Easy Instant Pot Thai Fried Rice Recipe

Who can turn down or deny the deliciousness of a warm bowl of fried rice? This Thai-inspired Instant Pot fried rice recipe packs in a ton of flavor and serves as a very filling lunch or dinner. The recipe was developed by Kristen Carli from Camelback Nutrition & Wellness and Mostly Green, a blog that serves up a ton of tasty plant-friendly recipes. "I love making rice in the Instant Pot. It is the fastest and most foolproof way," Carli explains.

If you know your way around an Instant Pot, this recipe will be a total breeze. But, even if you're an Instant Pot newbie, we promise it's pretty simple to prepare this dish. It's a fun, doable solution for when you're craving restaurant-style fried rice and are willing to do a little cooking (especially if it means not having to leave your house or change out of sweatpants). Read on for a play-by-play on the Thai fried rice that will soon become one of your favorite dishes.

First and foremost, it's time to assemble all of the ingredients for your Instant Pot Thai fried rice. This recipe calls for 1 cup of jasmine rice, 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, half of a white onion (diced), 1 red bell pepper (diced), 1 teaspoon of crushed ginger, 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 2 eggs (beaten), 1/4 cup of raw cashews, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon of sriracha, and 2 scallions (sliced).

Of course, you'll also need an Instant Pot pressure cooker, in addition to a small bowl.

After you've gathered all of the ingredients, the first step in this Instant Pot Thai fried rice recipe is to cook the rice by itself. Place the cup of rice in the Instant Pot, then pour the cup of water over it, stirring to combine. Close the lid of the Instant Pot, and seal the valve. Pressure cook the rice for three minutes. Then, allow it to naturally release. 

If you're a new user, "naturally release" is Instant Pot lingo (that's also clearly labeled on the actual pot with the settings, so we promise it's easy to figure out).

While the rice is cooking in the Instant Pot, you can busy yourself with slicing the chicken thighs. Cut the thighs into bitesize pieces. Thigh meat is a little bit more tender, but you're welcome to use chicken breasts in this recipe, too. Use kitchen shears if you really want to experience hassle-free chicken slicing. (You'll never go back to your chef's knife ever again!)

If chicken is not your favorite, there are other protein options for this Instant Pot Thai fried rice. According to Carli, "You could easily substitute any meat other than chicken. Tofu would be a great option for vegetarians."

When the rice is done cooking, remove it (scraping the sides to make sure you get every grain) from the Instant Pot, and set it aside in a large bowl. Next, change the Instant Pot setting to sauté. Then, add the olive oil, onion, bell pepper, and ginger. Stir the ingredients with a wooden spoon, cooking until onion is translucent, which is usually about five minutes.

Next, add in the chicken pieces to the Instant Pot. Continue stirring everything with a wooden spoon, cooking until the chicken thigh meat is cooked through, about another ten minutes.

Now, it's time to add the rice you cooked earlier and set aside back into the Instant Pot, along with the beaten eggs. 

Once you've finished sautéing the vegetables and chicken (and the chicken is fully cooked), stir the rice back into the Instant Pot. Next, pour the beaten eggs into the Instant Pot, and stir all of it to combine, cooking the eggs. The addition of the eggs will quickly make this recipe go from rice to fried rice, since it's a flavor and ingredient we're all accustomed to when we order fried rice at restaurants. 

As everything in the Instant Pot is in the final stages of cooking, now you're tasked with whisking your sauce together to douse this rice with some serious flavor. Combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sriracha in a small bowl. Then, pour the sauce over the fried rice in the pot. 

This savory sauce really completes this Instant Pot fried rice recipe. As a matter of fact, Carli points out, "This recipe highlights many Thai flavors including oyster sauce, onions, garlic and scallions." Add oyster sauce to the list of things you never knew you couldn't live without.

Finally, top your fried rice off with cashews and scallions, then stir everything one last time to fully incorporate it.

If you're making this recipe to serve as meals for the week, you absolutely made the right choice. "This will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to five days," confirms Carli. Since there are four servings, that's at least four days worth of good lunch or dinner eating, made in just 40 minutes. So, you should definitely add this recipe to your rotation for easy, comforting lunch or dinner mealtime go-to's.