Instant Pot butter chicken recipe with thighs that is moist and full of flavor. Only 5 minutes to cook and the perfect family dinner. Made as an easy Ninja Foodi recipe in a pressure cooker, this is an easy one served with naan.
I came up with this easy chicken recipe that tastes pretty similar to one at the restaurant! One of our favorite Indian dishes listed on our Instant Pot recipes roundup. (affiliate links present)
Ninja Foodi Butter Chicken Recipe
You can use an IP or Crockpot Express instead too. Any electric pressure cooker with the saute and high pressure function will work just fine yโall. In a Foodi, use the lid that is not attached to make this!
I went out to eat Indian food with a few friends when I went to a conference in Utah. I hadnโt had it in years and wasnโt sure what to order so my friend suggested butter chicken since it was a milder dish and she said โeveryone loves itโ. Served with with homemade naan it was incredible.
First you have to pick up the main protein to make chicken recipes! I do typically veer toward thighs because theyโre so cheap and come out more tender than breasts. That is totally your choice, decide which boneless skinless you want.
We will show you how right here. It was way easier than I thought and was pretty dead close to the one I tried at that restaurant. I love this method because you can adjust the heat and serve with any side dishes that are to your liking. A bit of sauteeing at first, mix up the sauce and cook under high pressure to get it nice and tender. Done!
It. Was. Amazing! Now that I am all about my pressure cooker I was sure I could make a simple version (my take on it). Served with a side of rice and/or naan this easy butter chicken recipe is definitely a winner at our house when I make it!
Best Instant Pot Butter Chicken Recipe
If you donโt have one of these life changing kitchen appliances, or are scared to use it, let me convince you why itโs amazing.
- Iโm a busy mom with three kids and we both work full time. One thing we love is eating one meal together. This is one of our most popular Instant Pot recipes we can all enjoy together.
- The more I worked the more our dinners together dropped off, until I got my Instant Pot. Now easy chicken Instant Pot recipes only take 30 minutes or less to make.
With a super short cooking time, you can make this dish in under 30 minutes. Throw it all in, set to high pressure with a quick release and itโs done. Pressure cooking rocks!
Ingredients
- Diced Chicken thighs or chicken breasts work
- Garam Masala and cumin are the classic seasoning
- Cumin as well
- Chopped Ginger for a pop of flavor
- Chili Powder is optional but good even if you only add a bit, my version is not spicy
- Heavy cream, if you need it to be dairy free you could try coconut milk. It just wonโt be as thick.
- Chili powder for a bit of heat
Of course there are many ways to make this dish so this may not be totally authentic. It is my take on it and tastes very similar to the one I loved.
Equipment Needed
Use a pressure cooker of your choice. I HIGHLY suggest you get a non stick pot too, it almost eliminates the burn notice from coming on for all recipes. Use a wood spatula to saute the meat at the beginning.
Variations
I am sure there are a lot of variations of recipes for this type of chicken. Of course with any sort of recipe you should adjust the spice level to your liking. I will say this one is on the milder side of things. So if you like more spice or a more pungent flavor, then just add more.
How can you make this healthier?
Well there are several versions, if youโd like to make a healthy butter chicken with more tomato sauce you can try this one. Itโs very much a throw it in and go kindaโ meal and if I am in a real rush I throw on some Minute rice on the stovetop and they are done in less than 10 minutes flatโฆnow thatโs a quick dinner!
I havenโt made naan myself yet and havenโt found a store in town that carries it on a regular basis so I use rice but making it myself is on my list of things to do. Until then I found this super easy homemade naan bread recipe (linked above) you can use and pair with this, seeing a trend hereโฆEASY. ๐
Like I said, if you have specific spices you use, and amounts, then go with that if it is to your liking but use my timing so you can make it in your pressure cooker. If you want to thin it out at the end you can use chicken broth. This is how you make fluffy Instant Pot white rice to serve it with.
Which is better chicken tikka masala or butter chicken?
Depends on who you ask but I prefer this recipe over chicken marsala Instant Pot. They both take about 20 minutes though which is great. There are a few different versions of this as well. Some are more tomato based and others are heavier with cream. Here are a few questions you might have before you get started here. I hope these help:
Frequently Asked Questions
Iโve heard it called Indian chicken before. I guess thatโs because you typically wonโt find this on any other restaurant menu. BUT now you can make it right at home using my directions below so thatโs fun!
Umโฆwell for obvious reasons, there is butter in it.
Beyond that it does definitely have a creamy butter flavor to it.
Do NOT use butter substitutes, you have to go all out.
Salted butter is best, we prefer organic.
Sure you can do this! I personally like thighs because theyโre a lot more tender but I do swap the two types depending on what I have on hand or if I find a really good sale I will use that. It is preference really, the timing wonโt change either way.
How to Make Butter Chicken in Pressure Cooker
- Turn your pressure cooker to saute, and add your butter. When butter is melted add cubed chicken and onions. Cook just enough for chicken pieces to cook just a touch on the outside and are no longer pink.
- Use wooden spatula to deglaze pot to remove stuck on meat. This will help you avoid the burn notification. Turn pot off.
- Add all other ingredients into your pressure cooker and mix together well.
- Put lid on and close steam valve. Set to low pressure for 5 minutes. (4 minutes on high) When done allow to naturally release for 1 minute (to avoid splatters), then do a quick release.
- Carefully lift lid. Serve immediately over rice with lots of butter chicken sauce over the top of everything.
A long grain variety of ninja foodi rice is commonly used in Indian recipes. Basmati rice is commonly available at most grocery stores and is available in both white and pressure cooker brown rice varieties. I like this and Jasmine rice personally.
How do you thicken sauce?
If you want the sauce thicker, remove chicken and set to saute low for just a few minutes. Put some of the hot liquid in a small bowl with 1 tbsp of cornstarch and whisk together, add back into the pot and stir. May do this again with another tbsp. depending on how thick you want the sauce to be. Sauce will thicken more as it sits. Turn off, add chicken back in, and serve with rice and/or naan.
Donโt have this brand of electric pressure cooker? NO problem!
- You can make this into Ninja Foodi butter chicken just by using the pressure cooker lid and the instructions below.
- Works well for the Crockpot Express too. Just use brown button instead of this one saying saute. Those are the same functions.
- Mealthy pots will use the same instructions below too.
How to save leftovers
I will start by saying we rarely if ever have any leftovers but if you do, yes you can. Although itโs a less popular option, chicken and other meats can certainly be reheated on the stovetop. Do so in a small saucepan over low to heat vs. medium high heat to avoid drying it out. Top with chopped cilantro and enjoy again.
If you donโt have a microwave or are short on time, this is a good method. Add some oil or butter to the pan to thin out sauce. Reheating leftovers in a microwave are a bit easier. Do so in a microwave safe dish in 30 second intervals stirring in between times.
That is what is so great about cooking homemade meals right? There is nothing worse than getting a delicious dish that was made so hot that you canโt taste anything else. I mean, you know itโs good but your mouth is on fire and youโre just disappointed. Just add a bit when cooking and more later at the end if you desire after tasting it.
Other Instant Pot Chicken Recipes Youโll Love
Looking for more Instant Pot chicken recipes? We make a lot of these because it is my girlsโ favorite meat and a healthy choice for dinnertime. Of course those with a thicker sauce like this one isnโt quite as good for you as letโs say our Instant Pot butter beef. You can see that one above, fun to mix up the proteins. ๐
This is our tasty pressure cooker sesame chicken recipe. Served over rice it will get raving reviews from everyone in your family for sure.
- Sweet Instant Pot orange chicken recipe is healthier with no breading but tons of flavor.
- Honey Instant Pot chicken is our own creation that has gone crazy with everyone who tries it.
- Kid fave Pressure cooker cheesy chicken spaghetti is loaded with cheese and tons of flavor.
Instant Pot spicy teriyaki chicken thighs are amazing with a simple homemade teriyaki sauce recipe. This one has an Asian twist to it so if you like to try foods from other countries, or try to make them at home, this one is great too. You can certainly adjust the heat level on both of these.
Instant Pot Butter Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- 1 pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into bite size cubes
- 1 1/2 c heavy cream
- 1 1/2 c tomato sauce
- 1/2 onion
- 5 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 3 tsp garam masala
- 2 tbsp corn starch, optional to thicken sauce at the end
Instructions
- Turn your pressure cooker to saute, and add your butter.
- When butter is melted add cubed chicken and onions.
- Cook just enough for chicken pieces to cook just a touch on the outside and are no longer pink.
- Add all other ingredients into your pressure cooker and mix together well.
- Put lid on and close steam valve.
- Set to low pressure for 5 minutes.
- When done allow to naturally release for 1 minute (to avoid splatters), then do a quick release.
- Carefully lift lid. Serve immediately or remove chicken and set to saute low for just a few minutes. Put some of the hot liquid in a small bowl with 1 tbsp of cornstarch and whisk together, add back into the pot and stir. May do this again with another tbsp. depending on how thick you want the sauce to be.
- Sauce will thicken more as it sits. Turn off, add chicken back in, and serve with rice and/or naan.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I decided to make this spur of the moment so I was missing a few of the ingredients. I had to substitute crushed tomatoes for tomato sauce, coconut milk for cream and granulated onion for fresh onion. And I finally got to use the garam masala I bought. I threw in some leftover Yukon gold potatoes and crimini mushrooms. Yum! Will definitely make it again.
Your recipe says 5 mins on LOW pressure, but the preceding text mentions HIGH pressure. Does it matter which one?
if you donโt have an option high is fine
Iโve been making this recipe for a year now and it is my absolute favorite. Lately though, every time I do it my insta pot will say food burn. Does this happen to anyone/any tips to prevent that?
Do you have the non stick pot with the ceramic coating yet? If not I highly suggest you get that and literally youโll never get that notice again.
I never comment on recipe blogs. But I had to come here to say that my local Indian restaurant is not liking you very much right now. After trying a good half a dozen butter chicken recipes, I have found the perfect one with taste and ease of cooking. So glad Iโll be saving money and also avoid the plastic/polystyrene takeaway containers. Thank you!!!
Oh that makes me happy!!
I just want to thank you for this recipe. I have made this lots of times and we love it! Iโm about to go make some now.