Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
User Reviews
4.7
120 reviews
Excellent
Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
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This Chicken Tikka Masala uses an Instant Pot to quickly cook marinated chicken breast in a creamy, spiced tomato sauce featuring garam masala, cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika. The sauce is enriched with butter and cream, garnished with fresh cilantro, balancing robust Indian flavors with creamy texture for a richly satisfying dish.
Description
Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala starts with bite-sized chicken pieces marinated in yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and warm spices including garam masala and cumin. The chicken is pressure-cooked with a sauce made from sautéed onions, butter, garlic, tomato sauce, and a mixture of spices such as garam masala, coriander, cumin, and smoked paprika. Cream is added at the end to create a creamy consistency. The result is tender, flavorful chicken pieces enveloped in a rich, spiced sauce. Fresh cilantro garnishes the dish, which can be served with naan or basmati rice for a complete meal.
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Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces, about 1.25 to 1.50 pounds, boneless skinless
- 6 ounces yogurt I use 0% fat, plain, Greek
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic minced or finely pressed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons cumin ground
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or regular paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- onion diced small, small, sweet Vidalia
- ¼ cup butter unsalted
- 4 to 5 cloves garlic minced or finely pressed
- tomato sauce one 15-ounce can or tomato puree
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or regular paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste, freshly ground
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional an to taste
- ½ cup cream use a dairy-free milk if desired, or half-and-half
- cilantro divided for garnishing, about 1/4 cup finely minced fresh
- Naan basmati rice, etc. for serving, if desired
Instructions
Chicken Marinade:
- Add all ingredients to a gallon-sized ziptop bag, seal, squish contents around to distribute evenly, and allow chicken to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 to 2 hours (overnight is ideal).
Sauce:
- Turn Crock-Pot® Express Crock Multi Cooker to brown and sauté mode, add the onion, and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes; stir intermittently.
- Add the butter, garlic, and cook until butter has melted and garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute; stirring nearly constantly.
- Add the chicken (fish it out of the marinating bag, and discard the bag with the marinade and the marinating mixture), tomato sauce, garam masala, coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, ginger, salt, pepper, optional cayenne, cover, lock the lid, and set to pressure cook mode by touching the meat/poultry button on the top lefthand corner. Make sure the steam valve is set to lock on the top/backside of the machine. It will take about 10 minutes for it to 'preheat' into the pressure cooking mode and when it has preheated, '15 minutes' will appear on the screen. You don't need all 15 minutes of pressure cooking time. Stop cooking after 10 minutes has elapsed by pressing the stop button.
- Allow pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then flick the steam valve with a utensil (the steam that escapes is hot) and remove the lid.
- Alternatively, rather than pressure cooking you can use the slow cooker mode and cook for about 4 hours on low or about 2 hours on high, or until chicken is cooked through and sauce is as thickened as desired.
- After the lid is open, set to brown and sauté mode, add the cream, stir to combine, and cook for about 2 minutes or until sauce is warmed through.
- Optionally, allow sauce to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to reduce and thicken in volume. Taste sauce to check for flavor balance and if desired make any necessary tweaks, i.e. more pepper, salt, cayenne, etc. to taste.
- Portion chicken and sauce into bowls (use a slotted spoon if desired because there is a lot of sauce), evenly garnish with cilantro, and serve with naan, basmati rice, etc. or as desired.
Equipments used:
Notes
- The recipe provides options to adjust sauce richness by reducing butter or cream, and to increase chicken quantity to 1.5 pounds if preferred.
- The dish is saucier than some versions, so adjusting the sauce amounts can customize the consistency to your preference.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1portion
Calories
612kcal
(31%)
Carbohydrates
40g
(13%)
Protein
53g
(106%)
Fat
28g
(43%)
Saturated Fat
9g
(45%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
16g
(94%)
Cholesterol
147mg
(49%)
Sodium
1730mg
(72%)
Fiber
5g
(20%)
Sugar
12g
(24%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 612 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1portion | |
| Calories | 612kcal | 31% |
| Carbohydrates | 40g | 13% |
| Protein | 53g | 106% |
| Fat | 28g | 43% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 16g | 94% |
| Cholesterol | 147mg | 49% |
| Sodium | 1730mg | 72% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 12g | 24% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
120 reviews
Excellent
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