Thai Peanut Noodles Recipe

This Thai Peanut Noodles recipe is fantastic for a quick and delicious better-than-takeout meal. The noodles are cooked in a rich and delicious Peanut Sauce. The recipe comes together, start to finish, in under 30 minutes, and it all happens in your Instant Pot!

Why Make this Recipe

1. Quick Meal: This recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes from start to finish…. And it only cooks for 6 minutes! 
2. Fast Clean Up: The recipe all comes together in your Instant Pot, which means that you have relatively no dishes!

What Do I Need to Make this Recipe

Ingredients 

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.

1. Carrots: You can buy carrots already cut into matchsticks, cut them (julienne) yourself, or use a vegetable peeler to make thin strips of carrot. 
2. Peanuts: Unroasted, unsalted. 
3. Creamy Peanut Butter: I use all-natural peanut butter. 
4. Rice Vinegar: 
5. Sesame Oil: Use pure sesame oil if you can! 
6. Chili Paste: The amount is up to you! This can get spicy, so try a little and add more if you want.

Tools

1. Instant Pot: I use an 8 quart Instant Pot. You can also use an off brand pressure cooker. 
2. Small Mixing Bowl 

How to Make this Recipe

Step 1: Make the Sauce

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine all of the sauce ingredients and whisk together. Set aside.

Step 2: Cook the Vegetables 

Turn your Instant Pot to the low saute setting. Warm 2 tbsp olive oil. Once warm, add chopped garlic. Saute about two minutes, or until the garlic begins to change color.

Add the red pepper and carrot in the pot and saute for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are sauted to a texture you’d like to eat. Use tongs to remove the vegetables from the Instant Pot. Put in a small bowl and set aside.

Step 3: Cook the Noodles

Add the chicken broth into the Instant Pot, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any burnt bits.

Add the Sauce into the instant pot, and whisk together with the stock.

Add the noodles (broken in half) into the Instant Pot. Spoon some liquid over the noodles if necessary.

Place lid on Instant Pot and set to MANUAL for 7 minutes. When the cooking cycle is complete, allow for a 1 minute natural release, then perform a quick release.

Step 4: Finishing Steps

Open the Instant Pot and turn to KEEP WARM. The pasta will be liquidy. That is okay. Allow the pasta to sit without the lid for about 5-10 minutes on KEEP WARM until the extra liquid is absorbed. 

While you are waiting, add the sauteed vegetables back into the pot. Also add your cilantro, green onions, and peanuts.

When the sauce has reached your desired consistency, Enjoy! Top with extra peanuts or garnishments if desired.

How to Cut the Carrots

For this recipe, the vegetables must be very, very thin. Instead of taking my time (and risking my fingers) to cut the carrots into matchsticks, I used my vegetable peeler!

Initially, I peeled the outer layer off of my carrot to get away any dirt. Then, instead of cutting my carrot, I continued to use the peeler to peel off layer after layer. I reserved these peelings, and it’s what I used for my carrots!

I like making carrots this way because they are thinner than you’d ever safely be able to get them with a knife. It’s also so much faster using your vegetable peeler than cutting the carrot into such thin, small pieces! 

You can also cut the carrots into very fine strips using a knife if you’d prefer! 

Garnishing

The very best part of Thai Peanut Noodles are the garnishments that go on top! The sauce is spectacular, but piling the noodles high with garnishments make it that much better. 

My favorite options are taking extra peanuts and chopping them up with a knife or a nut chopper. I sprinkle these on top of the noodles. 

You can also cut up green onions and pile those on as well. I love the easy, fresh taste that the green onions give to the peanut sauce. 

If you’re more of a spicy-food-lover (unlike myself) you can top the noodles with chiles or extra chili sauce. Feel free to customize your toppings as much as you’d like. This is your dish after all!

Expert Tips 

• Use Lo Mein noodles or ramen noodles if you’d prefer! You will not have to cook the pasta nearly as long. 
• Please note that this recipe was not researched as a recipe from Thailand! This is an Americanized take on “Thai Peanut Noodles”, which is common at restaurants we frequent. 
• Other toppings/vegetables would be great in this recipe, including zucchini, cucumber, sesame seeds and more.
• Thai Peanut Noodles are also delicious when eaten cold as leftovers the next day! 

Recipe FAQs

If you liked this recipe, you’ll also love these other Foreign Fork Instant Pot Pasta Recipes!

• Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
• Instant Pot Pasta with Palomino Sauce
• Thai Inspired Meatball Soup

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