Instant Pot Pork Lo Mein
This Instant Pot Pork Lo Mein isn't just easy to make. It's also bursting with classic Asian flavors. Every bite is an array of flavors, including seared pork, rich noodles, cooked veggies, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and more!
It's well documented that Asian-inspired meals are some of our favorites! And this Instant Pot Pork Lo Mein recipe is no different. Not only will you love how easy this is to make in the Instant Pot, you'll love all the beautiful flavors that seem to explode from every bite.
Start with approximately 1 lbs of pork tenderloin. Why tenderloin? Well, as the name suggests it's very tender. And when you slice it into small bits, it stays tender after cooking. If you have center cut pork, it's not the end of the world, but tenderloin is the #1 choice for this dish.
If you're not into pork, that's not a big deal either. This recipe can be modified to use chicken, beef or seafood. If you're not big on any of the meat options, tofu works well too...or you can just omit the protein completely and still enjoy a flavorful dish.
Cut the pork into small chunks and marinade with half the soy sauce and 1 tbsp of sesame oil, mixing well. While your pork marinades, set the Instant Pot to the 'Sauté' saute setting on high, and pour a tablespoon of your favorite cooking oil in the pan. We use extra virgin olive oil, but vegetable oil, canola oil and avocado oil, among others, will work just fine.
Once the oil is hot, add the pork to the Instant Pot, stirring occasionally until the chunks of meat are golden brown. When this step is complete, remove the pork from the Instant Pot and set aside, but leave the saute function on so you can brown the garlic.
Now it's time to chop your veggies. Our recipe calls for baby bok choy, 2 small carrots, a yellow onion, a red bell pepper and garlic. We typically use the pre-minced garlic for convenience, but fresher is always better in the culinary world. Also, if you're new to using bok choy, here's a great video on how to cut it for this dish. With everything cut, set the vegetables aside.
Next, you'll add four cloves of garlic (or approximately 4 tsp of pre-minced garlic) to the Instant Pot. Sauté the garlic for 30-45 seconds until golden brown, then add 2 cups of water to the Instant Pot.
Now add the Lo Mein noodles to the Instant Pot. Some Lo Mein recipes will use regular spaghetti noodles, but we really like Chinese Lo Mein egg noodles. They're a bit thinner than spaghetti and they seem to cook better in this recipe. When you add the noodles to the Instant Pot, make sure to layer them, putting half down one way, and half down the other way, forming a crisscross pattern. This will prevent the noodles from sticking to each other when cooking.
Close the lid on the Instant Pot and turn it to the 'Pressure Cooker' setting on high. Set the timer for 4 minutes (So fast!) and allow the Instant Pot to pressurize and cook the noodles. When the timer is done, turn the pressure release valve and allow the Instant Pot to sit for an additional 3-4 minutes.
Once the Instant Pot is depressurized, add the remaining dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and mirin to the noodles and stir until combined well.
Now turn on the 'Sauté' function again and add the sliced bok choy, red bell pepper, onions, carrots, and pork to the pot and stir often for about 5-8 minutes. (Depending on how crispy you like your vegetables.
Once the dish is cooked to your preference, serve in large bowls and garnish with sesame seeds. We like to add a little extra soy sauce as well. Also, if you want to make this dish a bit spicy, you can add a light drizzle of Sriracha to punch up the flavor!
What we like about this Instant Pot Pork Lo Mein Recipe!
Nicole - I'm always looking for ways to add more vegetables into my diet. This Lo Mein recipe uses leafy greens, carrots, onions and bell peppers to create a healthy meal that tastes great too!
Mike - The Instant Pot was a huge help for us when we started cooking. It just made everything easier. That's definitely the case with this recipe. Prep time is less than 15 minutes and cook time is 20 minutes including rest time for delicious Pork Lo Mein that tastes just like it would at a high end Asian restaurant.
Instant Pot Pork Lo Mein Ingredients
8 oz Chinese Lo Mein egg noodles
1 lbs pork tenderloin
2 cups water
1 red bell pepper
1 lbs baby bok choy
2 small carrots
1 yellow onion
4 cloves of garlic
3 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp mirin
Oil of your choice (olive oil, avocado oil)
Salt, optional
Pepper, optional
Sesame seeds, optional
How to make Instant Pot Pork Lo Mein
Cut the pork into small chunks and marinate with half of the soy sauce and sesame oil. Mix until well combined.
Turn on the Sauté setting on high on the Instant Pot. Add 1 tbsp of oil of your choice and let the oil get hot. Add the pork to the pot and let it sauté until it’s golden brown on the outside. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
Slice your onions, bok choy, carrots and red bell pepper and mince your garlic. Set aside.
Add the minced garlic to the instant pot (again set to Sauté) and let it get golden-brown for about 30-45 seconds.
Add the water to the instant pot and deglaze the bottom by scraping it clean with a spatula.
Put down the Chinese Lo Mein egg noodles in a crisscross pattern. This will help prevent sticking to each other. Do not stir the noodles after you’ve created the pattern. Gently push the noodles down, so they are under the liquid.
Close the Instant Pot with the lid, seal the valve, and pressure cook on high for 4 minutes.
Once the 4 minutes have passed, immediately release the natural pressure release valve, and let it rest for an additional 4 minutes.
After those 4 minutes, open the pot and stir the noodles around. Add the remaining dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, hoisin sauce and mirin to the noodles. Stir until combined well.
Turn the sauté setting back on high and add the sliced bok choy, red bell pepper, onions, carrots, and pork to the pot and stir often for about 5-8 minutes. (Depending on how crispy you like your vegetables.
Garnish with sesame seeds, and season to your liking.
Serve and enjoy while hot!
Tips and Tricks
Make sure to lay down your Lo Mein noodles in a crisscross pattern. This will prevent the noodles from sticking to each other during cooking.
Always try to use pork tenderloin with this recipe. As the name implies, it's more tender than other cuts of pork.
The Sauté function on the Instant Pot only heats between 350-400 degrees, which makes virtually any cooking oil useable. We like extra virgin olive oil, but you can use vegetable oil, canola oil and avocado oil, among others.
Fresh garlic is always best, but we tend to opt for pre-minced garlic out of convenience. If that's you too, keep in mind 1 clove of garlic = approximately 1 tsp of pre-minced garlic.
FAQs
How long will Instant Pot Pork Lo Mein last in the refrigerator? According to the USDA, cooked food can be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days.
I don't have dark/light soy sauce. What should I do? Dark and light soy sauce are nuance details in this recipe. In truth, we don't use either. We prefer Bragg Liquid Amino Acids for the lower sodium content, but you can use almost any soy sauce in this recipe with great results.
I don't like pork. What else can I use? No pork? No problem. This recipe can be prepared with chicken, beef or seafood or tofu. You can even omit the protein completely and still enjoy a healthy, flavorful dish.
Do I have to use Lo Mein noodles? The short answer is no. Many recipes use spaghetti or even linguini for this recipe. We just prefer the Chinese Lo Mein egg noodles. They're thinner and seem to cook better in this recipe.
