Instant Pot Pork Adobo

5 from 4 votes

This effortless Instant Pot Pork Adobo is guaranteed to melt in your mouth. It's a savory and rich Filipino staple that comes together easily with minimal ingredients. Serve it on a bed of rice and have the perfect weeknight dinner ready in minutes!

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 5

Servings servings

Calories 422

Author Jessica Kwon

Equipment

Instant Pot pressure cooker

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless pork shoulder or butt cut into 3-4 inch pieces
1-2 tablespoon cooking oil
4-5 cloves garlic smashed
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
¼ cup white distilled vinegar
1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
1 cup water
3-4 dried bay leaves
½ tablespoon whole black peppercorns
Salt and pepper to taste
Green onion thinly sliced; to garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Option to trim pork of excess fat. Combine 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, then season all sides of pork.
On your Instant Pot, press "Sauté" button to "More". Once it reads "Hot", add oil and half the pork to inner pot. Sear for 2-3 minutes each side until browned. Transfer pork to a plate and repeat with the remaining half. Set aside.
Turn off the Instant Pot. Add garlic cloves and stir constantly, toasting for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add a splash of the water and use your wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
Add soy sauce, vinegar, water, sugar, bay leaves, and peppercorns to the pot. Nestle in pork shoulder until partially submerged in the sauce. Place the lid on and seal. Pressure cook at High Pressure for 35 minutes, then let release naturally for 10 minutes before doing a quick release.
Transfer the pork to a cutting board or plate. Option to shred pork or leave whole.
Turn "Sauté (Normal)" mode on and let adobo sauce boil for 2-8 minutes or until you reach your desired strength and amount of sauce. Season to taste. Strain sauce or use a slotted spoon to remove all peppercorns and bay leaves.
Serve pork on top of starch or vegetables. Spoon sauce over the top and garnish with green onion.

Notes

Storing Leftovers: Cool completely, then transfer to an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. After it's been chilled, the fat will separate and solidify on top. You can discard some for a leaner sauce if preferred.
Freezing: Cool completely, then place into a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag with as much air removed as possible. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes with the sauce. You can also warm it up in a small pan or pot on the stove over medium-low heat.
Substitutions/Variations:
- Pork belly is another popular cut of meat used in Pork Adobo. I'd recommend buying large, skinless slabs and cutting them into 2-3 inch segments. You can also try pork ribs or loin.
- Whole peppercorns offer a fresher aroma and taste, but you can substitute with ½ teaspoon ground black pepper.
- For the most authentic tasting Filipino Pork Adobo, use Filipino soy sauce (toyo) and vinegar. I recommend Silver Swan Lauriat Soy Sauce and Datu Puti Cane Vinegar. Both can be found at Asian markets.
- To make this gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce.

Nutrition