Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Made with tender chicken and a richly spiced tomato sauce, this recipe for Instant Pot Butter Chicken delivers flavor with ease!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup minced onion optional
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 pound chicken breasts or thighs, boneless and skinless cut into 1-inch pieces
- 15 ounces crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- Cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot to the saute, add 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and let melt. Once butter has melted, add in ¼ cup minced onion and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until onions have softened. Add in 5 cloves garlic minced and 2 teaspoons fresh ginger (grated) and saute for one minute longer.
- Add 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon ground coriander , 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon turmeric, and ½ teaspoon salt and saute for 1-2 minutes, or until spices are fragrant. Be careful not to burn the spices or tomato paste. Turn the Instant Pot OFF by hitting cancel.
- Add in ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the inner pot. Add 1 pound chicken breasts or thighs, boneless and skinless to the mixture and then top with 15 ounces crushed tomatoes .
- Close the lid and set to cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. (Hit Manual or Pressure Cook and adjust the time to 5 minutes using +/- buttons.)
- Once the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Do a quick pressure release of any remaining pressure to open the lid to the Instant Pot.
- Turn the Instant Pot back to saute. Hit cancel and then saute.
- Add ¼ cup heavy cream and simmer for 3- 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken. Turn the Instant Pot Off.
- Serve warm over rice and with naan.
Video
Notes
To make Dairy Free Butter Chicken, use coconut oil in place of butter and full-fat canned coconut milk in place of heavy cream.
When using an 8-quart Instant Pot, you may want to add in an additional ¼ cup stock to prevent a burn warning. I have made this many times in a 6-quart and 8 quarts with no issues, but have found some 8-quart models are a bit more finicky.
Spices: Be sure to use ALL the spices listed for the best results and be sure your dried spices are no older than 6 months old for the most flavor.
To Make Rice at the same time: Place rinsed long-grain white rice in a stainless steel bowl with an equal amount of water. Place a trivet above the chicken and set the bowl on the trivet. The rice needs a bit longer to account for the stainless steel bowl, so the cooking time of 5 minutes with at least 10 minutes of natural pressure release.
Leftover Instant Pot Butter Chicken will last in the fridge for 3 days. You can also freeze for one month. Just let the butter chicken defrost overnight in the fridge and warm in 30-second intervals in the microwave. I have had no issues freezing this recipe when I have used heavy cream.
Nutrition
Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 337mg | Potassium: 359mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 551IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg
