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 this Indian Butter Chicken Instant Pot Recipe?
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 Pressure Cooker Butter Chicken 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 Recipe
Instant Pot Butter Chicken Recipe
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.Â
Nutrition
Like this recipe? Then check out my cookbook: Indian Food Under Pressure for more Indian Instant Pot Recipes!
Ben says
Hello community! Love this recipe, we made it tonight and its one of my family’s favorites.
The last 2-3 times I made it I got BURN warnings from my Instapot. Does anyone have any suggestions?
I deviate from the recipe a little by browning the chicken, onions, and garlic in an electric skillet then transferring to the instapot. I then pour in the tomato sauce after adding the chicken. Should I put the tomato sauce in first?
I also double the quantities because my family likes to eat it 2 nights in a row
JV says
This is my go-to. I’ve been making it since it first appeared here. My kids love it and request it all the time
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
JV, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you and your kids like this 🙂
Neil says
I have made butter chicken (as well as some of your other recipes) from many sources and your recipes have always worked the best for me. I have been using them for a couple of years now and only today read through your “About” page and realized you and your husband are fellow Wahoos!
Thanks for posting really good and easy to make recipes. UVA ’87.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Neil, it’s so nice to know that a fellow Wahoo is enjoying my recipes! Thank you for the kind words, and Wahoowah! 🙂
Sonali says
Hands down the best butter chicken. I made it yesterday and my fussy son licked the bowl clean. Thanks Ashley, will be trying some other recipes too and let you know.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Sonali, that’s great to hear! I’m glad your son liked it so much! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out 🙂
Troy says
Great tasting meal again Ashley, this was the first dish I made in the instant pot, the pot is amazing and am so glad it has made its way down to Australia, this is going to be a regular meal for us this winter, another delicious meal again from you Ashley 😃
Now what to cook next in the pot from your library of flavorsome recipes?
Kind Regards Troy
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Troy! Happy to hear this was the first dish you made and that you have an IP now! If you haven’t tried my keema yet, give that a try! Or my chana masala 🙂
Rippa says
Hi Troy, also from Australia, can I ask what you substitued for tomato sauce in the recipe? I haven’t found canned tomato sauce in Aus supermarkets
Judy says
Love your Butter Chicken recipe!
I made this for the first time this evening and it will definitely be one of my go to recipes for an amazing dinner in under 30 minutes.
I’ve always loved Indian Cuisine but was afraid to try making it myself. The complex flavors and unfamiliar spices were intimidating until I found your recipes.
Thank you Ashley for making my journey into Indian food exciting. Your recipes are amazing and your instructions on how and why to do certain steps have opened up a whole new world for me.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Judy! I’m so glad you made and liked the butter chicken so much 🙂 Also happy to hear you’re enjoying my recipes – thank you for sharing that with me!
Paulomi Joshi says
Love all your recipe going to try this and will post pic too thank you for wonderful recipe
Can I add onion masal instead of onion and tomato sauce ?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Paulomi, I’ve tried this with onion masala and the flavor wasn’t quite the same so I still have some experimenting to do. If I figure it out, I’ll be sure to update the post 🙂