Easy Instant Pot Chicken Lo Mein

This easy chicken lo mein instant pot recipe is a one pot meal and a favorite Chinese dish!

My husband grew up eating at Sam Wo in San Francisco’s Chinatown and loved their lo mein; he would happily do it any day of the week. This easy Instant Pot chicken lo mein recipe comes close,

My family devours it,

It’s a great alternative to take-out with Chicken Lo Mein With slurp-worthy noodles, chunks of tender chicken, bright carrots and snap peas.

You’ll have this pressure cooker Chinese Chicken Lo Mein on the table in about 30 minutes.

For this recipe, I used the Instant Pot Duo 60 7-in-1 Multipot.

A little bit about lo mein

Chinese Restaurants’ take out menus all have this dish.

Lo Mein is a dish where noodles are boiled and then tossed in a sauce.

Sometimes meats or seafood are added making it, Chicken Lo Mein, Beef Lo Mein, Shrimp Lo Mein; or add all the meats and seafood and it’s called “Special Lo Mein”.

I love the noodles cooked perfectly and coated in the yummy sauce. The vegetables are always done perfectly with just a bit of crunch and texture. This is why almost every time I get Chinese food this is usually my dish of choice.

Lo Mein is a dish where the noodles are boiled and tossed in a sauce.

Lo Mein noodles are typically egg noodles, however, in this dish, we are using linguine for convenience.

You can substitute noodles (we’ve used Ramen noodles, spaghetti noodles, and lo mein noodles)–cooking time may vary.

Busy Weeknight?

No problem!

This easy pressure cooker chicken lo mein is tender vegetables, chunks of juicy chicken, slurp-worthy noodles nestled in a homemade sauce.

It’s better than takeout AND it’s ready in about 30 minutes.

It’s one of my favorite easy instant pot recipes.

What about Chow Mein?

What’s the difference between lo mein and chow mein?

The difference between lo mein and chow mein is how the noodles are prepared. 

In lo mein, the noodles are soft and tossed in a sauce.

For chow mein, the noodles are pan-fried and crispy.

Instant Pot Lo Mein Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Saute: 5 minutes on medium
Pressure Cook: 5 minutes on High Pressure
Release: Quick Release of the pressure
Total Time: 30-minutes
Serves: 4
Dairy Free

Equipment: Measuring cups and spoons, chef’s knife, wooden spoon or silicone spatula, medium bowl.

Instant Pot Chicken Lo Mein Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces (you can also use chicken thighs or chicken tenders)

1 garlic clove, minced

8 ounces dried linguine, broken in half

1 cup snow peas

1 cup broccoli florets

1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

1 /2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (try making your own Instant Pot Chicken Stock)

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce

1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine (see tip below)

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Lo Mein:

Prepare the Chicken, Vegetables, and Noodles: 

Select Saute on the instant pot and adjust the heat to medium. Add the sesame oil.

When the oil is hot, add the chicken and garlic and cook until the garlic is light brown and the chicken is opaque for about five minutes.

Fan the noodles across the bottom of the pot (over the top of the chicken). Add the snow peans, broccoli, and carrot on top of the noodles.

Make the Sauce:

In a medium bowl, combine the broth, soy sauce, fish sauce, rice wine, ginger, and brown sugar.

Stir until the sugar is dissolved, pour sauce over the vegetables in the pot.

Pressure Cook.

Lock the lid into place and turn the valve to “sealing”. 

Select Manual and adjust the pressure to High Pressure. Set the time for five minutes.

When the cooking ends, carefully turn the valve to “venting” to quickly release the pressure.

Finish the Dish.

Unlock and remove the lid. 

Stir the noodles, breaking up any clumps, until the liquid is absorbed.

Leftovers?

Store any leftovers in an airtight container, your chicken lo mein instant pot recipe will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge.

Ingredient Tip:

If you don’t have fish sauce, you can substitute an equal amount of soy sauce.

You can also substitute an equal amount of apple juice for the Shaoxing rice wine.

You can add any of these great vegetables to your Instant Pot for a personalized lo mein:

• Red pepper and green bell pepper
• Green onions (these make a great finishing garnish)
• Sliced baby bok choy
• Sliced zucchini
• Julienned carrots
• Thinly sliced onions
• Beansprouts
• Frozen Peas
• Bamboo shoots
• water chestnuts
• carrot matchsticks

When you’re finished, why not give your Instant Pot a deep clean with this guide.