Restaurant-quality butter chicken from “The Butter Chicken Lady” in under 30 minutes at home! Join the thousands who have made this very popular Instant Pot Butter Chicken Recipe. Super easy yet authentic Keto Indian Butter Chicken. An easy Instant Pot Chicken Recipe that’s family-friendly and ready in 30 minutes.
So many Indian Instant Pot Butter Chicken recipes lately that have no butter, no cream but that call for cornstarch, onions (heresy, y’all, no onions in butter chicken for the love of all that’s good) and coconut milk instead of cream, so I’ve decided it’s time to fix that.
Once it’s cooked and you’ve puréed and finished the sauce, you’ll TAKE OUT half the sauce and save it.
Only then will you put the chicken back. This means you now have the lovely buttery tomato-ey sauce ready for the next time you have chicken left over.
TIPS & TRICKS FOR MAKING THE INSTANT POT BUTTER CHICKEN RECIPE:
So many Indian Instant Pot Butter Chicken recipes lately that have no butter, no cream but that call for cornstarch, onions (heresy, y’all, no onions in butter chicken for the love of all that’s good) and coconut milk instead of cream, so I’ve decided it’s time to fix that.
Once it’s cooked and you’ve puréed and finished the sauce, you’ll TAKE OUT half the sauce and save it.
Only then will you put the chicken back. This means you now have the lovely buttery tomato-ey sauce ready for the next time you have chicken left over.
TIPS & TRICKS FOR MAKING THE INSTANT POT BUTTER CHICKEN RECIPE:
- Do not re-pressure cook the butter and cream filled sauce for a second time as it gets thin and unappetizing. Cook the chicken when you first make the sauce, save half the tomato sauce frozen, and when you’re ready, add cooked chicken, or paneer, and heat it through in a skillet. Instant dinner!
- For this recipe, the garam masala is very, very, important. Unlike other recipes, I didn’t use whole spices because I’ve learned that not everyone has whole cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and green cardamom lying around. So we’ll use garam masala instead.
- You’ll note there’s no added water in this recipe. Between the tomatoes and the chicken, there’s more than enough to create pressure in this recipe. Any more water and it’s going to taste insipid.
- Let the sauce cool just a little before adding the butter and the cream. Adding it to the boiling sauce will make your sauce very thin. If that happens, just put it in the fridge for a little and let it thicken up. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Restaurant-quality butter chicken in under 30 minutes at home! Join the thousands who have made this very popular Butter Chicken Recipe that went viral. Super easy yet authentic Keto Indian Butter Chicken. An easy Instant Pot Keto Recipe that's family-friendly and ready in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 14- ounce can diced tomatoes
- 5-6 cloves garlic
- 1-2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs (or use breast, bone-in, or whatever works for you. If frozen, add 1-2 minutes to total time)
- To finish
- 4 ounces butter cut into cubes (use coconut oil if dairy free)
- 4 ounces heavy cream (use full-fat coconut milk if dairy free)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/4-1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
Instant Pot instructions
- Place all ingredients into an Instant Pot in the order listed, EXCEPT for the butter, cream and 1 teaspoon of the garam masala, mixing the sauce well before you place the chicken on top of the sauce. If it's frozen, push it into the sauce a bit so it defrosts better
- Close the cooker and set for 10 mins on high, and let it release pressure naturally for 10 minutes. After that, release all remaining pressure.
- Open up the pot and remove the chicken carefully and set aside
- Blend together all the ingredients, preferably using an immersion blender
- Add the cut up butter, cream, cilantro, and garam masala and stir until well incorporated.
- It's best to let the sauce cool just a little before adding the butter and the cream. Adding it into the boiling sauce will make your sauce very thin. If that happens, just put it in the fridge for a little and let it thicken up. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon
- Take out half the sauce and freeze for later or store in the fridge for 2-3 days
- Add the chicken back in and heat through. Break it up into smaller pieces if you need but don't shred it.
- Serve over rice, or zucchini noodles
Using leftover sauce
- Use leftover cooked chicken and mix in with the gently heated sauce, let it simmer for a few for the flavors to meld together and there you go. Add some fresh cilantro on top.
- You could also use this for Paneer Makhani. Defrost a cup of peas and 1 cup of paneer and mix gently into the heated sauce and let it simmer for a few for the flavors to meld together and there you go.