Instant Pot Butter Chicken

This instant pot butter chicken is one of those recipes I make over and over again. It’s rich, creamy, and full of flavor – and it comes together so fast thanks to the pressure cooker.

If you’ve ever ordered butter chicken from a restaurant and wished you could make it at home, this is your sign. It honestly tastes just as good, maybe even better because you control the spices and the sweetness.

The sauce is the real star here. It’s tomato-based with warm spices, a touch of cream, and a little honey to balance everything out. It coats the chicken perfectly.

The whole thing takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. That includes searing the chicken, building the sauce, and pressure cooking. Not bad for a meal that tastes like it took hours.

Serve it over basmati rice or with some warm naan and you’ve got a seriously satisfying dinner that the whole family will enjoy.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

Restaurant-Quality Butter Chicken at Home – This recipe gives you that rich, creamy, perfectly spiced butter chicken you’d get at your favorite Indian restaurant, but you’re making it right in your own kitchen for a fraction of the price.

Done in Under 30 Minutes – Between the quick sear, 10 minutes of pressure cooking, and a short simmer at the end, you’ve got a full-flavored butter chicken dinner on the table faster than delivery would show up.

The Sauce Is Incredibly Velvety – The combination of crushed tomatoes, heavy cream, and honey creates this luscious, silky sauce that clings to every piece of chicken. It’s the kind of sauce you’ll want to soak up with extra naan.

Chicken Thighs Stay Super Tender – Pressure cooking boneless chicken thighs means they come out juicy and fall-apart tender every single time. No dry, rubbery chicken here – the Instant Pot basically makes it foolproof.

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 2 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
• 1 tbsp Garam Masala
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 1 tsp Salt

For the Sauce

• 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 large Yellow Onion, diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Fresh Ginger, grated
• 1 can (14 oz) Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 tbsp Garam Masala
• 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 tbsp Honey
• 1 tsp Salt
• Fresh Cilantro for garnish

Directions

Step 1

Season the chicken thighs with garam masala, turmeric, and salt. Set the instant pot to saute mode, add the butter and olive oil, and sear the chicken for 2 minutes per side until lightly golden. Remove and set aside on a plate.

Step 2

In the same pot, add the diced onion and cook for 3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and stir in the garam masala, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, and salt.

Step 3

Return the chicken to the pot, nestling the pieces into the sauce. Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.

Step 4

Quick release the pressure. Remove the chicken, cut it into bite-sized pieces, and return it to the pot. Switch to saute mode and stir in the heavy cream and honey. Let the sauce simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens to a rich, velvety consistency.

Step 5

Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve over basmati rice or with warm naan bread, garnished with fresh cilantro.

Pro Tips

Season and Sear the Chicken Right

After you season the chicken thighs with the garam masala, turmeric, and salt, let them sit for about 10 minutes at room temperature before searing. This gives the spices a chance to stick to the surface and helps the chicken brown better when it hits the hot pot.

When you sear, make sure the butter and oil are really hot and shimmering before you place the chicken in. Don’t move the pieces around during those 2 minutes per side. Just let them sit and develop that golden crust.

The chicken doesn’t need to be cooked through at this stage. You just want color on the outside because it adds a ton of flavor to the final dish. It will finish cooking under pressure later.

Don’t Rush the Onions, Garlic, and Ginger

After you remove the chicken, keep the pot on saute mode and let the onions cook the full 3 minutes. Stir them around so they pick up all those browned bits left behind from the chicken. Those little bits are packed with flavor and will dissolve right into your sauce.

When you add the garlic and ginger, keep stirring constantly for the full 30 seconds. Garlic burns fast on the saute setting and burnt garlic will give your whole sauce a bitter taste that you can’t fix.

If you notice the bottom of the pot looks dry or things are sticking too much, add a tiny splash of water or broth to loosen things up before moving on.

Nestle the Chicken Into the Sauce Properly

When you return the chicken to the pot in step 3, push the pieces down so they are mostly covered by the tomato sauce. You don’t want chicken sitting on top completely exposed because those pieces won’t cook as evenly.

Also, don’t stir everything together at this point. Just push the chicken down gently and leave it. Stirring can cause the thicker sauce to settle on the bottom, and that increases the chance of getting a burn notice on your Instant Pot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I substitute the heavy cream to make this butter chicken lighter or dairy-free?

Yes, full-fat coconut cream is the best dairy-free swap and it actually pairs really well with the warm spices in this recipe. You can also use half-and-half if you just want something a bit lighter but don’t need it to be dairy-free.

Just stir it in at the end the same way you would with the heavy cream. The sauce might be slightly thinner with a substitute, so let it simmer an extra minute or two if needed.