Instant Pot Butter Chicken starts with chicken thighs marinated in Greek yogurt, garlic, fresh ginger, turmeric, garam masala, and cumin, which is what makes every bite so tender. The chicken sears in butter right in the pot, then pressure cooks with diced tomatoes and more warm spices before the sauce gets blended smooth and finished with heavy cream. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight if you can plan ahead, and the chicken pressure cooks in 10 minutes once it goes in the pot. Serve it with chopped fresh parsley, on its own or over steamed cauliflower rice.
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Rich butter chicken in the Instant Pot
Also known as murgh makhani, butter chicken is an Indian-inspired dish that gets its powerhouse flavors from a variety of seasonings. Chicken is paired with a rich sauce to create a curry that has layers of tomato, onion, garlic, and garam masala, an Indian spice mix.
Instant Pot Butter Chicken is the perfect meal to shake up your dinner routine and try something new. It’s savory, with mild heat, and you can experiment with ingredients you may not have used in cooking before.
What makes this recipe stand out is the tender, almost melty, chicken morsels. To achieve this, we highly recommend marinating the chicken for as long as possible; overnight would be ideal. The more this dish marinates, the better the flavor!
How to make this Instant Pot butter chicken recipe
Chicken and Marinade: Slice chicken thighs into 1 ½-inch cubes.
In a mixing bowl, mix all marinade ingredients together. Add cubed chicken. Cover with a lid or foil, transfer to the refrigerator, and let marinate for at least 30 minutes, or, if possible, overnight.
Sauce: Select Sauté setting on Instant Pot and select medium heat. Once display says “hot,” add 2 tbsp (1 oz) butter and stir to coat the bottom of the pot. Add marinated chicken thighs and onion and cook for about 3-4 minutes to sear. Then, select Cancel setting (turn off) on Instant Pot.
Excluding heavy cream, add all remaining sauce ingredients, including remaining 2 tbsp (1 oz) butter. Stir to combine.
Screw on lid, making sure the valve is closed. Select Manual setting (pressure cook on high pressure) on Instant Pot. Cook for 10 minutes before quick releasing pressure.
Remove lid then transfer cooked chicken thighs to a bowl. Using an immersion blender, pulse sauce until smooth or, alternatively, carefully transfer sauce from Instant Pot pot to blender then pour sauce back into Instant Pot.
Select Sauté setting, select medium heat, pour in heavy cream, and cook until sauce has thickened, about 8-10 minutes. Add chicken back in to warm through.
Final Steps: Serve chicken with chopped fresh parsley on its own or atop steamed cauliflower rice.
Are there any ingredient substitution options?
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs: The best alternative for chicken thighs would be drumsticks, which can be subbed at a 1:1 ratio, and have a similar flavor profile. Alternatively, chicken breasts will work fine here.
- Full-Fat Greek Yogurt: Either plain, unsweetened yogurt or sour cream can be substituted for full-fat Greek yogurt at a 1:1 ratio.
- Minced Garlic: Garlic paste can be subbed in for minced garlic at a 1:1 ratio. For garlic powder, use 3/4 tsp in place of the minced garlic called for in the recipe.
- Fresh Ginger: You can substitute 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger for 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger.
- Turmeric: While not an exact flavor match, you can substitute paprika for turmeric at a 1:1 ratio.
- Garam Masala: Curry powder can be substituted for garam masala at a 1:1 ratio, though I would personally try and use garam masala to get the flavor profile that the original recipe intends.
- Lemon Juice: Lime juice can be substituted for lemon juice 1:1.
- Unsalted Butter: Ghee can be subbed in for butter at a 1:1 ratio.
- Yellow Onion: Red or white onion can be used in place of yellow onion in this recipe. Note that this substitution may alter the overall net carb content of the recipe.
- Diced Tomatoes: 2 cups of fresh chopped tomatoes can be substituted for 1 can, but be sure to retain and use all the juice as well.
- Chili Powder: Dried cayenne powder can be subbed for chili powder at a 1:1 ratio. Note that this will add an extra layer of heat to the dish.
- Golden Monk Fruit Sweetener: Classic Monk Fruit Sweetener, Swerve, or erythritol can be used here at a 1:1 substitution ratio. Note that if you make any substitutions to the Golden Monk Fruit Sweetener, the flavors in this dish may be slightly different than the original recipe intended.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Combine 1/4 cup of melted butter with 3/4 cup of milk and mix thoroughly to make the equivalent of 1 cup of heavy cream. If you are avoiding dairy, you can substitute full-fat canned coconut milk at a 1:1 ratio.
How many net carbs per serving?
Per serving, this butter chicken in Instant Pot recipe contains 5.6 grams of net carbs. The serving size is approximately 6 ounces of chicken with sauce and the recipe, as written, yields 6 servings. Net carbs are calculated by taking total carbs, subtracting fiber, and subtracting sugar alcohols.
The full nutrition information for this recipe, including the calorie content, total carbs, protein, and fat per serving, can be found in the nutrition label located below the recipe instructions.
Instant Pot butter chicken FAQs
What size Instant Pot should be used?
I personally use a 6 qt Instant Pot, but you can also make this in an 8 qt.
Regardless of the size of Instant Pot you use, do not change the cook time. That will remain the same.
Can I use frozen chicken?
Technically, yes. But frozen chicken won’t marinate as well, so if you opt to use it, note that you will not get the intended depth of flavors.
What should I serve butter chicken with?
This recipe is delicious and filling on its own, but I personally love to serve it atop steamed cauliflower rice.
How should this recipe be stored after preparing?
- Refrigerator Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer Storage: Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then microwave until warmed through.
More low-carb Instant Pot dinner recipes
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Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken and Marinade:
- 1 ½ lbs boneless and skinless chicken thighs
- ½ cup 120g plain full-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp 15mL lemon juice
Sauce:
- ¼ cup 2 oz unsalted butter, divided
- 60 g yellow onion, ~½ small onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tsp 4g golden monk fruit sweetener (optional)
- ¾ cup 180mL heavy whipping cream
Garnish:
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Equipment
Instructions
- Chicken and Marinade: Slice chicken thighs into 1 ½-inch cubes.
- In a mixing bowl, mix all marinade ingredients together. Add cubed chicken. Cover with a lid or foil, transfer to the refrigerator, and let marinate for at least 30 minutes, or, if possible, overnight.
- Sauce: Select Sauté setting on Instant Pot and select medium heat. Once display says “hot,” add 2 tbsp (1 oz) butter and stir to coat the bottom of pot. Add marinated chicken thighs and onion and cook for about 3-4 minutes to sear. Then, select Cancel setting (turn off) on Instant Pot.
- Excluding heavy cream, add all remaining sauce ingredients, including remaining 2 tbsp (1 oz) butter. Stir to combine. Screw on lid, making sure the valve is closed. Select Manual setting (pressure cook on high pressure) on Instant Pot. Cook for 10 minutes before quick releasing pressure.
- Remove lid then transfer cooked chicken thighs to a bowl. Using an immersion blender, pulse sauce until smooth or, alternatively, carefully transfer sauce from Instant Pot pot to blender then pour sauce back into Instant Pot. Select Sauté setting, select medium heat, pour in heavy cream, and cook until sauce has thickened, about 8-10 minutes. Add chicken back in to warm through.
- Final Steps: Serve chicken with chopped fresh parsley on its own or atop steamed cauliflower rice.
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