Chicken Tikka Masala, a restaurant favorite, is a rich-creamy tomato-based curry with chicken marinated in yogurt, red chili powder, turmeric and garam masala.
What is Chicken Tikka Masala?
- Chicken Tikka Masala is a restaurant- favorite Indian Curry with chunks of marinated chicken in a rich-creamy tomato-based sauce. Traditionally, the marinated chicken is grilled in a tandoor oven before adding it to the creamy curry. Many places like Northern India, Scotland and United Kingdom claim to be the birthplace of this curry. It has also been declared Britain’s National Dish!
Why do I like to cook Chicken Tikka Masala in the Instant Pot?
- I have been making Chicken Tikka Masala with the traditional method for years. Unfortunately, I must agree that not only did it use multiple pot and pans, but it also required a lot of babysitting. Even then, many times I ended up with dry, overcooked chicken.
- Instant Pot cooks tender, juicy chicken consistently each time.
- I love that I can cook the chicken on the trivet and not in the sauce directly. This still maintains the traditional texture and consistency of this dish.
- The sauce using onions, tomatoes and spices is cooked in the main pot which is pureed to a creamy consistency using an immersion blender. No need to transfer the hot curry into a blender.
- To get the smoky char-grilled flavor, simply broil the cooked chicken for a few minutes!
PRO tips for no-fail Chicken Tikka Masala in the Instant Pot:
- Use plain, full-fat, or greek yogurt for the marinade
- Pat dry the chicken to avoid extra liquids in the marinade
- Marinate for 4 hours or overnight
- Discard any leftover marinade or brush on the chicken for spicier curry
- Can substitute 1.5 cups of pureed or diced tomatoes for fresh tomatoes
- Homemade garam masala brings out the authentic flavors
- Can substitute any mild red chili powder for Kashmiri red chili powder
Step by step recipe to make Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala:
- Make 2 to 3 slits in the chicken breasts. Apply salt and lemon juice to the chicken breasts. Mix yogurt, red chili powder, garam masala, ginger and garlic. Apply evenly to the chicken breasts and allow it to marinate for 20 minutes or refrigerate if marinating ahead of time. Marinating chicken for 4-5 hours or overnight works well (photos 1 – 4).
- Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode and melt butter or oil. Add onions and saute for 2 minutes. Next, add ginger, garlic and mix well, followed by tomatoes, turmeric, salt red chili powder and garam masala. Mix well, and then press Cancel. Add 2 tablespoons of water. Deglaze the pot if needed (photos 5 – 8).
- Place the tall trivet in the main pot and the marinated chicken over the trivet. Baste the chicken with oil. Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to sealing. Pressure Cook for 8 minutes followed by 10 minutes natural pressure release (photos 9 – 10).
- Open the Instant Pot. After that, take the chicken and the trivet out. Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce until smooth and bring the sauce to boil on saute mode (photos 11 – 14).
- Stir in cream, fenugreek leaves and sugar. Note the optional step is to broil the cooked chicken for 5 minutes to get some char marks. Cut the chicken into 2 inch chunks and add it to the sauce. Set the Instant Pot to saute mode and bring the sauce to a gentle boil. The sauce will thicken further as it cools down. Garnish with cilantro (photos 15 – 16).
- Enjoy with steamed basmati rice and warm naan. Tip – I LOVE the naan from Trader Joe’s – both frozen and not frozen ones. Also the fresh naan at Whole Foods is delicious!
Here is a quick video for the Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe:
If you enjoy chicken curries here are my other go-to Instant Pot recipes:
- Healthy “Butter” Chicken
- Weeknight Staple Chicken Korma Curry
- Mom’s Authentic Chicken Curry
- Quick and Easy Kheema Curry
- Royal Mughlai Chicken Korma
- Spicy Homestyle Chicken Karahi
★ Have you tried this recipe? We love your feedback, Please click on the stars in the recipe card below to rate.
A restaurant favorite, creamy tomato based curry with chicken marinated in yogurt, red chili powder, turmeric and garam masala.
- 1.5 pound Chicken breasts
- 1.5 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons ginger grated
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon oil for basting
- 2 tablespoons butter or oil
- 2 medium yellow onions diced
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 3 plum tomatoes chopped or 1.5 cups diced or pureed tomatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 to 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 0.5 cup cream
- 1 tablespoon dry fenugreek leaves
- 2 teaspoons sugar optional
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped for garnish
Make 2 to 3 slits in the chicken breasts. Apply salt and lemon juice to the chicken breasts. Mix yogurt, red chili powder, garam masala, ginger and garlic. Apply evenly to the chicken breasts and allow to marinate for 20 minutes or refrigerate if marinating ahead of time. Marinating chicken for 4-5 hours or overnight works well.
Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode and heat butter or oil. Add onions and saute for 2 minutes. Add ginger, garlic and mix well. Add tomatoes, turmeric, salt red chili powder and garam masala. Mix well. Press Cancel. Add 2 tablespoons of water. Deglaze the pot if needed.
Place the tall trivet in the main pot. Place the marinated chicken over the trivet. Baste the chicken with oil. Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to sealing. Pressure Cook for 8 minutes followed by 10 minute natural pressure release.
Open the Instant Pot. Take the chicken and the trivet out. Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce until smooth and bring the sauce to boil on saute mode.
Stir in cream, fenugreek leaves and sugar. Note the optional step is to broil the cooked chicken for 5 minutes to get some char marks. Cut the chicken into 2 inch pieces and add it to the sauce. Set the Instant Pot to saute mode and bring the sauce to a gentle boil. The sauce will thicken further as it cools down. Garnish with cilantro.
Enjoy with steamed basmati rice and warm naan. Tip - I LOVE the naan from trader joe's - both frozen and not frozen ones. Also the fresh naan at whole foods are delicous!
Recipe Video
Notes:
- Use plain full fat or greek yogurt for the marinade
- Pat dry the chicken to avoid extra liquids in the marinade
- Discard any leftover marinade or brush it on the chicken for spicier curry
- 1 cup of pureed tomatoes can be substituted for fresh tomatoes
- Homemade garam masala brings out the best flavors
- Any mild red chili powder can be substituted for Kashmiri red chili powder
Note: The original recipe posted in Apr 2018 has been updated with detailed step by step photos.
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Author: Archana
Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
Love your recipes Archana
Thank you!!
Hi Archana! This looks so good? I just recently got my instant pot so I only have the trivet that it comes with – have not had a chance to order more accessories. Is there a way to make this without the trivet or with the instant pot trivet?
Hi Mariam, Yes the chicken will be touching the sauce ingredients but should still work.
I made it this way and it was still amazing?
So glad to hear
Hi Mariam, Yes the chicken will be touching the sauce ingredients but the trivet that came with the Instant pot will work.
Made this yesterday, big hit! Will def. be making it regularly. Thank you, Archana! If I wanted to make a large quantity and bake the chicken in the oven, any idea what temp/time I should bake it for?
Hi! Thank you for your feedback. Cut chicken into 2 inch cubes before marinating. Then bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 mins.
Love your blog! If I didn’t have an immersions blending how else would I be able to do It?
You can allow it to cool down and then use regular blender to blend the sauce.
I’m not seeing a “pressure cook” button on the instant pot. Is it labeled differently?
Hi Timmy, Its either Pressure Cook or Manual Button
This one is killer! The sauce is beautiful.
Thank you!
For the chicken Tikka masala, I didn’t realize we were supposed to keep the chicken whole. I already cut them up into cubes and marinated it. Any advice? The chunks are too small to sit on top of the trivet.
Put an aluminum foil on the trivet or place them in a glass or stainless steel bowl
Will the cook time be different if it is cut up into smaller pieces?
Yes, for smaller pieces I usually do 5 mins of pressure cook time with 10 min natural pressure release
This came out amazing! Tasted better the next day! Using more cream that what was prescribed to make it more creamier. Will make again!!!
Thank you for your lovely feedback. I think Indian food always tastes better the next day
I got my first IP as mother’s day gift from our 5 months old daughter 🙂 I just started using it and stumbled across your food blog. I tried this recipe yesterday night and my husband just could not stop praising me. This was the first time I made chicken tikka masala at home, we both loved the taste and thought the amounts listed here are just perfect especially for every single ingredient. Thank you for the best recipe.
Now, I am inspired to try all the other recipes you perfected and listed here. You earned a new fan!! 🙂
Hi Mrunmai! Congratulations on your new Instant Pot. What an amazing mothers day gift. Now you will have more time to spend with your daughter and need less time cooking. Thank you for your lovely feedback on the Chicken tikka masala recipe. Looking forward to your feedback on my other recipes. Feel free to contact me with any questions.
Hey Archana! I can’t wait to try this recipe. Can chicken thighs me substituted instead? If so, how much time in IP? Also, the quantity I am making may be too large to sit in a single layer on the trivet. I read the above comments about putting it in foil or glass bowl. Would the chicken cook evenly?
Priya
Hi Priya! Yes you can use chicken thighs. You can layer them over each other. Just apply some oil between layers. Same cook time will work for whole thighs that are not cut up into smaller pieces. Let em know how you like it.
It came out great. I actually had thigh pieces. I stacked it like you said. 8 min pressure and then QR. Gave it 5 minutes in the broiler. Thank you for your help Archana. Appreciate it.
Awesome! Thank you for the feedback.
I made this dish over the weekend and it was amazing! Thank you so much for being so generous with your recipes and sharing the love! Your recipes are truly amazing!
Thank you for your lovely feedback ❤️
Hi, I need to make this in a large quantity for 20 people and I am replacing chicken with panner. how long should I cook it for in IP? 15 mins?
Hi Nat, You can make the recipe 4 times but just pressure cook the sauce. Although you are making larger qty, the pressure cook time will still be 8 minutes. And since there is no chicken you can quick release if you like after the pressure cooking cycle is completed. Then proceed to step 7 and after all the remaining ingredients are added, added paneer and cook on saute mode for 5 minutes.
May I ask what is the purple and white sauce in the picture?
yes! Its my favorite side dish with Indian curries – beet and cuccumber raita – https://ministryofcurry.com/roasted-beetroot-and-cucumber-salad/
Thank you!
Can you substitute half and half for the cream?
Yes!
Could you substitute a can of tomato sauce for the fresh tomatoes? I made this last night and it was wonderful! I want to make more today but only have one fresh tomato
Yes you can! Use 1/3 cup of tomato sauce and remaining 1 tomato
Hi Archana,
I received an instant pot for Christmas and decided to try your recipe for my first instant pot meal. I followed your recipe exactly and it turned out amazing! My family loves Indian dishes and they couldn’t get enough of this chicken tikka masala. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes. I can’t wait to try the others!
Thank you for the feedback! I am so glad you enjoyed the chicken tikka masala. So easy in The instant pot right?
Hi I bought bone-in chicken breast by mistake. I have marinated it and plan on cooking it tonight. Is the cook time the same in the IP? Many thanks!
I would increase the cook time to 8 mins
Archana,
Thank you for your great recipes. We are loving this! I made this and we loved it so much. I did however use canned tomatoes and got burn notice twice. Had to finally finish sauce in a separate pan and only cook chicken in IP. Any suggestions? I have thought about doing the sauce in a separate dish in the instant pot above the chicken. Just checking to see if you have any other suggestions? It was still amazing.
We did this one with the naan recipe too. Genius.
Thank you
Loved the recipe so much!! Is there any way though to substitute heavy cream for something with a lower fat content?
Yes you can use coconut cream or cashew cream. Simply blend cashews and warm water to make a smooth paste