Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Recipe Title: Butter Chicken 

Serves:
Prep time: <15 minutes
Cook time: <10 minutes
Total time: <30 minutes
Difficulty (1-5): 1
 

Description:

Craving a silky, creamy plate of butter chicken? Butter chicken, or murgh makhani, is one of the most universally loved North Indian curries of all time, largely thanks to its rich, aromatic buttery tomato sauce and tender chicken.

Butter chicken is truly one of our favorite weeknight dinners. Made in the Instant Pot, you only need basic supermarket ingredients, and the prep and cooking time is minimal. This curry is bursting with flavor and is the perfect meal to let the pot do all the work. The addition of chickpeas alongside the chicken makes this both budget-friendly and suitable for a part-vegetarian weeknight dinner. The butter chicken cooks pot-in-pot alongside the rice, making it an incredibly simple meal.

Since this curry is prepared in the Instant Pot, you lock in flavor and moisture while saving yourself hours of cooking time. A win-win! Serve this curry with rice, naan, or roti, and enjoy the authentic taste of butter chicken curry in just a fraction of the time.
 

12 ingredients <30 minutes Quick and Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 tbsp garlic-ginger paste
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tsp chili powder, adjust to taste
• 1 tsp fenugreek powder or seeds (optional)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 4 tbsp tomato puree
• 2–3 (300 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 400 g canned chickpeas
• 250 ml (1 cup) cream or yogurt
• 1 tbsp butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

To serve: hot cooked rice, naan, or roti
 

Pot-in-Pot Rice

• 220 g (1 cup) basmati rice
• 250 ml (1 cup) water
• ½ tsp salt
   

Instructions:

1. Select Sauté on the Instant Pot and add the oil and diced onion.
2. Sauté for 2–3 minutes until softened, then add the garlic-ginger paste. Cook for another minute, stirring.
3. Add all the spices and sauté for 1 more minute. Stir in the tomato puree and 1 cup (250 ml) water, mixing well.
4. Add the chicken and chickpeas, spreading the chicken into an even layer (do not over-stir). Press Cancel.
5. If cooking rice pot-in-pot, combine rice, water, and salt in a heatproof bowl and place it on a long-legged trivet inside the inner pot.
6. Secure the lid and select Pressure Cook, setting the time to 5 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 7 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure.
7. Open the lid, remove the rice bowl, and fluff with a fork.
8. Stir the butter chicken, then mix in the cream or yogurt and the butter. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Serve immediately with rice, naan, or roti.