Instant Pot Pork Adobo is a popular Filipino dish that combines pork shoulder or pork belly with soy sauce, garlic, peppercorns and white vinegar for a satisfying and delicious dish.
I’ve made Pork Adobo in many different ways. It’s traditionally made on the stove top, but you can also make it in the slow cooker, oven, or Instant Pot. I’ve found that the Instant Pot version is the best way to make this dish quickly, without any loss of flavor. In fact, the pressure cooker build even more flavor and tenderness.
Why You’ll Love It
- This flavorful dish is ready in just one hour, start to finish, which is fantastic because it would take many hours to cook on the stovetop. Serve it over rice, like this Basmati brown rice, coconut rice, or cauliflower rice and a drizzle of the pan sauce.
- The marinade/sauce is what makes this dish so delicious. The flavors are bold and intense, just what the pork needs to boost it up to amazing.
- You can use pork shoulder/butt steaks or cut a pork shoulder roast into small pieces. You can also use pork belly slices or cut a full pork belly roast into chunks. You can also use chicken breast or chicken thighs in this recipe.
Beth says: 
We loved this recipe! It is so flavorful and delicious! And fast! Can’t wait to make it again and again!
Madeleine says: Delicious! Whole family (including our 2 year old) LOVED this dish. So easy to pull together. We did 3.25lb of pork shoulder, so we had to saute it in two batches in the instant pot due to the limited surface area. Otherwise kept the recipe the same and it was perfect!
What is Pork Adobo?
If you’ve never heard of Pork Adobo, you’re in for a real treat! It’s a very popular Filipino dish that combines soy sauce and Filipino white cane sugar vinegar, plus garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns as a marinade.
You can use pork, chicken, or beef for this recipe. I have made them all and love them all, but this pork adobo is perhaps the best, because of the fattiness of the pork and how succulently tender it gets in the Instant Pot.
» You might like these Instant Pot Pork Chops and Instant Pot Mini Meatloaves.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This dish only requires 9 ingredients and none of them are difficult to find. We do recommend using Filipino cane sugar vinegar, but that can be substituted with white vinegar if you can’t find it.
- Boneless pork shoulder – You can also use pork butt or pork steaks.
- Garlic
- Soy sauce – I use low-sodium soy sauce to cut down on the saltiness of the dish. Full sodium soy can be quite overwhelming.
- Filipino cane sugar vinegar – This can be difficult to find, unless you have a specialty store near you. You can also use white vinegar with a touch of sugar added.
- Bay leaves
- Brown sugar – Light or dark brown sugar, or cane sugar, is fine.
- Whole black peppercorns – whole peppercorns are necessary for this recipe. Ground black pepper will not produce the same results. The peppercorns soften as they cook so you can actually eat them whole and don’t need to pick them out.
- Cornstarch and water slurry – mixing cornstarch with color water and adding it to the sauce will help thicken it up so it’s not watery.
- Water
Equipment Needed
- Instant Pot – I use a 6-quart Instant Pot Duo Plus to make all of my recipes, but you can use any size or brand of electric pressure cooker. If you’re using an 8-quart pot, you will need to adjust the amount of liquid accordingly, as it requires more water to build steam.
- Sharp chef’s knife
- Whisk
- Black peppercorns
- Filipino sugarcane vinegar
- Cornstarch
Tips for Making Pork Adobo in the Instant Pot
- You might be tempted to skip the searing step, which is certainly an option, but I don’t recommend it. Searing the meat adds to the depth of flavor and texture on the meat.
- The sauce will be quite liquidy when you take the lid off the Instant Pot after cooking. It’s important to thicken the sauce a bit if you want to pour it over your dish. Once the pork is cooked, remove it from the pot. Mix up a little cornstarch with cold water and pour it into the liquid. Then cook it down on sauté mode for about 5-7 minutes. It’ll be a thicker consistency, perfect for pouring over the dish.
- You can add onions, if you want. They add a little more flavor to this already flavor-packed dish.
How to Make Instant Pot Pork Adobo
The method for making this dish is the same for the skillet or the Instant Pot. The key element of the dish is that the pork be allowed to braise in the liquid until it becomes very tender. In the Instant Pot, it only has to cook for 25 minutes.
Step 1: Cut & season the pork
Start by cutting the pork into small pieces of about 2″ square. Put the pieces in a bowl with the garlic. Then season them well with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Sauté
Turn on sauté mode on the Instant Pot. Add oil to the inner pot. When the oil is hot, add the pork and brown it on all sides for approximately 5 minutes. You don’t want to cook it through. Just sear it.
Turn off sauté mode and let the pot cool for a minute before you pour the liquids in.
Step 3: Deglaze
Pour in the vinegar, soy sauce, and water. Scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Then add the bay leaves, brown sugar and peppercorns to the pot.
Step 4: Pressure cook
Set to Pressure Cook on high for 25 minutes. After the cook time is up, allow the machine to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes, then finish with a quick manual release. Remove the pork from the pot.
The sauce will be very liquidy still, so you might want to thicken it with corn starch. To do that, turn on sauté mode again and return the sauce to a boil. Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and pour it into the Instant Pot. Stir to combine. Boil the sauce until it is reduced by half and slightly thickened, 5–7 minutes.
Serve with steamed white rice.
Questions About the Recipe
How long does it take to cook pork adobo in an Instant Pot?
Cooking Pork Adobo in an Instant Pot typically takes about 25-35 minutes for the whole cooking process, including sautéing. However, you also need to account for the time it takes for the pot to come to pressure, which can add another 10 to 15 minutes.
Can I use frozen pork for Instant Pot pork adobo?
Yes, you can use frozen pork, however, you’ll need to adjust the cooking time to ensure that the pork cooks through properly. Since frozen meat takes longer to come to pressure and cook, you may need to add a few extra minutes to the cooking time. It’s also a good idea to separate the frozen pork pieces as much as possible to ensure even cooking.
What’s the difference between cooking pork adobo in a traditional pot versus an Instant Pot?
The main difference between cooking Pork Adobo in a traditional pot versus an Instant Pot is the time it takes to cook. In a traditional pot, Pork Adobo typically simmers for at least an hour or more to achieve tender meat and allow the flavors to meld together. With an Instant Pot, the pressure cooking function significantly reduces the cooking time to around 25-35 minutes, making it a much quicker option for busy days without compromising on flavor or tenderness.
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Instant Pot Pork Adobo
Note: Made in a 6-qt Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds (1 kg) boneless pork shoulder skin and fat removed
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1/2 cup (118 ml) soy sauce
- 1/3 cup (67 g) Filipino cane sugar vinegar or white vinegar
- 1/4 cup (59 ml) water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons (9 g) whole black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon (8 g) cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cold water
Instructions
- Cut the pork into cubes about 2" square. Season with salt and pepper.
- Turn on saute mode on the Instant Pot. Add oil to the inner pot. When hot, add the pork and brown for approximately 5 minutes. Turn off saute mode and let the pot cool for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the vinegar, soy sauce, and water. Scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Then add the bay leaves, brown sugar and peppercorns to the pot.
- Set to Pressure Cook on high for 25 minutes. After the cook time is over, allow the machine to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes, then finish with a quick manual release. Remove the pork from the pot.
- Press the Saute setting again and return the sauce to a boil. Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and pour it into the Instant Pot. Stir to combine. Boil the sauce until it is reduced by half and slightly thickened, 5–7 minutes.
- Serve with steamed white rice.
Notes
- You might be tempted to skip the searing step, which is certainly an option, but I don’t recommend it. Searing the meat adds to the depth of flavor and texture on the meat.
- The sauce will be quite liquidy when you take the lid off the Instant Pot after cooking. It’s important to thicken the sauce a bit if you want to pour it over your dish. Once the pork is cooked, remove it from the pot. Mix up a little cornstarch with cold water and pour it into the liquid. Then cook it down on saute mode for about 5-7 minutes. It’ll be a thicker consistency, perfect for pouring over the dish.
- You can add onions, if you want. They add a little more flavor to this already flavor-packed dish.
- You can use chicken breast or chicken thigh in this recipe as well, but reduce the pressure cook time to 8 minutes.
- It will take about 5 minutes for the pot to come up to pressure, and 10 minutes to depressurize.
Nutrition
Laura is a passionate home cook and the owner of A Pressure Cooker Kitchen. She is dedicated to helping people create delicious Instant Pot meals with ease. Laura is an expert at developing recipes that can be prepared quickly and easily using a pressure cooker.
We loved this recipe! It is so flavorful and delicious! And fast! Can’t wait to make it again and again!
Quick, easy and flavorful! What more could you ask out of a recipe? I’m planning to try this right away.
You’re going to love it!
Love that I could make this recipe in just 30 minutes. We love the Instant Pot!
I do too. I’d make everything in there if I could.
This chicken adobo will make a great weeknight meal without skimping on flavor just time. This recipe is exactly what I need during a busy week.
It’s the perfect weeknight meal because it’s so good and fast!
Talk about an instant pot wonder! This looks so delicious and I love how quickly it comes together…my mouth is watering!
Definitely one of my favorite Instant Pot meals.
Good recipe. Filipinos don’t traditionally use chopsticks like the photo shows. It’s offensive to at least some Filipinos.
We never intend to offend. The chopsticks have been removed.
Delicious! Whole family (including our 2 year old) LOVED this dish. So easy to pull together. We did 3.25lb of pork shoulder, so we had to saute it in two batches in the instant pot due to the limited surface area. Otherwise kept the recipe the same and it was perfect!
So glad to hear you loved it, Madeleine!
Pork Adobo is awesome. We also add a bit of ginger and either a few Thai peppers(if in the USA) or a little cayenne pepper to add a bit of heat. It’s hard to find Filipino chilis in the US.
We are really happy to hear that you liked it Robert.
Made this tonight to cook a little over 4# roast. I might have cut up meat smaller than 2” in as it was very soft. Next time I’ll set it for 30 min. I was out of bay leaves so I tweaked mine into a s/sour version.
The size of the pieces does make a difference, but it is meant to be rather soft. Less time will ensure it’s not as tender, though. Glad you liked it.