Instant Pot Honey Garlic Pork—A 5-ingredient recipe for the tastiest and easiest pork lettuce wraps ever!
Related: SLOW COOKER honey garlic pork recipe

Instant Pot Honey Garlic Pork
This recipe was a happy accident! I had a pound of ground pork that needed to be used up and this is how it got used. The flavors in this honey garlic pork are so tasty and the best part is that it’s ingredients you probably already have at your house: soy sauce, honey and garlic.
This meat tastes so great rolled up in butter lettuce leaves. Butterhead lettuces are tender, with loosely-coiled leaves. The leaves are almost never limp or weak. They have a bit of crunch. You can find butter lettuce in a plastic clamshell case with a root still attached.
If you don’t want lettuce wraps you can easily chop up some romaine or cabbage leaves and spoon the meat and rice mixture over the top. You could also buy a package of Asian salad mix with wontons, carrots and cabbage and serve it over that…delicious! Sort of like my Instant Pot Egg Roll Bowls.
I used parboiled rice in this recipe. I got a comment on my youtube channel about using parboiled rice and it intrigued me so I tried it. I got a bag of it at Walmart, next to the normal rice. Parboiled rice might sound like it’s precooked, but it’s not. Instead, it’s processed quite differently from other types of rice. The resulting grain is cooked and served just as you would white or brown rice. However, because of the special processing, parboiled rice is less sticky than normal long grain or jasmine rice. Plus it is a better source of nutrition. If you’re not a fan of sticky rice and want the grain kernels more separated try out parboiled rice!
Try these other Instant Pot favorites…
Instant Pot Chicken Lettuce Wraps


Instant Pot Honey Garlic Pork
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes (plus 5 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
A 5-ingredient recipe for the tastiest and easiest pork lettuce wraps ever! Pin this recipe for later!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork (you can also use ground chicken, turkey or lean beef)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice or jasmine rice (see note)
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot to the saute setting. When the display says HOT add in the ground pork and break it up*. Brown the pork for about 5 minutes. Then stir in the garlic. Turn off the Instant Pot.
- Stir in the water and scrape the bottom of the pot.
- Add in the soy sauce, honey and rice. Stir.
- Cover the pot and secure the lid. Make sure the valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 5 minutes. When the time is up let the pot sit for 5 minutes and then move the valve to venting. Remove the lid and stir.
- Scoop the meat and rice over chopped romaine, use it in lettuce wraps, over chopped cabbage or plain. Eat and enjoy!
Notes
I used parboiled rice but plain long grain white or jasmine rice works just fine too.
I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. This recipe will work great for the 3 quart Instant Pot. If you want to make this in the 8 quart pot you may want to use the pot-in-pot method since there isn’t a ton of liquid to bring the pot to pressure. For pot-in-pot method: pour 1 ½ cups into your Instant Pot. Then place a trivet into the pot. Add your ingredients for the recipe into a pan/pot that fits inside your Instant Pot. Lower the pot onto the top of the trivet. Pressure cook for 10 minutes. Then release the pressure. Here’s a video I made to explain it: https://youtu.be/hhBVsREuCEw
- Category: Pork
- Method: Instant Pot
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*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.
We didn’t have any lettuce so we served our meat/rice mixture with a fried egg on top with a side wolf broccoli. Winner for our family.
Well that sounds absolutely delicious! I’m a sucker for fried eggs 🙂
I do not have an instant pot and would like to know how to convert this recipe to stove-top/conventional cooking.
Please advise. Thank you.
It was great. I used ground turkey and used low sodium teriyaki sauce in place of the soy sauce. Was able to use less honey since the teriyaki sauce had sugar in it. It was good served over an Asian salad mix.
★★★★★
Good idea on the teriyaki!
Hi. Thanks for the recipe. It sounds delicious–can’t wait to make it. Will ALL the ingredients, including the rice, in the same quantities, fit and cook properly in the 3 qt Mini IP? Thanks.
yes it will fit in the 3 quart pot
Karen, thank you! I’m going to make it tonight.
★★★★★
I made this dish last night. It is absolutely DELICIOUS so quick to make! There’s nothing in this meal that would be offensive to anyone. It’s NOT spicy hot, but you can add that if you like. I added a heaping teaspoon of grated fresh ginger root, and I garnished the dish with sliced scallions. Next time, I’ll use more liquid and more rice. Everything fit in my 3 qt Mini pot with room to spare, so there’s room for more meat and rice… I think the amount of soy sauce in this recipe is perfect. I, too, used reduced sodium soy. The dish had plenty of flavor and not overcome by salt. Ground pork is on sale at my local market for $3.49 a lb this week. I’m going back to buy more to freeze because I will be making this at least once a month! … I used the only rice I had in my pantry: Ben’s Original Parboiled CONVERTED rice. I like brown rice because it’s more nutritious, but some dishes scream for white rice. From “The Spruce Eats: Converted rice (also known as parboiled rice) is a type of rice that’s been partially cooked and dried, which allows the rice to hold on to more nutrients compared with ordinary white rice. In fact, another name for converted rice is parboiled rice. The parboiling alters the starches so that the grains hold their shape better, stick together less, and also are less likely to stick to the bottom of the pot.” I read somewhere that converted rice also retains part of the hull, making the rice better for the digestive system…Ground chicken, turkey, beef or whatever meat you like could be used instead of pork.
Karen, thank you for sharing this great recipe.
★★★★★
You’re welcome Bobbie! I am so glad you loved it! Thanks for your tips
I add Siracha and fresh ginger to mine and use full sodium soy as it has more flavor. Instead of rice or lettuce, I buy the Asian salad mix and after tossing the salad with the ginger dressing, I add the meat to the top. It is AMAZING! This recipe definitely benefits with the addition of siracha, fresh ginger and full bodied soy. Enjoy.
★★★★★
Sounds so great!!! Thanks for the 5 stars!
As another poster said, I also have the 8 quart IP and I did not use the pot in pot method and it was awesome! I plan on playing with this recipe because it’s just a fun recipe! And delicious! I have tried many of your recipes and have so enjoyed them!! Thank you!
★★★★★
Thanks for the 5 stars Katt!
The easiest and most delicious week night dish. I add a splash of fish sauce for umami and garnish with green onion.
★★★★★
Good idea on the fish sauce!
Questions about pot in pot for 8 quart. How are you browning the ground pork if you use a pot sitting on a trivet? Or do you brown first on saute, then clean the liner and THEN go pot in pot?
★★★★★
Hi Darren, I did not use the pot in pot with this recipe. I just cooked it straight in the IP liner.
Instead of rice and lettuce, we put the honey garlic ground pork on garlic butter Cauliflower mash (Keto friendly, can’t eat the rice 😂)
And it was absolutely delicious!
★★★★★
Wow that’s a great idea and it sounds so delicious!
How much water did you use due to no rice?
This is DELICIOUS!! I make it once a week and it’s my husband’s favorite dish… I just add some broccoli to add vegetables and it goes perfectly!
Also instead of soy sauce I use coconut aminos and it’s delish.
THANK YOU! I wish I had 5 more recipe like this :super quick to make, delicious and healthy <3
★★★★★
I’m so glad you both enjoy it. I love easy recipes too!
I make this all the time now using ground pork, or ground turkey or ground chicken. They all work great. I add two more ingredients: grated fresh ginger and a good helping of Sriracha sauce. I have found the best way to eat it is on top of an Asian salad. I just buy the prepackaged Asian salad mix, dress it up with the Asian sesame dressing and top with the honey garlic meat. Sooooo good!
★★★★★
That is a great idea Katherine!
This was a great dish! So easy, quick and delish! I will definitely be making this again! Thank you!
★★★★★
You’re welcome Debbie!
I imagine this could be done in a slow cooker? Has anyone tried it?
My family enjoyed this one!! 5 clean plates and no left overs. I used long grain brown rice, but used 1 cup and doubled the water. Also i added 1/4 tsp of seamed seed oil and i spiced mine up with some Gochujang sauce. Easy recipe and very tasty!! Lots of ways to modify. Perfect in lettuce wraps.
★★★★★
Sounds like a winner version to me! I love the lettuce wraps!
Can I double this recipe? I need 8 servings.
Yep for sure! https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/how-to-double-instant-pot-recipes/
Would the timing be the same without the rice?
yep 👍
If I use quinoa how would I adjust the recipe? It was so awesome, my daughter loved it
instead of the rice I’d add in rinsed quinoa and I’d use a 1 minute cooking time with a 10 minute natural pressure release.
Thank you!
★★★★★
We made this recipe earlier this week and it was so easy and super yummy!! I used brown rice as it was all I had, and it turned out fine! I also added a little crushed red pepper to the mix as we like it spicy! 🙂 We didn’t have lettuce, but I had plenty of baby spinach so I just lined a bowl with the spinach and scooped the mix on top and it was wonderful!
Thanks for another quick and tasty recipe!
I’m planning to make it again soon and I’m thinking about adding some chopped water chestnuts to give it some crunch, but I’m not sure if I would add them in from the beginning, or wait until after it’s done to stir them in?
★★★★★
I think I would add them in later. But I bet either would be fine!
Could I use this receipt with my Power XL Pressure Cooker?
I’m sure you could!
Love this recipe, it’s so good. I wrapped it with butter lettuce. It’s the only time I can get my husband to eat lettuce.
★★★★★
Haha! That’s great Danielle.
OH MY GOODNESS! This was the best instant pot recipe that I have made. It was fast and delicious. I made this 4 days ago, and haven’t stopped thinking about it since. I will be making this again in the near future. It was amazing.
★★★★★
Yay Kelsey! I’m so happy to hear this 🙂
How to change the time if using brown rice? I can shmell 😊 this already!!!!
Brown rice takes 22 minutes to cook plus a 10 minute natural pressure release.
Alternately you could use minute brown rice and follow the same time as above.
Pot in pot methods: heres a video I googled: https://youtu.be/_eEiU5BUbqc
I have an 8 quart pressure cooker. What do you mean pot in pot method for this recipe.
Hi Ursula, Here’s how to do pot in pot method.
Pour 1 1/2 cups into your Instant Pot. Then place a trivet into the pot. Add your ingredients for the recipe into a pan/pot that fits inside your Instant Pot. Lower the pot onto the top of the trivet. Pressure cook for 10 minutes. Then release the pressure.
Here’s a video I made to explain it: https://youtu.be/hhBVsREuCEw
I have a 8 qt. Ultra pressure cooker. What do you mean by a pot-in-pot method for this Honey Garlic Pork recipe?
Hi Jo Ann,
Pour 1 1/2 cups into your Instant Pot. Then place a trivet into the pot. Add your ingredients for the recipe into a pan/pot that fits inside your Instant Pot. Lower the pot onto the top of the trivet. Pressure cook for 10 minutes. Then release the pressure.
Here’s a video I made to explain it: https://youtu.be/hhBVsREuCEw
Looks easy and delicious! Have an 8 qt… how exactly would I do this pot in pot? Btw, LOVE your recipes!!
★★★★★
HI Diane,
Pour 1 1/2 cups into your Instant Pot. Then place a trivet into the pot. Add your ingredients for the recipe into a pan/pot that fits inside your Instant Pot. Lower the pot onto the top of the trivet. Pressure cook for 10 minutes. Then release the pressure.
Here’s a video I made to explain it: https://youtu.be/hhBVsREuCEw
Thanks for your help!!
I have an 8 qt and was fine without the pot in pot method.
I hate to put 4 stars because it was delicious and easy.. but this recipe needed a little umph in my opinion. Maybe some hoison or sambel oelek.
★★★★
Thanks for sharing your experience!