Description
A rich, creamy, and flavorful Instant Pot Butter Chicken recipe that combines tender chicken thighs with a blend of aromatic spices, garlic, ginger, and tomato sauce, all cooked quickly under pressure and finished with luscious cream and fresh herbs. Perfect for a comforting weeknight meal served over rice.
Ingredients
Scale
Butter Chicken Base
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 cloves garlic (about 5 teaspoons, minced or crushed)
- 2 inch fresh ginger root (grated, about 2 tablespoons)
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon chili powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt (add more if needed)
- 2 pounds chicken thighs (skinless, boneless, diced into bite-size pieces)
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce (or passata)
- ¼ cup water
Finishing
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (or coconut milk, or half and half*)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or mint or cilantro, for garnish)
Instructions
- Sauté aromatics: On the Instant Pot, press the SAUTE function and melt the butter. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add spices and tomato sauce: Stir in garam masala, cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, chili powder (if using), and salt. Cook the mixture for about a minute to toast the spices. If the mixture sticks to the bottom, deglaze by adding a splash of water and scraping any stuck bits off with a wooden spoon. Add the tomato sauce (or passata) and ¼ cup water. Turn off the SAUTE setting.
- Add chicken: Add the diced chicken thighs into the pot and stir to combine with the sauce.
- Pressure cook: Secure the Instant Pot lid and set the vent to SEALING. Select the PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL setting and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure before cooking.
- Release and finish sauce: When cooking completes, perform a quick release of the steam. Carefully remove the lid, press SAUTE again, and stir in the heavy cream. Let the sauce simmer and reduce slightly to thicken. Adjust salt to taste.
- Serve: Serve the butter chicken warm over rice, garnished with freshly chopped parsley, cilantro, or mint.
Notes
- You can substitute heavy cream with coconut milk for a dairy-free option or use half and half for a lighter version.
- Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for tenderness and flavor; chicken breasts can also be used but may result in drier texture.
- Adjust chili powder amount based on your preferred spice level or omit it for milder taste.
- Deglazing the pot after sautéing the spices prevents the burn warning on the Instant Pot and adds more depth to the sauce.
- Serve with basmati rice or naan bread for a complete meal.
