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    Home » Instant Pot Recipes

    Instant Pot Butter Chicken

    Published: Jan 26, 2017 · Modified: May 11, 2022 by Archana · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 198 Comments

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    Jump to Recipe

    Butter Chicken! Is it possible to enjoy "healthy" butter chicken without compromising on the authentic flavors? Yes!! Read on for an EASY authentic tasting butter chicken recipe in your Instant Pot that is ready in 30 minutes with an option to cook rice at the same time. Serve with rice and naan for a perfect home-cooked meal!

    Butter Chicken Served on rice in 2 bowls and naan on the side

    Punjabi Murg Makhani is also known as butter chicken and is one of the most popular Indian dishes across the globe. Smoky flavorful chicken, grilled in the tandoor with the heavenly aroma of the garam masala and fenugreek, dunked in a creamy sauce with an orangish hue from the red chili powder and turmeric - is how I reminisce this dish!

    Jump to:
    • Origins
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Serving
    • Storing
    • Recipe

    Origins

    What is the difference between Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala

    Butter Chicken is a Classic Indian restaurant/roadside Dhaba dish that is cooked in a buttery tomato-based sauce until the chicken is tender, fall-off-the-bone. Indian Butter Chicken is also a sweet and mild curry compared to Chicken Tikka Masala.

    Chicken Tikka Masala, on the other hand, is more British than an Indian dish. A national dish of England, chicken tikka masala is made by marinating chicken in warm spices mixed with yogurt and then grilling it in the tandoor-clay oven. The cooked chicken is then simmered in an onion and tomato-based creamy tangy sauce.

    I recently purchased my Instant Pot electric pressure cooker and have been loving the one-pot cooking experience! Not much cleanup, no babysitting for the food and so many healthy dishes that can be cooked in no time.

    instant pot butter chicken served over  basmati rice

    Ingredients

    • Skinless and boneless chicken thighs
    • Yellow onions, fresh ginger, and garlic paste
    • Fresh tomato puree or canned tomato puree
    • Spices - turmeric, Kashmiri red chili, garam masala, and dried fenugreek leaves
    • Coconut milk and ghee
    Instant Pot butter chicken ingredients in bowls

    This Butter Chicken recipe uses unsweetened coconut milk and ghee to get the same authentic creamy taste without having to use cream and butter. Best of all the butter chicken is ready in 30 minutes and there is no need to marinate the chicken. Try this paleo-friendly recipe and I promise it will become your new GO-TO recipe for easy weeknight dinners as well as hosting.

    instant potpal butter chicken served with basmati rice  and naan

    I am so excited to post my first Instant pot recipe! Here is my EASY Instant Pot butter chicken recipe that is now on repeat in my house.

    Instructions

    Here are step-by-step instructions with photos to show you each step. All of the steps and the ingredients are in the printable recipe card just a little further down in this post.

    Step 1: sauté onions & spices

    Set the Instant Pot on Sauté mode and heat ghee. Add onions and salt. Cook until onions are soft and translucent for 2-3 mins (with a glass lid on to speed this process). Add ginger, garlic, turmeric, and red chili powder. Mix well and cook until fragrant for 2 mins (photos 1 - 2)

    steps showing sautéing onions & spices

    Step 2: Add chicken and tomato puree

    Separate the coconut cream and water. Keep the coconut cream aside. Add only the watery portion of coconut milk and pureed tomatoes mixing with spices and deglazing the pot if needed so there is nothing sticking at the bottom. Add chicken and mix well (photos 3 – 4). 

    steps showing chicken and curry sauce

    Step 3: Optional Pot in Pot Rice

    This is an optional step to make pot in pot rice with butter chicken: To make rice, place a tall trivet over the chicken in the instant pot. Place a stainless steel pot with white rice, water, and salt over the trivet. 

    Step 4: Pressure Cook

    Close the Instant Pot lid with the steam release handle to the sealing position. Pressure cook for 8 minutes followed by a quick release. (Note: If using chicken breasts, pressure cook for 5 minutes followed by 5 mins Natural Pressure Release) 

    Step 5: Finishing ingredients & Garnish

    Open the Instant Pot, and stir in coconut cream, tomato paste, garam masala, fenugreek leaves, sugar, and half of the cilantro. Add more salt if needed. Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Cook without the lid to allow the curry to thicken for 5 minutes. If the sauce starts to splutter, set adjust to Saute(Less). Garnish with remaining cilantro (photos 5 – 8).

    Steps showing final steps for Instant Pot butter chicken

    Serving

    Serve the butter chicken with Homemade Parathas or naan, Basmati Rice or Cumin Rice, and a cooling beet cucumber raita.

    Murgh Makhani served with rice and naan

    Storing

    Any leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the curry for up to 2 months.

    Did you enjoy Butter Chicken? Here are some popular Indian chicken recipes to try:

    • Chicken Korma
    • Chicken Tikka Masala
    • Mom's Chicken Curry
    • Kadai Chicken
    • Shahi Chicken Korma

    Butter chicken is always a big hit and I often make this one-pot meal when friends come over. It's quick, easy, and delicious. A gathering is not complete without dessert, so finish off the meal with a batch of Almond flour brownies. Your friends will love you for it!

    Recipe

    Tried this recipe? We love your feedback.Please click on the stars in the recipe card below
    instant pot butter chicken
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    4.71 from 102 votes

    Instant Pot Butter Chicken

    Butter chicken is a flavorful chicken curry with heavenly aroma of the garam masala and fenugreek, in a creamy sauce with orangish hue from the red chili powder and turmeric
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Total Time35 mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Indian
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 381kcal
    Author: Archana Mundhe

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 2-inch pieces
    • 2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
    • 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
    • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
    • 1 tablespoon fresh garlic minced
    • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
    • 1 tablespoon Kashmiri red chili powder
    • 3 plum tomatoes pureed
    • 1 can unsweetened full fat coconut milk allow these to separate - DO NOT shake. Best if left in fridge overnight
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 1 teaspoon garam masala
    • 2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves
    • 2 teaspoons sugar skip for paleo
    • 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ cup cilantro chopped, for garnish

    Instructions

    • Set Instant Pot to Saute mode and heat ghee. Add onions and salt. Cook until onions are soft and translucent for 2-3 minutes (with a glass lid on to speed this process)
    • Add ginger, garlic, turmeric, and red chili powder. Mix well and cook until fragrant for 2 minutes.
    • Separate the coconut cream and water. Keep the coconut cream aside. Add half a cup of the watery portion of coconut milk and pureed tomatoes mixing with spices. Add chicken and stir well.
    • Close the Instant Pot lid with steam release handle to sealing. Pressure cook for 8 minutes followed by quick release. (Note: If using chicken breasts, pressure cook for 5 minutes followed by 5 minutes of natural pressure release)
    • Open the Instant Pot, stir in coconut cream, tomato paste, garam masala, fenugreek leaves, sugar, and half of the cilantro. Add more salt if needed.
    • Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Cook without the lid to allow the curry to thicken for 5 minutes. If the sauce starts to splutter, adjust to Saute(Less).
    • Garnish with remaining cilantro. Serve the butter chicken with Homemade Parathas and Basmati Rice or Cumin Rice and  Cucumber Raita. For a low-carb meal serve with Cauliflower Cumin Rice.

    Video

    Notes

    Notes:
    1. Instead of coconut milk, you can use ½ cup of water to pressure cook the chicken and then add heavy cream in the end to garnish 
    2. ¾ cup of store-bought puree can be used instead of homemade tomato puree 
    3. Skip tomato paste if you do not have it, tomato paste adds vibrant red color and thickness to the butter chicken 
    Vegetarian Options:
    • Check out my Paneer Makhani recipe that uses the same sauce for a delicious vegetarian option

    Nutrition

    Calories: 381kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 156mg | Sodium: 791mg | Potassium: 697mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 860IU | Vitamin C: 8.2mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 3.9mg
    Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @ministry_of_curry or tag #ministryofcurry

    ♥ 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. Beth says

      May 03, 2021 at 8:07 pm

      This recipe is on regular rotation at our house. It is so easy and so delicious! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.

      Reply
    2. Chanchal Randhawa says

      November 24, 2021 at 8:01 pm

      I tried this butter chicken recipe and came out perfect. My family enjoyed their dinner. The recipe was so easy to follow. Thank you for the recipe.5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        November 28, 2021 at 5:43 pm

        Thank you so much!

        Reply
    3. Adriane says

      January 10, 2022 at 8:28 pm

      This was so quick and easy and delicious! I highly recommend making an effort to get kashmiri red Chili powder and fenugreek leaves because it really makes a difference. I absolutely loved this and it came out so well in the instant pot. This might become one of my go-to recommendations for new owners of instant pots (people often ask me what to make since they know I use one). Great job Archana!!! This is a really outstanding recipe!5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 11, 2022 at 11:41 am

        Thank you so much Adriane!

        Reply
    4. Shruti says

      January 20, 2022 at 3:29 pm

      Turned out great. with me being a vegetarian, was very scared as I could taste test it. But my family loved it.5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 21, 2022 at 2:35 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    5. Sonia says

      February 03, 2022 at 7:53 pm

      This recipe is absolutely delish!!! I’ve always been hesitant to make homemade butter chicken because of how complicated/ time consuming it can be. However, this recipe is the exact opposite and so so good! The flavor is amazing! I would highly recommend to any butter chicken lover! It reminded me of my moms home made butter chicken! Thank you for this amazing recipe!!5 stars

      Reply
    6. Mina says

      March 03, 2022 at 2:04 pm

      Great recipe. How much cream should we use at the end if we don't have any coconut milk around. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        March 03, 2022 at 4:21 pm

        half a cup to 3/4th cup depending on how creamy you like the curry to be.

        Reply
    7. Liz says

      April 05, 2022 at 12:10 pm

      Do you have a slow cooker version of this?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 06, 2022 at 9:20 pm

        Hi Liz, I do not but you can check out my Slow cooker chicken tikka masala and follow the same timings for this recipe too! Just saute the onions a bit and then add the remaining ingredients and cook in slow cook mode.

        Reply
    8. Aliya says

      April 13, 2022 at 1:25 pm

      I can't get my hands on dried fenugreek leaves but there's the fresh fenugreek leaves available in the stores. How much of the fresh should i put in to subsitute the 2 tablespoons of dried?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 13, 2022 at 1:56 pm

        Hi Aliya, fresh fenugreek leaves have a very different flavor and aroma. There is no good substitute for dried fenugreek. Also if the store carries fresh I am sure they have the dried ones too. Ask for "Kasoori methi" It usually comes in a small yellow/green carton. If you do not find the dried fenugreek you can skip it.

        Reply
    9. Sarah VM says

      August 02, 2022 at 6:47 pm

      Oh my stars this was good. Going into the rotation for sure. I didn’t have to adjust a single thing!!! Served with cauliflower rice.5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        August 04, 2022 at 6:45 pm

        Thank you, Sarah! This is my family fav too!

        Reply
    10. Lynn Spencer says

      December 10, 2022 at 11:06 am

      Good Morning. I LOVE your Instant Pot Biryani recipe and planning on making that for my kids next week. But I was also going to make butter chicken for dinner as well. Unfortunately I only have one instant pot. Can your butter chicken be altered for stove top or oven? Or even slow cooker? Thanks, Lynn

      Reply
      • Archana says

        December 13, 2022 at 2:27 pm

        yes, you can cook butter chicken on the stove top! Make sure to saute the onion well.

        Reply
    11. Julie says

      January 14, 2023 at 8:04 pm

      I had my family over and made this for dinner tonight. It is delicious, everybody was full and happy!
      I will definitely put this on future menus!5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 15, 2023 at 10:13 pm

        Thank you Julie!

        Reply
    12. Kavita says

      January 24, 2023 at 3:49 pm

      Delicious! I didn’t use coconut milk — followed your directions to use water and finish with heavy cream. Best butter chicken I’ve ever made and so easy!5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 24, 2023 at 9:07 pm

        Thank you for the lovely feedback!

        Reply
    13. Izzy says

      January 25, 2023 at 10:02 pm

      Holy WOW! This is amazing, my almost done taste test is darn near divine. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe with us!5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 26, 2023 at 5:53 pm

        You are most welcome! Thank you for the feedback.

        Reply
    14. Shalini says

      January 29, 2023 at 7:16 pm

      Really tasty recipe. Served it with homemade parathas and everyone loved it!5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 30, 2023 at 11:31 am

        Thank you Shalini

        Reply
    15. KChambers says

      February 17, 2023 at 5:56 pm

      How much tomato puree would equal 3 roma toms?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        February 19, 2023 at 5:05 am

        About a cup of tomato puree will be equal to 3 Roma tomatoes.

        Reply
    « Older Comments

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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.

    Learn More About Me!

    Archana's Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook

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