This Easy Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala recipe makes a restaurant-quality Indian curry that has succulent pieces of boneless chicken in a flavorful creamy sauce. Ginger, garlic and Indian spices combine to give the curry a heavenly aroma and taste! Now there’s no reason to go for takeout; cooking this recipe at home in the Instant Pot allows you to get the dish on the table in less than 30 minutes, with fresh and healthy ingredients!
Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala is the recipe most requested by my readers, but it’s taken me a while to get the recipe just right. I know that one of the main reasons most of us use the Instant Pot is to make quick and easy recipes that also taste great! For most Instant Pot users (myself included) it’s all about minimal mess, and quick and easy recipes.
My stovetop recipe uses grilled Tandoori chicken which gets mixed into a cream sauce, but I wanted to create an Instant Pot recipe without the extra step of barbecuing the chicken separately. I wanted a pressure cooker recipe that is not only easy but also tastes as good as the stovetop version. I think this recipe accomplishes all that, and I think you’ll agree!
People often wonder what the difference is between the two most popular dishes at Indian restaurants: Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala. They’re very similar. And ever-evolving. Every Indian restaurant probably has its own take, and opinions vary on what constitutes an ‘authentic’ version of this curry.
But this much is true: Butter Chicken (Murgh or Chicken Makhani) originated in North India, whereas Chicken Tikka Masala is a British adaptation of Butter Chicken. Both dishes are popular because they are relatively mild dishes and are a great introduction to Indian food.
Tips and substitutions
You can substitute ghee for the butter. And if you want to add an additional tablespoon of ghee or butter to the finished dish, feel free to do that.
I use Kashmiri chili powder which is a colorful but milder Indian chili powder. If you can’t find this kind of chili powder, use cayenne pepper, but decrease the quantity to suit your taste. The great thing about Indian dishes is that you can make them as mild as you like by adjusting the quantity of chili powder or substituting paprika for the chili powder. The recipe, as written, is not very spicy (by my Indian standards!)
And here’s a secret: although my recipe states that I use 1 tablespoon of honey, I do frequently add an extra teaspoon or two of honey, to taste, at the end.
Tomato sauce is a canned tomato concentrate similar to tomato puree with minimal spices, used to make tomato-based sauces like pasta sauce. In the UK, for example, it’s called tomato passata.
If possible, use a homemade garam masala, preferably ground fresh. If you don’t have your own garam masala, here’s a quick way:
- 1 1/2 tsp whole cloves (1 tsp ground cloves)
- 2 inch piece of cinnamon stick (1 tsp cinnamon powder)
- 30 cardamom pods (1 tsp cardamom powder)
- 1/4 nutmeg (1/2 tsp nutmeg powder)
- 1 tsp fennel seeds (1 tsp ground fennel)
- 2 pieces star anise (1 tsp powdered star anise)
Grind in a coffee grinder or mix powders together and store in a cool dry place. The aroma is heavenly!!
Fenugreek is an herb (with lots of health benefits) that’s commonly used in Indian cooking. In Hindi, it’s referred to as ‘methi’. We use the leaves and the seeds in various Indian dishes. For this Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala, you can buy dried fenugreek leaves which you should be able to find at an Indian or South Asian store. It adds a very special taste to this curry, and its absence is noticeable.
To make the dish healthy, reduce the quantity of heavy cream or substitute half and half. There will be a taste difference! If you’d like a richer curry, add some extra cream.
If you’ve made my Instant Pot Indian Chicken Curry before with no sealing/pressurizing issues, feel free to saute the tomato paste in this recipe (mixed with some water) after sauteing the ginger and garlic, and then add the spices. Deglaze really well with water or broth after sauteing and before proceeding with the recipe.
I have no problem bringing my Instant Pot to pressure with the recipe, as written. If you regularly encounter the ‘burn’ message, you can add the tomato sauce and tomato paste together on top of the other ingredients, without stirring. If you still have issues, add some more liquid, e.g. a few tablespoons of chicken broth, with the yogurt.
[Read more: Instant Pot Burn Message]
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, please read the Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Quick Start Guide or the Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Quick Start Guide first and then come back here to learn how to make this Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala.
Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala Ingredients
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala (Step-by-Step Instructions)
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the ‘Saute’ function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the ‘Saute’ function and press ‘Start’.
- Add butter or ghee to pre-heated Instant Pot inner pot.
- Once butter has melted, stir in ginger and garlic.
- Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in coriander, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, and Kashmiri chili powder.
- Cook until spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn!
- Press ‘Cancel’.
- Add chicken to the pot and stir to coat.
- Add yogurt, tomato sauce, salt, lemon juice and honey. Stir well.
- Add tomato paste to the top and DON’T stir.
Instant Pot DUO Pressure Cook:
- Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in ‘Sealing’ position
- Press ‘Manual’ (or ‘Pressure Cook’) and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until the display reads ‘4′ (4 minutes).
Instant Pot ULTRA Pressure Cook:
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 4 minutes (00:04).
- Press ‘Start’.
- Instant Pot display will change to ‘On’.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down from 4 to 0; it will then switch to ‘Keep Warm’ mode and display ‘L0:00’ or ’00 00′ and begin to count up.
Instant Pot DUO Quick Release:
- Move the steam release handle to ‘Venting’. I like to place a folded towel over the steam release handle and move it to the venting position. Remove the towel after turning the knob.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press ‘Cancel’ and open the Instant Pot.
Instant Pot ULTRA Quick Release:
- Press down on the Steam Release Button until it locks into place, and steam begins to come out of the Steam Release Valve.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press ‘Cancel’ and open the Instant Pot.
- Add garam masala, dried fenugreek leaves, and heavy cream to the Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala.
- Select ‘Saute’ function (see above for details).
- Allow the curry to cook for another 2 minutes, or until heated through. Press ‘Cancel’.
- Garnish with cilantro leaves.
- Serve with rice or naan.
Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
This Easy Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala recipe makes a restaurant-quality Indian curry that has succulent pieces of boneless chicken in a flavorful creamy sauce. Ginger, garlic and Indian spices combine to give the curry a heavenly aroma and taste! Now there's no reason to go for takeout; cooking this recipe at home in the Instant Pot allows you to get the dish on the table in less than 30 minutes, with fresh and healthy ingredients!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter or ghee
- 1 Tbsp ginger finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp coriander powder
- 1 Tbsp cumin powder
- 3/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- 1 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or to taste
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup whole milk yogurt
- 8 oz. (1 can) tomato sauce *
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 4 tsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp honey or to taste
- 4 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 Tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream **
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves chopped
Instructions
-
Select the 'Saute' function and pre-heat the Instant Pot inner pot.
-
Melt butter or ghee in the inner pot.
-
Stir in ginger and garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
-
Add coriander, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, and chili powder and cook until spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds.
-
Press ‘Cancel’.
-
Add chicken to the spices and stir to coat.
-
Add yogurt, tomato sauce, salt, lemon juice and honey. Mix well.
-
Add tomato paste on top and don't stir.
-
Close the lid and pressure cook for 4 minutes.
-
Do a quick release of pressure (QR).
-
Open the Instant Pot and stir in dried fenugreek leaves, garam masala and cream.
-
Cook in 'Saute' mode for 2 minutes, or until heated through and desired consistency.
-
Garnish with cilantro leaves.
Recipe Notes
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. minced garlic, cut up chicken, etc.
- * American tomato sauce (called tomato passata in the UK), not tomato ketchup
- ** Feel free to add more cream to make the dish richer and creamier!
- I make the recipe as written with no sealing problems. If you regularly encounter the ‘burn’ message, you can add the tomato sauce and tomato paste together on top of the other ingredients, without stirring. If you still have issues, add some more liquid, e.g. a few tablespoons of chicken broth, with the yogurt. [Read more: Instant Pot Burn Message]
- See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips.
I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
If you loved this recipe, please give it a 5 Star rating in the comment section below and please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!
You might also like to try these Instant Pot Recipes:
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| Instant Pot Indian Chicken Curry | Instant Pot Vindaloo | Instant Pot Beef Curry/Stew |
Darren
This looks delicious I can’t wait to try it. Can I use regular chili powder or should it really be the Kashmiri chili powder? also for your Garam Masala, do you use green or black cardamom pods?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Darren, thanks for your question. You can use cayenne pepper or any chili powder without other fillers. I’m not sure where you’re located, but here in the US, ‘chili powder’ is usually the Mexican chili powder which has other spices added. If you’re using plain chili powder, you might want to adjust the quantity because Kashmiri chili powder is fairly mild. For the garam masala, I use green cardamom pods.
Darren
I did end up getting the Kashmiri chili powder, it turned out great! Love the recipe! My wife made me use chicken breast instead of thigh, it will be even better next time using the thighs!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Lol! Some people can’t stand dark meat chicken, and I don’t use anything but dark meat – so I’d have to agree with you 🙂 You can also try and do something different by cooking whole bone-in thighs for about 10 minutes. Apply some salt and spices to the chicken ahead of time, and let it sit for a few hours and proceed with the recipe.
Hilary Cable
I love your blog! The way you lay it all out with useful photos of the process and ingredients is great! You mentioned how every Indian restaurant has its own take on butter chicken and tikka masala. The same is true for garam masala. My recipe for this blend is different from yours by a couple of ingredients – every chef has her version. Thank you for sharing – I am going to make tikka masala today!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Hilary, yes! My garam masala comes from my mom, with a few ingredients omitted because they’re harder to get here. I come from South India, and our garam masala does not contain coriander, cumin, etc. like many North Indian garam masalas have 🙂 Thank you for your comment and I hope you enjoy the curry.
Clarie
Tried this yesterday and it turned out great, The only issue I had with it was the tomato paste. If it was sauteed a little bit it would have gotten rid of the raw tomato taste. But overall good flavor. My kids loved it.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Clarie, do try sauteeing the paste next time. I give those directions to account for all different types of Instant Pots – many have sealing problems and burn message issues. So you can definitely try this and see how it goes.
– Saute the ginger, garlic
– Add the tomato paste diluted with a few tablespoons of water. Press cancel, as needed, to make sure the mixture doesn’t burn.
– Press cancel and add the spices and saute briefly.
– Be sure to deglaze really well with some broth or water and proceed with the recipe.
Hopefully your Instant Pot won’t be persnickety 🙂 and will seal fine.
Thank you for your comment!
Shannon
Made this tonight. The sauce was great. The chicken was flavorless though. Next time I will season, brown and set aside the chicken as a first step. Also, the prep time was over 30 minutes (with pre-cut chicken). There are a lot of ingredients to mince, measure, open … This recipe should be adjusted to read ‘one hour meal.’ That said, looking forward to making more of your IP meals. We love Indian Food and your recipes all look amazing. (Pro tip, soak the rice while prepping, cook the rice while you’re cooking the meal and the timing will be about perfect.)
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Shannon – glad you (sorta!) liked it – thanks for taking the time to comment and add your notes. I think your idea is good. You can also season the chicken with some of the spices and some yogurt for a few hours. I also feel that letting the curry sit overnight allows the flavors to develop – don’t add the cream until you’re ready to reheat it.
Adriana
The Chicken Tikka Masala was delicious. Perfect spice and easy to do. To make it easy, set all the ingredients with the right quantities before starting. The only substitutions we did was the butter instead of ghee and chicken breast. Thank you for sharing.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Great point, Adriana – having all the ingredients ready to go – mise en place – is so helpful. I am very happy you liked the recipe.
GordN
Impressive structure to your instructions, well done!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you! I’m a bit OCD and this comes naturally to me – except that it takes me 3 times longer!
Barbara Pratt
I’m so glad to have found your web site. If I had seen it before trying my first ultra pot eggplant potato curry last night I would have been better off! ( It all worked out in the end but I was caught off guard by the recipe calling for tomato purée. I put in tomato paste instead and had to add a lot of water after getting the ‘burn’ message. I just stopped the cooking, used my wooden spoon to get food off the bottom, added water and stirred. Admittedly, I had to do this a few times before the ‘burn’ message would stop. As a result, my eggplant got over cooked, texture-wise, but we still got the good flavors and nutrition – not bad for a misguided first IP attempt.)
Nevertheless, I’m writing to ask you whether you have ever cooked brown jasmine rice (California);or brown basmati rice ( also California) in your IP. I am committed to using brown Rice’s with my Indian and Thai cooking. I’d like to know cooking times and if the water:rice ratios are different from those I’ve used on my stovetop. Thanks for any help you can give. Warm regards.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Barbara, yes, you can absolutely cook brown rice in the Instant Pot. I generally do it for 22 minutes and it’s perfect. You might need to adjust based on your own IP after trying it out once. I use 1:1.25, but I know some people do 1:1. I don’t soak, just rinse. And I’m glad you found me too 🙂 !
Usha Setlur
Dear Mss Nina
I made your Chiken Tikka masala as my & his wife both like butter chicken, it was a big hit with them.
Your instruction are so simple & early to follow
Thanks making it easy for people like me who are afraid of the machines!
Usha
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Usha – I’m so glad you liked the recipe and the website! Thank you for commenting!
Laura
I made this recipe, even though I typically eat vegetarian. My kids love Chicken Tikka Masala though so I gave this recipe a try! it is SO close to restaurant quality Chicken Tikka Masala. Delicious, rich, and very filling! I ate the sauce with a big bowl of veggies and the kids loved the chicken, and of course the naan we gave them to dip in the sauce. 🙂 I can’t wait to try more of your recipes soon!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks Laura – I’m so glad that the kids were happy! Do keep in touch.