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Home » Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

Instant Pot Indian Butter Chicken

Published: Jul 30, 2023 by Kate · This post may contain affiliate links.

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Instant Pot Indian Butter Chicken recipe is a flavorful chicken dinner recipe that can be made quickly and easily in the electric pressure cooker. This tasty chicken dish makes a great weeknight dinner.

Three plates of Instant Pot Indian butter chicken and rice.

Quick and easy meals make life simpler and easier. This need for simplicity means that I am always coming up with easy dinner recipes that are straightforward and convenient - like as this Instant Pot Indian Butter Chicken.

The beauty of this Indian butter chicken recipe is that you can get plenty of flavor from this chicken in not a lot of time. The minimal hands-on prep and flavorful chicken make this recipe a delicious alternative to the usual takeout dinner.

What is Indian Butter Chicken?

Indian butter chicken, or murgh makhani, is a dish of chicken in a rich, spiced sauce. This shortcut version uses the pressure cooker to pack a lot of flavor in in a short amount of time.

How to make Instant Pot butter chicken

Step 1: Set Instant Pot to sauté.

Step 2: Add 2 tablespoons butter, and let butter melt.

Step 3: Once butter has melted, stir in onion, and cook for 3 minutes.

Diced onion sauteeing in an instant pot.

Step 4: Stir in garlic and ginger, and cook 2 minutes.

Spices and diced onion in an Instant Pot.

Step 5: Add spices, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring continuously, for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Press cancel.

Broth spices and onion in instant pot.

Step 6: Pour in chicken broth and scrape all of the browned bits from the bottom of this inner pot. This will help to avoid any burn warnings.

Tomatoes on top of onion and spices in an instant pot.

Step 7: Add tomatoes.

Pieces of chicken in tomato sauce in an instant pot.

Step 8: Add in the chicken.

Step 9: Close and lock the lid. Turn the pressure release valve to sealing.

Step 10: Press manual high pressure and adjust the cooking time to 8 minutes.

Step 11: When the cooking time has ended, let the pressure release naturally.

Yogurt and cream stirred into tomato sauce.

Step 12: Stir in heavy cream, yogurt, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter.

Step 13: Serve over rice topped with fresh cilantro.

A plate of Indian butter chicken topped with fresh cilantro.

Tips

  • Chili powder: This recipe is not spicy. If you prefer the dish to be spicier, add more to taste.
  • Chicken: I’ve also used boneless, skinless chicken breast in this recipe, and it worked well.
  • Heavy cream: Add up to ½ cup heavy cream if you prefer the dish to be creamier.
  • Yogurt: I’ve used regular and Greek yogurt. Both work well.

Serving suggestions

This dish goes well with basmati or jasmine rice and naan bread. I like to serve it topped with a little fresh cilantro.

A gold fork taking a bite of butter chicken and rice.

Storage

Store any leftover butter chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The chicken will keep for up to 4 days when properly stored in the fridge.

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If you’ve tried this Instant Pot Indian Butter Chicken recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!

You can follow me on Pinterest or Facebook even more delicious food.

Three plates of Instant Pot Indian butter chicken and rice.

Instant Pot Indian Butter Chicken

Instant Pot Indian Butter Chicken is a flavorful Indian chicken dish that pairs perfectly with rice or naan.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Pressure Release: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 297kcal
Author: Kate at Eating in an Instant

Equipment

  • Instant Pot/Electric Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup butter divided
  • 1 medium yellow or white onion diced
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 ½ - 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-size pieces
  • ⅓ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup plain yogurt
  • Cilantro

Instructions

  • Set Instant Pot to sauté.
  • Add 2 tablespoons butter, and let butter melt.
  • Once butter has melted, stir in onion, and cook for 3 minutes.
  • Stir in garlic and ginger, and cook 2 minutes.
  • Add spices, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring continuously, for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
  • Press cancel.
  • Pour in chicken broth and scrape all of the browned bits from the bottom of this inner pot. This will help to avoid any burn warnings.
  • Add the tomatoes.
  • Add in the chicken.
  • Close and lock the lid.
  • Turn the pressure release valve to sealing.
  • Press manual high pressure, and adjust the cooking time to 8 minutes.
  • When the cooking time has ended, let the pressure release naturally.
  • Stir in heavy cream, yogurt, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
  • Serve over rice topped with fresh cilantro.

Notes

  • If your Instant Pot is sensitive and prone to burn warnings, do not stir the tomatoes and chick into the sauce. 
  • Nutrition values are estimates. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 465mg | Potassium: 586mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 887IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Leave me a comment below to let me know!

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Hi! I'm Kate. Dinner can be a struggle, but the easy Instant Pot dinner recipes on this site will get you eating in an instant!

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