Instant Pot Pork Belly Sinigang: The #1 Ultimate Sour Soup

This Instant Pot Pork Belly Sinigang delivers that signature, crave-worthy sour broth and fall-apart tender pork in a fraction of the time.

Loaded with fresh vegetables and a rich tamarind flavor, it is the ultimate cozy, warming Filipino soup.

It is best enjoyed by pouring that deliciously tart broth over a mountain of steamed white rice!

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What is Sinigang?

Sinigang is a pillar of Filipino cuisine.

It is a savory and deeply sour soup traditionally flavored with tamarind (sampaloc). The tartness of the broth is incredibly refreshing and balances perfectly with the richness of the meat and the hearty vegetables.

While it can be made with seafood or beef, pork belly is a massive favorite because the fat renders down and creates a wonderfully luxurious, comforting broth.

Key Ingredients for Instant Pot Pork Belly Sinigang

You will need a mix of rich meat, specific aromatics, and plenty of fresh vegetables to bring this soup together.

• The Pork: We use 2 pounds of pork belly cut into 1-inch cubes. Cutting them into smaller bite-sized pieces ensures they get perfectly tender in the pressure cooker.
• The Sour Broth: For that classic tart flavor, we use 1 packet of sinigang seasoning mix. If you prefer a more sour sinigang, feel free to use another packet. 🙂 You will also need about 7 cups of water, which should be just enough to barely cover the pork.
• The Aromatics & Seasoning: You need 2 to 3 quartered medium onions and 1 quartered beefsteak tomato to build the base of the broth. To finish the dish, you will use 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, black pepper, and an optional squeeze of lemon, all adjusted to your own taste.
• The Vegetables: We love a hearty mix of veggies! You will need half a sliced daikon radish, 8 to 10 ounces of string beans cut into 2 to 3-inch pieces, and one full bag of spinach.

A Highly Flexible Comfort Food

The absolute best part about cooking Sinigang at home is how incredibly flexible it is. You can customize this dish and add pretty much any vegetable you want, or completely omit the ones you do not like.

If you are not a fan of daikon radish, simply leave it out.

If you want to make it even more traditional, you can toss in some sliced eggplant (talong), okra, or taro root (gabi). Taro is actually a fantastic addition because the starch naturally thickens the sour broth as it cooks, making it even richer.

If you cannot find traditional water spinach (kangkong) at the Asian market, the regular bagged spinach we used here, baby bok choy, or even regular green beans work perfectly.

This soup is meant to be a personalized comfort meal, so feel free to raid your crisper drawer and make it exactly how you like it.

Mastering the Instant Pot Method

The secret to the perfect Instant Pot Sinigang is knowing when to pressure cook and when to simmer. If you pressure cook the vegetables with the pork, they will completely disintegrate.

Step 1: The Pressure Cook Start by adding your pork belly, quartered onions, and beefsteak tomato to the Instant Pot. Add your water, seal the lid, and pressure cook on high for 25 minutes. Once it is done, let the pot do a natural release for 10 minutes before carefully doing a quick release for the remaining pressure.

Step 2: Cooking the Vegetables in Stages Once the pot is open, switch the Sauté mode to High and stir in your sinigang seasoning mix. We add the vegetables in stages based on how long they take to cook. First, add the sliced daikon and cook for 3 to 6 minutes. Next, add the string beans and cook for another 3 to 6 minutes until they reach your desired doneness.

Step 3: The Residual Heat Trick To keep your leafy greens vibrant, turn the Instant Pot completely off. Stir in your spinach and black pepper, letting the residual heat gently wilt the leaves without overcooking them. Add your fish sauce to taste, and serve hot!.