Instant Pot® Butter Chicken
I’m enjoying using my Instant Pot® since I received it as a gift last year. I’m a late adapter, but honestly I didn’t think I wanted one. I already had a slow cooker and didn’t see the value of pressure cooking. I was wrong! Really wrong! Pressure cooking softens meats, cooks vegetables in no time at all and makes morning oatmeal a snap. I’m super excited! So here I go! This is the first recipe post of what I hope will be many IP recipes here on the blog. It’s taken me time to figure out how to use it; I’m certainly not a pro, but I’m learning from all the IP users out there.
It’s such a great tool in the kitchen. And guess what? As fate would have it, my slow cooker broke recently (I burned the electrical cord accidentally because I placed it on the stove top instead of putting it away and the chord got too close to the gas burner when I lit the stove. BAD!), so to have the IP’s multiple cooking settings is a win-win.
This butter chicken recipe was a total “not-what-I-was-looking-for-but-glad-I-found-it” sort of recipe. I was searching the internet for a yummy easy starter recipe to test out the Instant Pot®. Butter chicken wasn’t even on my radar. I came across a Butter Chicken Instant Pot® recipe at My Heart Beets, an amazing blog devoted to authentic Indian food, which sounded amazing. I love Indian food, but felt intimidated by the number of spices required to make a really good sauce. I’ve failed a few times before. And Indian food tends to be very high in fat, especially Butter Chicken. One recipe I found used a whole square of butter!. But this recipe only used 2 Tablespoons. I modified it a bit to meet my preferences and present it to you.
It starts with using the Instant Pot®’s saute feature. I melt butter and saute the onions along with the garlic, ginger and chicken. I add all the delicious spices including a premixed garam masala which I easily found at my local grocery store. Then I set the IP to manual or pressure cook, set the timer to 15 minutes and walk away. The Instant Pot® does it’s magical thing. Note: It takes about 5 to 7 minutes for the IP to come to pressure before the 15 minute timer starts counting down, so be patient; the magic will happen. Before you know it the IP will stop cooking and begin a natural release of pressure. For this recipe I allow it to naturally release for 10 minutes, then I do a quick release by moving the valve to venting and the rest of the steam is released.
I add the coconut milk to the chicken, stir it in to make a luscious sauce for the chicken. It is best served over rice, but it’s also yummy just by itself. Naan bread is also a great addition so that you can soak up any leftover sauce. . . or you could just lick the plate. Feel free; I won’t tell.
- Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 small onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
- 1 pound skinless and boneless chicken breast, cut into small bite-size pieces
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
- Cilantro, garnish
- Instant Pot® Directions: Set to Saute. Add the butter and allow to melt. Add the onions and stir-fry for 5 to 6 minutes or until the onions begin to soften. Add the garlic, ginger and chicken; stir-fry for 6 to 7 minutes or until the outside of the chicken is no longer pink. Add the spices and stir-fry until they become fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add chicken broth and tomato paste; stir to combine.
- Secure the lid and make sure the valve is set to seal; cook on high pressure for 15 minutes (select Manual or Pressure Cook and set to 15; the IP will start on its own). Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes then release the remaining pressure.
- Stir in the coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with cilantro and serve over brown rice or with Naan bread.
- Slow Cooker Directions: Melt butter in a medium skillet placed over medium-high heat. Add onions and stir-fry for 5 to 6 minutes or until the onions begin to soften. Add the garlic, ginger and chicken; stir-fry the chicken for 6 to 7 minutes or until the outside of the chicken is no longer pink. Add the spices and stir-fry until they become fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer chicken mixture to an insert of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Add the chicken broth and tomato paste; stir to combine. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
- Stir in the coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with cilantro and serve over brown rice or with Naan bread.
Notes
*although IP is set to 15 minutes, it takes time (maybe 5-7 minutes) for it to come to pressure before the 15 min timer begins to count down. Be patient, it will start. Also I included the "release" time in the cook time.
You’ll also enjoy:
Chicken Cordon Bleu with Butter Lemon Sauce
Herb Chicken with Lemon Cream Sauce
