Instant Pot Butter Chicken

By Kat BoytsovaUpdated: Apr 11, 2023

3.4

26 Ratings

preview for Easy Instant Pot Butter Chicken

When a craving for your favorite Indian food strikes, nothing else will do. Samosas, chicken tikka masala, aloo gobi, chicken biryani… the variety of options is unparalleled, and it’s hard to decide what we love the most! One thing we always get when we go out for Indian food is butter chicken. It’s creamy, rich, spicy-sweet, and lucky for you, pretty fast and easy to make at home, especially when you utilize your Instant Pot. Though nothing beats the delivery from your local Indian spot, this recipe might just rival it for convenience.

Unlike cooking in a pot over the stove, where you’ve got more room to edit as you go, you’ve got to be more particular with what goes in your Instant Pot before you pressurize it. Based on testing, we’ve included some tips to make your butter chicken the best it can be:

Garam masala is a spice blend, so certain brands can vary in heat and strength. Though our video above doesn’t reflect this, we added some sugar to our ingredient list because we’ve found that it can help temper that. If you’re sensitive to spice, feel free to halve the amount of garam masala too. We also added some water to the pot with the chicken to help avoid the "Burn Notice" on your Instant Pot—we went with 1/2 cup, but go up to 3/4 cup if you know or worry that your particular appliance is sensitive.

Some parts of India use coconut milk or cashews to give this dish its distinctive creamy flavor—we chose to go with heavy cream, but feel free to experiment if you like. Where we think you shouldn’t stray is what you serve it with. Rice is a MUST (and we’re pretty partial to some naan for dipping too!).

Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below.

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Yields:: 4 - 6 serving(s)
Prep Time:: 15 mins
Total Time:: 55 mins
Cal/Serv:: 818

Ingredients

2 tbsp.
unsalted butter
1 tbsp.
vegetable oil
1
large yellow onion, finely chopped
5
cloves garlic, crushed and roughly chopped
2 tsp.
peeled grated ginger
6 oz.
tomato paste
2 lb.
skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1" pieces
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 c.
water
1 tbsp.
garam masala
1 tbsp.
granulated sugar
1 tsp.
ground cumin
1 tsp.
paprika
1/2 tsp.
ground turmeric
3/4 c.
heavy cream
Fresh cilantro leaves, rice, naan, and yogurt, for serving

Nutrition Information

Per Serving (Serves 6)

Calories545 Fat43 gSaturated fat16 gTrans fat0 gCholesterol199 mgSodium674 mgCarbohydrates11 gFiber2 gSugar8 gProtein28 gVitamin D0 mcgCalcium69 mgIron3 mgPotassium716 mg

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Directions

1. Step 1Preheat Instant Pot to "Sauté" setting. In pot, combine butter and oil until butter is melted. Add onion, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until darkened in color, about 3 minutes.
2. Step 2Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken, water, garam masala, granulated sugar, cumin, paprika, and turmeric to pot. Seal lid and set to "Pressure Cook" on High for 5 minutes.
3. Step 3Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then follow manufacturer's instructions for quick releasing remaining steam.
4. Step 4Stir in cream; season with salt and pepper.
5. Step 5Divide chicken and sauce among plates. Top with cilantro. Serve with rice, naan, and yogurt alongside.

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