Instant Pot Chicken Mami Noodle Soup

Chicken soup is indeed good for the soul. Just like this Instant Pot Chicken Mami Noodle Soup, which is our classic Filipino version of chicken soup. Whether you’re cooking turkey or a big roast chicken this Thanksgiving, it’s time to plan what to do with leftovers. I save the entire carcass of the turkey or chicken and toss it in a large stockpot with seasonings to make the broth. And when it’s not turkey time, I boil an entire chicken and make soup from scratch. I learned early from my mom that superb soup comes from a good soup stock. So, I let the chicken broth simmer for a while. This is ideal for the colder seasons of autumn and winter.

But in the Philippines, chicken mami is heartily enjoyed all year round in warm, tropical weather. The soup’s appeal lies in its simplicity. It is easy to prepare. Then there is the combination of flavors that makes it hard to resist — the tender, succulent chunks of boiled chicken, the savory clear soup broth, thick Chinese noodles made of wheat, the aroma of garlic, onions, scallions all combined, and topped with slices of hard-boiled eggs. All these come together to give you a heady experience. Filipinos like to enjoy a piping hot bowl of chicken mami with steamed siopao buns filled with sweet pork or beef asado. This is the kind of merienda or meal that is enjoyed as a street food, carinderia fare, restaurant food or good old home cooking.

Nowadays, most of us have packed schedules and hectic lives. Thanks to the Instant Pot, which is both a slow cooker and a high-pressure cooker, life eased up a bit in our home when I made this. The Instant Pot is my choice if I need the dish cooked in half the time yet maintain the scrumptious flavors of my mom’s cooking.

Even if Thanksgiving is an American holiday, the occasion gives our family a time to pause and reflect on the millions of reasons we feel grateful. No matter how tumultuous the world seems to be, we take the time to acknowledge our blessings, big and small, on Thanksgiving day and every day. And always, a good soup meal like chicken mami is a great way to bring us together at the table in gratitude for what we have.

Print Recipe

Instant Pot Chicken Mami Noodle Soup

My Instant Pot Chicken Mami Noodle Soup is a one-pot meal that’s versatile for any type of weather, anywhere in the world, whether in the Philippines or here in the America. Now that we’re in the midst of a cold winter spell here on the east coast, a big bowl of tender chunks of chicken, simmered in a flavorful broth, made hearty with fresh Chinese egg noodles and seasoned with garlic, onions, scallions and fish sauce was the perfect antidote to the very cold day we experienced. I offer two recipe procedures below - in the Instant Pot or on the stove-top the classic way. This is an Asian in America recipe. Serves 2 to 4.

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 whole chopped white or yellow onion
• 4 to 6 cloves peeled, minced garlic
• 2 to 3 stalks chop white parts for soup, green parts for garnish scallions
• 1 Tablespoon patis fish sauce
• 1.5 pounds bone-in chicken breast
• 6 to 8 cups organic chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 8 oz. fresh Chinese noodles
• 2 whole pieces peeled, sliced, for garnish hard-boiled eggs

Instructions

• To cook in the Instant Pot: 
• Click Saute button on keypad. Add the vegetable oil. When oil is hot enough in 1 to 2 minutes, saute the onions, garlic and scallions (white parts only). Stir and saute for 2 minutes till fragrant and garlic is crisp. Remove 4 cloves of the crisp garlic and set aside. Leave 2 cloves in the inside pot with the rest of the ingredients.
• Add the patis (fish sauce) to the ingredients.
• Click Cancel to turn off Saute function.
• Place the chicken, breast side up in the inside pot of the Instant Pot.
• Pour the chicken broth. Season with sesame oil, salt and ground black pepper.
• Secure the lid. Check the release valve is set to Sealing.
• Check the cooking pressure is on High Pressure. Press Manual and cook for 30 minutes.
• When cooking is complete, do a quick release. Carefully unlock the lid.
• Using a large slotted spoon or tongs, remove the chicken and place on a chopping board. Let this cool for 5 minutes till meat can be handled. When meat has cooled, shred the chicken in strips. Set aside.
• Separately, place the fresh Chinese noodles in the inside pot into the broth. Stir the noodles around.
• Return the shredded chicken to the inside pot together with the noodles and broth.
• Close and secure the lid. Click Cancel for the Keep Warm function  and set for 8 minutes. This will heat and plump up the noodles, to blend with the broth and chicken.
• When ready, unlock the lid. Ladle the chicken, noodles and broth into individual bowls. Garnish with crisp garlic bits, slices of hard-boiled eggs, and green scallions.
• *Note:  After the initial Saute, it takes about 17 to 20 minutes for the Instant Pot to preheat before the High Pressure cooking time begins. For other multi-cooker brands, please consult the product manual.
• To cook stove-top:
• In a large stock-pot, over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil. Saute the onions, garlic and white parts of the scallions for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the patis.
• Add the chicken breast and pour the broth.
• Season with sesame oil, salt and ground black pepper. Cover and continue cooking over a medium simmer for 2 hours till chicken is cooked completely and tender.
• Remove chicken from stockpot when it is cooked. Shred the meat in slivers and set aside.
• Add the fresh Chinese noodles to the stockpot into the soup broth. Stir around.
• Return the shredded chicken into the stockpot. Cover and continue simmering over low heat for 15 minutes more. The noodles would have plumped up.
• Ladle the chicken,noodles, and broth into individual soup bowls. Garnish with crisp garlic, green scallions and hard-boiled egg slices. Serve warm.
• Cook's comments:  The fresh Chinese noodles are thick, wheat noodles, yellow-colored and pre-boiled. They are sold in Asian supermarkets. If desired, blanch the noodles for 30 seconds in boiling water before adding to the soup. The noodles expand after cooking. If dried Chinese noodles are preferred or more convenient, follow package directions on how to prepare in boiling water.
• Recipe Notes:  If using turkey or roast chicken leftovers from Thanksgiving or the holidays, toss the carcass with some meat left on it into the inside pot of the Instant Pot (or stock pot on the stove -top). With the same ingredients listed above, cook in the Instant Pot on High Pressure for 15 minutes and follow rest of the recipe accordingly.
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Did you like this recipe? I have more Filipino Instant Pot recipes in my newest cookbook Instant Filipino Recipes: My Mother’s Traditional Philippine Cooking in A Multicooker Pot. Buy my cookbooks and books on Amazon.com – sold worldwide in paperback and Kindle format.

Disclosure: Instant Pot is a registered trademark of the Instant Pot Company which is not associated with this blog. I was not paid to review or endorse the brand and products used. 

Copyright Notice: Hello, Friends! All the images and content here are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED. This means BY LAW you are NOT allowed to use my photos or content on your website, videos, social media platforms,publications,  without my permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write it in your own words and simply link back to this blog to give proper attribution. It’s the legal thing to do. Thank you. Email me at [email protected]