The invention discloses an instruction optimization method and an instruction processor for AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) symmetric encryption algorithm, wherein the instruction processor mainly comprises four parts of: a data memory, a code memory, a register file and an assembly line, wherein the assembly line comprises an addressing unit, a decoding unit, an execution unit and an assembly line controller. With the instruction optimization method, in the aspect of execution efficiency is reduced by 57.3x% relative to an ARM (Advanced RISC Machines) processor in a way that the clock periodicity required for AES_ASIP performing AES encryption algorithm is counted through periodic emulation, so that the execution efficiency of the algorithm is greatly improved; and in the aspect of code space, the instruction code occupies 783 bytes of memory space on the ARM processor, while the instruction code on the AES_ASIP just occupies 416 bytes of memory space, so that 46.6x% of code memory space is saved.