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An overhead shot of Instant Pot Vietnamese Pork Stew in a cream colored serving bowl
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4.62 from 13 votes

Instant Pot Vietnamese Pork Stew

This easy Whole30-friendly Instant Pot Vietnamese Pork Stew is a streamlined version of the classic braised dish, thit ko tàu, caramelized pork belly cooked in coconut water. It’s one of my favorite umami-packed stews that can be made faster and easier in a pressure cooker!  
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Keyword: gluten-free, Instant Pot, keto, low carb, paleo, pork, pork stew, Pressure Cooker, Primal, Whole30
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Michelle Tam

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil avocado oil, or ghee
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced shallots
  • ¼ pound shiitake mushrooms stemmed and cut in half (or into quarters if large)
  • 3 quarter-sized slices peeled fresh ginger
  • 4 garlic cloves smashed and peeled
  • 3 pounds pork shoulder cut into 2-inch cubes
  • 1 cup coconut water
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce and more to taste
  • 3 large carrots peeled and cut into ½-inch diagonal slices
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 3 scallions thinly sliced

Instructions

  • Turn on the sauté function of the Instant Pot and add the coconut oil or your fat of choice when the metal insert is hot. 
  • Toss in the shallots and shiitake mushrooms, and cook until the shallots are softened and the mushrooms are cooked, about 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the pork cubes and stir well.
  • Pour in the coconut water and the fish sauce. (I normally use ¼ cup fish sauce, but if you’re new to fish sauce, start with 3 tablespoons.) Stir well, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the Instant Pot.
  • Cancel the sauté function. Lock the lid of the Instant Pot and program it to cook for 40 minutes under high pressure. 
  • When the stew is finished cooking, allow the pressure to drop naturally. If you’re impatient, wait 15 minutes and then manually release the pressure.
  • Check that the pork pieces are fork tender. (If it’s still a little tough, cook under high pressure for another 5 to 10 minutes.) Taste and adjust the seasoning of the sauce with more fish sauce or salt if needed. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork to a serving platter. Cover to keep warm.
  • Carefully add the cut carrots to the cooking liquid (watch out for hot splashing liquid!) and cook for 2 minutes under high pressure.
  • Release pressure manually and remove the lid when the contents have depressurized.
  • Spoon the carrots and cooking liquid onto the pork and garnish the stew with sliced scallion or cilantro.

Nutrition

Calories: 500kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 34g | Fiber: 2g