Pressure Cooker Indian Butter Chicken Recipe

Indian butter chicken is one of my favorite dishes. Who knew it could be so easy to recreate at home with an electric pressure cooker! We love it with some naan made from no knead fridge dough and quickie green beans!

This was one of the very first recipes I made when I was brand new to the world to the Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker world. At first I wasn’t sure what I thought but I am absolutely in love it. 

After trying out some of my slow cooker favorites like chicken and dumplings and bbq ribs in a fraction of the time I’m a total convert.

This Butter Chicken recipe is adapted from Pressure Cooking Today. I made enough changes to suit my cooking style and our families tastes that I thought I’d should share my tweaks but I definitely used her recipe as a starting point.

What is Butter Chicken?

I have to admit, when I first heard of this recipe I had no idea what it was. Turns out it’s one of our favorite Indian curries.

I didn’t recognize it first because we’ve always seen it called Chicken Makhani at our local favorite, The Bombay House. Oh goodness it’s so stinking tasty!

When you hear of curry you may think it would be spicy but don’t worry, the way I have written the recipe it is not spicy. Even our spice sensitive little one loves this. That being said you can totally add some kick to it if you want!

Butter Chicken Ingredients

Whether you call it butter chicken or chicken makhani I hope you love this easy delicious meal as much as we do!

• 10-12 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 2.5 to 3 lbs)
• 1 cans 28 oz diced tomatoes and juice (or I’ve also used 2 x 14.5oz cans)
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper (you can use more if you want spice this amount is flavor without spice)
• 1 inch fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

How to Make Instant Pot Butter Chicken

I have made this with both a name brand Instant Pot pressure cooker and a different brand. They both do great in this recipe. But if you are thinking of buying one I definitely recommend the Instant Pot brand!

1. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces (1-2 inches)
2. Grate ginger into blender or food processor (I used my ninja), add in tomatoes and seeded jalapeno. Blend until well combined. If you don’t have a microplane you can just chop it or press it but I hate biting into ginger so I like it really small.
3. Set your pressure cooker to sauté/browning or whatever you used to do that (mine I just hit any button with the lid open) add in butter and allow to foam up.
4. Add chicken in 2 batches flipping to just barely brown the meat. Remove and set aside in something that will preserve any juice that comes off you want that.
5. Add cumin and paprika to the butter and stir continuously for about 20 seconds.
6. Quickly add in tomato mixture, salt cream, yogurt, chicken and any drippings that have collected. Stir to combine everything.
7. Close the lid and cook on for 5 minutes. Since we’ve been sauteing it shouldn’t take long to come to pressure before it starts counting the 5 minutes.
8. Allow to natural release (basically don’t do anything after the timer goes off) for 10 minutes. Then do a quick release.
9. Remove about 2 TBS of liquid from the pot and mix with cornstarch.
10. Stir back into the pot along with the garam masala.
11. Turn on saute or equivalent, bring to a boil and allow the curry to thicken to your liking.
12. Add any additional salt according to your tastes and serve over rice or with naan or both!

It’s so so yummy and the leftovers reheat beautifully. You know if you have any leftovers. Ha we rarely do! 

When we do have left over curry of any variety, one of my very favorite things to do with it is throw it in with some instant ramen. SO easy and so so good.

Can You Make It in the Slow Cooker?

For sure. Just add everything besides the yogurt, cream and cornstarch and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. An hour before you’re ready to serve scoop out some of the liquid mix with the cornstarch and stir in along with the yogurt and cream.

Pressure Cooker Indian Butter Chicken

It's a keeper. This pressure cooker butter chicken Indian curry recipe for the instant pot and electric pressure cooker is SO good. New go to family dinner.

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Ingredients 

• 10-12 boneless skinless chicken thighs about 2.5 to 3 lbs
• 1 cans 28 oz diced tomatoes and juice or I’ve also used 2 x 14.5oz cans
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper you can use more if you want spice this amount is flavor without spice
• 1 inch fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup 1 stick butter
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions

• Cut chicken into bite sized pieces (1-2 inches)
• Grate ginger into blender or food processor (I used my ninja), add in tomatoes and seeded jalapeno. Blend until well combined. If you don’t have a microplane you can just chop it or press it but I hate biting into ginger so I like it really small.
• Set your pressure cooker to saute/browning or whatever you used to do that (mine I just hit any button with the lid open) add in butter and allow to foam up.
• Add chicken in 2 batches flipping to just barely brown the meat. Remove and set aside in something that will preserve any juice that comes off you want that.
• Add cumin and paprika to the butter and stir continuously for about 20 seconds.
• Quickly add in tomato mixture, salt cream, yogurt, chicken and any drippings that have collected. Stir to combine everything.
• Close the lid and cook on for 5 minutes. Since we’ve been sauteing it shouldn’t take long to come to pressure before it starts counting the 5 minutes.
• Allow to natural release (basically don’t do anything after the timer goes off) for 10 minutes. Then do a quick release.
• Remove about 2 TBS of liquid from the pot and mix with cornstarch.
• Stir back into the pot along with the garam masala.
• Turn on saute or equivalent, bring to a boil and allow the curry to thicken to your liking.
• Add any additional salt according to your tastes and serve over rice or with naan or both!

Notes

I've made this every week since I discovered this instant pot pressure cooker indian butter chicken recipe.

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

For sure. Just add everything besides the yogurt, cream and cornstarch and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. An hour before you're ready to serve scoop out some of the liquid mix with the cornstarch and stir in along with the yogurt and cream.

Love this recipe?Follow @RaeGunRamblings or tag #RaeGunRamblings!

I hope your family enjoys this as much as we do!

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