Spicy Instant Pot peanut noodles are an easy veggie-loaded recipe that is ready in under 30 minutes! Works great as a meal prep recipe.
The Instant Pot is such a useful appliance for getting dinner on the table quickly- these Instant Pot fiesta rice bowls and Instant Pot Cajun rice and sausage are proof!
These spicy peanut noodles are a reader favorite, with chicken, whole wheat pasta, spiralized zucchini and carrots and a deliciously spicy peanut sauce.
Reasons you'll ♡ this recipe
- pairing a spicy peanut sauce with pasta, spiralized vegetables and chicken creates delicious flavors while keeping it light
- it's a one pot meal that comes together in under 30 minutes
- leftovers keep for meal prep
Recipe video
Watch the video below to see how to cook Instant Pot peanut noodles. You can find more of my videos on my YouTube channel.
Ingredient notes
- chicken- this recipe calls for boneless skinless chicken thighs. Swap for chicken breast at your own risk as it may overcook in this recipe.
- pasta- we tested this recipe using whole wheat pasta. Regular pasta should work with the same cook time, but alternative pastas and other shapes have not been tested. A good general rule of thumb is to cook the pasta for half the cook time suggested on the box (I like to add one minute onto that).
- peanut butter- this recipe requires a drippy natural peanut butter; if you are getting towards the bottom of the jar and it is thick or dried out, you might trigger a burn warning on your Instant Pot. Almond butter also works great.
- chili garlic sauce- I used Huy Fong chili garlic sauce for this recipe; adjust to increase or decrease spiciness
- soy sauce- I like to use reduced sodium soy sauce as I find regular to be too salty. You may swap for coconut aminos, tamari or liquid soy seasoning.
Step by step directions
1. Add sauce- To the stainless steel insert of an Instant Pot, stir together the honey, soy sauce, peanut butter, sesame oil and chili garlic sauce. Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat.
TIP- we tested this in both a 6 quart Instant Pot and an 8 quart Instant Pot!
2. Pasta- Break whole wheat pasta noodles in half, and scatter across the chicken and sauce. Pour water over top, and press the noodles gently down.
TIP- do not stir the noodles in, as it may cause them to clump and cook unevenly
3- Cook- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to 'sealing'. Pressure cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. Immediately release the pressure when the time is up (quick pressure release).
Quick Pressure Release- carefully transition the steam release handle to the 'venting position', taking care to ensure your hands, face, and kitchen cupboards are clear from the steam. Find out more about when to use a quick pressure release in Instant Pot 101!
4. Add spiralized vegetables- Stir the noodles into the sauce and add in the zucchini and carrot noodles. Put the lid back on the Instant Pot and let it sit for 5 minutes. Stir everything up and serve.
FAQ
Yes! Swap for natural almond butter. Make sure it's very drippy!
I have only tested this with whole wheat spaghetti, however it is possible other shapes may work. A general rule is to use half the cook time that the box says (I like to add one extra minute onto that). So if it says 12 minutes, cook for 7 minutes. If you try another pasta shape, please report back if it works for you!
I have tested this in both the 6 and 8 quart Instant Pots and never got a burn warning. If your pot for some reason does not come to pressure I would suspect your peanut butter. Reader Whitney reports that she salvaged it from the burn warning by "dumping out the contents into a big bowl and cleaning the bottom of the pan. I dumped everything back in, added about ¼ cup more water and set it for four minutes again. It turned out just fine."
Meal prep & storage
- Prepare ingredients ahead- stir the sauce & chicken together up to 24 hours before cooking. Any longer than that and you'll want to freeze the chicken & sauce. You can also pre-spiralize your zucchini and carrots. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days before cooking.
- Cook them ahead and enjoy leftovers through the week- these noodle bowls hold up surprisingly well and can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Check out my favorite meal prep containers!
More Instant Pot recipes
☆ Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear how it turned out! Leave me a review and star rating in the comments below. Your reviews help so much!
Spicy Instant Pot Peanut Noodles
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup soy sauce see note 1
- ¼ cup peanut butter MUST be a drippy natural nut butter; note 2
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce note 3
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch cubes; see note 4
- 4 oz whole wheat spaghetti see note 5
- 1 cup water
After cooking
- 1 zucchini spiralized
- 2 cups carrots spiralized
To serve
- cilantro
- peanuts
Instructions
- Add sauce- To the stainless steel insert of an Instant Pot, stir together the honey, soy sauce, peanut butter, sesame oil and chili garlic sauce. Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat.
- Pasta- Break whole wheat pasta noodles in half, and scatter across the chicken and sauce. Pour water over top, and press the noodles gently down.
- Cook- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to 'sealing'. Pressure cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. Immediately release the pressure when the time is up (quick pressure release).
- Add spiralized vegetables- Stir the noodles into the sauce and add in the zucchini and carrot noodles. Put the lid back on the Instant Pot and let it sit for 5 minutes. Stir everything up to toss in sauce.
- Serve- garnish with cilantro and peanuts.
