Instant pot pork lo mein

If you love oriental flavours then you have to give this Instant Pot Pork Lo mein dish a try. Prepared in the Instant Pot for ease and speed and it is the perfect dish for the whole family to enjoy. 

I love using the Instant Pot, especially during the week when time is a bit scarce. You want something to eat that is delicious, wholesome, and healthy, but doesn’t take too long to prepare and cook. This Pork Lo Mein is one that you have to try. Packed full of flavour using simple and wholesome ingredients, you can bring a tasty dish from ingredients to the table in under half an hour. What’s not to like?

This dish uses different ingredients, most of which you may already have in your pantry. The pork is tender and flavoursome, and the vegetables are crunchy and delicious. The spaghetti brings everything together and gives you that satisfied feeling from a dish. This Pork Lo Mein has it all! This is definitely a meal that the whole family is going to love, and it can even be tweaked to add or substitute additional ingredients, depending on what you have at home.  

Ingredients needed to make the Instant Pot Pork Lo Mein

First of all, it is a good idea to ensure that you can get all of the ingredients together. Focusing on this first means that the cooking process will be simple. You will need:

• 230g of spaghetti or noodles
• 450g of boneless pork loin
• 2 cups of water 
• 1 red pepper 
• 450g of baby Bok choy
• 2 small carrots
• 1 brown onion
• 4 cloves of garlic 
• 3 tbsp of dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp of Light soy sauce 
• 1 tbsp of hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp of Sesame oil
• 1 tbsp of Mirin 
• Oil of your choice (vegetable oil, canola oil)
• Salt, optional
• Pepper, optional
• Sesame seeds, optional

How to make the Instant Pot Pork Lo Mein

Now that you have all your ingredients to hand it is time to make the Pork Lo Mein dish. 

Start by washing your produce and preparing the ingredients.

Cut the pork into small dice pieces and marinate with half of the dark soy sauce and sesame oil and mix until well combined.

Turn the Sauté setting to 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 pepper and crush your garlic. Set aside.

Add the crushed garlic to the instant pot and saute it for about 30 seconds.

Add the water to the instant pot and deglaze the bottom by cleaning it with a spatula.

Break the noodles in half and lay them down 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 it is 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, Mirin to the noodles and stir until combined well. 

Then, turn the sauté setting on high and add the sliced Bok choy, red bell pepper, onions, carrots, and pork to the pot. Stir often for about 5-8 minutes. (Depending on how crispy you like your vegetables.

Garnish with sesame seeds, and season to your liking.

Enjoy it while it’s hot!

Recipe notes and tips

When it comes to any recipe, it is always a good idea to understand what notes and tips you can use to help you fully utilise the recipe and have success each and every time. If you want to make the most out of the delicious Instant Pot Pork Lo Mein recipe then here are some recipe notes and tips to help.

• Make sure you add the noodles in that criss cross pattern. If it is put together in one clump of pasta, then it will stick together, which is not what you want. 
• Ensure the pasta is covered with liquid before turning the Instant Pot on. 
• Be careful when releasing the pressure from the Instant Pot.
• Avoid overcooking the pork as you are slicing it into small pieces. Once the pork has some colour, remove from the Instant Pot.  

Variations to try

Like with a lot of recipes, once you have tried them out a few times you can look to make some changes and vary the recipe to suit your tastes and preferences. So I wanted to share with you some of them that you might want to try. 

• Add some extra vegetables if you like. This is perfect for shredded cabbage. You could also add mushrooms or bea sprouts towards the end of the cooking process. 
• Make sure they are dried noodles and not the pre-cooked ones. Otherwise, they will be too soft once cooked. 
• You could add some extra heat by using red chilli flakes or even some fresh diced red chilli. Add as much as you like, depending on what your taste preferences are. 
• If you don’t want to use pork then this dish would work well with chicken instead. 
• For extra flavour you could add a chicken or vegetable stock cube to the water when deglazing the Instant Pot. 

FAQs

Like with any recipe, there are often questions that need answering. I thought I would share some of the common questions here, but if you have any comments or questions please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.

How should I serve the Instant Pot Pork Lo Mein?

I like to serve it as it is. If you want to add to the meal then you could serve some oriental side dishes such as spring rolls or dumplings. 

How do I store the Instant Pot Pork Lo Mein?

You can allow any leftovers to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container and storing in the refrigerator for up to three days. 

How do I reheat the Lo Mein?

Simply add any leftovers to the stove to reheat. It may be worth adding a little extra water or stock to bring the dish back to life. You don’t want to add too much liquid, just enough to revitalise the noodles. 

Can you make this Vegetarian?

Sure you could, just marinate your chosen vegetables instead and then cook without the pork. 

Can you cook this without an Instant Pot?

Absolutely. Hydrate the noodles in hot water before adding to the pan. Cook as suggested above but no need to boil the noodles. It would make this more of a stir fry method. Still quick, but you will need to keep an eye on it when cooking to avoid burning any of the ingredients. 

I hope you enjoy making and eating your Instant Pot Pork Lo Mein. 

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