This tamarind chicken curry is spicy, sweet, and tangy! You can make this simple recipe in an instant pot or in a slow cooker – your choice!
If you love my butter chicken recipe, you’ll love this tamarind chicken curry too 🙂
Serve this with basmati rice, jeera rice or matar pulao.
Ingredients
- 1 pound skinless and boneless chicken thighs cut into cubes
- 1 onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1- inch ginger minced
- 2 Thai bird chilies or 1 serrano pepper minced
- 1 sprig curry leaves approx 10-15 leaves
- 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 ½ teaspoons sugar optional
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 teaspoon paprika or Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon fennel powder
- 2 teaspoons tamarind paste
- 1 15 ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- Cilantro garnish
Instructions
Instant Pot Directions:
- Add all of the ingredients to the instant pot.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 5 minutes at high pressure.
- Naturally release pressure (or wait 10 minutes, then release pressure).
- Cut or shred the chicken in the pot using kitchen shears or two forks.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve
Slow Cooker Directions:
- Put all ingredients in slow cooker except for the coconut milk.
- Cook on low for 4 hours or until chicken is done, then add coconut milk and cook on low for another hour.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Did you make this recipe?Tag @myheartbeets on Instagram and hashtag it #myheartbeets!
Kate says
Out of this world good. My Indian husband and Midwestern dad both love it. Super easy, too!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
So happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out 🙂
Mary says
This was amazing Ashley!!! Thank you again!!
My Heart Beets says
Mary, I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Maneesha says
What a great recipe, Ashley! I made this over the weekend, and it was such a nice tangy chicken curry! Very different from anything I have made before! Thank you for all your innovative recipes!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Maneesha! I’m really glad you made and liked this curry 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you!
Maryanne says
Love this recipe and I make it often in my Instant Pot.
My Heart Beets says
So happy to hear that! 🙂
Noela Botelho says
Ashley, this recipe looks awesome! Do you have an instapot adaptation of the same?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Noela, I don’t but I will add it to my to-do list! I think if you follow my IP butter chicken recipe though that’ll work out! Let me know if you give it a try 🙂
Katie says
I made this last night without the chili powder in a pressure cooker. The whole family really liked it. I didn’t add any honey. It was plenty sweet. I served it with the cabbage thoran and some white rice (we aren’t paleo). I sauteed the onions, added the garlic and ginger, then the spices, then the chicken, added the tomato sauce and coconut milk and closed the lid and cooked it at high pressure for 10 minutes and did a quick release. It turned out great. My only question is did you mean 1 teaspoon of coriander powder? I just did a teaspoon because a tablespoon seemed like too much and I thought it was great. I didn’t have any fennel powder so I just ground up some fennel seeds I had. Thanks for another great recipe! Now I need more uses for the tamarind paste I have…hint hint 🙂
Orsi says
Ashley, this is amazing (just like any other recipe of yours), the definition of creaminess! Hard to stop eating it tasty!
Thank you for the recipe!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks Orsi!! I’m so glad you like it 🙂
lisa says
Hi Ashley,
I forgot: What size can of tomato sauce? Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Lisa, you’ll need a 15 ounce can. Hope that helps! Let me know what you think 🙂
Melissa says
Fantastic, made it for supper using less chili (for husband’s sake) and white instead of black pepper. He likes it, I love it.
My Heart Beets says
Melissa, so happy to hear this!! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out 🙂
Lisa says
Made the Tamarind Chicken last weekend and it is by far, my FAVE chicken dish I’ve made of yours yet! I thought nothing would trump the butter chicken, but I must say, I enjoyed this the most and I’m not even a big chicken fan! The flavors are AMAZING. I am making it again for friends tomorrow night.
Quick Question for you Ashley…Do you think this would freeze well IF there are any leftovers? Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Lisa, that’s awesome! I am so glad to hear that! I’m sure that freezing the leftovers will be just fine. Let me know what your friends think of it if you get a chance 🙂
Cara says
This is soooo amazing!! My first attempt at Indian food..I made the naan to go with it and put over rice. Such a different kind of spicy that’s savory but doesn’t burn your mouth off 🙂 thanks, love it.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Cara! So happy you loved the recipe! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out 🙂