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!
My 1st PERFECT butter chicken curry!!! I love it, and I have tried several recipes before this one….this one is the BEST ever! Like in a high end Indian restaurant! I did add finely chopped mushrooms (by an electric chopper) as I had them in the fridge. You cannot tell that they are in there but it turned out to be perfect!! THANK YOU for the delicious curry!!
This recipe is my jam, absolutely love it. I’ve noticed the 6qt pot cooks it without burning so I add chicken stock and a bit of oil to avoid burning in the 8qt model. I also add more veggies and mushrooms and hot peppers in after it’s done pressure cooking. So delicious.
FIVE stars for authentic, delicious flavor!!
My sauce didn’t really thicken though so it was a bit like a soup, but served over basmati rice it was fine.
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.