Instant Pot Butter Chicken Recipe
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
5 mins
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Cook Time
20 mins
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Total Time
25 mins
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Servings
5
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Calories
369 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Indian
Instant Pot Butter Chicken Recipe
Description
Instant Pot Butter Chicken features bone-in chicken thighs cooked alongside a bundle of whole spices like cinnamon, cardamom, peppercorns, and cloves, together with ground turmeric, coriander, Kashmiri red chili powder, and garam masala. Fresh ingredients including onion, garlic, ginger, tomato, and cashews create a flavorful base. After pressure cooking, the spices and vegetables are blended into a smooth sauce. Adding cream and honey balances the spices with richness and subtle sweetness. The chicken is cut into pieces and stirred back into the sauce, yielding tender meat enveloped in a creamy curry. This preparation offers warm, layered flavors and luscious texture.
The sauce's thickness improves upon cooling and tastes even better the next day. You can alter the tomato level or add tomato paste to adjust color. The sauce freezes well and can be adapted for vegan options by substituting cream with coconut cream, butter with oil, and chicken with tofu or vegetables, which can be simmered after the sauce is made. Cooking rice pot-in-pot in the Instant Pot alongside the curry makes a complete meal.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoon butter (replace with oil for dairy free)
- 1 green chili pepper (optional)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds aka Jeera
- 1/2 onion large, cut in large pieces
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 4 tomato cut in large pieces
- 1/4 cup cashews
- 2 tablespoon fenugreek leaves dried, aka Kasoori Methi
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup cream heavy whipping or coconut cream
- 1 tablespoon honey
- cilantro to garnish
Spices
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder ground, aka Haldi powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder dhaniya powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder adjust to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon salt
Whole Spices
- 2" inch cassia cinnamon stick, aka Dalchini
- 5 green cardamom aka Elaichi
- 2 black cardamom Moti Elaichi
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon cloves aka Laung
Instructions
- Make a spice pouch by adding the whole spices to a cheesecloth. Tie it such that the spices cannot come out of it.
- Except chicken, cream, honey and cilantro, add all ingredients and spice pouch to the Instant Pot including the spices. Place chicken thighs on top of the ingredients. Close lid with vent in sealing position.
- Set the instant pot to manual or pressure cook mode for 8 minutes. After the instant pot beeps, do a 10 minute natural pressure release. This means let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then manually release the pressure.
- Remove the spice pouch and chicken carefully. Blend the contents in the instant pot with an immersion blender or regular blender to a smooth paste. If using regular blender, you may need to cool the ingredients before blending. Get the contents back to the instant pot.
- Add the cream and honey. Stir into the sauce.
- Cut chicken to smaller pieces and add back to the sauce. Stir them into the sauce.
- Butter Chicken is ready to be served. Garnish with cilantro.
Notes
- The sauce thickens and develops flavor when cooled or reheated the next day.
- Adjust tomato content or add tomato paste for a deeper red sauce color.
- The curry sauce can be frozen for later use.
- Vegan options include coconut cream, oil instead of butter, and tofu or vegetables in place of chicken.
- Cook white basmati rice pot-in-pot during pressure cooking for a convenient meal.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 5Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 369 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 369kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 14g | 5% |
| Protein | 17g | 34% |
| Fat | 27g | 42% |
| Saturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 117mg | 39% |
| Sodium | 627mg | 26% |
| Potassium | 520mg | 11% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 1365IU | 27% |
| Vitamin C | 17.4mg | 19% |
| Calcium | 39mg | 4% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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