noodles with chopped cilantro leaves and squeeze some fresh lime on top for a refreshing flavor. You can also garnish the noodles with chopped green onion.

How To Make Instant Pot Pad Thai

Make Pad Thai Sauce

Start by making the Pad Thai Sauce. Add

• ¼ cup veg stock
• 3 tablespoon dark soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free)
• 3 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
• 1 teaspoon red chili paste
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup water

in a measuring cup. Mix well and keep aside.

Note – Soy sauce has a lot of salt. So be careful while adding any extra salt to the dish.

Cook The Noodles

Break 200 g (7 oz) flat rice noodles into half and arrange them in the instant pot in a criss-cross manner.

Note – You can use any noodles of your choice if rice noodles are unavailable. Even pasta like spaghetti and linguine works.

Pour water into the pot until the noodles are just covered.

Close the pot lid and set the valve to the sealing position. Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 1 minute on high pressure.

The instant pot will take 10-12 minutes for the pressure to build up and the timer to start. Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. Release the remaining pressure manually by moving the valve to the venting position.

Open the lid of the pot once the pressure is released.

Drain the noodles using a colander and rinse them with cold water to stop cooking. Keep them aside.

Assemble The Pad Thai

Rinse the insert with water and put it back in the Instant Pot.

Press SAUTE.

Add 2 tablespoon sesame oil to the pot.

Note – If sesame oil is unavailable, you can use any other cooking oil.

Once the oil is hot, add

• 2 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon chopped red chili
• ¼ cup thinly sliced onions

and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add

• ½ cup sliced red bell pepper
• ½ cup sliced yellow bell peppers
• ¼ cup bean sprouts
• ¼ cup crushed roasted peanuts

and saute for a minute.

Add the Pad Thai Sauce we made earlier and the cooked noodles to the pot and toss everything well. The noodles will be very saucy and light in color at this stage, but they will absorb the sauce in some time and become darker.

Garnish with cilantro, lime wedges, roasted peanuts, and chopped red chilies. Serve hot.

Serving Suggestions

Serve these delectable pad Thai noodles for a delicious Thai brunch. You can serve these along with Instant Pot White Jasmine Rice, and a Thai Watermelon Salad on the side.

Serve some momos, dim sums, or potstickers on the side with these spicy, yummy noodles.

Storage Suggestions

Once you have cooked your Pad Thai noodles, let them cool to room temperature. Then, transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to three days.

To reheat leftover Pad Thai noodles, take out the amount of noodles you want to eat and put them in a microwave-safe dish. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water over the noodles to prevent them from drying out during reheating. Cover the dish with a damp paper towel, then heat for 1-2 minutes, stopping to stir and checking the temperature frequently.

Place the noodles in a pan if you prefer to use the stovetop. Splash water over them and reheat on medium heat until heated through, stirring frequently.