This Easy Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala is a restaurant-quality Instant Pot Indian recipe 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! [Instant Pot and stovetop instructions included.]
Table of Contents
Introduction
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 original 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.
Here are some other Instant Pot Indian recipes:
– Instant Pot Lamb Biryani
– Instant Pot Aloo Gobi (Cauliflower and Potatoes)
– Instant Pot Vindaloo
– Instant Pot Kerala Egg Curry
– Instant Pot Lamb Curry (Rogan Josh)
Tips and Substitutions
Ghee
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.
Kashmiri Chili Powder
Kashmiri chili powder is a special kind of Indian chili powder that has a bright red color without being too spicy. I actually use more than is called for in the recipe, so if you like your curries on the spicy side, you can add more.
It can be found at Indian grocery stores or on amazon. If you can’t find Kashmiri chili powder, go ahead and substitute a smaller quantity of cayenne pepper.
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!)
Honey
I really like how the honey balance out the tartness of the tomato sauce and paste. 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
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.
Garam masala
You can definitely use store-bought garam masala, but make sure it hasn’t been sitting on your shelf for ages. If so, buy a fresh jar.
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
Fenugreek is an herb 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 Indian chicken recipe, 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.
Lemon Juice
The lemon juice is an optional ingredient if you don’t like tart flavors. The tomato sauce and tomato paste add enough tartness that you can omit the lemon juice if you wish.
Cream
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.
Tomato paste
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.
Burn message
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]
FAQS
Chicken tikka masala originated as a British adaptation of an Indian chicken curry called butter chicken. It’s a creamy, tomato-ey, saucy, flavorful chicken recipe that’s generally eaten with rice or naan (bread).
I think of chicken tikka masala as being a tomato-ey cousin of butter chicken. The flavors are more intense, while butter chicken is slightly milder.
It is not exactly authentic because I’ve streamlined the recipe to eliminate the grilling of the chicken which gives this easy tikka masala recipe an added layer of flavor. However, it’s still so delicious with much less work! I make this version much more often because it’s so convenient on busy weeknights.
You definitely may add vegetables to the chicken tikka masala. Since vegetables cook quite fast, add them after pressure cooking but before you add the cream. Some good choices are peas or spinach.
Paneer tikka masala is also a great option with this recipe. Pressure cook the paneer for two minutes instead of four minutes.
You can use crushed tomatoes instead of tomato sauce. Blend the crushed tomatoes in a blender if you want to make the sauce smooth.
This Instant Pot tikka masala is not too spicy. To make it spicier, add more chili powder or chop up some jalapeno pepper or serrano pepper and saute with the garlic and ginger.
No, fenugreek seeds are completely different from fenugreek leaves, even though they come from the same plant. Omit the fenugreek leaves if you can’t find them.
Since garam masala is made from toasted and ground ingredients, it adds a special flavor and aroma to a dish. Adding it at the end adds to the freshness of the recipe.
To make a healthy chicken tikka masala, you can reduce the quantity of cream, but there will be a difference in flavor. You can also substitute vegetable oil for ghee. You might also want to try my healthy cashew butter chicken recipe – it’s delicious too!
All Instant Pot models and other brands of pressure cookers such as Ninja Foodi can be used to make this recipe.
Yes, you can make this chicken tikka masala in the Instant Pot mini. Use the same cooking time.
Yes, there’s enough liquid in the recipe that you should be able to make the recipe in an 8-quart Instant Pot.
Yes, the recipe can be doubled without changing the cooking time.
As long as you have the minimum quantity of liquid to get your pressure cooker to pressurize, you can reduce the recipe e.g. halve it, but keep the same cooking time.
You can make the tikka masala ahead of time – it actually tastes better the next day! – but don’t add the cream and garam masala until you’re ready to heat it up before serving.
The chicken tikka masala can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Yes, freeze the curry in an airtight container and it should last 2 to 3 months in the freezer. There may be a slight change in consistency due to the dairy products. If you can, avoid adding the cream until you reheat the chicken tikka masala.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, you might find it helpful to first read one of the following guides and then come back here to learn how to make this recipe.
- Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO EVO PLUS Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO NOVA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO GOURMET Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO Beginner’s Manual
Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala Ingredients
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Fenugreek (methi)
- Chili powder
- Garam masala
- Black pepper
- Butter
- Turmeric
- Cumin
- Salt
- Coriander
- Tomato sauce
- Yogurt
- Tomato Paste
- Cream
- Chicken
- Cilantro
- Honey
- Lemon juice
More details in the recipe card at the bottom of this post
How to Make Tikka Masala in the Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)
- Turn on Saute mode
- Saute garlic and ginger
- Saute the spices and add chicken
- Add the remaining ingredients
- Pressure cook
- Release pressure
- Add fenugreek and cream and heat through
How to Turn on Saute Mode
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the Saute function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the Saute function and press Start.
Saute garlic and ginger
- Add butter or ghee to pre-heated Instant Pot inner pot.
- Once butter has melted, stir in garlic and ginger.
- Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Saute the spices and add chicken
- 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.
* If necessary, deglaze with a couple of tablespoons of broth. Stir to remove any brown bits.
Add remaining ingredients
- 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 4 minutes
- 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 4 minutes
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 4 minutes (00:04).
- Press ‘Start’.
Pressure Cooking Process (Duo and Ultra)
- Instant Pot display will change to On.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down to 0; it will then switch to Keep Warm mode and display L0:00 or 00 00 and begin to count up the number of minutes since pressure cooking completed.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the DUO
- Move the steam release handle to Venting. Steam will come out of the steam release handle.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the ULTRA
- 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.
[Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
Add fenugreek and cream and heat through
- Add garam masala, dried fenugreek leaves, and heavy cream to the Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala.
- Select Saute function.
- Allow the curry to cook for another 2 minutes, or until heated through. Press Cancel.
- Garnish with cilantro leaves.
- Serve with rice or naan.
Stovetop Instructions for Chicken Tikka Masala
- Saute garlic and ginger in ghee in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Saute spices till fragrant.
- Saute chicken until lightly browned.
- Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, salt, lemon juice, honey, and fenugreek leaves.
- Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking.
- Add the yogurt, a little at a time, stirring well after each addition.
- Simmer the chicken on medium low heat until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
- Stir in garam masala and cream.
- Heat through, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens.
See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter or ghee
- 2 Tbsp garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp ginger finely chopped
- 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 plain yogurt (whole milk)
- 8 oz. 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
Instant Pot Instructions
- Select the Saute function and pre-heat the Instant Pot inner pot.
- Melt butter or ghee in the inner pot.
- Stir in garlic and ginger 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 on High Pressure.
- Do a quick release of pressure (QR). [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- Open the Instant Pot and stir in garam masala, dried fenugreek leaves, and cream.
- Select Saute mode and cook for 2 minutes, or until heated through and desired consistency.
- Garnish with cilantro leaves.
- Serve with rice or naan.
Stovetop Instructions
- Heat butter or ghee in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
- Add garlic and ginger to the pot. Saute for about 30 seconds to one minute.
- Add coriander, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, and chili powder and cook until spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken and stir to coat, letting the chicken brown slightly, about 2 minutes. Deglaze with some broth or water, if necessary.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, salt, lemon juice, honey, and fenugreek leaves. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Add a couple of tablespoons of water or chicken broth if needed, to deglaze.
- Add the yogurt, a couple of tablespoons at a time, stirring well after each addition.
- Simmer the chicken on medium low heat until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
- Stir in garam masala and cream.
- Heat through, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens.
- Garnish with cilantro leaves, if desired.
- Serve over rice or with naan.
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.
Nutrition
Thank you for visiting Paint the Kitchen Red. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please don’t use any content without prior written permission. If you’ve made this recipe and would like to share it with your friends, please link back to this recipe. Thank you!
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 five ⭐ 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!
Instant Pot Indian Chicken Recipes
Kathleen
Fabulous recipe!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks for commenting, Kathleen!
Chris Munson
Neena, You hit it out of the park again! This is as good as, if not better than any restaurant’s The chicken is moist and the sauce is SO GOOD! I even had to work with some of the substitutes you recommend and the recipe seemed foolproof. It was delicious and my family was impressed.😊
Paint the Kitchen Red
Wow, so awesome to hear that Chris – I’m thrilled that the whole family enjoyed it. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment!
Natalia
My husband loves Chicken Tikka Masala (I’m more of a Saag Paneer kinda person lol) but we both absolutely loved this and it is our new favorite dinner. Would it be possible to make a big batch and freeze it? Probably without the chicken. We are meal planing for when our baby arrives and it would be AMAZING to have this for dinner often!!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Natalia! Thanks for your question. I’ve not frozen this recipe but I think you could – without the cream. Add cream after thawing and reheating. If you try it out, please do let me know how it goes. By the way, you could use this same recipe to make paneer. Reduce the cooking time to 2 minutes and add either fresh spinach or thawed/squeezed dry spinach at the end and let it simmer for a couple of minutes. And congratulations on the baby!
sandra
Delicious! I made this is written (but no fenugreek) and it was perfect. Such yummy flavors and texture! Next time, I’ll be sure to have mehti on hand!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Sandra, thanks for commenting and I’m so happy you liked it. I love the ease of the recipe and yes, the methi is a worthwhile addition.
Amanda
If I want to double the recipe do I keep the cook time the same?
I have made this as written a few times and my husband and I love it. We want to make some to feed 8+ people and still have some leftovers.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Amanda, yes, you keep the cook time the same. Just make sure the contents don’t go over the Max Fill line before pressure cooking.
Natasha
Can I substitute crushed tomatoes for tomato sauce?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Natasha, yes you should be able to. If you want to give the crushed tomatoes a whirl in the blender, that’ll make it smoother.
Lillian
Neena,
I made this tonight, and OH MY GOSH!!! This is seriously THE BEST ever!!! My family loves chicken masala and I have tried making it at home several times since COVID started, but this one is actually yummier than our local restaurant!!! Thank you so so much for sharing this amazing recipe!!!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Lillian, aww thank you so much for your comment. I’m thrilled to hear this. You might also like the chicken korma and the cashew butter chicken.
Lindsey Adams
LOVED this recipe! It was simple with very flavorful results. I ended up using a garam masala mix from a local spice shop in town though one of these days I’ll try blending my own mix. The only adjustment I made was adding an additional 1/2 tsp of chili powder because I love my food spicy.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Lindsey, I’m so thrilled that you liked the recipe. It’s almost as easy as opening a jar of Tikka Masala sauce 🙂
Sucharita Iyer
Hi, can I use this recipe to make paneer tikka Masala? I’m vegetarian, so if I replace the chicken with paneer when should I add the paneer and how long should I cook it?
Sucharita Iyer
Hi, if I make this recipe with Paneer instead of chicken (I’m vegetarian), what modifications do I need – when to add paneer, how much pressure cook time? I searched your site and couldn’t find a paneer tikka Masala recipe, hence this question! 😀
Paint the Kitchen Red
Sucharita, if you’re making it with paneer or tofu, pressure cook it for 2 minutes. Hope you like the recipe.
Sucharita Iyer
Hi Neena,
I made this recipe yesterday with Paneer and reduced the cook time to 2 minutes. It was fantastic! Family loved it and want this as the go to Paneer dish! Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Sucharita, that’s awesome. I’m so glad that you liked the recipe and were able to adapt it for your family! <3
Theresa
Question , can I use fenugreek seeds instead of fenugreek leaves . And how much Should I use ???
Thanks !
Paint the Kitchen Red
Theresa, thanks for your question. No don’t use the seeds, completely different flavor. Just omit the fenugreek leaves.
Sarah Empey
I recently found your blog and have LOVED the recipes I’ve tried. Thank you! I’d like to make this recipe soon and I have two questions.
1. My family loves the flavor of grilled chicken- what spice/cooking modifications should I make to allow for this? Should I marinate or spice the chicken before grilling and if so, do I modify the spices in the sauce? Thanks in advance for your answer 🙂
2. I’ve seen 2 different recipes for garam masala on your blog. One with mace (and a few other ingredients) and a simpler one, without mace. Do you recommend one over the other? I just bought a slice grinder and am building my supply of whole spices. 🙂
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Sarah, thanks for your questions.
1. is a tricky question. I’ve combined two recipes to make a one-step recipe for the Instant Pot. But if you want to add grilled chicken, I wouldn’t pressure cook the chicken – it will overcook. How about take half the quantity of spices including ginger and garlic, 1/4 cup yogurt, marinate 12 hours and grill. Then follow the recipe, pressure cook or just saute just the sauce, add in the chicken and heat through. Add cream at the end.
2. It may be harder for people to get the ingredients for the garam masala recipe with mace, so the other recipe is also fine. I need to post a consistent recipe, thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Let me know if I can clarify anything!
Ruben R
I had the same question about your garam masala recipes. Thanks for answering. Just made this recipe and it turned out excellent. Even though I was missing the chili powder(used cayenne) and fenugreek. Ive already added those ingredients as well as mace to my list for next time! Thanks for sharing! I’ve already bookmarked more recipes¡
Paint the Kitchen Red
You’re most welcome, Ruben – glad to hear you liked the recipe.
Liz
delicious flavor! made it 2x and for some reason my sauce is always a little lumpy 🙁 but very tasty
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Liz – thanks for the comment. Do you use whole milk yogurt? It’s probably lumpy due to the yogurt curdling…. Not sure why though.
Tasha
I cant have yogurt. Any sub for that or may I oomit the yogurt and still get a good chicken tikka masala taste. Also is whipping cream needed??
Thanks cant wait to try looks yum and love chick tilla masala
Paint the Kitchen Red
Tasha – this recipe is traditionally known for its creaminess. You probably could replace the yogurt with coconut milk, and omit the cream. Of course, the flavors will be different. I think you might like another recipe of mine: Cashew Butter Chicken – it’s delicious too, and quite healthy.
Samiya
Wow, I love that you have directions for the instant pot DUO AND the instant pot Ultra. I have the Ultra and I was struggling with the pressure cooker settings and the seal options on the lid so I really appreciate how you added pictures and wrote instructions on how to use this recipe with the instant pot ultra. Thank you so much, love it and greatly appreciate it! Your recipe and steps were detailed and easy for a beginner like me, great job! Thank you and keep up the good work 🙂
Paint the Kitchen Red
Samiya, wow thanks for the lovely comment. Glad you find the details helpful.
Claire
I’d love to try this recipe but I don’t have an istapot just a crock pot. Is it possible to make this in a crockpot? What modifications would I have to make if so ?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Claire, I’ve not tried this recipe in the Crockpot so I don’t know how it’ll turn out 🙂 I would saute the tomato paste and stir up the ingredients since there’s no worry about burn messages. You might want to reduce the spice quantity by about 1/3 since I increase the spices when I pressure cook. Add the cream at the end and simmer on high till thickened.