When peanut butter, sesame and noodles come together, life is good.
One of my all-time things to eat are Sesame Peanut Noodles, a classic Thai-inspired dish that provides as much comfort as it does flavor. And making it in your Instant Pot just makes life that much easier and pleasier.
Even better? They taste great hot OR cold!
Instant Pot Sesame Peanut Noodles
One of my all-time things to eat are Sesame Peanut Noodles, a classic Thai-inspired dish that provides as much comfort as it does flavor. And making it in your Instant Pot just makes life that much easier and pleasier.
Ingredients
- 1 pound linguine
- 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 cups garlic or vegetable broth (go for more broth if you want a thinner sauce vs. a thicker one; I used 3 teaspoons Garlic Better Than Bouillon + 3 cups water)
- 1/4 cup sesame oil
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced (I use Squeeze Ginger)
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (I used a mix of black and white), plus more for topping
- 1/2 - 1 cup peanuts, crushed, plus more for topping
- 1 bunch scallions, sliced, plus more for topping
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for spice and you can add more or less to taste)
Instructions
- Break the linguine in half and add it to the Instant Pot in a crisscross fashion. (NOTE: I know some will come after me for breaking pasta, but it needs to so it'll fit and cook evenly in the pot. Plus is makes more portions! I promise it'll still feel plenty long)
- Add in the broth, sesame oil and soy sauce. Secure the lid and hit Manual or Pressure Cook at high pressure for 6 minutes. Quick release when done.
- When the lid comes off the pot, it may appear a bit liquidy with some of the noodles clumped together. Have no fear! This is normal and will soon change. Grab a mixing spoon/spatula and stir for a few moments until the noodles becomes freed up and springy.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and toss until well combined.
- Serve either hot or chilled topped with additional sesame seeds, peanut butter, scallions, and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.
Jeffrey's Tips
I personally prefer these noodles on the more "al dente" side with a substantial bite and a thicker sauce as opposed to a slicker one. How thick your final sauce is depends on how much broth you use to pressure cook the noodles in. Go for up to 3 1/2 or even 4 cups if you want it thinner and 2 1/2 if you want it thicker.
If you wish to have slicker noodles, simply add a few dashes of sesame oil to the noodles in your bowl and swish around until combined. This comes in handy after they’ve been refrigerated a while
If using spaghetti instead of linguine, cook for 8 minutes instead of 6.
This recipe is perfect to eat hot OR cold! It's perfect to snack on right out of the fridge 😉
Susan
Will this work with whole wheat pasta? Or soba noodles? Any change in cook time?
What about adding a vegetable like broccoli? Or some rotisserie chicken to make it a meal?
Miri
I cook broccoli separately in the microwave and add it when serving. Broccoli will overcook at even 1 min in the IP.
I have added cooked chicken after it has cooked too.
Gina McBride
looks amazing. If I were to use rice linguine noodles, would I reduce my cook time?
Gina McBride
I used A Taste of Rice rice linguine noodles. Reduced cook time to 4 minutes, turned out perfect! Next time I will cut recipe in half, because it sure makes a lot.
Annie
Can this recipe be cut in half? If so, are any adjustments needed? (I have a 6qt IP)
Sandi Tracy
Yes I wanted to also know if you can cut in half. Just two of us.
Jeffrey
Of course!
Debra Hamilton
One of my favourite deli items as well. I’m thrilled to have a recipe!
DeDebra Hamilton
It was so good, great flavour!
Diane
I want to add pre cooked chicken pieces do I add before pressure cooking or after? Do I need to make more sauce too?
Lauren
Would this be good by adding cilantro?
Jenn
In our house we use teddy peanut out with no sugar added. Do you think we need to add something sweet ? Or maybe more honey?
Jacqueline
I’m planning on making this tonight! Can I double it for a 6qt pot or will it be too much? I’m also going to sauté jumbo shrimp and toss it in, so it’s like a Pad Thai!
Allyson
How long do I cook pasta if cutting in half?
Thank you!
Miri
Same time.
Karen
Would it be possible to add Shrimp to the recipe? Would I add it to the noodle and then pressure cook?
Jeffrey
You can add it at the end and sauté until cooked. Pressure cooking shrimp for 6 minutes in this situation will be too long.
Roxanne
I really want to make this tonight but forgot to buy linguine. What would cook time be with fresh pasta?
Jeffrey
Ah! I don’t suggest fresh pasta to be pressure cooked. It it’s too delicate and will become mush.
Roxanne
Thank you, yes probably not a good idea. Well I’m going to give this a go stovetop…. but won’t judge the recipe on that😉
Kendra
Fantastic, thank you!
Toy
HI, I tried this today and it was too heavy for me. I’m thinking of cutting the peanut butter in half. What would happen if I lighten the amount of oil as well? Thanks. 🙂
Lisa
Hi, I’ve bought this several times in deli’s, and love it. It’s usually served cold and the noodles are “slippery”. This recipe has good flavor. But, again, the result, especially when served cold, is that they are always clumpy. Like a block. Of course, if you use peanut butter, and it’s cold…. So what am I doing wrong? What can I do different to get that result? Other than using a ton of oil, I don’t see how to make it “slippery” like I want. Suggestions?
Debbie
Hi Jeffrey
Can I use chicken better than bouillon instead? I don’t have the ones you have?
Jessica
I’d like to make this recipe tonight, but cut it in half. Do I just cut all the ingredients in half? Does the 6 mins pressure cook time need to be shortened? Thanks!
Brenda
I would like to make this adding chicken and a bag of broccoli slaw. Would I saute the chicken beforehand and pressure cook with everything else? I am thinking adding the broccoli slaw after pressure cooking to avoid overcooking. What do you think.
Michelle
I am gluten free and would be using gluten free noodles. How would I adjust the cooking time and the addition of more broth used for gluten free noodles? Thank you, BTW, for making me not afraid of my Instapot!
Julie Darcy
This reminds me of Instant Pot’s own Chicken Pad Thai recipe, but sounds like yours will be better. If I wanted to add chicken, any thoughts on how to do it? Saute first or no? Add to the noodles while they’re cooking? There’s so many different types of noodles out there with different cooking time on the package, are they really that consistent in the IP? Thanks in advance, and sorry to be all one-off-ish!
Julie Darcy
I wanted to make this so bad I just jumped in and tried it, so I answered my own question! I sliced up about a pound of raw chicken cutlet meat into small strips and tossed it on top of the noodles to cook. I made my sauce on the thicker side, but smoothed it out with a bit of extra broth. I am finishing up a class on Zoom, but I’ve had a couple forkfuls of it and it’s delicious! Highly recommend adding chicken–I could have easily added more chicken, like 1.5 lbs would have been perfect.
Miri
I like to add leftover Costco chicken to it after cooking. So yummy!
Destiny Masters
I’m going to cheat and steal the sauce recipe and do it with rice noodles. I’ll eyeball the broth portion since the noodles will already be cooked and not need as much broth. Jeffrey, you have such a great brain for creating these dishes. Thanks for sharing. So glad that your passion has allowed us to become better and braver with our IPs. 🙂