A quick and easy Indian Butter Chicken Recipe that’s made in under 30 minutes. This Instant Pot Indian Butter Chicken recipe features tender pieces of chicken smothered in a buttery curry sauce, filled with aromatic spices and herbs that taste even better as leftovers!
Pressure Cooker Indian Butter Chicken
Instant Pot Indian Butter Chicken is a buttery chicken that is smothered in a creamy tomato sauce. It’s one of my family’s absolute favorite Indian food dishes that we enjoy together.
This Instant Pot recipe is so simple to make, and frankly, tastes better than ordering from your favorite restaurant. A simple pressure cooker recipe that gives you that low and slow simmer taste, in every single bite.
Optional Add-Ins
- bay leaves
- parsley
- hand-chopped fresh tomatoes – for a more authentic Indian restaurant dish.
Easy Indian Butter Chicken
Exploring the many cultures we have in this world. Along with their food is something I’ve been passionate about since I was a teenager. One of the dishes I was so drawn to make was Indian Butter Chicken.
Watching Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmerman trip around the world and taste everything it has to offer. Has truly inspired me to adventure into the world of food. I’m famous in my family for saying, “What country are we visiting today?”
When it comes to picking which restaurant we are dining in on that day. Indian Cuisine is a new adventure I am on with my kids. I wanted to change things up and create one of our favorite restaurant dishes at home.
Butter Chicken Side Dishes
- Basmati Rice
- Naan Bread
- Saffron Rice
- Saag
- Aloo Gobi
- Samosa
- Kachumber Salad
- Daal
Indian Butter Chicken Recipe
I got to work on creating an Easy Indian Butter Chicken Recipe that I knew my family would love. Serve over a bed of rice for the most comforting dish you could imagine.
If you like Butter Chicken, you will love our recipe. We have had so many delicious dishes throughout the years, but without a doubt, Butter Chicken has to be our favorite. Not only is this dish easy to make, but it features a subtle flavor that packs a delicious punch you can’t go without.
Why Is It Called Butter Chicken?
The name Butter Chicken comes from the butter-based gravy used to give this chicken dish rich and vibrant flavors.
Helpful Cooking Notes
There have been some reports that the Instant Pots have been giving. This is the case for some users, depending on their geographical location.
To avoid getting a burn signal from the pot, DO NOT add the Tomato Paste as instructed in the recipe. Instead, add the tomato paste on top of all the other ingredients before closing the lid.
Health Benefits From Ingredients In Butter Chicken
Butter chicken is loaded with spices and ingredients to help add different dimensions of flavor to this chicken recipe. Let me share some of the health benefits behind a handful of the spices and other components used in this dish.
Indian Butter Chicken Spices
- Garam Masala
- Curry Powder
- Ground Ginger
- Coconut Milk
- Garlic Cloves
Garam Masala. So many benefits are in this one simple ingredient. Boosting your immunity, helping aid in digestion, promoting weight loss, and more. It is also useful for relieving inflammation and reducing pain in your joints. A great spice to have on hand for recipes.
Curry Powder. Reducing Alzheimer’s, bone health, protecting your body from heart disease are a few of the main benefits. Curry is a great spice that blends well with many recipes.
Ground Ginger. You can use ground ginger or fresh in this recipe. Ginger is excellent for nausea and morning sickness, as well as helping reduce pain or soreness. Ginger is also great for helping balance blood sugar as well.
Coconut Milk. High in fiber and loaded with vitamins like C, B1, B3, B6, calcium, magnesium, and so much more.
Garlic Cloves. Garlic is excellent for fighting against colds and flu, lowering cholesterol levels, and even reducing blood pressure levels.
Common Instant Pot Indian Butter Chicken Questions
Do I need to marinate my Chicken?
Nope! This recipe was designed to be as simple as possible and does not require you to marinate the chicken.
Why am I getting a burn signal?
To avoid getting a burn signal from the pot, DO NOT add the Tomato Paste as instructed in the recipe. Instead, add the tomato paste on top of all the other ingredients before closing the lid.
What about leftovers?
I absolutely love this dish as leftovers. The longer it sits in the fridge, the more flavors you can taste! In the past, readers have come back to let me know they doubled their recipes to produce leftovers. The leftovers make great meal prep lunches and dinners. Or if you are like me, a midnight snack.
Can I use frozen Chicken?
Of course! That’s what makes this a great weeknight dinner recipe! I have used frozen chicken breast, tenderloin, and thighs plenty of times.
What is the best chicken to use in this recipe?
I personally like to use boneless chicken thighs, but you can use whatever part of the chicken you have on hand. I do suggest that you use boneless chicken to make the cooking process a breeze.
Do I need to use Greek Yogurt?
No, but if you have it, throw it in! I have found mixing in Greek yogurt brings a wonderful contrast to the sauce. It also helps thicken the sauce and just makes everything taste even more amazing.
Is this the same as Chicken Tikka Masala?
No, this dish is much smoother and has a richer buttery flavor. Chicken Tikka Masala has a rich tomato-based sauce that boasts a lot of herbs and spices.
Why does this recipe call for Coconut Milk?
I just love adding coconut milk to my recipes. I am from the Philippines, and we use a lot of coconut milk in our recipes. So it was a no-brainer to add this delicious ingredient to my Indian butter chicken. It, however, isn’t called for in an authentic Butter Chicken recipe.
Is Indian Butter Chicken Spicy?
Technically NO, however, in my dish, I do suggest you add cayenne pepper. Please feel free to omit the cayenne if you are preparing this dish for kids or if you just aren’t a fan of spicy dishes.
Is this an authentic Indian dish?
No, this dish is a westernized version of Chicken Tikka Masala. It gained a lot of popularity with Westerners because of its simplistic ingredients and ability to control the spices.
Pressure Cooker/ Instant Pot Recipe Ideas
We genuinely love this delicious butter chicken, and I think you and your family will too. Please come back and let me know how you like it. Have you ever tried butter chicken?
Pressure Cooker Indian Butter Chicken
This deliciously easy to make Instant Pot Indian Butter Chicken is the perfect family dinner. Serve it for your next family dinner with a side of Naan bread.
Ingredients
- 2 lb's of chicken breast or tenderloins diced into 1/4 inch pieces if Frozen No need to Dice
- 1 Stick of Butter, or 1/2 a cup
- 2 Teaspoons of Garam Masala
- 2 Teaspoons of Cayenne Pepper, optional - omit if you don't want heat added to the dish
- 2 Teaspoons of Curry Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 Tsp Tumeric (Optional)
- 1 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger OR 2 Teaspoons of minced fresh ginger
- 1 Can of Coconut Milk, In can, sold at any grocery store
- 1 Cup of Chicken Stock
- 1 Cup Chunk Roasted Tomatoes (OR) 1 - 6 oz Can of Tomato Paste (Add at the End)
- 1 Onion Minced
- 5 Garlic Cloves Minced
- Cilantro for Garnishing
- Salt to taste
- 2 Tbs CornStarch
- 1 Tbs Water
- 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (Optional)
Instructions
- Turn Pressure Cooker On Saute Mode or press Chicken/Meat.
- Place a stick of butter into the pot and let it fully melt until it becomes foamy and smells amazing.
- Toss in onions and garlic and cook until halfway done, then add the coconut milk, and chicken stock. Mix thoroughly.
- Add the Curry Powder, Ground Cumin, Ginger, Cayenne Pepper, Garam Masala, and salt to taste.
- Place frozen or thawed chicken in the pot and cover with sauce. Cook on Manual for 10 (15 if frozen) minutes or cook meal using Chicken/Meat button.
- Once finished let it sit in the pot for 10 minutes with an NPR. If the lid has not unlocked release the excess steam and remove the lid.
- If your chicken was already diced skip this next step.
- Turn pot back on to Saute or Keep Warm Method. Add the tomato paste or tomato sauce. With a sturdy spoon and fork gently cut/shred the chicken into desired size pieces.
- Mix the cornstarch and water together and then add to the pot, mix well. Let pot boil until sauce is thickened.
- If you desire, add the Greek Yogurt for a more sharp creamy texture.
- Serve over a bed of basmati rice or jasmine rice. Garnish with fresh-cut cilantro.
- Enjoy!
Notes
If you are getting a burn sign flip off the pot and stir
With comments like these I definitely have to try this recipe. I’m making it after dinner tonight so I can just reheat it tomorrow. We have a full day so having something that just needs to heat up will be helpful. If i just put the whole pot in the fridge after its cooled, do you think it would reheat well if I just put the pot back in and cook on manual at 0 min?
Honestly I’ve never done that before and I’m not sure how t would turn out in the end. But I know if you pack them in reheatable containers you should be completely fine ?
I just made it. It smelled so good! Unfortunately, it was really dry and overlooked. I diced up my uncooked chicken ahead of time. I think next time I might leave it in half breasts and cut down the cooking time a little bit. I really want to try it again… any input?
Hi Jessica, yeah defiantly cut down the time and leave the chicken whole. Different climates and altitudes can change the outcome of any pressure cooker recipe so I think for yours, cutting the time and leaving the chicken whole will be perfect. Please let me know if that worked for you I would love to hear how it comes out the 2nd time. ?
I want to make this and I have an amazing pressure cooker, but it’s not an automatic one with those kinds of settings – its low or high pressure and then set the timer kind of thing. Any suggestions on how to convert this recipe to low or high pressure, and for how long? Thanks!
Hi Vicki, this recipe is cooked on high pressure for 15 minutes. I hope that answers your questions. Please let me know if you have any more I’ll be here to help. Enjoy!
I have a can of red curry paste,that I like the flavor of–is it feasible to sub paste for powder? Amount?
Wondering if I could use cream instead of coconut milk. I made this tonight….but I only put about 1/2 tsp cayenne and I added a tsp of sugar. We all thought it was pretty good, we liked the texture of the sauce too. But, my husband said it should be creamier…..any tips?
Hi Michelle, you could double the coconut milk if you would like it to be creamier. You would just need to turn the pot back on after it is finished cooking and flip it to sauté mode to cook the sauce down more. Should take an extra 5-10 minutes or whenever the sauce is as thick as you would like. You can certainly use heavy cream if you would like, instead of an extra can of coconut milk. If you do try it that way next time could you please let me know how I turns out. I’m super curious. ?
I just made this tonight and subed out the coconut milk for 1/2 C heavy cream and 1/2 C plain Greek yogurt. The consistency was perfect, didn’t even need to use cornstarch to thicken.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! Whole family loved it. All 3 of my kids gobbled it up and had 3rds! They said they liked it better than takeout.
Sandy, I’m so happy your family enjoyed this recipe, that is definitely a great way to substitute the coconut milk in the recipe. Did you add the cayenne pepper as the recipe stated or did you omit? I’m curious to see if you did add it and if the substitute you used helped with the small kick cayenne has in this recipe. My kids were raised dipping their chicken nuggets in hot sauce so the measurements I added in this recipe is like adding pepper to our dish lol. I’m very curious to see how other families enjoyed it, with or without the cayenne.
Hi Jay, My kids don’t mind a little heat. I used 1/2 tsp. of cayenne, which I felt was mild but perfect for everyone. I could prob up it to 3/4 and they’d tolerate it fine. My son has actually been asking me every couple of days when am I going to make it again! Thanks again!
I just made this and it was so good! I used some Patak’s mild curry paste–about 3 TBS–instead of the other spices, because I have some in the fridge that needs to be used. The sauce was a little too liquid after cooking so I added 1TBS of cornstarch mixed in a little cold water. It was perfect! I added 1 cup of frozen peas too. This was so tasty and fast!
That’s awesome April, I love how fast it is to make this too. I haven’t tried it with peas yet, I defiantly need to give that a try next time we make it.
Hey guys had a problem with this recipe not coming to pressure. Could that be happening because I used frozen chicken? Did that keep the temperature too low to make steam and come to pressure?
Hi Mike, did the sauce or chicken burn somewhat on the bottom of the pot? Did you follow the instructions to a T? If there is any burnt sauce or food at the bottom of the pot it will not come to pressure. Instant pot has a feature that does not let it come to pressure if so, other brands will continue to cook but the Instant Pot itself will not. To fix this you can simply use a spatula or spoon and scrape the burned sauce or food off of the bottom of the pot. Once you have released anything that has become burnt (you can scoop out that burnt sauce or keep it in the pot) you should then add an extra 1/2 cup – 1 Cup of water. Stir together and then resume your cooking instructions. Please let me know if this was helpful, if it doesn’t work please let me know we can figure it out together.
Yes I did feel a little bit of something possibly stuck to the bottom of the pot when I stirred it up. For some reason by the 3rd try it pressurized. Thanks for the help! Next time I’ll make sure all the food is loose from the bottom!
Thanks!
Yay! I’m glad you got it pressure finally, the recipe will be worth it I promise. It’s weird how something so small could trip up the whole pot. Your welcome and enjoy!
I have found that if you buy boneless skinless chicken breasts and have the butcher fiilet them then cut in 2″ pieces. The chicken will be much more tender and you don’t have to touch it. Just let it fall in the pot. Easy and better. 1/4″ pieces will dry out.
When the chicken is added, is it supposed to be stirred in or just put on top of the sauce?
I had this problem. It just did not want to cooperate at all. It’s on my stove as I type. I tried 5 times and 5 times it said “burnt.” It smells amazing though!
I made this perfectly in the IP 2-3 times and it quickly became a family favorite… but then I consistently got the burnt message and had to finish on the stove also the next 2-3 times I made it… now I do not stir the tomato paste in, but after I have added and stirred everything else, I spread the tomato paste on top so it isnt anywhere near the bottom and it comes out beautifully… good luck
I forgot to add, we are trying to eat low carb @ our house so now I serve the Butter Chicken over roasted cauliflower florets. Oh my goodness! It’s wonderful stuff!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, I haven’t tried it on cauliflower florets yet. I would love to give it a try, it sounds like an amazing combination. Thank you for sharing that idea, I cannot wait to give it a try.
My husband & I really enjoy making Butter Chicken and your recipe is not only the tastiest but also the easiest to make. Thank you for sharing.
[…] Pressure Cooker Indian Butter Chicken […]
My husband and I loved this! I made it one evening while he was working, so I ate it for dinner and he took leftovers for lunch the next day. He texted me as soon as he warmed up his lunch to let me know how amazing it was! Thanks for sharing this. It’ll become a part of our rotation! I also appreciated that it was very easy to put together–I’m still new to the Instant Pot, but this wasn’t intimidating at all. Thanks, Jay! 🙂
Hey Hayley, that’s amazing! I’m so happy both you loved the recipe. The leftovers are always best part I believe lol if you can make it to the third day it’s fabulous and totally worth the wait.
Do you make your own garam masala? I’m trying to make my own and can’t settle on a recipe.
I tried your recipe last night and the sauce was delicious. It is a little thin for me. Is there a way to thicken the sauce without altering the flavor?
I thickened it with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. You mix it in cold water and then add it to the pot, then let it cook for a few minutes. That’s how I thicken all my sauces when they turn out too thin!
This was delicious! It was a little too spicy for the kids so next time I may do 1 or 1 1/2 tsp of cayenne. I loved it! This was the first dinner that I’ve made in my IP and it was a hit! Thank you for the recipe!
Yay I’m so happy you loved it! You could def pull back the cayenne or omit, and then just add as much as you want to your own separate bowl. I do that all the time with the kiddos.
Hello! I am getting to make this and was wondering if you recommended I do adjust for high altitude. I am in Colorado and am a newbie IP girl!
Hi Susan! I found this article really helpful for altitude issues. I hope it’s able to answer your questions. https://www.hippressurecooking.com/pressure-cooker-psi-faq-the-stuff-you-didnt-think-to-ask/
Yum!! This was so good 😀
That’s awesome Lene! Did you enjoy yours with basatmi rice or jasmine rice? We usually just use jasmine rice since that’s what we always have on hand.
We use basmati rice. The dish was so good. I live in Sweden, so we measure in grams and dl, so that was a little challenging, but I think I got the measurements just about correct 🙂 We will for sure make this again and try other recepies from your website. Another challenge can be to find the correct ingredients, but not for this recepy. I had everything in my cabinets, but there are items I have seen in other recepies that we simply do not have in our stores.
Can you use chicken broth instead of stock?
Yes you can Amida
Wonderful recipe. Thank you so much. The flavor is incredible. I love the way all the spices come together. Definitely a new go to recipe. I cut the pepper back to 1/2 tsp as my wife and kids don’t enjoy much heat. That gave it a very mild heat. My Indian SIL thought 2 tsp was great. All a matter of taste.
Thanks again for sharing this wonderful creation.
I’m so happy your family loves the recipe! Your so welcome for sharing and thank you for sharing how your family enjoyed it. I’ve had a few questions about the heat ratio for this dish arise, It’s always great to see how everyone enjoys it since everyone’s taste differs. Cheers to the possible leftovers! The 3rd day is always the best!
2 tsp cayenne isn’t too hot for just 2lbs of chicken? I’d like to be able to eat it
No it isn’t Laura ? it’s like a nice nudge vs a kick in your mouth. The sweetness from the coconut milk helps with the heat so it’s like adding pepper to your food.
We loved it! It was a bit hot for my taste but perfect for my husband, and I was still able to tolerate it. I might add a little less cayenne next time, but I’m adding it to our regular rotation!
Yay! I’m so happy y’all loved it! You could also omit the cayenne and then have your husband just add what he needs to his individual bowl ?
My husband and I LOVED this recipe, and son too, but a little spicy, so we added a bit of coconut milk. However the girls are wimps and couldn’t eat it, sigh, so I suppose I’ll use less cayenne next time. I loved it so much left over too!! Amazing flavor!!
Making this now. Just wanted to stand over the pot after adding the spices – smelled heavenly. I used frozen boneless/skinless thighs because that’s what I had. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Oh man, yes the smell is amazing! It’s one of my favorite parts of this recipe ?
Going to give this a try this week, curious what type of curry I should be looking for, green, red, yellow?
Thanks
I just used curry powder. I believe that is what is expected, as it is listed with other dry/powdered spices.
When you say “let sit in pot for 10 minutes with NPR” – does that mean that once the 15 minutes is up, just let the chicken sit in the pot with pressure still in it? And then, after 10 minutes, release the pressure? Thanks!
Hello! Yes the npr stands for natural pressure release which means you let the pressure naturally release. If there is still pressure left after waiting 10 minutes, and your still unable to open the lid, just hit the release tab and let any pressure remaining release from the pot.
Do you leave the IP on during the NPR (where it automatically goes to a warm setting) or turn it off?
Yes you leave it on and let it switch to warm function ?
Thanks for the quick reply. I’m an IP newbie. 🙂
No problem, please let me what you think of the recipe, I would love to know how it turned out for you.
Does 15 minutes on manual mean high or low? I have a different multi-pot. Thanks!
Hi Kathy, it’s high
Thank you!
Your Welcome 🙂
I couldn’t find a can of coconut milk – but I found a half gallon at Aldi of all places! Using the internet I concluded that a can’s worth would be 13.5 ounces. Also I used two pinches of sea salt before and 1/2 teaspoon AFTER cooking (after cooking I could taste all the spices but it still tasted a bit thin (like if you ever had low sodium soup). Allowing it to sautée with the extra bit of salt on low I believe helped cohere the flavors and thicken things up a little bit. (also I used a stick of unsalted butter – that could have had something to do with it also)
When I do this again I’d add all the salt before cooking And I say when because THIS RECIPE IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZINGLY GOOD!!! It’s the BEST thing I’ve made in my Instant Pot so far! I’m the only one in my household who likes curry, so I’ve been eating this for lunch / dinner the last several days, and just making more rice as needed. I swear it’s gotten better each time I’ve heated up a serving.
THANK YOU for posting this!
And if you’re thinking about making it, go for it! It’s super easy and super good!
Yay I’m so happy you loved the recipe Matt! It also sounds like you can put that half gallon to work with more recipes or making this recipe again soon. Thank you for sharing your story!
I agree! It should not be eaten the first day. Gets much better the second and third day. Try a really good mango chutney with it. Yummmm
The 1/2 gallon of coconut milk you found isn’t the same thing as canned coconut milk. The texture and taste of the two are quite different. Canned coconut milk is generally found in the Asian food section of your grocery store. That said, it sounds like you were delighted with the way this recipe turned out and in the end, that’s all that really matters. Bon Appetit!
Yes Nancy you are right. The canned coconut milk is more condensed making it way more sweeter. I would suspect that if someone did want to do a lighter (less calorie) version of this recipe that could sub with coconut milk from the dairy aisle. 🙂
What about using Thai Kitchen Organic Lite coconut milk? I need to reduce the fat content and thought I’d give this a try.
Yes, the half gallon is not “full fat” coconut milk used in Indian and Thai foods. The stuff in the cold case has 2.5 grams of fat/cup and is drinkable like cow’s milk. The stuff in the can has about 15 grams fat/cup and you probably wouldn’t want to drink it.
How much is 370 ml of tomato paste?
I used a small 6oz can of tomato paste for my recipe
370 ml would be 12 oz. I was wondering if you thought it would be better w/ 2 cans or would you do it again the same way?
Hi, Sharon! I updated the recipe to reflect one 6oz can, Sorry for the confusion. It’s really good with just one 6 oz can of tomato paste, if you use normal tomato sauce it will be too thin (I’ve seen some use regular tomato sauce and it and came out with the same flavor). If someone would rather use that then they would need to simply just add Corn Starch to just thicken it up to personal preference. I hope that was more clear. 🙂
Thanks so very much. I’ll make it exactly that way then. 1 can of tomato paste. It did seem that 370ml (12 oz) was a LOT of tomato paste so I’m following your suggestions.
No problem Sharon, I hope you enjoy this recipe. Please let me know how it turns out, enjoy!
I made this tonight. My BF loved it. It was fine w/ 1 small can of tomato paste as the recipe states, but the 370 oz originally called for in the recipe would have been tomato overkill. Really nice balance of spices as the recipe stands also.
This recipe was awesome, it came out perfect. I used 2 teaspoons of cayenne, I may use more next time. We love spicy!
Any advice on what to do when you get the “burn” message. I had mine on high for the 15 mins and at some point it kicked off and gave me a burn message. This has happened to me with other recipes. I followed the instructions to a t.
Hi Erica, I’m sorry that happened. There are a lot of scenarios that could have triggered the burn message. Although I have heard with my recipe when this happens it is because of the tomato paste. I suggest if the flavor isnt ruined by burnt sauce that you add 1/2 cup or 3/4 cup of water or chicken stock and try again. Some pots have this issue because of their geo location and others because of the size of the pot. I hope that was helpful, I hope you are able to salvage the dish and enjoy it tonight.
Getting ready to try your dish now. Almost ready.
I’m so excited to hear what you think about it!
OMG. It was so awesome. We could not stop eating it. Best on day 3!!!
What does NPR stand for?
Natural pressure release
Natural pressure release
Natural pressure release. ie, let pot cool without using the release valve.
Well I’ve made this 3 Times now and I find it’s better to cut chicken breasts down the middle so they are thinner then cut in 2 “ pieces. I have the butcher do that so I don’t have to mess with the raw chicken. Next time I will omit the tomatoe paste also. Great Dish!!!
It’s a radio station.
Random question…..does cooking it in the instapot reduce the lingering smell? I adapted this recipe for a stovetop version since I don’t own an instapot and the spice smell lingered throughout the house for a couple of days (I had windows open while I cooked it and afterwards). Curious if/when I do get an instapot and try this again will the smell be less? My sister in law makes the instapot version and she swears the odor is minimal and doesn’t linger for too long.
Hi Sara,
I certainly agree with your sister in law with this cooking method yielding a minimal amount of odor. I have made this many times in my pressure cooker and most of the time you only smell it when it’s about done in the pot. When you do open the pot you will get an odor but in my opinion, it dissipates soon after you finish dinner and clean the kitchen. I like to soak my pressure cooker ring in soap and water to help remove the butter chicken odor from the ring. With this recipe, you would surely need to dedicate this specific ring for savory dishes and switch it out for your sweet dishes. If you don’t have a spare ring then no worries, it doesn’t leave a noticeable difference if you were to cook with it for a sweet dish. I’m just super picky and like to switch mine out to keep everything organized and running smoothly. I hope that info was helpful for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions.
~Jay
I love the smell! Don’t know if there’s any difference. Might be as the the cooking time is dramatically different.
I love the smell as well! I do know the butter chicken smell can linger like some Filipino recipes I make on the stove for a while. So if you are looking to minimize the smell using an instant pot is a great way to achieve that.
~Jay