One Pot Butter Chicken Recipe in the Instant Pot -

One Pot Butter Chicken Recipe in the Instant Pot

This one-pot butter chicken recipe is an easy and delicious take on the classic Indian dish, combining tender chicken with a luscious and flavorful curry sauce. It’s the ultimate comfort food, pairing perfectly with a big bowl of basmati rice or a piece of warm, pillowy naan.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 35

Cook Time 20

Servings: 6 people

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

Two boneless chicken breasts or four chicken thighs.

Chicken Marinade

2 tbsp of ginger paste or finely chopped fresh ginger
3 finely chopped garlic cloves
1 tbsp of Kashmiri chili powder
1 tsp of salt

For The Sauce

1 medium onion
3 garlic cloves
4 beefsteak-sized tomatoes diced (or use 2 cans of Cento San Marzano tomatoes, reserving the liquid to adjust the sauce thickness when blending)
10 tbsp butter
3 chopped garlic cloves
4 whole beefsteak or vine tomatoes, or 2 cans of Cento San Marzano tomatoes, reserving the liquid to adjust the sauce thickness when blending if using fresh tomatoes add an extra 1/4 cup of water
1 ¼ cups Unsalted cashews
¼ cup malt vinegar
½ tsp salt
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder
½ tsp cumin
2 tsp of kasoori methi dried fenugreek leaves
⅓ cup cream or whole milk

Equipment

1 Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker

Method

Marinate the Chicken

Cube two boneless chicken breasts or four chicken thighs.
Place the chicken in a medium bowl and toss with 2 tbsp of ginger paste or finely chopped fresh ginger, 3 finely chopped garlic cloves, 1 tbsp of Kashmiri chili powder, and 1 tsp of salt.
Let the chicken marinate for 20 to 30 minutes to absorb the bold flavors.

Brown the Chicken

Set the Instant Pot to the Sauté setting and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom.
Add the marinated chicken and brown on all sides. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Prepare the Sauce Base

While the chicken is browning, roughly chop 1 medium onion, 3 garlic cloves, and dice 4 beefsteak-sized tomatoes (or use 2 cans of Cento San Marzano tomatoes, reserving the liquid to adjust the sauce thickness when blending). If you use fresh tomatoes add an additional 1/4 cup water to the Instant Pot.
Smash the tomatoes a bit to release some of their liquid.
After removing the chicken, add the following to the Instant Pot:
10 tbsp butter, 1 medium Chopped onion, 3 chopped garlic cloves, 4 diced tomatoes, 1 ¼ cups cashews, ¼ cup malt vinegar, ½ tsp salt, ¼ cup sugar, 1 tsp garam masala, 2 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder, ½ tsp cumin

Cook in the Instant Pot

Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to Low Pressure for 15 minutes.
Release the pressure naturally when the cooking time ends.

Blend the Sauce

Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until smooth and creamy.

Add Final Ingredients

Stir in 2 tsp of kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) and ⅓ cup cream or whole milk for a rich and aromatic finish.

Simmer and Serve

Add the browned chicken back into the sauce.
Set the Instant Pot to Sauté on Low heat and simmer until the sauce is hot and the chicken is fully coated.
Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to Warm until you're ready to serve.