Instant Pot Butter Chicken

This recipe for Instant Pot Butter Chicken is so flavorful and easy to make! The pressure cooker seals in all the flavor, so you can even skip marinating the meat. This recipe is a family favorite and tastes like what you’d get at an Indian restaurant, but it’s even better!

This is the best Butter Chicken! And it’s so easy to make!

Instant Pot Butter Chicken, also known as murgh makhani, is restaurant-quality. It’s one of the most popular recipes on my blog and with good reason. This butter chicken dish is the perfect blend of tomato flavor, creaminess, and masala.

Over the past couple of days, I’ve eaten butter chicken for breakfast, lunch, and dinner… and I haven’t gotten tired of it. And now that it’s all gone, I actually miss it! Trust me, this dish is so good that you’re going to want to put this on your weekly dinner menu rotation.

It’s so simple to make this restaurant-style dish right at home. The instant pot simplifies the cooking process so much so that you can have this done from prep to plate in thirty minutes and a good chunk of that time is hands-off. Amazing, right? That’s less time than it takes to get takeout.

What do I serve with Butter Chicken?

You can serve butter chicken with any Indian flatbread or with rice. Here are a few options:

And here are some options for sides that work well with butter chicken:

And if you are planning to make the butter chicken for a dinner party, check out my blog post about throwing an Indian dinner party. 🙂

Can I make this without an Instant Pot?

Don’t have an Instant Pot? Here’s how to make stovetop butter chicken using a regular ol’ pot. And if you want to try and switch things up, give this meatless version a try: butter chickpeas (vegan)!

Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Instant Pot Butter Chicken

This is one of the most popular recipes on my blog! It truly is restaurant-quality, if not better. There’s one ingredient listed below that you may not have used before: dried fenugreek leaves, also known as kasoori methi. Even though this recipe only calls for a small amount, this particular ingredient gives butter chicken it’s distinct taste. I know it might take a little effort to find this ingredient, but please try! I buy dried fenugreek leaves from either amazon or my local Indian grocery store.

4.87 from 123 reviews

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Servings 5

Cuisine Indian

Ingredients

 

• ▢ 2 tablespoons ghee
• ▢ 1 onion diced
• ▢ 5 teaspoons minced garlic
• ▢ 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• ▢ 1 ½ pounds skinless and boneless chicken thighs cut into quarters

Spices

• ▢ 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garam masala
• ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground cumin

• ▢ 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce

Add later:

• ▢ 2 green bell peppers chopped into medium-sized chunks/squares
• ▢ ¼ cup heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk adjust to preference
• ▢ 1 teaspoon crushed dried fenugreek leaves kasoori methi
• ▢ Cilantro garnish

Instructions

 

• Press the sauté button and add the ghee and onions to the pot. Stir-fry the onions for 6-7 minutes or until the onions begin to brown.
• Add the garlic, ginger, and chicken. Stir-fry the chicken for 4-5 minutes, making sure to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
• Add the spices and give everything a good mix.
• Stir in the tomato sauce.
• Secure the lid, close the pressure valve, and cook for 5 minutes at high pressure.
• Open the valve to quick release any remaining pressure.
• Press the sauté button, add the bell peppers and cook until they soften to your liking.
• Stir in the cream and fenugreek leaves.
• Garnish with cilantro if desired, then serve.

Video

Notes

• I have made a few adjustments to update this recipe (2021). My original recipe (in my cookbook) called for ½ cup of heavy cream, but I now think ¼ cup is enough. Feel free to add more heavy cream if you’d like. I have also reduced the cook time. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 327kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 28gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 177mgSodium: 600mgPotassium: 513mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 803IUVitamin C: 41mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 2mg

Did you make this recipe?Tag @myheartbeets on Instagram and hashtag it #myheartbeets!

Like this recipe? Then check out my cookbook: Indian Food Under Pressure for more Indian Instant Pot Recipes!

Looking for more Indian Instant Pot Recipes? Try these!