Garlic Sesame Noodles & Steak

Name: Garlic Sesame Noodles & Steak
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 21 min
Cuisine: Chinese-American
Ingredients: 2 tablespoon EVOO; 1 1/2 lbs. Steak; 10 oz. Chinese egg noodles/ lo mein noodles; 1 1/4 Cup Water; 4-5 Sliced green onions; 1/2 Cup Chopped Cilantro; 1/4 Cup Low sodium soy sauce or liquid aminos; 3 tsp. Minced garlic; 4 Tbsp. Rice vinegar; 4 Tbsp. Toasted sesame oil; 1/2 to 1 tsp. Chili oil; 1/2 tsp. honey

Chinese egg noodles with garlic and toasted sesame sauce come together with tender strips of steak in under 30 minutes. Topped with fresh cilantro and green onions for a flavor-packed easy one-pot weeknight dinner. One of the best features of the Instant Pot is the sauté function. The ability to make an entire meal in one pot is life-changing when you’re busy. Let the Instant Pot do all the work so you can enjoy your family time and take the stress out of dinner time.

Garlic Sesame Noodles with Steak recipe in a red bowl with Siracha hot sauce, cilantro and fork

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How Do You Cook Steak In The Instant Pot?

Pressure cooking steak for an easy weeknight meal is simple and no matter what cut of steak you’re using the meat comes out fork-tender when it has been cooked under pressure. The flavors and seasonings intensify when cooking in the Instant pot giving you amazing dinners in a fraction of the time of stovetop cooking. This recipe calls for the steak to be sliced thinly and sautéed in the bottom of the Instant pot so there’s no need to brown meat and transfer it to another pot. Making fewer dishes is always a win in my book.

Can You Cook Dry Pasta In The Instant Pot?

Yes! There is a little bit of a learning curve when it comes to cooking dry pasta in the Instant Pot but it defiantly can be done. I even experimented with cooking Banza (chickpea pasta) spaghetti, tri-colored rotini for pasta salad, shells for mac & cheese, and Chinese egg noodles in the Instant Pot and it turns out perfect.

How To Layer Ingredients In The Instant Pot

Most one-pot meals will need to have the ingredients layered in the Instant Pot so that certain ingredients don’t touch the bottom of the pot. The Instant Pot’s heating element heats directly from the bottom of the pot and if the pot senses that something is burning or scorching the bottom you will get the dreaded BURN error.

For example, for this recipe it’s important to deglaze the bottom of the Instant Pot after the steak has been browned to remove any stuck on tidbits, then the noodles can be placed on top of the steak in a crisscrossed and layered pattern. Fanning out the noodles reminds me of the game Kerplunk and how all the sticks are crisscross over each other, that’s the look you are going for when placing the noodles on top of the steak. Lastly, the sauce is poured over the noodles. The sesame oil in this sauce will help prevent the noodles from sticking together.

layered egg noodles in instant pot for Garlic Sesame Noodles with Steak recipe

Steak and egg noodles in instant pot for garlic sesame noodles with steak recipe

How To Make Instant Pot Garlic Sesame Noodles & Steak

In a medium bowl, mix all 6 sauce ingredients and set aside. Slice steak against the grain into ½-inch strips and place sliced strips of steak in a plastic bag. Next, pour ¼ cup of sauce ingredients into the bag and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, 1-2 hours is best.

Once the steak has marinated add 2 Tbsp. EVOO to the Instant Pot and turn on the sauté function. Wait until the display reads HOT and add the steak to the Instant Pot. Brown steak on all sides for 2-3 minutes. Press cancel/ turn off sauté function, add water and deglaze the bottom of the pot. Break noodles in half and place them on top of the steak in a crisscross pattern. Finally, pour the remaining sauce mixture over the noodles and DO NOT STIR.

Place the lid on the Instant pot and the vent set to the sealing position. Select pressure cook/manual and set the cooking time for 1 minute. When the cooking cycle beeps to signal that it is complete let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes. Release the remaining pressure after 5 minutes and carefully remove the lid. Stir the ingredients to combine.

Add chopped cilantro and stir. Serve immediately topped with sliced green onions and sriracha hot sauce.

More Instant Pot Beef Recipes

You may also enjoy other easy Instant Pot beef recipes like Philly Cheesesteaks, Pita tacos, Instant Pot Sloppy Joes, & Italian Meatballs.