Instant Pot Butter Chicken

The easiest ever Instant Pot butter chicken! This super creamy, and fragrant Indian dish is so comforting, healthy and delicious.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds chicken thighs skinless, boneless, diced into bite-size pieces

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 5 cloves garlic about 5 teaspoons, minced or crushed

  • 2 inch (5 cm) 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)

  • 20 oz (2x 10 oz cans) tomato sauce or passata

  • 1 cup (250ml) heavy whipping cream

  • 2 tablespoons cilantro for garnish

Directions

  • On the Instant Pot press on SAUTE and melt the butter. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute).

  • Add all of the spices, and the salt, stir, and cook for a minute. You might want to deglaze the pot at this point if the mixture is stuck to the bottom of the pot, just add a splash of water and scrape off any stuck bits with a wooden spoon. Then add the tomato sauce (passata) and a ¼ cup of water. Switch off the saute setting.

  • Add the chicken thighs, give everything a mix.

  • Secure the lid and set the vent to SEALING. Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL setting and set the cooking time for 6 minutes at high pressure. The Instant Pot will take around 10 minutes to come to pressure and start cooking. When the cooking program ends, quickly release the steam.

  • Carefully remove the lid, and press on SAUTE. Stir in the cream, and allow the sauce to reduce a little (season with more salt if necessary). Taste the sauce and see if you need to add a little bit more salt.

  • Serve warm over rice with chopped parsley or cilantro.

  • Chicken breasts can also be used in this recipe, however, chicken thighs are more flavorful and are more tender. If using chicken breasts, pressure cook for 5 minutes.

  • The Passata sauce can be substituted with tomato sauce, or a can of plain tomatoes that are blended and sieved.

  • Do not add the cream before pressure cooking as it might separate.