Instant Pot Butter Chicken Recipe

A Twitter friend recommended this recipe and said it was one that was a frequent meal in her house. I had some frozen chicken breasts and everything on hand (shocking!) so I gave it a try.

Here is the recipe I used:

Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Prep Time20 minutes

Cook Time25 minutes

Pressurize15 minutes

Total Time1 hour

Servings4 servings

Calories430kcal

Net Carbs:9.5g

This Instant Pot butter chicken recipe is a keto and electric pressure cooker adaptation of the popular Indian murgh makhani dish. This low carb curry has tender chicken thighs in a smooth and creamy sauce infused with coconut milk, tomato, and aromatic spices. To make it on the stovetop instead, see Butter Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless fresh chicken thighs
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 15 ounce can unsalted plain tomato sauce
• 13.5 ounce can coconut milk (regular full-fat, not light versions; I use the Goya brand)
• 1/3 cup plain 5% fat greek yogurt (use whole milk yogurt or high fat like 5% so it does not curdle; I use the Fage brand)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (I use both stems and leaves)
• 2 tablespoons salted butter

Spices:

• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne (for mild to medium spiciness)

Instructions

• Add chopped onions, garlic, tomato sauce, coconut milk, yogurt, and all spices to the pressure cooker pot (I use a 6-quart Instant Pot). Stir until well-mixed.
• Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Trimming off and discarding excess fat, cut the meat into 1-inch chunks. Add them to the pot, stirring until coated with sauce.
• Cover and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes, followed by a quick pressure release.
• Uncover and turn on the saute mode for medium heat. Boil until the liquid thickens to your desired consistency with a smooth appearance, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot. I prefer a stew-like consistency, which takes about 15 minutes of boiling.
• Turn off the saute setting. Stir in butter and two-thirds (2 tablespoons) of chopped cilantro until the butter is melted. Serve into bowls, and garnish with remaining cilantro (1 tablespoon).
• Butter Chicken goes great with low carb sides like cauliflower rice or creamed spinach. Leftovers taste just as good the next day; simply reheat in the microwave.

It smelled really good while it was cooking! But I am partial to Indian flavors.

It took a little longer than I would have liked, so if we weren’t in a quarantine with all the free time in the world right now, I’d probably save this recipe for a weekend dinner. You had to prep, then sauté, then pressure cook it, then sauté again.

The chicken was cooked perfectly, the sauce thickened up nicely. I bet it will be even better the next day as a leftover!

I served it on top of cauliflower rice (the frozen Green Giant kind that has peas, carrots and green onions in it).

Overall, I liked it a lot. I liked the flavors , I liked the meal as a whole. Next time I think I would add some leafy greens (spinach or kale) and maybe top it with a dollop of plain greek yogurt? It needed a little bit of something but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. But I liked it a lot.

QUESTION: Have you made something like this? Favorite recipe?