Instant Pot Beef Lo Mein–an easy dump and go version of beef lo mein with broccoli, carrots, noodles and thinly sliced beef.
Instant Pot Beef Lo Mein
If you know me, you know I love dump and go, one pot meals. This Instant Pot beef lo mein recipe is not how one would typically make lo mein. It cuts down on steps and dishes. And it still tastes delicious! It uses easy to find ingredients that you might already have in your home.
Instant Pot Beef Lo Mein Recipe Tips:
- Find the right cut of beef. I saw a package of bottom round roast that was pre-sliced at Winco. The pieces were sliced into about the same size as thick cut bacon pieces. Then I used kitchen shears to cut it into 2 inch strips (scroll below the recipe card to see a visual). The beef turned out so tender and delicious. If you can’t find pre-sliced bottom round just buy a bottom round roast and have the butcher slice it very thin (like bacon).
- Store gingerroot wrapped up in foil in the freezer. Use a tiny grater* or microplane to grate the frozen ginger, there is not need to peel it. It’s easier to grate when frozen and it lasts for a long time in the freezer.
- Sometimes when you add spaghetti (fettuccini or linguine) into the Instant Pot all in one bunch it sticks together and clumps up after pressure cooking. By layering the noodles in a criss-cross pattern your noodles won’t clump as much (scroll below the recipe card to see a visual). To avoid the burn message, don’t stir the noodles. Press them down a bit to submerge as much as possible (not all of them will be in liquid). FYI: I didn’t use typical lo mein noodles because they do not hold up well in the Instant Pot they turn out mushy and gluey.
- For the broccoli and carrots pick your poison. You can pressure cook or stir fry them. The pressure cooked veggies are super soft vegetables, similar to steamed. This method does not give you that stir fry taste. If you like the crisp tender veggie taste then you can stir fry the carrots and broccoli in a pan on the stove while the meat and noodles are pressure cooking. Alternately, you could stir fry the carrots and broccoli in the Instant Pot using the sauté setting before you start the recipe. Then just set the veggies aside until the meat and noodles are done cooking.
- For some foods that tend to foam like pasta I find it works well to release steam in 1 second bursts. Move the valve back and forth between sealing and venting. Then once the steam comes out less forcefully move valve to venting and keep it there until you are able to open the Instant Pot.
More Chinese Food Instant Pot Recipes…
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Instant Pot Beef Lo Mein
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
An easy dump and go version of beef lo mein with broccoli, carrots, noodles and thinly sliced beef.
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds beef bottom round roast, pre-sliced very thin
- 2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp minced gingerroot
- 2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp oyster or fish sauce
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 8 oz spaghetti (whole wheat is okay)
- 2 cups beef broth (or 2 cups water + 2 tsp better than bouillon beef base)
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into matchstick size pieces
- 1 pound fresh broccoli
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- Crushed red pepper
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cut the thin slices of beef round roast into 2 inch pieces (I used kitchen shears). Add them into Instant Pot.
- Add oil, soy sauce, gingerroot, garlic, vinegar, fish sauce, black pepper and brown sugar into Instant Pot. Stir well to coat the beef. If you have time let the beef marinate in the sauce for 15 minutes to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
- Add broth into the pot. Break spaghetti in half and lay it in a criss cross pattern in the pot. Use a spoon to press the noodles down a bit into the liquid.
- For soft, cooked vegetables add the carrots in on top of spaghetti and then the broccoli in one or two big pieces. For more of a stir-fried taste with the vegetables do not add in now (see note).
- Cover Instant Pot and lock the lid into place. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 3 minutes. When time is up move valve to venting for 1 second and stop. Repeat multiple times until the steam coming out is less forceful. At that point, you can release the remaining pressure in a steady stream. Remove the lid.
- Cut broccoli into smaller pieces, it should be very soft. Stir everything together well so that sauce is coating the noodles. Stir in the sesame oil and red pepper to taste (start small, you can always add more). Add in sesame seeds to taste.
- Scoop into bowls and serve.
Notes
For a more stir-fried taste to your vegetables heat a pan on the stove over medium high heat (do this while the noodles and beef are pressure cooking). Add in 2 tsp of vegetable oil. Cut broccoli into small florets. Add in broccoli florets and carrots and sauté until crisp-tender. Set aside and then stir the vegetables in with the noodles when pressure cooking cycle is up.
I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. Make in 8 quart pot with no changes. Halve the recipe for the 3 quart pot.
- Category: Beef
- Method: Instant Pot
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Can I use frozen lo mein noodles?
I think they would come out mushy…I haven’t tried it but that’s my gut feeling
Way too much ginger for me. Followed directions, but I can’t even eat leftovers. I see I’m the only one who doesn’t like it, so I went back over the recipe. I can’t figure where I could have possibly gone wrong. Glad everyone else enjoyed it though.
★★★
Did you use fresh ginger or dry powdered?
I made this yesterday and it was very very good only 2 problems. I asked the butcher to slice up some of the exact same meat you used …..he did 1/8th in. but it was tough ??? not sure what I did wrong.? Maybe a better cut any suggestions ? This is cosmetic but the Noodles/gravy was not a darker brown like I generally purchase get in the restaurant how can I get this darker color. I know it’s cosmetic but the anemic color wasn’t appetizing ? I dumped this over Veg fried rice and it was great.
Hmmm, I’m not sure about the tough meat. And for color I would use dark soy sauce and dark brown sugar
Made this twice so far and it was fabulous! First time I couldn’t that cut of nest so used stir fry and it came out great. Second time I asked the butcher at giant eagle and he cut it for me. Kinda expensive but delicious! Stir fry is cheaper and tastes the same to me. But either way this is another great recipe, thanks so much!!!
★★★★★
Ooops should have said I couldn’t get that cut of meat. Sorry
★★★★★
Thanks for the 5 stars! Glad you liked it!
Do you saute the beef first? Your recipe leaves that out.
No I did not saute the beef
Ok. I sautéed it in the IP first since I didn’t know how the meat would turn out. My boys loved the final product though. I will try it your way next time. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
Question? In your recipe for Dragon Noodles you cook tne vegi in a pot on top of the noodles to keep them crisp tender. Will this technique work with this recipe?
Also in Dragon Noodles you do 4 min cook with 5 min NR. Should I do the same for this recipe instead of controlled QR?
Thanks for your response.
Yes good idea to use the pan…it worked so good I should have been using this trick for years. Yes on the cooking time too
I made this with elk steak and it was fabulous!
Good to know!
Made exactly as per recipe and it was absolutely delicious!!!
I did use pre-sliced beef from the grocery store, it was very thin and did come out over cooked, next time I will slice my own.
This is definitely a keeper !
★★★★★
I’m glad you liked it Rick! Thanks for the 5 stars!
If I double recipe, is cook time double as well?
nope! cooking time is the same: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/how-to-double-instant-pot-recipes/
Made it, loved it.
Yay!
Do you have to use fish or oyster sauce? Hate to buy a whole bottle just for 1tbls. Any other thing can substitute or just leave out all together?
Oh, I’m not sure. It gives it the flavor. But yes annoying to buy one ingredient you will most likely not use again.
Do you have a converted recipe for the crock pot for this Lo Mein?
No, sorry not for pasta. I haven’t had much luck with pasta in the crockpot.
If wanting to put this over pre cooked rice instead of adding noodles what changes would you make? The flavor of this recipe was amazing! The gf noodles didn’t come out right though.
Just made this for myself and my husband, and we’ll definitely make it again. I couldn’t find the suggested cut at my local grocery store so we tried it with stir fry meat and it turned out great. Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
Yay! So glad it worked with the other type of meat.
Can I use beef stew meat?
It might not get tender in 3 minutes. If you do I would cut it very small, smaller than how it comes from the store.