Healthy Instant Pot Butter Chicken

This Instant Pot butter chicken recipe is packed full of bold flavor and is so simple to make. If you love Indian food, you’re going to love this quick recipe!

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A bowl of butter chicken with a side of white rice.

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Instant Pot Butter Chicken Recipe

Butter chicken has got to be one of my most favorite Indian dishes! The touch of sweetness with an undertone of spice is just drool-worthy. A lot of people are leery about trying authentic Indian recipes because the flavors are so bold. But this Instant Pot butter chicken is a great place to start!

The first time I made this dish, I knew it would become a repeat in our home. This particular recipe just has the perfect balance of flavors and the Instant Pot makes it incredibly easy to cook! Plus, I can easily pair it with coconut cauliflower rice to keep it low carb, or make a quick pot of jasmine rice for an easy side.

Sure, the Instant Pot may not be one of the traditional methods of cooking Indian food but this recipe really keeps the integrity of the dish while making it extra simple to cook. The complex flavors of butter chicken will have you coming back for seconds, that’s for sure!

Two bowls of butter chicken in a tomato sauce with jasmine rice garnished with parsley, a wedge of lime on the side, placed on a blue napkin.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Butter chicken in the Instant Pot is so easy to make and always turns out delicious. You’re going to love this simple and flavorful Indian dish:

There is very little clean-up with this simple Instant Pot dinner. Just clean the few materials that you used and then you can relax for the rest of the evening!
Instant Pot butter chicken is a fabulous make-ahead recipe. It will store in the fridge and freezer well and reheats wonderfully too.
This is a wonderful family friendly dish because it is loaded with protein and other good-for-you ingredients! Easily adjust the spice level so that everyone can eat it.

Ingredients

There are quite a few ingredients to this Instant Pot recipe, but don’t let that discourage you. The cooking process is incredibly simple and many of the ingredients are used in both the chicken and the sauce. Here’s a list of everything you’ll need so that you can see what ingredients you have before your next run to the grocery store:

boneless skinless chicken thighs
fresh minced ginger
minced garlic
coconut milk
extra virgin olive oil
fresh squeezed lemon juice
garam masala
ground turmeric

And then there’s the sauce…

Various cooking ingredients in clear bowls arranged on a wooden board, including milk, tomatoes, onions, cheese, oils, and spices.

Butter Chicken Sauce Ingredients

For this lusciously flavorful and creamy sauce, you will need:

ghee
extra virgin olive oil
diced onion
minced garlic
knob of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
jalapeno, optional
ground cumin
garam masala
ground coriander
salt
water
canned crushed tomatoes
coconut milk

Serving suggestions

When all is said and done, you might want it to look pretty too! Add some rice, garnish with fresh cilantro and squeeze some lime juice over top.

fresh cilantro
cauliflower rice
fresh limes

Substitutions and Variations

Feel free to use boneless skinless chicken breasts in place of the chicken thighs.

Butter can be used in place of ghee in the sauce. You can also use avocado oil or another neutral oil in place of olive oil. If you want to make this dish dairy free, then use a butter substitute or dairy free ghee substitute in place of regular ghee.

You can add vegetables like diced bell pepper, green peas, or fresh spinach to add even more nutritional benefits to this dish.

If you do not have a garam masala, you can use a combination of allspice and cumin as a substitute.

Feel free to use ginger paste in place of freshly minced ginger. Powdered ginger will work too, but it won’t have as bold of a flavor.

How to Make Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Follow these step-by-step instructions to make the best butter chicken recipe in just a few easy steps:

In a medium bowl, stir together the diced chicken, fresh ginger, minced garlic, coconut milk, olive oil, lemon juice, garam masala, and turmeric. Then cover with plastic wrap and allow the chicken for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. You can refrigerate up to overnight!

Chicken thighs in an instant pot with butter chicken sauce and seasoning.

When you’re ready to cook, you can start on the sauce. Set you Instant Pot to the sauté setting and melt the ghee with the oil. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapeño. Cook until fragrant and softened, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the cumin, garam masala, coriander, and salt and cook for about 1-2 minutes. If any bits gets stuck to the bottom of the insert, add a splash of water to help loosen them with a wooden spoon. Once the sauce is made, turn the Instant Pot off.

A pot of simmering butter chicken viewed from above.

Stir in the can of crushed tomatoes and a ¼ cup of water. Then add the marinated chicken thighs.

Secure the lid of the Instant Pot and pressure cook on high for 6 minutes. Once the 6 minutes is up, do a manual quick release of the pressure.

Remove the lid, then stir in 1 cup coconut milk and set the Instant Pot to saute function. Allow the chicken too cook until the butter chicken sauce is reduced and thickened. Taste and season as desired with additional salt.

Two bowls of butter chicken with rice garnished with lime wedges and parsley, served on a marble surface with a blue napkin.

Serve immediately warm over cauliflower rice with chopped cilantro and lime wedges.

How to Store Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Allow leftovers to cool completely and then transfer to an airtight container. If you made rice or cauliflower rice, store it separately from the Instant Pot butter chicken. Refrigerate the leftover for 3-4 days.

Leftovers can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. This is a great recipe for meal prep! To reheat leftovers, transfer them to a skillet or reheat in the oven. You can reheat in the microwave too.

What to Serve with Instant Pot Butter Chicken

This delicious Instant Pot butter chicken goes great with cauliflower rice and regular rice too. Some fresh naan bread is a perfect side dish too! Some flavorful air fryer green beans or air fryer mushrooms would be a good side dish too.

A quick side salad or some cheesy garlic bread would be tasty too. You can also just simply pop broccoli in the microwave.

A bowl of butter chicken next to jasmine rice, garnished with herbs, with a fork in the bowl.

Tips for Success

Check out these few tips and tricks to make your butter chicken the best that it can be:

For the best flavor, marinate your chicken for at least a few hours. 30 minutes is all that is needed, but the longer that you marinate it the more flavor it will have.
Feel free to adjust the spice level! You can make it more spicy or less spicy depending on your preference. You can also omit jalapeños to decrease the spice level.
If your sauce is too thick you can add a splash of water or chicken broth to thin it out. If it’s too thin, then just keeping heating it and cooking it down until it reaches the right consistency.
Be sure to chop the chicken into evenly sized pieces so that the allotted cooking time cooks each piece perfectly! If you choose to make a stovetop version of this flavorful dish, this tip would still apply.

FAQ

Is butter chicken healthy?

It is not the most unhealthy dish, but it’s not the healthiest either. It does have a high fat content, but the coconut milk, chicken, and spices all have wonderful nutritional benefits that do make this meal a bit more healthy.

Why did I get a burn notice on my Instant Pot?

If you get a burn message on your Instant Pot then you’ll need to stop the cooking process, release the pressure, and open the lid. You likely did not have enough liquid in the Instant Pot and the chicken has stuck to the bottom. Make sure there is plenty of liquid before pressure cooking the chicken thighs.