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+ servings
Indian butter chicken curry served on a white bowl and garnished with chopped cilantro

Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Total 30 minutes
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter, unsalted
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated , (or ginger paste)
  • 8 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons Garam Masala
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste, (optional)
  • 1 (8-ounces) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (14.5-ounces) petite diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, (flat leaf parsley has more flavor)

Instructions

  1. Turn your instant pot to the saute setting.
  2. Add the butter and when its melted, add the onions and ginger and saute stirring frequently for about 3 - 5 minutes or until the onions become soft. Stir in the garlic, Garam Masala, turmeric, cumin, coriander, salt and cayenne pepper and cook for about a minute or until fragrant. Turn the pot off to prevent the garlic and spices from burning.
  3. Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chicken broth and the chicken.
  4. Close and lock the lid and select the manual setting, select pressure cooker to high and set the timer to 6 minutes.
  5. Once the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure release naturally for 5 - 10 minutes, then do a quick release of the remaining pressure. Carefully unlock and remove the lid.
  6. Set the pot to the saute setting and stir in the heavy cream. Cook, stirring frequently for about 4-5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Turn the instant pot off (you can set it to warm) and add the cilantro. Season to taste and serve.

Notes

  • You can use half and half or whole milk instead of the heavy cream. Just keep in mind that the higher fat content of heavy cream is what gives this dish it's creaminess and richness.
  • If the butter chicken sauce is too thick, add additional broth, milk or heavy cream.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days. This recipe freezes well.
  • You can make this recipe with boneless frozen chicken. Adjust the cooking time to 10-11 minutes.
  • Your pressure cooker may take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes to come to pressure before the cooking timer starts. The exact time varies depending on size, model, and the contents inside the pot. For this reason, we don’t include it in the total time shown above.

Nutrition

Calories: 394 kcal, Carbohydrates: 4 g, Protein: 34 g, Fat: 26 g, Saturated Fat: 15 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 171 mg, Sodium: 719 mg, Potassium: 663 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 1 g, Vitamin A: 904 IU, Vitamin C: 6 mg, Calcium: 51 mg, Iron: 1 mg
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