Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Perfect Instant Pot Butter Chicken Curry – A vibrant and tantalizing butter chicken curry recipe that is made in just minutes using your pressure cooker! This flavorful classic Indian butter chicken recipe is sure to be a hit, featuring succulent pieces of tender chicken in a creamy tomato based sauce!
Why We Love This Butter Chicken Recipe
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.
We love making Indian curries at home. The bold spices and vibrant colors are such a great way to liven up a mundane midweek meal.
However, many traditional curries can take hours to make at home. The layers of ingredients must be meticulously added at different times to create the depth of flavor we associate with Indian cuisine.
So to get a butter chicken curry that is full of flavor with super tender chicken in no time, you can use the instant pot! This instant pot butter chicken recipe will result in a bold and comforting meal that you can make any time of the week!
This Instant Pot Butter Chicken Recipe is a delicious exception to the rule.
If you love the flavors of curry, you’ll also love my tandoori-style chicken drumsticks and Thai panang chicken curry!
Making Butter Chicken Using the Instant Pot
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.
Butter lovers unite! Our Instant Pot Butter Chicken Curry is going to rock your dinner table tonight.
Instant Pot Butter Chicken Ingredients
This creamy, slightly smoky and sweet butter chicken curry requires only a few ingredients, with each component adding an essential layer of flavor.
Here are the ingredients:
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast – cut up into bite-sized pieces
- Butter – or ghee
- Onion – peeled and chopped
- Garlic cloves – minced
- Fresh ginger – grated
- Curry powder – a popular westernized Indian spice blend that usually includes turmeric, coriander, cumin, chili peppers, fenugreek leaves, and sometimes curry leaves
- Garam Masala – this common authentic Indian spice blend usually includes coriander, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and peppercorns
- Salt
- Smoked paprika – to add a little smoky intrigue
- Tomato sauce – canned
- Heavy cream
- Cilantro for garnish – chopped
In traditional Butter Chicken Curry recipes, you usually find a long long list of Indian spices. However, all of these spices are found in most curry powder and Garam Masala spice blends.
How To Make Chicken Curry (In The Instant Pot)
Place the butter, onions, garlic, ginger, and all the spices in the Instant Pot. Set on the SAUTÉ function for 5 minutes. Stir to make sure that the ingredients don’t burn. Once the onions are soft, turn off.
Pour 1 cup of water into the pot. Then use a wooden spoon to scrub the debris off the bottom of the pot. This ensures that the burn notice will not go off on the instant pot!
Add in the chopped chicken thighs and canned tomato puree. Lock the lid into place and turn the instant Pot on Pressure Cook 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 2-5 minutes to thicken the sauce. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve your rich and silky butter chicken sauce over basmati rice and enjoy!
Get The Full (Printable) Instant Pot Butter Chicken Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Butter Chicken Curry Recipe Variations
Dairy-Free Butter Chicken
People ask me all the time if this Perfect Instant Pot Butter Chicken Curry can be made dairy free.
You can make this exact Indian butter chicken recipe by substituting coconut oil or non-dairy butter spread for the butter/ghee, and thick canned coconut milk (or coconut cream) for the heavy cream.
It will still taste delicious and will convert this recipe to not only a gluten-free meal, but a dairy-free and gluten free meal. However, it’s technically no longer “butter chicken”.
Vegetarian Butter Curry
To make a vegetarian butter curry, simply replace the chicken in this recipe with chickpeas. You can also make a vegan butter curry by using the dairy-free instructions above and using chickpeas!
If you love Indian-inspired dishes and you are vegetarian, be sure to try our paneer tikka masala!
Tips & Tricks
- For super tender butter chicken, I recommend using boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Since it has a higher fat content, it won’t dry out as quickly as chicken breast will, resulting in juicier chicken pieces.
- To make this meal a little healthier, serve with brown rice, cauliflower rice or quinoa!
- 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!
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend eating this easy Instant Pot Butter Chicken Curry with a simple basmati rice or roasted cauliflower rice to soak up all of that beautiful, zesty sauce. And you can’t serve a classic Indian dish like this without fresh naan bread!
Store any leftover butter chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months!
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!
Looking for More Indian-Inspired Recipes?
- Malabar Chicken Recipe
- Green Mango Chaat Recipe
- Creamy Saag Paneer Recipe
- Yakhni Pulao Recipe
- Aromatic Indian Rice Recipe
- Roasted Indian Fish and Creamy Curried Cauliflower Recipe
- Indian Chicken Pakora and Green Chutney and Raita Recipe
- Indian Grilled Chicken Recipe
- Best Simple Roti Recipe (Chapati)
- How to Cook Basmati Rice Recipe
- Irresistible Mung Daal Recipe
- Easy Madras Chicken Curry Recipe
- Vegetable Pakora with Kale Recipe
Check the printable recipe card below for the prep time, cook time, total time, and nutrition information. Make sure to share this recipe on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Instant Pot Butter Chicken Recipe
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.
I am eager to make this but 8 servings is a bit much for just me! What modifications would I have to make if I want to cut the recipe in half?
You can just freeze the rest:) I do that sometimes with my favorite indian dishes as my family don’t eat them, it’s just me and my son so I always have plenty left. When I defrost they are still delicious and ready to go…
Hi Brenna,
According to the IP website, you can half recipes without making any extra adjustments on ingredients or cook time. However, I have not tried it yet with this recipe. Let me know how it turns out if you give it a go!
My husband and I just got the instapot and made this for our first dinner. Didn’t change a thing and it was awesome. Thanks for sharing :)
I did get the burn notice so I dumped it into a bowl and cleaned and dried my pot. Then I put it all back in and instead of adding more liquid I pushed the “Pressure Cook” button until it said “low” and cooked it for a longer time (I did 20 minutes but it was already hot from the first attempt). When I opened the lid after a 15 minute natural release it was boiling hot and the chicken and vegetables were perfect. I need to read more about the Pressure Cook settings because I am wondering if normal may be too hot for certain recipes but I also want to make sure I cook meat at the proper temp.
CORRECTION: I put it on “LESS” not low pressure. I am assuming that means a lower temp.
Great idea. I may have to try the lower setting next time instead of adding water.
I made this last week for my husband and house guests. EVERYONE went back for seconds and it was such a success I was asked to make it again, less than one week after I made the first batch! This is wonderfully easy and really really good. The only change I made was I had no tomato sauce so I diluted some tomato paste. I´m going to make at least 3 more batches and freeze them for when guests pop in unexpectedly (happens all the time). I served mine with basmati jeera rice and some sauteed spring vegetables.
Absolutely delicious comfort food! I did not get the burn error that some have mentioned and I even halved my recipe. I served mine over basmati rice, like recommended and then I had the leftovers over a spring salad mix for lunch the next day! This will definitely be a regular at my house, thank you!!
WOW! I made this tonight for lunches at work…it is delicious! I had to tweak it as I’m allergic to tomatoes so I didn’t put any tomato sauce. I did everything else but at the end, I love spicy, so I added a dash of ground scorpion pepper and WOW! I am more certain it’ll taste even better tomorrow at work after the flavors sit. Thank you for this wonderful recipe! Oh, also, I added a cup of water since I had no liquid (tomatoe sauce) and I did not get the “burn” like others.
Absolutely love but get the “burn” message every time I make this, tips on avoiding this annoying error?
Deglaze and scrape after saute and before pressure cooking
I used the ‘meat stew’ setting and it stopped giving the overheat notice and cooked out just fine.
Making this recipe for the 5th time tonight! It is always a favorite. I do add a can of coconut milk with the chicken and tomato sauce step, stir it all together and then let it pressure cook. I do add the cup of water and it doesn’t take away from the delicious flavor at all. Served over some jasmine rice, YUM! Thank you for making this wonderful recipe!
I made the recipe without halving in the duo mini. Just delicious! I used a whole 15 oz can of diced tomatoes plus half a can of tomato sauce plus a little extra water. I didnt have smoked paprika so i used chipotle pepper flakes.
This is absolutely a keeper! The best IP Butter Chicken recipe I’ve tried. After sauteing the onion & garlic on the stove, I cooked it with the rice in a stacking PIP- delicious and a time saver. I added 2 cups of water to the big outer pot.
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.