Sprig Originals's kitchen / Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Instant Pot Butter Chicken
By Sprig Originals · cooked up in Sprig
Worked out from this recipe's ingredients. If you're cooking for an allergy, always read the full ingredient list.
A weeknight butter chicken that lives entirely in the pressure cooker: butter, onion and warm spices bloom on sauté, then one 8-minute high-pressure cycle turns chicken thighs meltingly tender in a tomato sauce that finishes silky with a splash of cream. Ten ingredients, one pot, and better than takeaway with rice or warm naan.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or sweet paprika
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté (normal). Melt the butter, add the onion and a pinch of the salt, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until softened and just golden.
- Add the garlic, ginger, garam masala and Kashmiri chili powder and stir for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in 1/2 cup water and scrape the bottom of the pot clean with a wooden spoon — no browned bits should be stuck down, or the pot may flash a burn warning. Turn Sauté off.
- Add the chicken and the remaining salt and stir to coat in the spiced butter. Pour the tomato sauce evenly over the top and do NOT stir it in; leaving it layered on top keeps it off the hot base.
- Lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and pressure cook on High for 8 minutes. When the cycle ends, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then move the valve to Venting to release the rest.
- Open the lid and stir everything together. Stir in the heavy cream, then set to Sauté (low or normal) and simmer, stirring often, for 4 to 6 minutes until the sauce coats a spoon. Taste and add salt if needed.
- Turn the pot off and let the curry sit for 5 minutes to thicken further before serving over basmati rice or with warm naan.
Chef's tips
- If your pot shows a burn warning, cancel it, open the lid, add 1/4 cup water and scrape the base thoroughly, then reseal and continue — the sauce will still turn out fine.
- Chicken breast works too: use 2 lb cut into 2-inch chunks and drop the pressure time to 6 minutes with a full 10-minute natural release, or it can dry out.
- Scatter chopped fresh cilantro over the top and add a squeeze of lemon just before serving to lift the richness.
- For a milder, kid-friendly version use sweet paprika and stir in an extra 2 tablespoons of cream at the end; for more heat, add a pinch of cayenne with the garam masala.
- Leftovers thicken in the fridge — reheat gently with a splash of water or milk. The curry freezes well for up to 3 months.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
620calories
42gprotein
12gcarbs
44gfat
Estimates only — values vary with brands and portions.
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