Last updated on May 22nd, 2025 at 11:53 am
Instant Pot Butter Chicken Recipe - A simple method of making this classic and most loved curry is by making it in Instant Pot. It is super easy to make, less cleaning and no blending of sauces involved. Serve it with laccha paratha or rotis for a perfect meal!
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There have been times when all I needed was some curry to go with rotis and I ended up eating something else. Mostly because it involved so many utensils or so many steps. If you had such days, you're entering a world of ease: ease of cooking and ease of cleaning after meals and thereby eating excellently delicious curries made in Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Butter Chicken Recipe
This Instant Pot butter chicken recipe is different from this Chickpea Tikka Masala; aside from the obvious difference of chicken and chickpeas, the curry base is different. Of course it involves more or less the same ingredients but the method is a bit different. Nonetheless, it gives us an amazing curry.
What goes in this:
- Chicken: I like to use Chicken Thighs and I believe it gives a better butter chicken curry. You can use chicken breast if you like or that what you got. This is because chicken thighs can be cooked for a longer time and it would still be tender; whereas chicken breasts tend to go fibrous.
- Butter: Obviously there's butter and lots of it. We use it to sautรฉ the ingredients and then add some after the pressure cooking is over and finally if one prefers while serving. This instant pot butter chicken curry is a very rich and buttery affair.
- Base: Onions and tomatoes are the base of this curry. Onions are left as tiny bits and that forms a really nice texture. Tomatoes on the other hand are smooth in the form of puree or paste. Onions add sweetness to the
- Thickeners: Cream is the best thickener for this curry. It is so rich and creamy and delicious. If you want to avoid milk, you can use coconut milk as well.
- Seasonings and spices: Kashmiri chili powder adds a nice color and hotness. Coriander seed powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder each add their own flavor to the curry. Garam masala is very important to this curry; it gives this instant pot butter chicken recipe its necessary flavor.
How to serve this Instant Pot Butter Chicken:
The obvious and well known choice is to serve butter chicken curry alongside flatbreads or cooked basmati rice. Flatbreads like naan, laccha paratha, chapathis, tandoori rotis or even kulchas or romali rotis go well with this instant pot butter chicken recipe.
Variations:
If you like smooth gravy, follow the same steps. After pressure cooking is done, remove the chicken pieces from the instant pot, blend the curry. Add the chicken pieces back into the instant pot, add the cream and butter, boil it for a minute, put the chicken back in, and serve!
Also, as for the chicken, I like to marinate and half cook it on the grill. It really sets the flavors inside of the chicken pieces. But if you're in a hurry, you can choose to simply add the raw chicken pieces to the curry.
How to store this Instant Pot Butter Chicken:
This curry freezes well. You can freeze just the curry base or the curry with chicken in it; either way it tastes good. Thaw it overnight and reheat it before you serve. Instant pot butter chicken stays well in the refrigerator for a day.
To make this without an instant pot:
This is a recipe for making Butter chicken curry in the instant pot. But if in case your instant pot doesn't work or there's a power cut, you can make this on the stovetop in a dutch oven. It would take a bit of simmering but it is doable. Follow the same instructions, and add ยฝ cup more water to the saucepan or dutch oven and simmer for 30 minutes or so.
Tips to note:
- Storing this curry: This instant pot butter chicken curry can be stored in the refrigerator for a day and in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Thaw it overnight and reheat it in the microwave.
- Grilling chicken: I like to marinate and grill the chicken before adding it to the curry base. That way the flavors get locked in. You can of course choose to add raw chicken pieces directly to the Instant Pot. In that case, increase the pressure cooking time to 12 minutes.ย
- If you don't have chicken thighs, you can substitute them with chicken breasts.
- Also, you can use chicken breasts if you don't have chicken thighs. Chicken thighs stay juicy after the double cooking whereas chicken breasts will become fibrous. So, if using chicken breasts, skip the marination and grilling step.
More recipes you might like:
Instant Pot Butter Chicken Recipe | Butter Chicken Curry
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 750 g Boneless Chicken Thighs , cut to 2 inch pieces, wash, drain and pat dry
For the marinade:
- 1 tablespoon Hung Yogurt , substitute with greek yogurt if you didnt plan ahead
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil , or mustard oil
- 3 teaspoon Kasuri Methi / Dried Fenugreek Leaves , crushed
- ยผ-1/2 teaspoon Black Salt , based on preference
- 1 teaspoon Kashimiri Chilli Powder , or regular indian chilli powder if you like extra hot
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- ยฝ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- ยฝ teaspoon Salt
For the curry:
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 2 large Onions (red or yellow) , finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1.5 cups Tomato Puree
- 2 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- ยฝ cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder , ยฝ if using regular chilli powder
- 2 teaspoon Coriander Seed Powder
- ยฝ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
- ยฝ teaspoon Salt , adjust to taste
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- ยพ-1 cup Heavy Cream , (depending on how creamy you want it)
- Cilantro leaves, Butter , for garnish
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients given under "for marinade" and add the chicken thighs to it. Cover the bowl using a tight lid or cling film and leave it aside to marinate until the curry is done.
- Place clean and dry inner vessel into the Instant Pot. Set it to SAUTE mode for 20 minutes. Add the butter and wait for it to just melt.
- Add the chopped onions and saute it until translucent. Then, add the ginger garlic paste and sautรฉ for a minute.
- Quickly pour in the tomato puree and add the tomato paste. Pour the water into the Instant Pot and switch the Instant Pot OFF.
- Add the spice powders: Kashmiri Chilli Powder, Coriander Seed Powder, Turmeric Powder, Garam Masala Powder, Cumin seed powder; and the salt. Mix everything and cover with the lid.
- Place a grill pan on the stove and apply some vegetable oil on it. Once the grill pan is hot, place the marinated chicken pieces on it. Cook on high heat for just a a few minutes; only until it chars at a few places and is cooked on the outside. The chicken pieces doesn't have to cook through, we just want to lock the flavors in.
- Once done, add it to the curry base in the instant pot. Cover and SEAL with its lid. Set it to PRESSURE COOK mode for 10 minutes.
- After the timer goes off, Quick Release and carefully open the lid when the safety button is down.
- Add the cream and butter to the curry. Stir and bring it to a boil in SAUTE mode. Switch OFF the Instant Pot and check seasonings.
- Serve it with freshly made rotis or laccha parathas or any flat bread you like!
Notes
- Storing this curry: This instant pot butter chicken curry can be stored in the refrigerator for a day and in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Thaw it overnight and reheat it in the microwave.
- Grilling chicken: I like to marinate and grill the chicken before adding it to the curry base. That way the flavors get locked in. You can of course choose to add raw chicken pieces directly to the Instant Pot. In that case, increase the pressure cooking time to 12 minutes.ย
- If you don't have chicken thighs, you can substitute them with chicken breasts.
- Also, you can use chicken breasts if you don't have chicken thighs. Chicken thighs stay juicy after the double cooking whereas chicken breasts will become fibrous. So, if using chicken breasts, skip the marination and grilling step.
Made this? Got doubts? Let me know what you think in the comments below!
nive says
made it under 40 minutes with my instant pot! very flavourful curry in short time ๐