Learn how to make ghee at home. The flavors and freshness of homemade ghee are unbeatable and it is so much cheaper to make it at home. I am sharing both the traditional stovetop recipe as well as the Instant Pot recipe.
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The recipe was originally posted in March 2017 and has been updated with new photos and stovetop ghee instructions.
A staple in every Indian household, rich-nutty ghee is a must for Indian cooking and is also used in Ayurveda for medicinal purposes. Ready in minutes, this easy recipe makes the best homemade ghee using grass-fed butter and is Whole30 and Paleo-approved.
Growing up in India, I remember mom making homemade ghee every couple of weeks. We would get farm fresh milk delivered every day. The milk was pasteurized at home by boiling it. Once the milk cooled down it was refrigerated. This is when the milk fat would separate forming a thick layer of cream also known as Malai. Mom would carefully scoop out the top cream layer and refrigerate it in a container. Once she had enough cream collected for a week or so, she would then churn the cream to separate the butter (aka Makkhan) from the buttermilk. This butter was then simmered to make homemade ghee.
Here in the US, I like the convenience of unsalted Kerrygold butter, which results in ghee that is similar to the desi ghee with a rich-nutty aroma and golden hue. I prefer using unsalted butter, but you can also use salted; just shorten the cooking time by a few minutes. And if you are wondering, salted butter does not make salted ghee 🙂
What is Ghee?
- Ghee is unsalted butter that has been cooked. The cooking process melts the butter, which separates the milk solids from the yellow liquid.
- Sometimes also known as clarified butter, ghee is simmered down longer than clarified butter, to the point where the milk solids cook a bit, giving the butter a golden hue, and a nutty flavor.
- Ghee has a much higher smoke point than butter which makes it ideal for sautéing and frying. It can be used in most recipes that call for butter or oil.
- Ghee has a long shelf life. It can be stored at room temperature or can be refrigerated for extended shelf life
Why Homemade Ghee?
Although ghee is sold in many stores, it is very easy to make it at home, and much cheaper. The aroma, color, flavor, and freshness of the ghee made using unsalted Irish Kerrygold butter is simply divine and always takes me back to my mom's kitchen in India. Once you have tried this homemade version, you will not go back to the store-bought.
How to Make Ghee (Stove Top)
- Add butter to a heavy bottom pot and cook on medium heat.
- Butter will melt and foam will start to form on the top. Do not skim the foam on the top.
- The foam will then turn into bubbles as the ghee continues to cook and become translucent. The milk solids will start to form at the bottom of the pan.
- The bubbles will again start to become light-foamy as the milk solids start to turn golden brown and settle at the bottom of the pot. Turn the heat off at this point. Allow the ghee to cool down before straining in a clean dry glass jar.
How to Make Ghee (Instant Pot)
- Set the Instant Pot to Saute (NORMAL). Add the butter to the Instant Pot.
- Butter will start to melt and then turn milky & frothy.
- After about 8 to 9 minutes the froth will start to disappear.
- You will see transparent bubbles being formed and should be able to see the bottom of the pot. Turn the Instant Pot off at this point.
Note: Here in the photos below, I show the process every 2 to 3 minutes and the different stages the butter goes through.
- The Ghee will continue to cook for the next 2 to 3 minutes as the Instant Pot gradually cools down.
- Note: If your ghee already looks like step 8 below, take the inner pot out and place it on a trivet to cool down so it does not cook further.
- Allow the ghee to cool down completely before straining it using a mesh strainer, coffee filter, or cheesecloth.
How to Store Ghee
Store ghee in clean and dry glass jars. Ghee is shelf-stable at room temperature but can be refrigerated for up to a year. I always keep the ghee at room temperature as I make a fresh batch every 4 to 6 weeks. Use a clean dry spoon to take out the ghee. Depending on the temperature in your home your ghee will completely solidify or may be half solid and half liquid.
How to Use Ghee
- Cooking and Frying: Ghee has a high smoke point, making it suitable for cooking and deep-frying. Ghee is a staple in many traditional Indian dishes. It is often used in the preparation of dal, curries, and various Indian desserts for its distinctive flavor.
- Baking: Substitute ghee for butter or oil in baking recipes. It adds a distinct flavor to baked goods and can enhance the overall richness of cakes, cookies, and pastries. I love adding it to the almond flour brownies.
- Seasoning: Use ghee as a seasoning for rice, pulao, lentils, or other grains. Drizzle a bit of melted ghee over cooked dishes like palak khichdi, mixed vegetable khichdi, and masoor khichdi to add flavor and richness. Adding ghee to spicy dishes also tones down the heat and is especially good for little children.
- Roasting: Coat vegetables or meats with ghee before roasting. This adds a delicious flavor and helps in achieving a golden and crispy texture.
- Spreading: Ghee can be spread on bread or toast, similar to how you would use butter.
- Popcorn Topping: Melted ghee makes a tasty and aromatic topping for popcorn. Drizzle it over freshly popped corn and sprinkle with a bit of salt and turmeric for a delightful snack.
- Coffee or Tea: Some people enjoy adding a small amount of ghee to their coffee or tea for a rich and creamy texture. It's a popular practice in some traditional wellness routines.
Remember that while ghee is a flavorful and versatile ingredient, it is also high in saturated fats, so use it in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
Benefits of Making Ghee in the Instant Pot
Although the stove-top version works well, it's hard to tell the exact cooking time and temperature given that each one of us will cook in a different pot and will have different types of stoves. Here are a few benefits of making ghee in Instant Pot:
- Consistent cook time using Saute (normal) mode
- Easy & almost fool-proof process
- Mostly hands-free
- Take less than half the time to make ghee using 16 oz of unsalted butted compared to stovetop
Frequently Asked Questions
Discard them or mix equal amounts of sugar and enjoy them as a yummy treat or add it to dough when you make homemade Roti or Parathas.
Does your ghee look dark? Wait until the ghee cools down, as it starts to solidify the color will get lighter. So don't panic if the ghee looks dark. If it has rich nutty aromas you have made browned butter! But if it smells burnt it is probably burnt.
Ghee is lactose-free but does have a high content of fat. So like any cooking oil, it should be used in moderation
Ghee is made from butter but since the milk solids have been removed, most people who are lactose or casein intolerant should have no issue with ghee.
Depending on the temperature of the butter, the total time to make ghee could vary by a minute or 2. Here are the cook times that have worked for me for unsalted butter using the Instant Po Sauté normal mode:
1 LB (16 ounces) - 9 minutes - Yields 1.5 cups
2 LB (32 Ounces) - 15 minutes - Yields 3 cups
3 LB (48 ounces) - 23 minutes - Yields 4.5 cups
Note: You can also make ghee with salted butter. Salted butter cooks much faster, so reduce the above cook times by 2 to 3 minutes
Recipes Using Homemade Ghee
- Sooji Ka Halwa
- Khichdi
- Instant Pot Bisi Bele Bhath
- Healthy Butter chicken
- Lentils with moringa leaves
- Chana masala
- Puran Poli
- Rice Pudding
More Indian Cooking101
Recipe
Easy Homemade Ghee Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 Oz Unsalted Butter Irish Kerrygold
Instructions
Instant Pot Method
- Set the Instant Pot to Saute (normal). To change the settings on Sauté mode either press the adjust button or press Sauté button multiple times to switch between less, normal and more modes.
- Add the butter to the Instant Pot. Butter will start to melt, then turn milky & frothy. After about 8 to 9 minutes, depending on the temperature of the butter when you first added to the instant pot, the froth will start to disappear. You will see transparent bubbles being formed and should be able to see the bottom of the pot. Turn the Instant Pot off at this point.
- The Ghee will continue to cook for next 2 to 3 minutes as the Instant Pot gradually cools down. Note: If the bottom of the pot looks brownish, take the inner pot out and place on a hot plate to cool down so it does not cook further.
- Allow the ghee to cool down completely. Then strain the ghee using a strainer or cheese cloth into a clean and dry glass jar. Stored at room temperature or can be refrigerated for extended shelf life.
Stovetop Method
- Add butter to a heavy bottom pot and cook on medium heat. Butter will melt and foam will start to form on the top. Do not skim the foam on the top.
- The foam will then turn into bubbles as the ghee continues to cook and become translucent. The milk solids will start to form at the bottom of the pot.
- The bubbles will again start to become light-foamy as the milk solids start to turn golden brown and settle at the bottom of the pot. This process takes about 20 to 25 minutes. Turn the heat off at this point.
- Allow the ghee to cool down before straining in a clean dry glass jar.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Brittany says
Hi, Thankyou for this recipe. I do not have an instant pot but I do have a very large croc pot. Will this work for me? If so how long will it take? I have 16oz kerigold unsalted butter too.
Archana says
Hi! I am not sure if crockpot cooktimes. But you can cook until the butter looks clear and you start to see golden brown bits forming at the bottom. You can also cook in stovetop at medium heat it should take 10 to 15 mins
Brenda says
The very first time the ghee came out beautifully...thanks for this easy recipe
Archana says
You are most welcome! Thank you for the feedback
Brenda hicks says
Love this simple, thorough explanation with the pictures. Well done.
Archana says
Thank you Brenda!
Hetal says
I have always been hesitant to make my own ghee but I decided to try it out since it sounded so easy in the instant pot. I turned it on normal sauté mode and put the butter in and put a timer for 9 minutes. Came out perfect! Thank you so much!
Archana says
Thank you for the feedback! This is the only way I make ghee now 🙂
Kavitha Niranjan says
Thanks for posting this recipe. Ghee is coming out perfectly everytime. I like this no mess method. Best part is ghee can be easily filtered into a glass jar or steel container just by lifting the pot by hand as it is not so hot to touch. Really appreciate your effort in testing and coming out with a step by step process with pictures
Archana says
Thank you for the lovely feedback. Comments like these make all the time I take to test and write my detailed recipes truly worth it!! Thank you!!
Joan says
It's been cooking for 29 min and still foamy on top.
Archana says
Once it starts to overcook it will get very foamy. How much butter are you trying to cook?
Umme abdullah says
Tried making ghee for the first time using my newly acquired IP and it turned out amazing. Super easy and quick! The detailed cooking instructions were very helpful.
Archana says
Thank you for your lovely feedback
Emily says
I tried this tonight with 34oz of kerrygold unsalted and it overcooked in about 5 mins! I have one of the newer IPs and the sauté options are: low, high or custom (you can set the temp). I set it to custom at 335 which was in the “normal sauté ” IP range according to google. Since that was too hot, what temp would you suggest I try next time?
Thanks!
Archana says
Hi Emily, I do not have the newer model. But see if you can set the temp to 320 next time.
Ann says
How much time if I’m doing 64oz?
Archana says
Around 30 minutes but keep an eye for the last 2 to 3 mins. Once the bottom starts to look a bit brown you can cancel the sauté and take the inner pot out.
Jennifer says
I noticed that a particular type of butter is mentioned... but can any unsalted butter be used? I realise it might not be as good, but it would still be better to make your own, right?
Archana says
yes any unsalted butter will work.
Anna says
Excellent recipe and tips. Thank you.
Batul says
Thank you for this recipe! I followed the instructions exactly, but didn’t remove the inner pot after I put it off and the butter started to turn brown - I let it cool in the instant pot. My ghee looks dark brown now - is this incorrect?
Archana says
If it smells good, its good. It will lighten when it cools down
Anthea says
I love ghee but have always been daunted by the process (growing up my mom would make ghee from cream and that needed time and attention.) This is quick and simple and the ghee turned out perfect! Thank you so much!
Allen Bennett says
Is a Matfer chinois OK to use for straining it? Or is it too fine a mesh?
Archana says
Yes! I had to search what that was and looks like it will work for straining.
Ashu says
I made with instant pot ghee today on normal mode under saute. It took 13 min for the curdled milk to evaporate, it looks dark even when it has solidified. Have not tasted it , or used it in recipe as of yet. Next time, I probably will turn it off sooner but not sure then the ghee would be done since the curdled milk did not evaporate until 13 min.
Archana says
If it smells good it is good to use. The key is to look at the bottom of the pot for light browned bits and turn off the sauce mode immediately
Dip says
Thanks for the recipe Archana. Just like u , I haven been making ghee in stove top for last 18 years.
I ve Ip for 3,4 years now but not tried ghee in it.
My main concern is cleaning the pot afterwards.
How hard or easy it is as I don’t want to scratch my ip insert.
Archana says
I soak it in warm water and then put it in dishwasher.The key is to turn off as soon as its done and not over cook so there is no burning on the bottom. Basically same cleaning efforts as stove top pan 🙂
Shwetha says
Thank you so much for this fool proof method . On stove top ,
I would either burn the ghee in making or undercook it. This timed IP method with detailed description worked so well .
Deepa Bairagi says
Thanks a lot Archana for this simple way to make ghee. I’ve just made my first batch - it looks a bit dark but I’ll wait for it to cool down. The kitchen smells amazing.
Anu says
Hi Archana, thank you for this wonderful, easy recipe. I never knew making ghee was this easy.
After about 3-4 mins, mine started spluttering and I had to cover it with a glass lid to keep it from coming out. Did I do something wrong for this to have happened? It did start bubbling around 8 mins and I turned it off and it looks fine.
Archana says
If the spoon you used came in contact with water it can cause the ghee to splutter.
Anumeha Taori says
Love this Ghee recipe! It has been now 2.5 years now that I have stopped buying ghee and making it at home instead.
Not sure why it took me so long to rate the recipe 🙂
Thanks Archana.