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!
“I have made this recipe multiple times and it has always turned out and is always delicious! I usually double it in my instapot so we can have lots of leftovers. (In fact I am making it right now!) It is absolutely my go-to recipe for Butter Chicken! Thank you so much for sharing!”
Debbie
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 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
- ÂĽ teaspoon black pepper
- ÂĽ teaspoon cayenne
- ÂĽ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
Add later:
- 2 green bell peppers chopped into medium-sized chunks/squares
- ÂĽ 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 ÂĽ 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!
Pooja says
Hi! I love this recipe for instant pot but am making it without green peppers. Would you recommend changing the amount of liquid needed?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Pooja, you can keep it the same minus bell peppers!
VELVET says
I love this recipe, and it is a family favorite. However, I must add one can of water, or I get a burn notice.
Laura says
Hi, we love your site! But this recipe gives us trouble every time in the Instant Pot. It always burns, even though we’re following your directions exactly. Could it be because we live at a higher altitude and need to increase the liquid? Do you have any advice, or maybe our Instant Pot faulty? We’re stumped and would love your help. Thank you!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Laura, try adding more water after sautĂ©ing and make sure there’s nothing stuck to the bottom at all. Given the higher altitude causing water to boil at a lower temp, perhaps there’s just not enough liquid. You can always add more liquid and sautĂ© at the end to boil off a bit of extra liquid but I’d try that and see if this works. Let me know!
Sonal says
How can i make this with ginger garlic paste or use your onion masala recipe (which makes things very easy) Love your easy recipies.
Kitty says
This is so easy, so flavorful and healthy!!! My husband (who had no idea he liked Indian food until this recipe, now requests it all the time.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Love that this helped him see how good Indian food is! So glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how much you both like it 🙂
Lynn says
I have been following you since before you had your kiddos. Thanks for all the amazing recipes. My first recipe of yours I fell in love with was the naan made with coconut milk, delicious. Keep up the awesome work.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Lynn, wow, you’re definitely a long time reader – very cool! Thank you for sharing that with me – was nice to read your comment and reminisce on when I first started this blog.
Matthew Austin says
I was looking for a recipe that used kasoori methi that I recently picked up and came across. I used 1:1 butter instead of ghee and whole coconut milk instead of heavy cream. Pretty easy to follow and the result was a very creamy spicy butter chicken. I’ve book marked this for future attempts.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Glad you liked it! You can also check out this recipe that uses dried leaves: https://myheartbeets.com/instant-pot-aloo-methi-potatoes-fenugreek-leaves/