Indian Instant Pot Butter Chicken – Impress Yourself with this Easy Recipe

Imagine being able to make the most tender, moist, and flavorful Butter Chicken from the comforts of your home. With millions of Instant Pot chicken recipes to choose from, Indian chicken recipes have become easier than ever to make at home. This Butter Chicken Recipe is not just good; it’s one of the BEST Instant Pot dinners you’ll ever experience, especially if you’re a fan of Keto Instant Pot recipes.

Note: Chopping onions with a food processor not only save time, it avoids shedding onion tears.

Not only does it satisfy your Indian food cravings, but it’s also a fool-proof, tried and true recipe. Best of all, it’s so simple yet so delicious. Cooking Indian food has become so easy to make using the Instant Pot, more and more people are now cooking authentic Indian cuisine – and this is a good thing.

Have I mentioned it only takes 15 minutes to cook (cook time) to chicken in the Instant Pot (or any pressure cooker)? This is fast food made easy.

Also known as chicken makhani, the thought of learning how to make butter chicken may seem intimidating if you aren’t familiar with spices and cooking methods associated with Indian cuisine. However, with the rise in popularity of Indian food, most spices such as curry powder, garam masala, or tumeric powder can be easily found in most major supermarkets. As far as method, cooking dinner in an Instant Pot makes chicken recipes like this accessible, approachable, and more importantly… doable.

Note: This recipe calls for a lot of ginger garlic. 3 large cloves or equivalent AND a big knob of ginger. Ginger size should be about the size of a ping pong. If you have a food processor, I like to mince the ginger and garlic together.

This recipe also happens to be naturally gluten-free and low-carb. It’s literally one of those keto diet chicken recipes you can make for all your friends whether or not they practice the keto lifestyle.

Best served with basmati or cauliflower rice, this recipe will earn a spot in your regular dinner rotation. Enjoy!

Note: Sautéing the onions, garlic, and ginger until browned helps remove the unpleasant “bite” of each ingredient and improves the overall flavor.

Spices: Cinnamon, Tumeric, Chili Powder, Cumin, Coriander, Red Pepper Flakes, Garam Masala

Note: Using fresh tomatoes in combination to tomato paste versus using canned tomatoes is what makes this butter chicken taste more like an authentic restaurant version. Canned tomatoes have a strong sour tomato taste often needing a bit of sweetness to balance. However, this is not the case with fresh tomatoes and tomato paste.

Note: Stirring the chicken with the sauce will help make sure each piece is coated and evenly flavored.

Note: Total cooking time is only 15 minutes, even from frozen cut chicken thigh pieces.

Have friends who love Butter Chicken? Practicing a low-carb, keto lifestyle? Sharing is caring. If you’ve enjoyed this free recipe, please Pin it to your Pinterest recipe Boards and share it with your Facebook friends and family, Facebook groups, and other social media platforms. Thank you!

5 from 3 votes

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Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Other

5 mins

Total Time

20 mins

 

This Butter Chicken Instant Pot recipe is easy to make and only in 14 minutes. Made using boneless skinless chicken thighs, this dish is tender and flavorful. Best served with basmati rice or cauliflower rice. 

Servings: 6

Author: Alice Currah

Ingredients

• 2 Tbl vegetable oil or any other neutral oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves 1 tablespoon, minced
• 2 tablespoons FRESH ginger finely chopped *DO NOT USE GROUND GINGER
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp coriander
• 1 ½ tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp red pepper chili flakes
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 2 medium-large tomatoes cut into large chunks
• 2 Tbl tomato paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into large bite-sized pieces
• 3 Tbl butter cubed
• ½ cup heavy cream
• Optional: 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. Turn the Instant Pot on Sauté mode. When the display changes to “HOT,” add the oil and the chopped onions.
2. Stir the onions occasionally for 3 minutes until softened.
3. Add the garlic and ginger to the pot and allow the mixture to brown, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the spices and tomatoes, stirring occasionally.

5. Once the tomatoes start breaking down add the tomato paste and ½ cup of water to the pot. Turn off the Instant Pot.

6. Using a tall wooden mixing spoon, deglaze the bottom of the pan to release any layers of roasted flavor by scraping any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
7. Add the chicken and make sure all the pieces are coated.

8. Turn the IP oon again, this time on Poultry mode - should default to 15 minutes. You can also use manual mode to set the time.

9. Seal the pressure cooker and when the chicken is done cooking, do a quick release.

10. Carefully remove all the chicken from the pot using a slotted spoon and add it to a large serving bowl. Cover the bowl with foil to keep warm.

11. Allow the sauce to cool for a few minutes, then add the cubed butter and heavy cream to the pot. Using an immersion blender or pour the sauce into a regular blender), blend for 30 seconds. The sauce will be thicker. Add the sauce to the chicken and gently mix so the sauce is evenly distributed.

Recipe Notes

Because of the high fat content in chicken thighs, some people may prefer to skim off any liquid fat before add the butter and cream.