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Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
4.7 from 120 votes

Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

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.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Marinating Time
2 hrs
Servings: 4
Calories: 612 kcal
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: Indian

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:
    Cup of Yum
  1. 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:
  1. 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.
  2. Add the butter, garlic, and cook until butter has melted and garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute; stirring nearly constantly.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.

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

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: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 612

% 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.