Instant Pot Butter Chicken

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/24/23
Instant Pot Butter Chicken

The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

Prep: 12 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Pressure Build/Release: 27 mins
Total: 54 mins
Servings: 6 servings

If you polled a crowd on what their favorite Indian dishes were, you would probably find butter chicken up at the top. A much-loved Indian dish, it originated in the 1950s in a Delhi restaurant. The rich combination of butter, spices, tomato, and cream makes a velvety sauce that has become a worldwide favorite. The complex flavors come from a variety of spices, which include garam masala, cumin, and coriander. Garlic and ginger add to that flavor and the finishing touch of butter and cream gives the dish its signature texture.

While many butter chicken recipes begin with a yogurt and spice marinade for the chicken, this pressure cooker version requires very little prep time. Boneless chicken thighs are used in this dish because of their excellent tender texture, but feel free to make the dish with boneless chicken breasts.

Serve this delicious butter chicken with white or brown rice, naan bread, and yogurt, if desired.

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons ghee

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 tablespoon ginger, minced

  • 1 tablespoon garam masala

  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

  • 1 teaspoon paprika

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste

  • 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken stock

  • 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, with juices

  • 1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs

  • 4 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 2/3 cup heavy cream

  • 1 teaspoon honey

  • 1/4 cup cilantro chopped

  • 1 cup rice, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Instant Pot Butter Chicken ingredients

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  2. Put 3 tablespoons of the ghee or butter in the Instant Pot and choose the sauté setting. When the fat is hot, add the onions. Cook, stirring frequently until the onion is softened. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute longer.

    onions, garlic and ginger with butter in an instant pot

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  3. Add the garam masala, turmeric, paprika, kosher salt, coriander, cumin, and cayenne pepper; cook for 1 minute longer. Cancel the sauté setting.

    garam masala, turmeric, paprika, kosher salt, coriander, cumin, and cayenne pepper added to the onion mixture in the instant pot

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  4. Add the chicken stock, then the tomatoes. Layer the boneless chicken thighs on the tomato layer; do not stir.

    chicken on top of the spice mixture in the instant pot

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  5. Lock the lid in place and turn the venting knob to the sealing position. Choose the manual setting, high pressure, and set it for 10 minutes. When the time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. Carefully release the remaining pressure and remove the Instant Pot lid.

    chicken cooking in an instant pot

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  6. Remove the chicken thighs to a cutting board and set aside.

    cooked chicken on a cutting board

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  7. Purée the sauce with an immersion blender. Add the tomato paste and set the pot on the low sauté setting. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until the sauce is reduced slightly and thickened as desired. Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons of ghee or butter, along with the cream.

    sauce in the instant pot, cream and butter on the side

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  8. Cut the chicken thighs into bite-size pieces and return the pieces to the pot. Cook until hot. Taste and add 1 teaspoon of honey, if desired. Stir in half of the chopped cilantro. Serve the butter chicken with hot cooked rice and garnish with the remaining cilantro.

    Instant Pot Butter Chicken

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

Tip

The pressure cooker relies on a certain amount of liquid to produce the steam necessary to come to pressure. It's for this reason that 1/3 cup of chicken stock is added to the bottom of the pot. If you stir the stock and tomatoes together, the mixture could become too thick to come to pressure.

Recipe Variation

Even though it is called butter chicken, many cooks make it with vegetable oil or coconut oil. Feel free to swap out part or all of the butter with cooking oil.

Can I Use Frozen Chicken Thighs?

You can add frozen chicken thighs directly into the Instant Pot; just increase the cooking time to 12 minutes.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
496 Calories
35g Fat
11g Carbs
39g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 496
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 35g 44%
Saturated Fat 18g 89%
Cholesterol 247mg 82%
Sodium 598mg 26%
Total Carbohydrate 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 39g
Vitamin C 13mg 64%
Calcium 81mg 6%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 767mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)