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 an an Indian restaurant, but it’s even better. I really should have called this recipe: Better Butter Chicken. Or heck I’m about to throw modesty out the window and call this The Best Butter Chicken.
This Instant Pot Butter Chicken, also known as murgh makhani, is absolutely restaurant-quality. This authentic butter chicken dish is the perfect blend of tomato flavor, creaminess and masala.
This is one of the recipes in my Indian Instant Pot Cookbook: Indian Food Under Pressure.
MY LATEST VIDEOSOver the past couple days, I’ve eaten butter chicken for breakfast, lunch and dinner… and I haven’t even gotten tired of it. And now that it’s all gone, I actually really miss it…
Is it weird that I miss food when it’s gone? I have this thing that I do when I’m eating where I take foreverrr to eat the last bite of what’s on my plate because I know when I finish, it’s gone. Roby has a funny thing he does too: he saves the best thing on his plate for last. He like, sets it to the side of his plate. What’s HILARIOUS is when other friends/family members think that he just doesn’t like whatever it is that he set aside and ask if they can eat it. He always says yes because he’s the nicest person ever – then I usually end up laughing like some crazy person because I KNOW. LOL. I’m literally laughing as I write this… I’m the worst, I know.
Okay, silly story aside – the cool thing about this recipe for butter chicken is that you can make it in a jiffy by using an Instant Pot, an electronic pressure cooker (yes, I use words like “jiffy” IRL). You can use the Instant Pot like a slow cooker if you want, but why would you? That’s like asking if you want to eat dinner in 15 minutes or 8 hours…
What Can I Serve with this Butter Chicken?
Serve this with basmati rice (see my recipe for Instant Pot Perfect Basmati Rice) or an Indian flatbread. I also have plenty of other Instant Pot Indian recipes in my cookbook that you can make to go alongside this dish
If you are gluten-free or grain-free, then try serving this dish with my Paleo Naan or if you have my eBook – make my Coconut Flour Naan. Oh, oh! And if you have my eBook you can also serve this with jeera cauli rice, dairy-free cucumber raita, potato pakoras (as a side or app!) and for dessert, GULAB JAMUN.
Can I make this without an Instant Pot?
Don’t have an Instant Pot? Here’s how to make 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!
Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Yield: 5
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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.
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 in large pieces
- ½ cup heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk
- Pinch of 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 6-7 minutes or until the outside of the chicken is no longer pink.
- Add the spices and give everything a good mix. Stir in the tomato sauce.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 8 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.
Like this recipe? Then check out my cookbook: Indian Food Under Pressure for more Indian Instant Pot Recipes!
***Update: While you can follow the steps in this video please know that I have made some changes to the written directions. I suggest using the written recipe but either way works!***
PS did you watch until the veryyyy end of my YouTube video? Roby (my husband/hot tech guy) makes a cameo!
Hi Ashley — It was getting late tonight and I needed to figure out something for dinner. I toyed with takeout, but couldn’t stand the thought of it, so I checked your site for a quick recipe. I had everything I needed to make your Instant Pot Butter Chicken and it has become an “instant” (ha!) favorite for my family. My 11 y/o said it tastes like something you would get at a really good Indian restaurant in London. High praise indeed. Thanks for saving dinner! p.s. I even put the chicken in half frozen b/c I didn’t have time to thaw it all the way and it turned out great — fully cooked and very tender.
Hi Rebecca!! I’m so glad you made this over takeout!! Thanks so much for letting me know how it turned out 🙂 Also, your 11-year-old’s compliment totally made my day 🙂
Did you use coconut cream from jarred coconut milk or coconut manna in a jar, or those small cans that actually say coconut cream?
I use coconut cream from a can. If you find a can that’s just coconut cream you can use that or you can buy a full-fat can of coconut milk and put it in the fridge overnight then scoop the cream that settles on top and use that. Hope that helps!
Just made this today Ash. As with everything else, excellent. I made mine with cauliflower rice and a side of karela stirfry also from here. Never had that veggie before but WOW… love it. Mighty healthy too.
https://www.instagram.com/paleo_tomek/
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Awesome!! And I love the pics 🙂
These look amazing! love that they are pretty healthy too.
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Thanks!!
If I make it with chicken breast, how many minutes in the instant pot?
I just made this with chicken breast and did 6 minutes and it was fine . Hope that helps!
I also added a green chili after the onions for a little heat – was perfect! Thanks Ashley!
Glad you liked it, Lisa! 🙂
I make your original recipe for this all the time and I am so very excited to see you updated it for the Instant Pot! Thank you!
Awesome!! 🙂 Hope you love this version just as much!
mmm it is soo good. And I love love love using my instant pot!
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happy to hear that, Xenia! 🙂
This was super easy to make and really rich, flavorful and delicious. My husband was also a huge fan. Definitely will repeat this one in the future! I used chicken breast meat instead of thigh and they were still flavorful and not too dry at all. Also: extra star for Instant Pot recipe!! That is my favorite kitchen tool of all time and I get excited every time you post recipes for it – thank you!!
Happy to hear that!! Thanks so much for letting me know how it turned out 🙂 And I’ll keep working on more Instant Pot recipes!
Hi Ashley,
Wow!!!!!
I just bought the Instant Pot because of this recipe and your Carne Guisada recipe. You’ll be happy to know that I bought it through your referral link and it just arrived yesterday. Your butter chicken was my maiden voyage with IP and the results were AMAZING!! My wife said, “OMG!! That’s better than any Indian food dish we’ve ever had out!!”. This dish is so rich with many layers of flavor!! I’m glad I took the time to find the fenugreek leaves…..I believe it makes a big difference. Your butter chicken definitely earned “keeper” status.
The only minor thing I would have changed is the texture of the bell pepper. They ended up a little overcooked. However, I’m pretty sure that was my bad because I misunderstood the directions for natural release and ended up cooking it a tad longer than I should have. Next time, I’m trying quick release!!
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Thanks for the review, Mickey!! I’m so happy to hear that you and your wife liked my recipe 🙂 If you prefer crisper veggies, you can cook the dish without them, then once it’s done add the bell pepper in and set the IP to manual for 1 minute to soften them a bit.
Perfect!! That’s exactly inline with what I was thinking for the next go round 🙂 I will probably try the IP Carne Guisada recipe next.
Hi, the dish looks amazing. I am going to try it real soon.
Quick question though, why did you say the dish was dairy free ? did you mean, I can replace the ghee/butter with oil ?
Hi, technically, it’s only lactose-free but yes, you can replace the ghee with oil! Hope you enjoy it!
Ok, that makes sense. I’m allergic to the protein in the milk and dairy in any form makes me break out in hives. I’m always looking for dairy free recipes.
I love ur site btw, many awesome recipes 🙂
Hi, I followed the recipe to a “T” but the bottom ingredients scorched in the pot. Luckily, I noticed before I’d mixed all the burnt bits into the sauce. The sauce tasted good, but I’d like to avoid scorching in the future. What’s the secret?
Hi Staci, did you have all the ingredients ready to go? When it comes to cooking Indian food in the Instant Pot, I always have everything ready, that way if something looks like it’s about to burn, I’m able to go to the next step. For example, I suggest getting all your spices together because if you add them one by one, then they may begin to burn. Anyway, I hope that helps!
Hi Ashley!
No need to marinate the chicken on this one? I’m a HUGE fan of your regular butter chicken recipe 🙂 And I got an Instant Pot a couple of weeks ago and have been using it almost every other day.
Thanks!
Hi Dinis! Nah… I feel like if I’m taking the lazy route (Instant Pot) I’m not going to marinate the chicken lol and honestly, I don’t think you’ll notice the difference. I hope you love the recipe! 🙂
This is so, so, so good! Reminds me of my mom’s butter chicken. The chicken is so soft and creamy. All of Ashley’s recipes remind me of my mom’s food and that is meant as the highest compliment. I’m so glad I can now recreate these recipes and feed them to my toddler (who loved the butter chicken by the way!)
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Thanks, Fatima!! And having someone tell me that my recipes taste like their mom’s is definitely the best compliment I can get 🙂 So glad you and your little one love the recipe!
I made a chicken in the InstantPot last night and it was rather bland, with quite a bit of it left. I thought it might work for this recipe tonight, so I stripped the chicken, threw in the pieces, and yes it was delicious. I set it for 5 minutes. It was a bit dry, so if I ever use precooked chicken again I might just cook it for 4 or 3 minutes. I have also made your other Butter Chicken recipe, they are both fabulous. But I do love using the InstantPot whenever possible. This was very easy, thank you.
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Awesome! Love that you made this with leftover chicken 🙂
Hey Ashley,
I’m a 26 y.o single guy, health nut and super lazy when it comes too cooking. I wasn’t sure if an Instant pot is a good enough investment over a regular slow cooker. Your blog sold me on it and I’m ordering one right away.
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PR, you won’t be disappointed! It’s worth every penny! I use my IP every single day – from steaming my hard-boiled eggs in the mornings to making quick dinners at night. You might as well donate that slow cooker of yours 😉
Hi the tomato sauce …..do you mean pasata / Tin of tomatoes ..
Or do you mean ketchup?
Waiting for my instant pot to arrive and just wanted to make sure I had ingredient. Also the fenugreek , can you use powder version?
Can’t wait to try your recipes they look amazing. 🙂
Hi Lisa, here’s a link to the tomato sauce that I use. I’ve also added this to the list of ingredients in the recipe. As for the fenugreek – use dried fenugreek leaves, not powdered seeds. The seeds have a bitter taste compared to the leaves. Hope that helps and hope you love the dish! 🙂
Canned tomato sauce is different than canned tomatoes. I think tomato sauce is a typically American style preparation that is not readily available overseas. I may be wrong, but your term pasata/tinned tomatoes and confusion about ketchup implies to me that you do not live in the US. Having an English husband and having traveled/lived overseas, I know that ketchup is often called tomato sauce outside the US, but in the US the two are very different and almost never used interchangeably.
Tomato sauce is a thin, smooth, seasoned tomato sauce that is more like a simple cream of tomato soup – to me canned tomato sauce is a bit like a rather watered down, anemic version of a spaghetti/pasta sauce. It’s not sweet and thick like ketchup, though it’s pureed that smoothly. There’s more seasoning than just canned tomatoes. The can I have next to me lists tomato puree, sea salt, onion powder, garlic powder, citric acid as ingredients. If not available in your area, pureed canned/tinned tomatoes (or puree whole canned tomatoes yourself) with added onion powder and garlic powder, salt to taste should work. Hope that helps.
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I would absolutely love a recipe for Chicken/Mutton biriyani on the instant pot.
Oh, that’s a good idea – I’ll have to experiment!
I’m already excited !!
Hi, thank you for this recipe! The butter chicken turned out great, and I have a whole packet of fenugreek leaves so I plan to make this often! At first I thought there was a lot of sauce, but then I started eating it – yum. It won’t last long.
I used boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces. I cooked for 9 minutes on Manual in my new instant pot, and I think I will try 7 or 8 minutes next time.
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Hi Marilyn, I’m so glad you liked the dish!! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you!
Tried this recipe last night, and it was fantastic! And, the best part is how easy it was to prepare! I have made butter chicken before – which took 4 times as long – and the results were not nearly as good. Thanks for the recipe, and please continue posting Instant Pot recipes!
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That’s great to hear!! So happy you liked the recipe, Lisa 🙂 And I will definitely keep posting Instant Pot recipes!
I made this last night for my family and it was DELICIOUS! I didn’t have enough coconut cream, so I subbed half of it for regular cream. It was even better this morning after the flavors had time to really do their magic. Thank you for posting this!
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Heidi, I’m so glad you liked the dish!! And yes, Indian food makes the best leftovers! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Made this curry last night, very good, one of the better ones I have made without a kitchen full of pots, pans and bowls. Also not too spicy (I used Kashmiri chili powder in place of the cayenne). The naan was a bit gooey as I do not think I cooked it enough on the second side but worth another try. I also made cauliflower rice which was very good. Now we need IP recipes for Korma, KeemaDosa etc 🙂
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Dave, I’m so glad you liked the recipe!! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂 As for the naan – here’s a FAQ that might help: https://myheartbeets.com/commonly-asked-questions-paleo-naan/
This is great! I just made it, but I prefer to cook vegetarian – so I used chickpeas and cauliflower instead. I cooked the chickpeas in my IP right before making this recipe.
In step 3 I stirred the spices with the onion/garlic/ginger mixture for about 2 mins. Then I added the tomato sauce. I was worried it would be a bit dry since I know chicken would add some moisture, so I added some of the liquid from the chickpeas. I wish I had paid better attention, but somewhere between ½ to 1 cup. Then I added about a cup of the chickpeas and half a cut up cauliflower. I cooked it on manual for 6 minutes and then did a quick release. Perfect!
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Laura, I love that you converted this to be a vegetarian butter “chicken” recipe! I’m going to try your version when my brother comes to visit as he’s a vegetarian and loves butter chicken sauce!
I love this recipe! I tried it today and it turned out perfect! Thank you for sharing!
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Nicki, so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Can I use coconut milk instead of cream…I don’t have time to freeze it and scoop the cream out as I already started cooking
We did that. Still was yummy. Got the cream to make it again today.
Thanks for the great Instant Pot recipes! Your butter chicken was our first dish using it; we fell in love with our appliance. The Amazon links are appreciated, too:-)
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So glad you like the recipes, Jen!! Can’t wait to hear what else you try 🙂
Hi! I made this dish for the first time. I was looking forward to it but it came out sweet. I wonder if I used the wrong coconut cream? I used Goya cream of coconut and followed everything else according to the recipe. Any suggestions? Tastes more like a Thai curry chicken 🙂 TIA!!
Hi Jocy, I haven’t tried that brand of coconut cream – did it have sugar listed in the ingredients? It shouldn’t have tasted sweet…
Oh no! It has 22g sugar!! I didn’t know there were different types of coconut cream. I’ll try again another time. On a positive note, I was able to fix it up a bit and use as a Thai chicken curry which the hubby really liked! thanks!
Can you sub shrimp with this recipe in the instant pot?
Shannon, shrimp quicks very quickly, so you’ll need to adjust the cooking time. Here’s a guide from Instant Pot on cooking seafood.
That a recipe is a keeper and will be in my regular rotation ! Incredible flavors that taste as if you’ve worked all day! Loved it, as did my husband 🙂 Can’t wait to make it for my Indian friends and My Indian in-laws !
Kristen, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Hi Ashley- I’m making this in the instant pot for the first time after making the stove top version a dozen times at least. I’m curious, why no Kashmiri chili powder in this version? Thanks!!
Hi Nicole, I figured more people would have cayenne in their spice cabinets – you can use Kashmiri chili instead if you want. Kashmiri chili is more like a combo of paprika + cayenne – it’s not as spicy. Cayenne is spicy, so when I use it I just use less of it. Hope that answers your question!
Hi Ashley,
I LOVE this recipe!!!! I made it last night with your paleo naan recipe and am having leftovers for lunch today. I just downloaded your cookbook and am looking forward to making more of your recipes! My questions is where can I order some of the spices listed in the cookbook? I live on an island in Alaska so I can’t just run to the store to find them. Although I just happen to have all but the fenugreek for this one but would like to try it with next time.
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Mary, I’m so happy to hear that! I hope you love all of the recipes in my cookbook just as much 🙂 Does amazon deliver where you live? If so, I suggest ordering from there – you can find a list of spices on my website here: https://myheartbeets.com/cooking-indian-food/
hi ashley
wondering if you have used the instant pot you have mentioned in your cooking and if u recommend the product. thanks
Hi Munpreet! Yes, I have it and love it! Definitely recommend it – I also suggest looking up the Instant Pot for Indian cooking Facebook group, it has a lot of great tips!
Ashley – just got my first instant pot on Black Friday – only purchase I actually made on that day. Regardless, the product arrived yesterday and I made your Butter Chicken dish and absolutely fab. Great recipe … next up, Goat Curry! Cheers!
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Hi Nirav! So happy to hear that you liked the butter chicken! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out 🙂 Can’t wait to hear what you think of the goat curry!
Hi there- came across your page after I bought my Instant pot and this was my first recipe. it was easy and absolutely amazing!! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!! Thanks
Hi Rina! Glad you found my blog 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you! Can’t wait to hear what you think of any other recipes that you try!
This is one of our families favorite IP recipes! Thank you for sharing. I might try the sloppy joes tonight! 5 stars for sure!
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Hi Kristen! Thanks for letting me know how you guys like the recipe 🙂 Can’t wait to hear what you think of the sloppy joes!
Amazing! Will double it next time!
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Awesome! Glad to hear that 🙂
I’m a total Instant Pot newbie (and a newbie to Indian cooking as well!). I don’t even know what coconut cream is. Is there something more common that I can substitute? Or does it make a big difference and I should find it?
You can use full-fat canned coconut milk – they sell it at Whole Foods, Trader Joes and pretty much any grocery store!
Just plain delicious! and so easy! I used coconut milk instead of cream but I can’t imagine this tasting any better than it already does! 🙂 THANK YOU!
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So happy to hear that! 🙂 Glad you liked it!
I made this last night with full-fat coconut milk (I didn’t have coconut cream.). It was delicious and so easy. I’m looking forward to having some of the leftover butter chicken for my lunch on this snowy day. Thanks for the great recipe!
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Hi Kath! I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
How would I be able to adapt the recipe for young ones who are not the used to so much spice?
You can leave out the cayenne – that should do it!
This recipe is beyond amazing! I would like to double it. Can I just double all ingredients and cook for the same amount of time, or are there adjustments I need to make first?
I would like to know the answer to this question as well. Kimberly did you try doubling it and cooking it for the same amount of time?
Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
I made this with fresh organic tomatoes instead of the tomato sauce and it was excellent. One of my new favorites. My husband loves it too.
I have an Aroma rice/multi cooker and that worked. Thanks for teaching me how to use it.
I’m so glad you liked it, Grace! And yum – fresh organic tomatoes – sounds delicious!
I made this last night and loved it! Thank you for the recipe. I can not wait to try the Saag next.
Karrie, I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
This was so amazing! 4 kids (ages 7-13) ate their food in 10 mins flat. Kept asking for more … I don’t think there can be a better advertisement for how good this was! Thank you for this easy and amazing recipe. I added regular cream for coconut cream and omitted the bell pepper.
Prashant, that’s so great to hear! I’m so happy your kiddos loved the dish so much! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
I have 6 lbs of chicken. Can I quadruple everything? Do I have to adjust cooking time? I see other people have asked about doubling the recipe but I didn’t see an answer about cooking time. THANK YOU!
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Ashley – This was my first instant pot recipe and OMG – so good! Thank you! I did reduce the amount of coconut cream to our taste and still – wow!
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Lisa, I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
Is the time different of using chicken breasts?
You can cook it for less time if using chicken breasts but it’ll be fine if you keep the time the same too.
Hi there. The coconut cream that I found is in a box and is solid. Is that how it’s supposed be added or do I add water and put through sieve like the box says? I’ve never cooked with this before. Thank you!
Hi Lisa, yup solid coconut cream is great – no need to add water! Just measure out a cup’s worth (or however much you want) and add it to the dish.
This was fabulous. Just recently got an IP and this has been one of the first recipes I’ve tried. Didn’t have fenugreek leaves on hand and was only able to find coconut milk, but it certainly didn’t seem to harm the dish. Full of flavour! Thank you so much!
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I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
One of my first Instant Pot meals and I am IN LOVE! This was so delicious and easy, even for a total newbie! Both my girls loved it, as did my husband. Inserved it iver jasmine rice for my family and cauliflower rice for me. Perfection!
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So happy to hear that you and your family liked the butter chicken! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you all 🙂
This was my first attempt at using the Instant Pot and it is AMAZING!! I grew up with curries and never had the patience to wait for the flavors to set in. In 30 minutes, I have a meal that reminds me of my childhood…..I didn’t use the coconut cream so it’s not as thick, but that’s how my family used to make it. Thank you!
Sabri, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how this turned out for you 🙂
I have made this twice in my new Instant Pot, and I’m going to make it again tonight. We LOVE it!
I was serving 9 people for Christmas Eve and wanted to double the recipe but was afraid that would be too much for the Instant Pot. So I used your recipe, sauteeing the onions, then garlic, ginger, spices and chicken in a skillet. Then I put everything in my 6-quart slow cooker with the pepper and tomato sauce and cooked it on Low for 5 hours. Stirred in the coconut milk and fenugreek leaves and left it on Warm for about 30 minutes. It was loved by all!
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Hi, I received an Instant Pot for Christmas and had no idea what to do with it, because I’d never heard of the thing. I started poking around looking for recipes and found this one – it was my first time using the Instant Pot. Aside from your blessedly clear instructions for using the pot, the recipe itself turned out absolutely delicious. I’m on my third day of eating it and the leftovers are just as good as the first day. I am a happy, happy girl and will definitely be making this again. Thank you for sharing!
Jennie, I’m so glad you found my website! Thanks so much for leaving a comment and letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
This recipe is right up my alley and I can’t wait to make it! Am I missing something though? I can’t find the Pin option so I can save the recipe.
Hi Yvonne! If you hover over the image the pin button should show up! lmk what you think of this when you make it!
What happens if you accidentally add the coconut cream too soon?
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You’ll just need to add more at the end 🙂 The flavor may be a bit diluted, but it’ll still be good!
Can you double the amount of chicken — and keep everything else the same? That is, more chicken, less sauce …
I can’t wait to try this recipe! My daughter is allergic to coconut so please recommend a substitute for the coconut cream.
Hi Kavita, you can use heavy cream – I would use less of it though.
Can i use a slow cooker instead of a electronic pressure cooker
Looks delicious! However if you add butter or ghee it is not completely dairy free.
I have had butter chicken at some pretty good Indian restaurants, so that is my qualification. I gotta say I was so
pleased how this came out. It was better than any I’ve tasted before. Thank you so much for this recipe. You can bet I will be trying more.
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Thank you so much, Albert! I’m so happy to hear that you liked the recipe and can’t wait to hear what you think of any others you try from my blog!
Hi Ashley,
I wonder if you have a suggestion for garam masala without cinnamon? I can’t have cinnamon. I suppose I can make my own blend and put in more nutmeg and omit the cinnamon but I’d love any ideas you have. I also cannot eat tomatoes. I was going to try it with pumpkin instead. I will let you know how it turns out.
I would definitely suggest making your own blend – I don’t have a north Indian garam masala recipe on the blog, but you can use any recipe and just omit the cinnamon. It won’t taste exactly the same, but should be close enough 🙂 As for trying this with pumpkin – please do let me know how that turns out!
I’m making this tonight, and curious if you ever doubled the recipe. Is that doable, and if so, how should I adjust the cooking time? Thanks!
Best. Butter. Chicken. Ever.
My wife and two boys (8 and 12) could not get enough!
Thank you!
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Michael, I’m so happy to hear that your whole family liked this recipe! Especially your two kiddos!
My two boys devoured this tonight! This was so good. I can see me making this weekly when I am in a pinch for time. So easy and delicious. Next time I make it with chickpeas! Thank you!
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That’s great to hear! I’m so glad you and your boys liked the recipe 🙂
I made this and it’s tasty, but… where’s the butter? Two tablespoons of butter does not butter chicken make.
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There usually isn’t a ton of actual butter or ghee in butter chicken – it’s usually the cream. You can add more butter if you’d like though.
Hi there. I have three boys with hearty appetites, so I’d like to double the recipe for dinner tonight. I’m new to the IP world. How would I adjust the time? Thanks!
Hi Jody, the time you set will be the same but it will just take longer to reach pressure. Hope you all love the recipe!
Just made this recipe! Best one ever! Thank you!!! It will be a family favourite!
Thanks, Caroline! So happy to hear that 🙂
I’m planning to make this recipe tonight. I don’t see a “poultry” setting on my new IP. Suggestions? Thanks!
Hi Faye, you can set it on Manual for 15 minutes 🙂
Thank you! My meat/stew setting worked. Set it to 15 minutes. Everyone LOVED this meal!
Awesome, happy to hear that!
I’m so curious about increasing the yield. I think there is room in my pot to double the recipe. Suggestions on increasing yield? Ratio with spices/ timing?
Just double the recipe – but keep the time setting the same. The pot will just take longer to reach pressure. Hope that helps!
Hi
Can I use a normal pressure cooker? I see on the instapot instructions you say it will set to 15 minutes. Would I let my pressure cooker wistle or make the noise for 15 minutes? Because it will take some time for the pressure to build up, so would it be 15 minutes after closing the lid? Or 15 minutes after it starts to whistle?
The Instant Pot time are for when the pot reaches pressure. 🙂
Very disappointed with this dish. Found it to be flavorless despite significantly ramping up the spices.
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Hi Sue, sorry to hear that you didn’t like it! Just curious, are you using old spices? Fresh spices really do make a difference.
Do you have the nutritional information for this recipe?
I hope you are still answering questions on this. 🙂 I used the Paprika app to save this recipe and would like an idea of how many servings this makex. That way I can scale the recipe up or down.
This recipe turned out great and will likely be a staple given how quickly it can be made. The chicken turns out perfectly cooked. The spice level is quite good in this dish. Tastes great on it’s own or on a bed of rice.
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That’s great to hear! I’m glad you liked it!
Delicious recipe! My family raves about it. My local supermarket sells boneless skinless chicken thighs in 3lb packages. I experimented with using the whole package, keeping the rest of the recipe the same and it worked out great. There was still plenty of sauce, and it was nice to have a good amount of leftovers for almost no extra work. Just a suggestion!
★★★★★
Shannon, thank you! I’m so happy to hear that your family likes the recipe 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how this turned out for y’all!
Hi I was wondering what spices to add to add some heat (spice) to it?
You can add cayenne to taste – that’ll make it spicy
Awesome recipe! Thank you so much for sharing. I especially love how simple the ingredients are.
★★★★★
Glad you liked it!
Can I double this in the Instant Pot, or would I need to make two separate batches? Cooking for 9 people… ugh. Thanks!
Would it work to double the recipe to serve as a main course at a dinner party?
This is the 2nd time Ive made this recipe and the first time was pretty good but this time I added 3/4 teaspoon of chilli powder and a little extra hit of cayenne pepper and it came out perfect!!
★★★★★
Glad to hear that you like the recipe!
I used coconut milk because I couldn’t find coconut cream at the grocery store and it turned out great.
My gf was shocked at how good it was and couldn’t believe that I made it so thanks 😉
We can’t wait to do it again.
★★★★★
That’s so great to hear! Thank you for letting me know how the butter chicken turned out for you 🙂
This was our first Instant Pot recipe and it was brilliant! First Indian food made at home, too. The kids had thirds and I’m glad that we doubled the recipe.
The flavors and consistency were restaurant quality. More so due to the heat rather than the less spicy stuff found on buffets. Simply gorgeous tastes and color from a relatively easy recipe.
My adjustments were based on what was available compared to the recipe. I substituted yellow and red peppers for green and the added a jalapeño for a little more heat. Only had one small can of coconut cream, so I used plain yogurt as an adder.
Can’t wait to try your other recipes! On mobile with this review and can’t get the stars to go to 5 Stars for some reason. Definitely a 5 Star recipe!
★★★★★
Steve, I’m so happy to hear that you liked this recipe! Thank you so much for letting me know how it turned out for you and your family 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of anything else that you try!
I just found your website when searching for Instant Pot Recipes. I have found so many recipes to try!
Mary, so glad you found my blog! Let me know how the recipes turn out for you 🙂
The video says cook for 15 minutes with green pepper already added, but the written recipe says 8 minutes without green pepper. Does anyone know what gives the best result? Thanks!!
Hi Joy, I have updated the written recipe but haven’t had time to update the video. I suggest following the written recipe. I also add the bell pepper at the end now so that it doesn’t get too soft. Hope that helps!
I just made this recipe using coconut cream. It should not call for coconut cream at all but rather coconut milk. Coconut cream is very sweet and used for used drinks generally. I didn’t know that until I put coconut cream in it as your recipe calls for and it turned my curry into a very very sweet curry smoothie. I don’t think it’s edible which is so disappointing because up until that last step it was tasting great.
Hairee, oh man! I have updated the recipe so that it says unsweetened coconut cream. I’ve never seen the sweetened version so I didn’t realize this could be confusing. Thanks for letting me know!
Hello. I am doing the butter chicken for the first time now. I noticed that the video has different instructions than the printed recipe. the cooking time is different, the peppers are added at different time so are the spices. which one is better to follow?
Follow the instructions – I need to update the video. Sorry for the confusion!
When I started thinking about buying an Instant Pot, I started checking out recipes, and this is one of the ones that I decided I had to make if I bought one. Well, I did buy it and I finally made this butter chicken and it turned out wonderfully. Thank you!
★★★★★
I’m so happy to hear that you got an Instant Pot and made this recipe 🙂 Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you!
Hi Ashley!
Tried this recipe last evening! came out so good ! thanks! 🙂
★★★★★
Samantha, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Hi there. Planning to make this next week, and wondered if you (or any of your readers) have tried doubling the recipe. Any adjustments I need to make? Should I increase the cooking time?
★★★★★
An absolutely delicious dish. It tastes exactly like the butter chicken from one of my favorite Indian restaurants. It was such a treat because there are no Indian restaurants where we now live and I love Indian cuisine. I needed garam masala for the recipe so I stopped by my grocery store and they did not have it! I was going to make my own, but I did not have time. I substituted curry powder and it still tasted wonderful. I have to be honest, I was beginning to regret purchasing an instant pot. This recipe has made me a believer. I will definitely be making it again and again. My husband’s favorite part of this dish is scooping up some sauce with a nice piece of warm naan. It was wonderful! The only question now is which of your recipes should I try next???
★★★★★
Liz, that’s great to hear! I’m so glad you like this recipe and your Instant Pot. If possible do try to get garam masala next time – curry powder has a different flavor (you can find garam masala on amazon). I can’t wait to hear what you make next! I have a new cookbook that you may want to check out called Indian Food Under Pressure: http://amzn.to/2wXUMhj
Looking forward to making this tonight — wondering if some of substitutions will make a big difference. I only have chicken breast and yellow and red peppers. And no fenugreek. Thoughts?
Hi Ashley,
I just got my copy of your book Indian Food Under Pressure and made the Butter Chicken today. I love it so much but wish I had watched the video before making it. My bell peppers did not get cooked enough so I found it interesting that on your video you put them in with the chicken. I will do that next time I make this amazing dish. I think the flavors are perfect in this recipe. I want to make many many more of the recipes in your book. I use my Instant pot all the time and love Indian food. Thanks Ashley for a wonderful cookbook
★★★★
Hi Mary, I’m so glad you liked it! And I’m so happy to hear that you like the book! I changed the recipe because I found that the bell peppers get overcooked when you put them in early but you can definitely try it the way I made it in the video 🙂 If you do, please let me know what you think!
Hi, Ashley,
Like the previous reader, I also found a little discrepancy between the video and the written recipe. My worry was not the peppers, but the time of cooking: in the video you say 15 min. on Poultry setting, but in the written recipe right here it’s 8 min. at high pressure. Which one is better? Thanks!
Hi Irene, I made the video awhile ago and have since updated the recipe – please use the directions on the written recipe card 🙂 The chicken can be done in less time, which is why I changed it from 15 to 8, but either time works. Can’t wait to hear what you think of it!
Thanks so much, Ashley, I will try it that way then :).
I have been making this recipe for the past several months, and I have to tell you that it’s amazing! My family loves it so much; my husband thinks it’s the best thing to eat on the planet 🙂 Thank you so much for this family favorite!
Sheree, wow I am so happy to hear that!! Thank you for letting me know how much you all like it 🙂
I made this recipe in my instapot and it was delicious! However, the consistency came out thin, like a soup. I believe it should be thicker, more like a curry? What kind of consistency should I be looking for?
This has become our favorite meal! We both love indian food, and this is easily as good as we’d get at a restaurant. I’ve even started making up little spice baggies so I can just dump them in instead of having to gather them up each time I make it. The mix of spices is good in other dishes, too.
★★★★★
Kristi, I’m so happy to hear that!! Love the spice bag idea 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you!
Do you have the nutritional information for this recipe?
Pretty cool…. I tried it out last week and the chicken curry came out great. I have ordered your latest book.. hoping to try all of the recipes now … lets see how that goes.
Cheers
Noel
★★★★★
Hi Noel, I’m so glad you liked the butter chicken recipe! I can’t wait to hear what you think of my cookbook 🙂
Made this tonight and while I’m SLIGHTLY disappointed in the flavor I think it’s something I did and not the recipe. The chicken was cooked well, soft and my three year old kept asking for more after he had his own dinner (this was ready too late for the kids). My South Indian husband liked this a lot too. So why did I have issues with the flavor? It had a slight sour tinge to it. I think I have some confusion about the cream. The ingredients say full fat coconut milk, video says cream. I used coconut milk. I think that was my problem? Maybe I’ll try this with heavy cream next time? That’ll help eliminate a variable. Also, video says to cut the chicken to bite sized pieces but written says quarters. I’d much rather have bite sized pieces so clarification those two points would be great. The recipe is already a keeper. And my Indian husband loved the flavor and I toned down ALL spices for the kiddos. Only pitches of pepper when called for. Great recipe!
★★★★★
Hi Laura! I suggest following the written recipe – I’ve made some improvements to the dish since shooting that video but you can definitely adapt the recipe to your tastes 🙂 I’m not sure why it was sour – maybe the tomato sauce? You can try adding a pinch of sugar to combat that if you’d like. Let me know if you try this with heavy cream and how that works out for you!
Thank you for this recipe. Made it tonight and it was even better than restaurant butter chicken. Also made some chana masala in my IP just before I made this. The only thing I didn’t use the IP for was the basmati rice and the store-bought garlic nan.
A truly memorable meal. Thank you, again.
★★★★★
I’m so happy that you liked it!! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
I made the butter chicken today, (my first time to use the instant pot) and it was so tasty! Thanks for the recipe
Hi Grace! I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
I’m so excited to make this. I couldn’t find dried fenugreek, only fresh. Any suggestions on how to substitute?
Hi Michelle! A sprinkle of fresh fenugreek leaves works just fine 🙂 I just don’t recommend adding fenugreek powder as that has a different flavor. Let me know how it turns out for you!
Made this butter chicken recipe for dinner tonight. Substituted breasts for thighs and fresh chopped fennel (bulb) in place of dried fenugreek leaves, and it was delicious. My husband, who doesn’t like Indian food or tomatoes, even liked it!
★★★★★
Patti, that sounds delicious!! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
I made this last night and it came out amazing!!! I can’t get enough of the sauce, wow. My husband requested to have it every day haha.
Next time I will add slightly less heavy cream, but it was delicious!
★★★★★
Andrea, I’m so happy to hear that! Love that your husband wants to eat it every day haha! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you guys 🙂
Any advice on what to do if I need to make this during an afternoon but not serve until dinner?
You can just re-heat it for dinner 🙂 It will be be just as good!
This is the first thing I made in my instant pot, and I’d be happy if it’s all I ever make in it. This stuff is insanely good!
Molly, that’s so great to hear!! I’m so happy you liked it 🙂
Excellent recipe. Just what I needed on a rainy winter day. Both of my kids loved it too. Thank you for sharing I will be trying more of your recipes.
Jeff, so happy to hear that you and your kiddos loved it!! Let me know if you try any other recipes from my blog and how they turn out 🙂
I made it for my girlfriend last night. I don’t think she has ever had butter chicken before, but I have. She loved it and so did I. It was as good as any I’ve had before. The only variation on the recipe I did was half heavy cream, half coconut milk/cream as my g/f doesn’t like coconut flavor too much, so I didn’t want it to be heavily present.
★★★★★
Joshua, that’s so great to hear! Glad you and your gf liked it 🙂
Thanks for this! What a fantastic recipe. I may or may not have licked my plate clean!😋
★★★★★
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Thanks for this amazing recipe. It’s the 3rd dish I have made in my new Instant Pot. I have never tried making butter chicken before because our local Indian takeout place makes the most amazing sauce and I thought I could never make anything that good- you have proved me wrong! I used chicken breasts and didn’t have quite enough to equal the total weight the recipe requires, so I threw in a can of chickpeas to make up the difference and it was crazy good. The beans were so creamy. Mmmm. Even my picky kids liked it. I didn’t have any green peppers, so I left those out and I could only find fresh fenugreek, so I just chopped a handful of leaves up really fine and tossed them in with can of coconut milk because I prefer a slightly less tomatoey taste. I read in one of the comments that someone used coconut cream, but the recipe says heavy cream or coconut milk, so I went for the latter. Maybe next time I’ll use the coconut cream instead. Anyway- hubby and I loved this winning recipe and I can see us saving a lot of money not getting take out anymore. I’m excited to get your new cook book. If those recipes are anything like this one, it’ll be a best seller for sure!
★★★★★
Alanna, I’m so happy to hear that everyone liked it! And that’s a great tip about chicken breasts and chickpeas! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the recipes in my cookbook 🙂
WOW!!!! New to your website and just wanted to say that this is an AWESOME recipe !!! I made it as listed but was not able to find the fenugreek leaves but it was wonderful and so tasty without them. I paired this with your recipe for three-indgredient NAAN and my family is in love!! My teen kids raved about the meal and my husband claimed the leftovers for his lunch today! 🙂
★★★★★
Kim, so happy you found my website!! 🙂 Thank you so much for letting me know how this butter chicken turned out for you and you family 🙂
I would love to try this! I have an 8 quart instant pot. Am I able to use your recipe in my larger pot?
thanks!
Yes! I suggest adding a little extra ghee prior to cooking since the surface area of the 8 quart is a bit larger. Let me know what you think of the dish! 🙂
OOh that good to read about re heating.
Can I use frozen chicken thighs? What time increase would I need?
This was a big hit at my house!
★★★★★
Kate, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Can you use fenugreek seeds instead of the leaves?
Jeff, the seeds are bitter compared to the leaves – if you can’t get dried fenugreek leaves then you can just leave it out. Leaving it out is better than substituting the seeds. Let me know how it turns out for you 🙂
I’m going to make this recipe tonight, but have a question about the release. The recipe calls for quick release, but also says “if any pressure is left.” Does that mean to do a NPR (10 min) first before doing the quick release?
Hi Carla, you can quick release 🙂 I don’t see the “if any pressure is left” for this recipe?
This Butter Chicken recipe was absolutely delicious! It was the first recipe I tried in an Instant Pot and your directions were very easy to follow and the ingredients were spot-on for a better than restaurant dish. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes!
★★★★★
Roxie, that makes me so happy to hear! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you!
Taste Excellent!
Prep Easy!
Number of ingredients, a lot, and some hard to find, which is the only reason it did not get a perfect rating.
I had problems finding Fenugreek Leaves, so I substituted A little curry mix, which has that in it (I’m told).
Also my Coriander were seeds not powder, and I had trouble getting those ground.
★★★★
Eric, glad you liked it! There are a lot of ingredients but that is because this is an authentic recipe. If you can’t find fenugreek leaves, I’d leave them out next time rather than adding curry powder.
I’m wondering if anyone has made this recipe with half and half cream instead of full fat? Just looking to cut down some calories! Thanks!
Five stars! I tried this recipe in my instapot for the first time today and it exceeded my expectations. I have never made any Indian dish before. The local grocery store helped me find every spice, herb, and ghee. Chop chop boom boom and done! Perfect butter chicken! We enjoyed this butter chicken with store bough naan, Indian pickles, and even kaju katli! What a meal! Will definitely be cooking this recipe again in the future. Thank you, Ashley!!
★★★★★
Melissa, so happy to hear that you made this as your first Indian dish! Can’t wait to hear what you think of any more recipes that you try 🙂
Would love to try this recipe as I haven’t been very adventurous with my IP yet! Can you use bone-in thighs too?
Hi Susan, you can use bone-in thighs but make sure it’s skinless! I’d probably add 2-3 more minutes to the cook time as well. Hope that helps! Let me know what you think!
I would give this 6 stars if I could! This is amazingly good! We love good Indian and this is fabulous! It came out perfect first try and we’ve made it several times with equally good results! I love Indian food and my husband even got me a gift card to an Indian cooking class given by a wonderful lady. Problem was when I tried to duplicate her butter chicken with the recipe she gave us, it wasn’t nearly the same. Thank you for this recipe! It is a new family favorite!
★★★★★
So happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you!
This recipe is SO GOOD! I made a different instant pot butter chicken right after I got my Instant pot and it turned out really soupy. This one is perfect, although, afraid of another soupy meal in the instant pot I used only 1 CUP of tomato sauce. Excellent result!!
Thank so much, this one is in my favourites!
★★★★★
Tracy, so happy to hear that you like my recipe! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Hello, I want to make this but have light coconut milk. The recipe calls for ½ cup heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk – what differences will I see in the final dish?
It won’t be quite as rich but it will still be good 🙂 It may also be a little more saucy if you decide to add more coconut milk. Let me know what you think!
I absolutely LOVE your cookbook!! However I am having trouble with recipes where tomato sauce is used( the butter chicken recipe and the chicken Tikka Masala rice recipe in your book). Even tho I mix everything well and deglaze the pot before setting it to cook on high pressure, my instant pot never reaches pressure! Any tips?
Deanna, I am so happy to hear that you like my cookbook! Hopefully I can help troubleshoot. So the dish isn’t cooking at all? Sorry in advance for all of the questions: is the valve turned to sealing? What kind of pressure cooker do you have – is it an Instant Pot or an 8 quart by any chance? All of my recipes were tested using a 6 quart (there was no 8 quart when I wrote it which is why I ask). Can you share the brand of tomato sauce that you are using? If you’re able to join my Instant Pot Indian Facebook group, I may be able to better help troubleshoot there.
Ashley, I cannot stress enough how AMAZING this recipe is! This is a meal that I could literally eat for all 30 days of my Whole30 and I won’t get tired of it. The last time I made it, I think I got way too excited and was too liberal on my spices because for the first time, my instant pot said burn. Plus, I think I didn’t get the tomato sauce at the bottom of the pan in time.
I’ve just made my own ghee in the instant pot, so I’m excited to use that and see how it turns out the next time I make this dish, which will probably be next week. Love your blog and your recipes and will definitely be doing a lot more of them!
★★★★★
Thank you, Steven! I am so happy to hear how much you like the butter chicken 🙂 Can’t wait to hear what you think of other recipes that you try!
This was awesome! Tasted soooo good.. Thank you! My question is, how does the pressure time change according to the quantity of the chicken. For example, if I’m making three pounds or four (basically for a larger number of people), what happens then? Thank you I’m advance for being so patient. Love how interactive this blog is! 🙂
★★★★★
Varalika, so happy to hear that!! If you want to double the recipe then the cook time would stay the same – the pot would just take longer to reach pressure as there would be more contents in the pot. As far as cooking more than that though – I can’t say for sure as I haven’t tried it myself. If you were to triple the recipe my guess is that you may need to add more time…
Hi Ashley. How much onion masala would you recommend using in this? Thanks.
★★★★★
Michelle, I’ve been trying to figure out the right amount of masala for this recipe but haven’t been able to yet. I last tried 1 ½ cups of onion masala and while the dish was good, it wasn’t AS GOOD as the original recipe. Definitely easy though as I was able to dump everything into the pot and cook for 10 mins (with a 5 min NPR). If you try, let me know what you think!
This is the most delicious recipe. I think the dried fenugreek leaves are what have been missing from all the recipes I have tried in the past. Love that your recipe is simple as well as delicious. Thank you!
★★★★★
Gillian, I’m so happy to hear that!! Thanks so much for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Hi Ashley,
I tried your Kadala curry recipe for the Insyant Pot, and it was delicious. I’m looking forward to trying this butter chicken, and judging by the number of comments, it does look very popular, so it must be really good 😊
Quick question – how many fresh ripe medium tomatoes can I purée for this recipe in place of the canned purée you have used? Would 3 be too much?
Also, I am guessing the purée shouldn’t be too thin?
Thanks for your help!
Dhanya
Dhanya, so great to hear that you liked the kadala curry! As for butter chicken, you can use fresh tomato puree just be sure to cook it down a bit as canned tomato sauce is actually cooked. I’d probably use at least a pound of fresh tomatoes for this (since the canned tomato sauce is 15 ounces). If you try it this way, please let me know how it goes!
I’m afraid my results weren’t very good. The recipe is crazy spicy, to the point where my husband couldn’t eat it. I’ve tried every trick I know to reduce the spice level but nothing is working. If I make this again I’ll totally omit the cayenne and the black pepper.
One thing that did work out very well: because this was a last minute dish, all I had was frozen chicken. I submerged it as best I could in the liquid and cooked it for 10 minutes, then waited another 10 minutes to do a manual release. The chicken came out super juicy and falling apart tender. No knife needed, it shredded with 2 forks.
★★
Edith this is a very mild dish so I’m guessing there’s some other issue here… are you using spicy chili powder instead of paprika? Or is your garam masala spicy? Again, this should not be a spicy dish…
Hi, how many tomatoes should I use if I am using fresh instead of the sauce?