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    Home » Instant Pot Recipes

    Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

    Published: Feb 14, 2019 · Modified: Nov 27, 2022 by Archana · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 125 Comments

    2767 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    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.

    Chicken Tikka Masala served over white rice with naan and raita on the side

    Traditionally, the marinated chicken is grilled in a tandoor oven before adding it to the creamy curry. Many places like Northern India, Scotland, and the United Kingdom claim to be the birthplace of this curry. It has also been declared Britain's National Dish and is popularly known as Tiki or Tikki Masala in the US!

    Jump to:
    • Why Cook Chicken Tikka Masala in the Instant Pot?
    • Tips for Best Instant Pot Tikka Masala
    • How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala 
    • Serving
    • Video
    • Recipe

    Why Cook Chicken Tikka Masala in the Instant Pot?

    • I have been making Chicken Tikka Masala with the traditional method for years. And everyone who has will agree that it involves multiple steps and uses multiple pots and pans. The bigger problem for me is that at times I ended up with dry, overcooked chicken. With Instant Pot, you get tender chicken every single time.
    • With Instant Pot, I can cook the sauce and the chicken at the same time! HUGE TIME SAVER!! I like to cook the chicken on a tall trivet and not in the sauce directly to maintain the traditional texture and consistency of this dish.
    • The sauce cooked in the main pot is then pureed to a creamy consistency using an immersion blender in the pot itself! No need to transfer the hot curry into a blender.
    • Lastly, if you miss that smoky char-grilled flavor, simply broil the cooked chicken in the oven or use an air fryer.

    Note: If you don't own an Instant Pot I've got you covered. Here's my easy Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala.

    Large platter with chicken tikka masala, rice and naan

    Tips for Best Instant Pot Tikka Masala

    • Use plain, full-fat, or greek yogurt to marinate the chicken
    • 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 a 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

    How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala 

    Here is my easy Step by step recipe:

    Step 1: 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 them 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).

    Step 2: Set the Instant Pot to Sauté 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).

    photos five through eight of making chicken tikka masala

    Step 3: 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 the pressure valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes followed by 10 minutes of natural pressure release (photos 9 - 10). Note that the cook times will change if you are using thin chicken breasts.

    photos nine and ten of making chicken tikka masala

    Step 4: 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 a boil on saute mode (photos 11 - 14).

    steps eleven through fourteen of making chicken tikka masala

    Step 5: 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).

    Serving

    Serve with warm naan or homemade Parathas. For a gluten-free Indian meal, serve it with Cumin Rice, Steamed Basmati rice, Brown rice. Pair it with cooling Beet Raita to make a complete meal. And don't forget the super-easy Mango Lassi drink to make it a 5-star meal!

    Tip - I LOVE the naan from Trader Joe's - both frozen and not frozen ones. Also, the fresh naan at Whole Foods are delicious

    Chicken Tikka masala served with rice, naan and raita

    Video

    Enjoy Indian curries? Here are some of my popular Instant Pot curry recipes:

    • Healthy "Butter" Chicken 
    • Prawn Masala
    • Weeknight Staple Chicken Korma Curry 
    • Mom's Authentic Chicken Curry
    • Indian Fish Curry
    • Quick and Easy Kheema Curry
    • Royal Mughlai Chicken Korma
    • Spicy Homestyle Chicken Karahi

    Looking for vegetarian options or trying to include more plant-based meals in your diet? Then check out my easy vegetarian recipes for dinner.

    Recipe

    Tried this recipe? We love your feedback.Please click on the stars in the recipe card below
    big white platter with a bowl of chicken tikka masala, 2 bowls of white basmati rice, naan and lemon wedges on the side
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    4.73 from 88 votes

    Chicken Tikka Masala Instant Pot Recipe

    A restaurant favorite, creamy tomato-based curry with chicken marinated in yogurt, red chili powder, turmeric, and garam masala.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Marinate Time20 mins
    Total Time1 hr
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Indian
    Servings: 5
    Calories: 291kcal
    Author: Archana Mundhe

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
    • Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid
    • Immersion Blender
    • Tall Trivet

    Ingredients

    Marinate:

    • 1½ pounds chicken breasts
    • 1½ teaspoons 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

    Sauce/Curry:

    • 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
    • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 to 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
    • ½ to 1 teaspoon garam masala
    • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
    • 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves kasoori methi
    • 2 teaspoons sugar optional
    • ½ cup cilantro chopped for garnish

    Instructions

    • 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 the 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 them 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.

    Video

    Notes

    1. Use plain full-fat or greek yogurt for the marinade. You can also use dairy-free yogurt if you like 
    2. Pat dry the chicken to avoid extra liquids in the marinade
    3. Discard any leftover marinade or brush it on the chicken for a spicier curry
    4. 1 cup of pureed tomatoes can be substituted for fresh tomatoes
    5. Homemade garam masala brings out the best flavors
    6. Any mild red chili powder can be substituted for Kashmiri red chili powder
    7. Dair free cream can be used in place of heavy whipping cream 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 1358mg | Potassium: 718mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1164IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @ministry_of_curry or tag #ministryofcurry

    Note: The original recipe posted in Apr 2018 has been updated with detailed step by step photos. 

    ♥ We LOVE to hear from you! Did you try this recipe? Please share your food photo with hashtag #ministryofcurry on Facebook or Instagram, so we can see it and our followers can enjoy it too! Thank you and Happy Cooking ♥ Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for tasty and easy video recipes. Looking for more Instant Pot recipes? Check out our delicious Instant Pot Recipe board on Pinterest.

    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 in New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Tamara says

      August 16, 2020 at 9:48 am

      Is it ok to use a short trivet or will that cause the chicken to be too soft?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        August 16, 2020 at 5:33 pm

        yes! except it will get a bit messy in the sauce.

        Reply
      • Sana says

        February 12, 2021 at 10:39 pm

        Loved this easy recipe. I used cashew cream instead of heavy cream and it was still great.

        Reply
    2. Betsy Meyer says

      August 23, 2020 at 1:52 pm

      My Tika Masala turned out beautifully. Your recipes are so easy to follow. I’ve not had a single fail! How long can the leftovers for this or any of the other tomato based recipes be safely stored in the refrigerator?5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        August 26, 2020 at 1:10 pm

        Thank you! You can safely refrigerate most curries for 5 days

        Reply
    3. YY says

      September 14, 2020 at 4:31 pm

      This is my family’s favorite chicken tikka masala recipe - thank you! What is the red cabbage/yogurt dish you have pictured with it. Do you have a recipe for this?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        September 15, 2020 at 5:27 pm

        Its Beet raita - https://ministryofcurry.com/roasted-beetroot-and-cucumber-salad/

        Reply
    4. Nicola Scott says

      September 22, 2020 at 11:11 am

      I am picky about indian curries (I mean, I love all Indian food, but sometimes recipes are the letdown) and this one was amazing! My husband and I were so impressed. We have both spent long periods in India and this curry just took us back! ☺️5 stars

      Reply
    5. Rekha says

      October 07, 2020 at 10:16 am

      Two questions:

      1) Have you tried this with chicken thighs and if so, is the cook time the same?

      2) Can the chicken pieces be laid directly on top of the vegetables or is the trivet necessary? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        October 07, 2020 at 10:18 pm

        Yes you can use Thighs. Same cook time and you can place the chicken over the veggies.

        Reply
    6. Ankita says

      November 12, 2020 at 6:05 pm

      I followed this recipe exactly and got a burn notice...any suggestions?4 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        November 13, 2020 at 4:50 pm

        Add extra 1/4 cup of water and deglaze the pot! The newer instant pots are a lot more sensitive

        Reply
        • Ankita says

          November 17, 2020 at 12:46 pm

          Ah, yes, I have the new Instant Pot Duo and have heard it's more sensitive. I will definitely extra water next time! I ended up transferring to a pot on the stove. The chicken tikka turned out phenomenal and the flavor was amazing. Thanks for another great recipe and clear directions!5 stars

          Reply
        • cindy says

          January 20, 2021 at 2:41 am

          if i double the recipe do i have to add 1/2 cup of water instead of 1/4 cup? i'm afraid to get the burn notice. please advise. thanks

          Reply
          • Archana says

            January 20, 2021 at 10:15 pm

            Yes please add 1/2 cup of water

            Reply
    7. Kecia Dunlap says

      November 18, 2020 at 8:46 pm

      Archana,
      I followed your recipe exactly and had excellent results. Your directions and your serving calculator to adjust for number of people you are feeding is so helpful. You are such an amazing lady. I love that you are so generous and share tips and your Mother’s Garam Masala recipe. Truly a wealth of sharing! In my humble opinion you are the “Julia Child” for Indian Cuisine. You are helping teach Americans how to make your wonderful and delicious Indian Food with amazing results and to do it with ease. Thank you so much! Keep on with your wonderful Ministry of Curry! I made your Chicken Tikka Masala and had 20 guests who thought you were there cooking in my kitchen for me. It made me feel so good to be able to cook your recipe and have it come out THAT good! Thank you!
      K.D.5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        November 19, 2020 at 4:59 pm

        OMG! Happy tears!! Thank you! Thank you!! I am blessed to have readers and followers like you.

        Reply
    8. Sima Mehta says

      December 07, 2020 at 12:08 pm

      Hi Archana, my son likes the dry chicken breast without sauce, I was going to follow your recipe exactly but put an extra marinated chicken breast in the instapot. Would this be fine? Should I adjust the marinade at all? Should adjust cooking times?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        December 08, 2020 at 4:58 pm

        You can just cut up the cooked chicken on top for him. You can add more marinade and chicken if you like

        Reply
      • Archana says

        December 08, 2020 at 4:58 pm

        Same cook time will work

        Reply
    9. Madeline Price says

      January 12, 2021 at 8:58 pm

      I was in the middle of making it but did not get cream because it is not included in the ingredients list 🙁 we were so excited about their recipe, so I would like to get cream and make it tomorrow. Can the chicken be marinated overnight?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 13, 2021 at 6:14 pm

        Hi Madeline, cream is in the sauce ingredients list and yes chicken can be marinated up to 24 hours.

        Reply
    10. Jamie says

      February 25, 2021 at 12:00 pm

      I loved this recipe! It was so easy to make and the chicken was so tender and juicy. I omitted the cream (trying to reduce fat content for me 🙂 ) and added red pepper flakes for an extra kick. Will definitely be a repeat!5 stars

      Reply
    11. Vandy says

      March 30, 2021 at 8:23 pm

      Hi,
      Your recipe looks amazing! Can I make the chicken tikka masala on a stove top instant of the slow cooker?

      Thanks.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 03, 2021 at 9:34 pm

        yes! You can make the sauce on the stovetop. Bake or grill the marinated chicken

        Reply
    12. Jeannie Sisson says

      November 21, 2021 at 11:31 am

      I've made this recipe many times and it always comes out perfect. My husband says it is better than the restaurant.5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        November 22, 2021 at 4:07 pm

        Thank you so much for the lovely feedback!

        Reply
    13. susan says

      February 01, 2022 at 8:13 pm

      I am cooking this now! For canned pureeed tomatoes is 1 or 1.5 cups better? I see 1.5 in the recipe but 1 in the notes. Thanks.5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        February 02, 2022 at 11:31 am

        Sorry, I am probably replying too late. You can add 1 or 1.5 it will just make the curry more vibrant red and a hint tangy.

        Reply
    14. PATRICIA Quenville Young says

      February 20, 2022 at 9:24 pm

      enjoyed this and was easy to follow5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        February 21, 2022 at 1:29 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    15. Laurie says

      June 10, 2022 at 6:20 pm

      This is a delicious tried and true recipe. I have failed so many times trying to make palatable Indian food. This was my first success. I make it all of the time. It’s so delicious! Thank you so much. Now if only the naan gods would smile on me.5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        June 12, 2022 at 10:13 pm

        Thank you Laurie!

        Reply
    16. Penny says

      June 20, 2022 at 10:23 pm

      Hello,

      Can I make this without lemon juice? Will the yogurt in the marinade provide enough acidity?

      Thank you in advance!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        June 21, 2022 at 5:22 pm

        Yes you can make it without lemon juice

        Reply
    17. Sarah says

      August 08, 2022 at 5:14 pm

      I am new to instant pot cooking. If I just make the sauce with no chicken, how long do I have to cook it for? And if I substitute chicken for tofu, how long will it brake and under what settings?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        August 10, 2022 at 5:29 pm

        Just sauce will be perfect in 8 mins. I would recommend cooking the tofu on stove top and then adding to the sauce.

        Reply
    18. Will says

      August 19, 2022 at 3:20 pm

      Made this tonight using a can of napolini tomatoes that I’d blended. It gave me about 1.5 cups of tomato sauce and II added the water but still got the burn message, however I just figured it would save me the trouble of charring the meat. I simply deglazed the pot again with extra water.

      It was really nice. Full of flavour and just the right level of spice and heat. I’m going to make this again and again and definitely when I have people round for dinner. I made your mum’s garam masala a few weeks ago so everything was as it should be according to the recipe. Although I cook a lot of Indian and Pakistani food, this was the first time I’d made Chicken Tikka Masala. I’m glad I did.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        August 25, 2022 at 4:12 pm

        Thank you for the feedback!

        Reply
    19. Tiana says

      October 01, 2022 at 11:21 am

      Do you see any major issues substituting yoghurt for the cream in the curry? Recipe looks great, excited to try this week 🙂

      Reply
      • Archana says

        October 01, 2022 at 8:10 pm

        Yogurt will add a bit of a sour taste and will not be as easy, but a good healthier substitute.

        Reply
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    Hi, I'm Archana: a former software engineer, now a full-time blogger. I am a mother of two boys who share my love for food and cooking. Words I love to hear are, “Mom, what’s for dinner?” The same words I say to my mom every time we speak. I live in the greater New York City Area with my husband and sons.

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