This Instant Pot butter chicken recipe with coconut milk makes healthy Indian restaurant quality meal at home in pressure cooker in 30 minutes. Butter chicken is the only Indian recipe we make at home because we just love it!
Our family is not huge on eating out because it is extremely expensive, hard to eat healthy, and frankly it’s hard to be wow-ed because we can cook. Once you learn how to cook easy healthy dishes (like the ones from ifoodreal.com haha), your takeout bill drops dramatically. We would rather make $15 butter chicken in Instant Pot and eat it all weekend.
MY LATEST RECIPESWhat Are Instant Pot Butter Chicken Spices
If you are an Indian cook, you can judge me all you want and tell us, Westerners, we do not cook Indian dishes in true authentic way. I see a difference between my grandma’s Ukrainian borscht, pierogies and cabbage rolls, and their Westernized versions. However, it’s about what you grew up to know, your family’s taste buds and diet preferences.
- Yellow curry powder
- Garam masala
- Chili powder
This is kid friendly version. Want it spicier? Add more curry powder.
How to Substitute Garam Masala
Use 1 part cumin plus 1/4 part allspice or any combination of coriander, cumin, black Peppercorns, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg.
What Is the Best Coconut Milk for Instant Pot Indian Butter Chicken
- From a can, not from a carton.
- Full fat, no low fat.
- Organic or coconut milk + guar gum as ingredients. My favourite brand is Thai Kitchen.
How to Turn Instant Pot Butter Chicken Into a Freezer Meal
Assemble ingredients minus all water and cornstarch in the order listed in teh recipe and freeze uncooked in gallon size Ziploc bag. When ready to cook, cook from frozen following recipe’s instructions + 2 cups water increasing time to 30 minutes. After follow whisk 1/4 cup water with 3 tbsp cornstarch and Saute until thickened.
Check out my full list of healthy freezer meals. I’m obsessed!
How to Make Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- In Instant Pot, add ingredients in exact order as listed above: water, onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, garam masala, chili powder, salt, pepper, coconut milk, tomato paste, maple syrup and chicken.
- Close the lid, set pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cooking on High for 20 minutes. Display will say ON, Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to come to pressure, you will see a bit of steam coming out from a valve, then float valve will rise and countdown will begin.
- After 20 minutes, Instant Pot will beep, display will say OFF and now it needs to bring pressure down before you can open it, which will be indicated by a dropped down float valve. You can let it do it on its own which will take about 20 minutes – Natural Release. OR you can do Quick Release by turning pressure valve to Venting position, which takes 2-3 minutes. I recommend doing so outside to avoid the mess and smell.
- Open the lid and press Sauté (cancel Keep Warm if it’s on). In a small bowl, whisk water and cornstarch with a fork, pour over chicken and stir gently. Cook for a few minutes until sauce has thickened a bit. Serve with brown rice, garnished with cilantro and green onions.
Instant Pot Butter Chicken
This Instant Pot Butter Chicken Recipe with coconut milk makes healthy restaurant quality meal at home, in your electric pressure cooker, in 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 inch ginger root, minced
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 14 oz can coconut milk, full fat
- 6 oz can tomato paste
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 – 3.5 lbs chicken drumsticks or thighs*
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 4 tbsp cornstarch
- Cilantro and green onion, for garnish
- Brown rice, for serving
Instructions
- In Instant Pot, add ingredients in exact order as listed above: water, onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, garam masala, chili powder, salt, pepper, coconut milk, tomato paste, maple syrup and chicken.
- Close the lid, set pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cooking on High for 20 minutes. Display will say ON, Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to come to pressure, you will see a bit of steam coming out from a valve, then float valve will rise and countdown will begin.
- After 20 minutes, Instant Pot will beep, display will say OFF and now it needs to bring pressure down before you can open it, which will be indicated by a dropped down float valve. You can let it do it on its own which will take about 20 minutes – Natural Release. OR you can do Quick Release by turning pressure valve to Venting position, which takes 2-3 minutes. I recommend doing so outside to avoid the mess and smell.
- Open the lid and press Sauté (cancel Keep Warm if it’s on). In a small bowl, whisk water and cornstarch with a fork, pour over chicken and stir gently. Cook for a few minutes until sauce has thickened a bit. Serve with brown rice, garnished with cilantro and green onions.
Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in a fridge or on a counter.
Freezer Meal: Assemble ingredients minus all water and cornstarch in the order listed above and freeze uncooked in gallon size Ziploc bag. When ready to cook, cook from frozen following recipe’s instructions + 2 cups water increasing time to 30 minutes. After follow Step 4.
Notes
*You can use boneless chicken breasts or thighs as well. Cooking time will be 15 minutes.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.
I did not know that you could put maple syrup in Indian food! I tried it and it was delicious. This is so easy, healthy and exciting. Thank you for this recipe.
★★★★★
You are welcome. Any sweetener to offset the acidity in tomatoes.:)
Found this recipe while looking for an Instant Pot Butter Chicken recipe. This was sooo good. Perfectly spicy and saucy. Will make this one over and over again, I’m sure.
★★★★★
This was fantastic!!! Thanks for such a delicious and easy recipe! Yum!!
★★★★★
Butter Chicken is one of my favorite recipes. I like that it’s from scratch and super easy to throw together.
★★★★★
This was my first attempt at making anything Indian from scratch and not using a sauce from a bottle full of preservatives and other crap.
IT WAS DELICIOUS!
My 17yo son nearly licked a hole through his plate and had THREE helpings.
Next time, for my personal taste I plan on doubling the spice.. but start with it as is and adjust to your own liking! You will not be disappointed it was SOOOOO quick and easy (as is everything Instant Pot!!!)
★★★★★
This was my first official instapot recipe and I couldn’t have been happier! It was so easy and so full of flavor. We paired it with roasted veggies and a spinach salad for dinner! Another hit, thanks Olena!!!
★★★★★
This is absolutely DELICIOUS.
Will be a new staple in our house, so quick & easy!!! I used a whole cut up chicken (skinned) it came out perfectly. Might have to do 2 batches next time though, it sure didn’t last long!! Highly recommend to anyone!!
★★★★★
Made this with chicken breast and loved it! The combo if flavours is so tasty!
★★★★★
You are welcome!:)
Every thing you do is awesome. Thanks so much for helping me feed my family delicious wholesome meals!
★★★★★
You are welcome, Christy! You work hard at feeding your family healthy! Good job!