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Instant Pot Black Pepper Noodles

White bowl of noodles, chicken, and edamame with peanuts on top

Silky, saucy, slightly stick Instant Pot Black Pepper Noodles with Chicken for an easy, satisfying meal any night of the week!

Ingredients

Scale

For the Black Pepper Sauce

  • 1 – 2 teaspoons black pepper (fresh ground is the best)
  • ⅓ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 inch piece of fresh ginger
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil

 

  • 1 pound chicken tenderloins or chicken breast, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
  • 8 ounces udon noodles (see note for other noodle options)
  • 2 cups water

 

  • 1 cup frozen, shelled edamame (peas will also work)

Optional for serving: sesame seeds, chopped dry roasted peanuts

Instructions

  1. Blend sauce ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Pour sauce into the pressure cooker pot.
  2. Add diced chicken and spread it out evenly so it’s not in a big clump.
  3. Break noodles in half and scatter them over the chicken, alternating the direction of the noodles so they don’t clump together while they cook.  Pour 2 cups of water over noodles.  Gently press down on the noodles to help them reach the level of the water.  It’s okay if the noodles aren’t completely submerged.  
  4. Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position.  Cook at high pressure for 2 minutes.
  5. When cooking is complete, unplug the cooker and allow the pressure to naturally release for 3 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure.  If starchy water sprays through the valve, flip the knob to a sealed position and wait another 2 minutes.
  6. Bring noodles and sauce to a simmer and add frozen edamame.  Let it simmer for about 1 minute to heat the edamame through.  The sauce may look a little thin, but it will thicken as it sits.  See notes if you’d like a thicker, stickier sauce.
  7. Serve hot with a sprinkle of sesame seeds to make it pretty.

Notes

  • I prefer the taste of freshly ground black pepper, but use what you have.  For a very mild heat level, use 1 teaspoon, for spicy use 2. 
  • Udon noodles are more authentic to this dish, but I’ve used whole wheat spaghetti and linguine with good results.
  • Check the stovetop directions of your pasta.  If the cook time is 8-10 minutes, the 2 minute cook time written for in the recipe will be perfect.  If the time is different, simply divide the cook time in half, then subtract 2 minutes to find the best cook time. 
  • When you first open the pot, the sauce will be thin, but it thickens nicely after it sits for 5 minutes or so.  For a thicker/stickier sauce add a cornstarch slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water to the noodles along with the edamame and simmer for 1 minute.

Keywords: Instant Pot noodles, Black Pepper Noodles, Easy Dinner Recipe

Find it online: https://tidbits-marci.com/instant-pot-black-pepper-noodles/