Instant Pot curry with chicken is a hearty, high protein, one pot meal. Use any brand of pressure cooker or Ninja Foodi to make this quickly with tons of flavor. Served over rice or in a bowl as is, this Indian recipe is a bold dairy free healthy one pot meal.
Curry is delicious with onions, garlic and ginger to boot. You can easily make this spicy if you like or keep bold. With a quick cooking time you can have this breast or chicken thigh dinner done in no time.
I do have quite a few different machines at home and use them all. You can certainly make this as one of our easy Instant Pot recipes, in a Crockpot Express or as Ninja Foodi chicken curry. If you love Indian curry at your local restaurant, it is time to make a batch yourself. Once you have the spices you need you can make it for a fraction of the price year round.
Using coconut milk you get a slight sweetness and allows those who need a lactose free meal the ability to enjoy it too. Paired with a piece of our air fryer naan bread, it is a family favorite meal in less than 30 minutes even my girls love over and over again.
Ingredient Notes
You are going to want medium sized boneless skinless chicken breasts for this or large thighs are a substitute.
Of course the star of the show is this classic Indian flavor which you can get at home too with quality Curry powder.
As far as what we use to add more flavor and a bit of texture I use white or yellow onions chopped with some minced garlic. You can get this out of a jar or dice up fresh cloves.
You are going to use a bit of coconut oil to saute both of these in the first step. Avocado oil would be a good alternative to this. To avoid the burn notice I always recommend to deglaze the bottom of the pot after sauteeing.
Diced tomatoes canned and drained will create a nice savory sauce for your meat. I like petite sizes. If you wanted to add some heat you can find fiery roasted varieties from Del Monte. A bit of tomato paste or tomato puree will thicken it nicely.
Chicken stock or broth is the best liquid to add but really anything would work. Each comes with a flavor of course so this is best to accentuate the other ingredients for this classic dish.
You should add a bit of sugar for sweetness. Splenda sugar free alternative would work too.
And to make it creamy you should use a can of regular (not low fat) Coconut milk.
Now you can use this same sauce with other meats, just the timing will change. Typically beef and things like oxtail curry will take longer but still possible and delish.
Instant Pot Curry with Frozen Chicken
Can you make this with frozen chicken in Instant Pot? If you have boneless skinless breasts it would work better than other cuts or with bone-in as mentioned above with thighs I used. If they are rock hard you would want to increase timing to 12 minutes with a 3 minute natural release at the end.
You could choose to make this with Instant Pot frozen chicken thighs too but the sauce won’t permeate the meat quite as much.
With this method you will get shredded chicken that you’ll need to pull apart once done. Then stir with the sauce and set the lid back on, don’t seal. Allow the flavors to sit and meld together so the meat can soak it up a bit more for a good 5 minutes or so. Then enjoy this way.
The biggest difference between this and fresh is that you will get a bit of water released once the protein defrosts which will thin the sauce a bit. If that is all you have on hand though it is a nice go to for dinner for sure. Both offer a gluten free healthy meal you can jazz up with seasonings of your choice.
Instant Pot Curry Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 3 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 14.5 oz diced tomatoes, 1 can drained
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 lb. chicken breasts, boneless skinless
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
Instructions
- Place coconut oil into the instant pot and set to saute. When oil is hot, add onion and cook for 2 minute. Add 2 tablespoons curry powder and garlic and continue to heat for an additional 2 minutes.
- Stir in drained diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth and sugar. Mix well. Season chicken with salt, pepper and remaining curry powder and place on top of the mixture in the instant pot.
- Place the lid on the instant pot and close. Seal the pressure regulator shut. Set to poultry or the high pressure setting, for 10 minutes.
- When cooking is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. Carefully open the pot and remove the chicken. Use a knife to cut the into cubes. Return meat and mix well.
- Set the pot to saute and add 1/2 to 1 cup coconut milk to achieve your desired consistency. Once mixture is hot, about 2 minutes, remove and serve with warm rice and top with chopped fresh parsley, if using.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Serve
Typically I’ll make a pot of Instant Pot White Rice for the 4 of us to serve this with but you could serve as is in bowls. If you want to go lower in carbs we have skipped the bed of rice and instead served it on top of a bed of Instant Pot Cauliflower Curry. OH MY if you haven’t tried this I have made it an entire meal before it is just that good. Sprinkled with just some salt and black pepper when done it’s a must try. You can make a great duo together like this and a batch of Instant Pot Lentil Curry too.
Set the pot to saute and add 1/2 to 1 cup coconut milk to achieve your desired consistency. Once mixture is hot, about 2 minutes, remove and serve with warm rice and top with chopped fresh parsley. If I want something cool to serve with it I will make Indian Cabbage Recipe.
FAQ
Yes you can add some when cooking but the majority should be added after it is done to make your recipe creamy and delicious. If used as your main liquid it will curdle with the high pressure temperature so wait until the end to fold into your dish like we did here with our chicken curry.
Yes, coconut milk is dairy-free. Made from the flesh of mature coconuts and is the best alternative to dairy milk for those who are lactose intolerant, allergic to dairy, or following a vegan diet. Coconut milk is naturally lactose-free, making it suitable for people with lactose intolerance too.
What is the trick to adding coconut milk to a pressure cooker?
Adding it at the end is the trick when pressure cooking, otherwise it will turn into a cottage cheese like texture. Since the temperature of the pot is so high it will cause curdling to occur so pour it into your dish when it is done and the meat is shredded. If you are cooking on a stove at lower temps., like with our Curry Mussels you could add it at the beginning.
