Instant Pot Butter Chicken {Healthy & Authentic}

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.

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

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

While I was searching for some instant pot recipes, I came across theprimaldesire.com, a wonderful blog with a delicious and healthy recipe for Paleo butter chicken. Not that I am dairy free but looking at the ingredient list, the butter chicken that is usually drenched in butter and cream all of a sudden looked so much healthy and appetizing!

The Paleo version using the coconut milk and ghee to get the same authentic creamy taste without all that butter or cream! And to top it off all under 45 mins,  no chicken to be marinated or grilled. I have tried the recipe few times and loved it every single time. Thanks to Holley & Raj now I am hooked to this healthy, delicious and most of all quick recipe.

I am so excited to post my first Instant pot recipe and thought a video to go with it would hopefully make it easier for everyone to follow this recipe. Here is my easy version of the Instant Pot butter chicken recipe that is now on a repeat list in my house.

Diffrence between Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala

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

Chicken Tikka Masala – More British than India, this national dish of England has more complex spices and flavors. The chicken is marinated in warm spices mixed in yogurt and then grilled in the tandoor-clay oven. The cooked chicken is then simmered in a onion-tomato based creamy sauce.

Step by step Instant Pot Butter Chicken Recipe:

Enjoy Indian Curries? Try these delicious recipes:

• Chicken Korma
• Chicken Tikka Masala
• Mom’s Chicken Curry

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Butter chicken {Instant pot paleo recipe}

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

35 mins

 

butter chicken -A flavorful chicken with heavenly aroma of the garam masala and fenugreek, in a creamy sauce with orangish hue from the red chili powder and turmeric.

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: butter chicken

Servings: 6

Calories: 381 kcal

Author: Archana Mundhe

Ingredients

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

Instructions

1. Set Instant Pot on Saute(More) 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)

2. Add ginger, garlic, turmeric and red chili powder. Mix well and cook until fragrant for 2 mins.

3. 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. Add chicken and stir well.

4. Close the Instant Pot lid with steam release handle to sealing position. Set to Manual/pressure cook mode and cook on high pressure for 8 mins followed by quick release. (Note: If using chicken breasts, cook on Manual(Hi) for 5 mins followed by 5 mins NPR)

5. 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.

6. 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).

7. Garnish with remaining cilantro.

   ** Add more red chili powder and garam masala for spicer version.
   

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts

Butter chicken {Instant pot paleo recipe}

Amount Per Serving

Calories 381 Calories from Fat 225

% Daily Value*

Fat 25g38%

Saturated Fat 16g100%

Cholesterol 156mg52%

Sodium 791mg34%

Potassium 697mg20%

Carbohydrates 8g3%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 31g62%

Vitamin A 860IU17%

Vitamin C 8.2mg10%

Calcium 41mg4%

Iron 3.9mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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