Pressure Cooker Chicken Instant Pot Curry

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.

Ninja Foodi Chicken Curry

I do have quite a few different machines at home and use them all. You can certainly make this as an easy Instant Pot recipe, Crockpot Express and Mealthy have pots like this one too. 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.

Instant Pot Curry Chicken

Of course you could make this same dish in a skillet on the stovetop as well. Pressure cooking allows you to saute at the beginning and then cook quickly under high pressure in the same pot. If you have two (like we do) you can make a great duo together like this and a batch of Instant Pot Lentil Curry too.

Typically I’ll make a pot of Instant Pot White Rice 2 cups for the 4 of us to serve this with but you could serve as is in bowls.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts 
• 1/2 c onion chopped
• Curry powder
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• Diced tomatoes 1 can drained
• 1 tbsp coconut oil is best
• 1 tbsp tomato paste or tomato puree
• Chicken stock or broth
• 2 tbsp sugar for more sweetness
• Coconut milk is dairy free and a bit sweet

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.

How to Make Curry in Instant Pot

• 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.
• Use a wooden spatula to scrape bottom of the pot when done.
• 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.

Ok so we offer a printable recipe card for Instant Pot chicken curry below but let’s talk about it a bit here first with a bit more details; First off we use fresh meat here cut into bite size pieces. I have in fact made this with Instant Pot frozen chicken thighs but the sauce won’t permeate the meat quite as much.

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.

What is the trick to adding coconut milk to a pressure cooker?

Adding it at the end is the trick, 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.

Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry Recipe

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 Curry Indian Cabbage Recipe.

How to Make 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.

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.