Last updated on June 6th, 2018 at 02:10 pm
Now you can have restaurant style butter chicken homemade and in only 30 minutes. This Instant Pot Butter Chicken is extraordinary with a rich and creamy sauce and a fantastic blend of spices.
As promised, here’s my super easy butter chicken recipe that’s done in 30 minutes start to finish in an Instant Pot. I am absolutely in love with my Instant Pot and I’m just wondering what took me so long to get one. Doesn’t matter, it’s here to stay and I’m super happy with it, especially when it’s so easy to make my favorite Indian dish, butter chicken.
I’ve made butter chicken before because as I’ve just mentioned, it is my favorite, but it was always something that would take me over an hour. I mean it takes longer to order butter chicken from a restaurant and have it delivered, but as I always say homemade is always better.
I love Indian food in general but for some reason butter chicken is always my go to dish. I think it’s the rich and creamy tomato sauce that I love so much and that chicken that practically melts in your mouth. Which is why I love to use chicken thighs for this dish but chicken breast works as well. Totally up to you.
The great part about using the Instant Pot to make this is that the chicken cooks really quick, 5 minutes to be exact. The reason this takes a bit longer is because you have to wait for the Instant Pot to be cool enough and all the pressure gone so that you can open the lid safely.
The thing that might scare you away from making butter chicken are all the spices. What I usually do is once or twice a month I’ll buy a spice that I don’t have, so within a few months you have all sort of spices and it won’t feel like you had to spend all that money at once. I’ve been doing this for a while now and you should see my spice cabinet. One of these days I’ll take a picture and show you guys. The great thing is that spices do tend to last for a few years, so you have plenty of time to use them all. I recommend storing spices in a cool and dark cupboard, away from direct heat or sunlight.
Check out the video to see just how super easy it is to make this butter chicken and what a great way to use that Instant Pot!
Love Instant Pot recipes? Try these out:
If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #jocooks on Instagram so we can see it. I always love to see what you guys come up with!
Now you can have restaurant style butter chicken homemade and in only 30 minutes. This Instant Pot butter chicken is extraordinary with a rich and creamy sauce and a fantastic blend of spices.
- 3 tbsp butter unsalted
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp fresh ginger minced (or paste)
- 1 cup tomato puree or passata
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp coriander ground
- 1 tsp cumin ground
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 lbs chicken thighs boneless and skinless, cut into pieces
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
Turn your Instant Pot to the saute setting. (See your manufacturer's guide for detailed instructions on how to use your instant pot.)
Add the butter and cook until the butter has melted. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for another minute or until the garlic becomes aromatic. Do not cook too long because you don't want to burn it.
Add the tomato puree and tomato paste to the Instant Pot and stir. Add the garam masala, coriander, cumin, paprika, turmeric and salt to the Instant Pot, stir and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the chicken thighs, water and stir everything together. There should be enough liquid in the pot to cover the chicken, so add more water if needed.
Close the lid (follow the manufacturer's guide for instructions on how to close the instant pot lid). Set the Instant Pot to the Poultry setting and set the timer to 5 minutes.
Once the Instant Pot cycle is complete, wait until the natural release cycle is complete, should take about 10 minutes. Follow the manufacturer's guide for quick release, if in a rush. Carefully unlock and remove the lid from the instant pot.
Switch the Instant Pot to the saute setting (do not put the lid on). Add the whipping cream and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken and reduce a bit. You don't want it to reduce too much.
Turn off the Instant Pot and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve warm over rice and with naan.
Recipe Video
I strongly recommend reading the manufacturer's guide for instructions on how to use your Instant Pot before attempting this recipe.
Chicken breasts can also be used.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
Sounds so delish! Due to my lack of planning…..how would I adjust the cooking time using frozen chick thighs?
25 minutes will be more than enough for frozen chicken thighs. I’ll pop chicken breasts straight from the freezer in my IP for 12 minutes and they’re done. It’s an amazing pot!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I went to an Indian restaurant last week and had this butter chicken for the first time. It was so good that I had to try and recreate it.
I used this recipe at tonight and it came out almost identical! I didn’t have an instant pot so I used my slow cooker. Can’t wait to make it again
Love hearing this!
This recipe is a family favorite! It’s great with jasmine rice, and even MY KIDS love it (who are usually really picky). I’ve tried to make it with white meat, but dark meat is the way to go.
Much more tender and doesn’t dry out. Thanks for sharing.
We LOVE this recipe! It’s become a regular in our house! So good!!
Hi Jo!
I love this recipe and have eaten it many times!
I was wondering if this recipe can also be used in a crockpot/slow cooker or if some changes would be needed. Thanks!
Follow all the instructions the exact same, and then cook on low for 4-5 hours. Enjoy!
So simple and so delish! I am a huuuuge Indian food fan and this has become one of my favorites. I would just recommend measuring everything out before hand so that your can just throw it all in while you continue to stir. Maybe it’s just my instant pot, but I had to constantly stir so that the paste you’re making didn’t burn! Thank you for this recipe! 🙌
Hi Jo, my husband doesn’t like Indian food so I want to make this for just myself. If I want to cut this recipe in half, should the cooking time be the same?
Yes cooking time will be the same!
Absolutely amazing!! Probably one of the best butter chicken recipes I have ever tasted, let alone made! My dinner guests were raving, thanks so much for the recipe, definitely adding this to the roster!
I’m so glad you like it, we make this often too, it’s one of our favorites!
I made this recipe for my family it was so easy and quick. The biggest challenge was finding the spice Masal. My family absolutely loved it. The chicken was tender and full of flavor. It will be a regular supper going forward.