Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Prep:

Cook:

Level: Easy

Serves: 4

4

Description

Luscious silken butter chicken made in the Instant Pot.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons Red (Indian) Chili Powder Or Cayenne Pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons Coriander
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin
  • ½ teaspoons Turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Ginger Powder
  • ½ teaspoons Black Pepper
  • 2 teaspoons Salt, Divided
  • ½ cups Plain Yoghurt
  • 1 whole Lemon, Juiced
  • 5 Tablespoons Cooking Oil, Divided
  • 1 pound Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts Or Thighs, Cut Into 1/2 Inch Pieces
  • 1 whole Large Red Onion, Cut Into Medium Chunks
  • 2 whole Tomatoes, Roughly Cut Into Chunks
  • 2 teaspoons Thinly Sliced Ginger
  • 7 cloves Garlic, Sliced Thin
  • 1 whole Cinnamon Stick
  • 2 whole Cloves
  • 2 whole Cardamom Pod
  • 2 sprigs Cilantro
  • 1-½ cup Water
  • 2 Tablespoons Sugar
  • ¼ teaspoons Powdered Fenugreek Leaves (optional)
  • ½ cups Heavy Cream
  • 3 Tablespoons Butter
  • 2 sprigs Cilantro, Chopped, For Garnish
  • 1 sprig Mint For Garnish (optional)

Preparation

Make a paste of cayenne, coriander, cumin, turmeric, garlic powder, ginger powder, black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, yoghurt, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons oil. Add chicken pieces and coat each thoroughly in the spice mixture. Set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Using the Instant Pot’s saute setting, add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and cook onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and stir on high 3 minutes. You don’t need to brown them.

Stir in cinnamon, cloves, cardamom. Add cilantro and remaining salt to taste. Pour in water. Stir to combine.

Secure lid and pressure cook on high for 8 minutes. Allow the natural release option to release for 15 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure. Ingredients should be soft-cooked and fork-tender.

In the meantime, place chicken pieces onto a foil-lined baking tray. Bake at 400°F for 20–25 minutes. It’s ok if chicken is slightly undercooked, pieces will finish cooking when later simmered in the Instant Pot.

Open the Pot. Remove, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom. Use an immersion stick blender to puree cooked ingredients into a smooth, thick liquid.

Take the chicken out of oven and put pieces into the pureed sauce. Once more, turn on Instant Pot’s saute function, simmer the ingredients for an additional 5–7 minutes, more if chicken needs to cook through. Taste and add salt, if needed. Add additional water if you desire a more liquid gravy. If chicken has not fully cooked through, leave on saute to simmer until cooked.

Turn off Pot. Stir in sugar. Add powdered fenugreek leaves. Add cream, and butter. Garnish with cilantro and mint.

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