Instant Pot Butter Chicken
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Jul 1, 2025 
This Instant Pot Butter Chicken recipe is vibrant and packed with succulent pieces of tender chicken in a creamy tomato based sauce. The best part is that’s ready in just minutes using your pressure cooker!
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
Butter. Chicken. Were there ever two words more perfect together?
Although I can think of a lot of names to better describe this classic Indian favorite, Perfect Butter Chicken Curry is definitely the most tantalizing title.
This instant pot recipe uses the “Pressure Cook” setting on the Instant Pot which allows you to pack in hours of slow-cooked flavor in minutes! You get all the complexity of restaurant-made Butter Chicken, in a speedy recipe you can make in a pinch. You’ve got to love that.
Why You’ll Love Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- Bold flavors – This curry dish is loaded with layers of bold Indian spices, flavors and vibrant colors.
- One-pot magic – I love that this comforting butter chicken recipe is made in one pot, your pressure cooker, which means easy clean-up!
- Meal-prep hero – Make sure to make big batches of this dish and enjoy it for lunch or dinner throughout the week.
Butter lovers unite! Our Instant Pot Butter Chicken Curry is going to rock your dinner table tonight.
Ingredients and Tips
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast – Make sure to cut the chicken up into bite-sized pieces.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter or ghee.
- Vegetables – Use peeled and chopped onion, garlic and minced ginger.
- Spices – You’ll need curry powder, garam masala and smoked paprika.
- Tomato sauce – Use a canned tomato sauce or tomato puree.
- Heavy cream – A regular full-fat or skim-option heavy cream works.
- Cilantro – For a fresh garnish, use chopped cilantro.
Recipe Variations and Dietary Swaps
- Dairy-free – Use coconut oil or non-dairy butter spread instead of the butter/ghee, and thick canned coconut milk (or coconut cream) instead of the heavy cream.
- Vegetarian – Swap the chicken with chickpeas.
- Veggies – Mix in some chopped bell peppers, cauliflower, green beans or potatoes for a veggie boost.
- Paneer – Swap or add in paneer, which is like an Indian cottage cheese, for extra texture.
- Extra heat – Sprinkle a dash of cayenne pepper for extra spiciness!
How To Make Instant Pot Butter Chicken
This restaurant-style Instant Pot Butter Chicken is so easy to make at home, and in less than 30 minutes you’ll have the MOST comforting bowl of curry to dig into!
Find the full Instant Pot Butter Chicken recipe with detailed instructions and storage tips in the printable form at the bottom of the post!
Tips For Success
- I recommend using boneless skinless chicken thighs for super tender butter chicken. Since it has a higher fat content, it won’t dry out as quickly as chicken breast will, resulting in juicier chicken pieces.
- Cut the chicken into even cubes to make sure that they all cook through around the same time.
- Don’t skip the butter! After all, this is butter chicken. It may seem like a large amount of butter, but all that butter is important for the smooth, creamy texture and flavor!
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Store cooled down leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days.
- Reheating Leftovers – Place leftovers in freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Freezing Leftovers – Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly and add a splash of cream if the curry is too dry.
Serving Suggestions
Serve a generous portion of Indian Pot Butter Chicken with a classic side of fluffy basmati rice. If you want to make this meal a little bit more nutritious, pair it with brown rice, cauliflower rice or quinoa.
I love to scoop up this butter chicken curry using fresh naan or homemade roti. You can add a dollop of yogurt as a garnish for an extra refreshing zing.
Instant Pot Indian Butter Chicken
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts cut into bite-size pieces
- 4 tablespoons butter, or ghee
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 8-10 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 2 teaspoons Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Place the butter, chopped onions, garlic, ginger, and all spices in the Instant Pot. Set on Sauté for 5 minutes. Stir to make sure the ingredients don't burn. Once the onions are soft, turn off.
- Pour 1/2 cup water into the pot. Then use a wooden spoon to scrub the debris off the bottom of the pot. (This ensures the burn notice will not go off!)
- Add the chopped chicken thighs and canned tomato sauce. Lock the lid into place and turn the Instant Pot on Pressure Cook High for 7 minutes. Once finished, turn the Instant Pot Off, then perform a Quick Release to release the steam pressure. Once the valve button drops, unlock the lid and remove.
- Stir in the heavy cream. Set the Instant Pot on Sauté again and simmer for 2-5 minutes to thicken the sauce. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve with basmati rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Butter chicken, also known as murgh makhani, literally means chicken with butter. So, butter chicken is made in a sauce that uses a larger amount of butter for a silky, rich sauce. Chicken tikka masala is similar since it is a tomato-based sauce with lots of bold Indian spices, but it uses less butter and is usually a bit spicier than butter chicken!
No instant pot? No problem! You can easily make this butter chicken in the slow cooker! Follow step 1 on the stovetop, then transfer the onions and spices to the crockpot of your slow cooker. Add the tomato sauce and chopped chicken, and stir. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Then, stir in the heavy cream and serve warm!
I JUST finished my second serving of this and had to comment. It was amazing! I deglazed with some stock after cooking the onions, put the chicken then tomato sauce and did not stir. No burn warning. Besides adding lots of cayenne during the final simmer, followed the recipe. I just started using my IP, and this is definitely on the “make again” list.
Is there a dairy free alternative I can use instead of cream? Thank you! Eager to give this recipe a try
Hi Lyle,
Thick canned coconut would be a good option. I would use unsweetened.
Instant Pot Butter Chicken…… LOVE it. I exchanged the tomato sauce for diced tomatoes to reduce salt, then thickened with a touch of corn flour! I also got a burn notice when using tomato sauce. Not happened since I changed to diced tomatoes . One recipe wasn’t enough so I doubled in a 6 qrt without a problem and only added 2 mins to cooking time. Thank you I will never order in restaurant again, this one is better!!!
So this is the very first time that I have ever written a comment about a recipe……. This Butter Chicken is beyond delicious. We like our curry a bit on the hotter side, so I added a couple of tablespoons of Nando’s peri peri sauce. My husband almost licked his bowl….lol. We are both on Keto diets and this recipe fits perfectly for us with some cauliflower rice. Thanks so much for sharing.
This is a delicious recipe, but if one is going to try it, I recommend filling at least half the can that contained tomato sauce with water and stirring it in. This recipe brings up the burn error without fail if I don’t add additional water.
Hi Keith,
Thanks for reporting back! I have not personally experienced a burn notice with this recipe, but I do know all Instant Pot models vary a bit. Thanks for offer a suggestion to fix the issue. :)
This came out PERFECT! I’m not ordering out anymore because this was just like our local restaurant, and so easy!
This was so tasty and delicious. I did add water after sauteeing my vegs to make them less likely to burn. Topped with chunked up chicken breast tenders and poured over the tomato sauce. My picky teenager had 2 servings with basmati rice!! Yummy!
I should have read your comment prior to making. I got the “burn notice” on my instant pot well into pressure cooking. Had to remove and stovetop cook the rest of the way. Will add spices into the sauce and add half can full of water next time. Great recipe though. Love the flavors.
Can this be doubled in an eight-quart Instant Pot?
Hi Kate,
I’m not quick sure, I haven’t tried that… Hopefully this article will help: https://www.hippressurecooking.com/how-to-double-a-pressure-cooker-recipe/
Any success doubling this?
My whole family loved this! I used the tomato sauce to deglaze the bottom of the pot before I set the pressure cook. I had no problem with burning. I will definitely make this recipe again. I’ve already shared it with family and friends on Facebook.
We tried the butter chicken tonight in our new InstantPot but it seemed like it was missing something. Turmeric possibly and/or Cayenne Pepper?
Any thoughts?
My entire life I’ve always been disappointed with curry recipes because they never end up tasting like the real deal that you get at an Indian restaurant… until now. This is an amazing recipe. My boyfriend was so impressed… I upped the recipe by half and still it was gone in less than 24 hours between just the two of us.
A few notes – so I used about 3 lbs of chicken and upped the spices, onions, garlic, ginger x 1/2. I used 16 oz. of canned tomatoes. I also suggest adding extra salt. As the instant pot was heating up I did get the burn notice as so many others have gotten. This happened twice… the first time I opened the lid and gave everything a good stir, scraping up the bottom of the pan and added a little bit of chicken stock. A few minutes later I got another burn notice… this time I opened the lid and added about a tablespoon of butter making sure to rub it around the bottom of the pan as it’s melting. Voila. No more burn notice.
When I first opened the pot after it was all done pressure cooking I felt a bit disappointed, but the magic happened when I stirred in the heavy cream. Wow… just like that it became heavenly. I’ll be making this again, and soon…. as in tomorrow night. hahaha. Thank you for the recipe!
Re: the burned pot issue. The reason is because there is not enough liquid in this recipe. The “Butter Chicken Lady” recipe for this is the most famous version, explains in a video the main reasons for Instant Pots burning food. #1 reason is lack of liquid. In her recipe, she uses a 15-ounce can of *diced” tomatoes and she adds the tomatoes *undrained* so there is quite a bit of water added to the pot, which provides the necessary steam to cook the food and prevents burning. The recipe on this site uses tomato sauce, which is so thick it could lead to burning. Try it with diced tomatoes instead. Also, heavy cream is *not” essential here. I always use coconut milk or coconut cream. You could also use Greek yogurt.
Thanks for the coconut tip! I came to the comments to see specifically if I could swap the cream for coconut milk.
I also got the burn, but it was cooked “enough” at that point that I just kept following the recipe. I didn’t have enough tomato paste, so I used tomato sauce. It was fine. Also, no heavy cream. I used Greek yogurt and sour cream. Very, very tasty recipe.