Instant Pot Lo Mein

Instant pot lo mein with chunks of chicken (or tofu) is a one pot recipe that comes together in just minutes. Using frozen vegetables and a simple sauce made from pantry ingredients, everything cooks in the instant pot in just 3 minutes.

Easy instant pot recipes:

There are two seasons in my kitchen: crockpot season when it's cold outside is the first one. The second one is instant pot season when it's too hot to cook. We are in the thick of another Texas summer where it's so hot that even the dogs don't want to go outside.

My plan is to save the day with instant pot mini recipes that have a cook time less than 15 minutes. This one has a 3 minute cook time, actually! Plus, it uses a bag of frozen vegetables and a sauce made from pantry ingredients.

Instant pot lo mein with chicken is such a satisfying meal! My kids love the noodles, the salty-sweet sauce, and they even ate a broccoli chunk or two. It's my latest recipe that kids go crazy for, after my instant pot teriyaki chicken, of course. (Many kids in my neighborhood call that recipe 'brown sugar chicken.' I don't disagree with them!)

First, let's gather our simple ingredients for this recipe. We're making a sauce, layering it with noodles, chicken, and then stirring in a bag of frozen vegetables at the end.

For the sauce, we need chicken broth, soy sauce (I prefer low sodium), garlic, ginger, rice wine vinegar, and a squirt of honey. The mason jar below is my honey. My neighbor harvested his honey and gave it to us with a 'happy 4th' sticker on top :)

Whisk the sauce together by combining the chicken broth, soy sauce, minced garlic, finely grated ginger, rice wine vinegar, and a squirt of honey. I use a microplane to grate the ginger finely.

Once the sauce is whisked together, pour it in the bottom of your instant pot 3 quart mini. If you're using a regular 6 quart instant pot, simply double the recipe but keep the same cooking time.

Best way to cook noodles in the instant pot:

Next, break 4 ounces (usually one-quarter of a package, depending on the package) of spaghetti noodles in half. Then, lay them gently over the broth in the instant pot. Don't stir them too much, and don't worry if they're not all touching the sauce. There is an art form to cooking pasta in the instant pot so that it doesn't stick, and careful layering in a criss-cross pattern and not stirring are the keys!

I'm using regular wheat spaghetti noodles, because they are the easiest to find. I haven't tried this recipe with more authentic Chinese noodles. If you do, let us all know in the comments section below!

Place 4 diced chicken tenders on top of the noodles. You may also use one chicken breast, chopped. Remember this recipe serves two, so one chicken breast is plenty for two people to split.

That's it! Put the lid on and turn it to HIGH pressure for just 3 minutes. After a forced pressure release (be careful! protect your hands!), stir in the frozen vegetables.

Yes, really. That's it. Dinner is served. Use your tongs to toss the veggies, and the heat will defrost them but still leave them crisp. If you have some large broccoli florets (like I do here in the photos), go ahead and press 'SAUTE' on your instant pot. Then, set the timer for 5 minutes. Stir while it comes up to a simmer, and the broccoli will cook perfectly.

Who needs takeout when you can have instant pot lo mein this delicious?

More instant pot mini recipes:

For other Chinese-inspired recipes, try my Beef and Broccoli, Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs, Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken, and my Shrimp Fried Rice.

Yield: 2