This authentic Instant Pot chicken curry is a delicious family recipe. The bone-in chicken cooks up so tender in the Instant Pot pressure cooker. Now you can skip takeout and make this easy Instant Pot Indian chicken curry recipe at home, from scratch, in no time.
Table of Contents
Introduction
If I had to pick my favorite Instant Pot Indian recipe, this is it! For those of you who’ve been following my blog, you might remember my mom’s Kerala chicken curry (stovetop) recipe.
As much as I love that recipe, I also love the Instant Pot version of Indian chicken curry and so does everyone I share it with – it’s comfort food; just add some rice or naan and that’s a whole meal right there.
The first recipe I wanted to adapt when I got my Instant Pot was my mom’s Indian chicken curry. If you’re looking for a delicious Instant Pot curry recipe that’s sure to please, you’ve found it! This recipe comes from the South Indian state of Kerala.
Many people who’ve only had Indian food in a restaurant may be surprised to see Indian chicken curry with potatoes. But potatoes are a common addition to chicken curry recipes made in Indian kitchens. Give it a try!
Adapting family favorite recipes to the Instant Pot is easy enough if you can figure out the amount of water and the time to cook. Sometimes I get it on the first try and sometimes I have to tweak it a bit (or a lot).
And yes, on occasion my ever-patient family has had to eat the same thing over and over, till I got it right! But you’re lucky because we’re doing the research and you get to try out the tested recipe.
Anyone who loves Indian curry recipes is going to love this Instant Pot Kerala chicken curry recipe. My favorite way to eat this pressure cooker curry is with rice and papadum (thin crisp wafers). I like to crumble the papadum into the rice and curry!
Here are some South Indian Recipes you might enjoy:
– Kerala Egg Curry
– Kerala Fish Curry (Meen Molee)
– Sambar
– Beef Curry
Tips and Substitutions
Chicken
This Instant Pot chicken curry uses bone-in chicken thighs and/or drumsticks. I feel that bone-in chicken cooks so well (and quickly) in the Instant Pot.
Boneless chicken thighs (whole): If you’d like to use boneless chicken thighs, reduce the chicken cooking time to 10 minutes total. So you would cook the chicken for 4 minutes, release pressure, add potatoes, cook for an additional 6 minutes, and release pressure.
Boneless chicken thighs (cubed): If you want to cut up the boneless chicken into bite-size pieces, cook the potatoes and chicken together for 5 minutes. No releasing pressure in the middle. That makes the recipe even easier than it already is.
Onions
One of the keys to this recipe is sauteing the onions really well. I swear it makes such a difference. You want the onions to be a deep golden brown and that takes some time. Be patient, and keep stirring.
If you find that the onions are browning too quickly, deglaze with a couple of teaspoons of broth and incorporate the brown bits into the onion mixture.
Pro tip: Saute the onion mixture ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you want to make the curry, proceed with the rest of the recipe for a quick weeknight meal.
Thickening the Curry
I add a thickener at the end because the curry (right after pressure cooking) isn’t thick enough for my taste. The Instant Pot allows dishes to cook with hardly any water loss, so the end result is not as thick as when cooked on the stove.
You might like it just fine, so feel free to omit this step. You can thicken the Instant Pot chicken curry in one of two ways: either by cooking down the liquid in Saute mode at the end, or by adding a thickener.
I like to add cashew paste (cashew nuts ground into a thick paste), which is a trick my mom taught me. You can add coconut milk, coconut cream, heavy cream, or store-bought cashew butter, if you prefer.
An additional way to thicken the chicken curry is to remove a few pieces of potato, mash them with a fork and add them back into the curry.
Potatoes
With the recommended pressure cooking time, the potatoes are quite well done – almost falling apart. If you want the potatoes to be firmer, pressure cook them for 3 minutes instead.
I like to use Yukon gold potatoes for most of my recipes because I find them to be less starchy.
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!)
Garam Masala
If possible, use a homemade garam masala, preferably ground fresh. If you don’t have your own garam masala, here’s a quick recipe:
- 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 fennel powder)
- 2 pieces star anise (1 tsp star anise powder)
Grind in a coffee grinder or mix powders together and store in a cool dry place. The aroma is heavenly!!
Tomatoes
I like to use tomato paste in this recipe because that’s what my mom uses. I mix the tomato paste with equal parts broth or water.
If you want to use tomato puree (1/4 cup), tomato sauce (1/4 cup), canned diced tomatoes (1 1/4 cup), or fresh tomatoes (2 medium), feel free to do so.
Spinach
One of the side dishes I like to serve with this Instant Pot chicken curry is Indian roasted cauliflower or Instant Pot aloo gobi. However, sometimes I don’t have the time to make a side dish and when that happens, I add in some frozen spinach at the end and let it heat through on Saute mode.
Burn Message
The first time you make this recipe, you may want to add 1/4 cup extra water or broth IF you’re making it with bone-in chicken. This is because some people have issues with this recipe causing the Burn or Food Burn message.
I have yet to figure out why it happens to only some people, so adding a little extra water is a good way to avoid the issue. The other is to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
If you do get the burn message, you have a few options the next time:
- Don’t saute the tomatoes. Instead, add them on top of the chicken, without stirring.
- Add an extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup of broth or water and make sure the liquid gets to the bottom, below the chicken pieces. Another trick you can try is to add a low trivet to the inner pot and put the chicken pieces on the trivet.
- Finally, you can try substituting bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks with boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces. This might help prevent the Burn error. If you choose to take this route, add the chicken and potatoes together and cook both for 5 minutes and then do a quick release of pressure.
FAQS
The recipe, as written, cooks the chicken pretty well but you can add another 2 minutes to make it fall-apart tender.
You can substitute sweet potatoes or carrots, but reduce the pressure cook time to 1 or 2 minutes.
You have a few options to avoid the burn message:
– add an extra 1/4 cup of broth or water
– add the tomato paste at the top, before closing the lid; don’t saute it
– use boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces (see Tips)
Cream, coconut milk, half and half will all work to thicken the chicken curry.
Yes, this recipe can be doubled, with the same cooking time. To avoid the burn message, you can use boneless chicken cut up into 1 to 2 inch pieces. See tips for more details.
Due to the minimal quantity of liquid in this recipe, if you halve the recipe don’t decrease the quantity of liquid – keep it the same – and keep the cooking time the same. At the end you may need to heat the curry in Saute mode to reduce the sauce.
Yes, you can use 4 to 6 tablespoons of tomato sauce.
To make it spicier, add more Kashmiri chili powder or saute serrano or jalapeno pepper (to taste) when you’re sauteing the onions.
You can either omit the chili powder or cayenne or substitute all or part of it with paprika.
It depends on the capacity of your air fryer. You just need to make sure that they’re not packed too tight, which can prevent air circulation. If you need to air fry double the quantity, you can do it in two batches. The second batch may take less time to cook because the air fryer is hot.
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 PRO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
Instant Pot Chicken Curry – Ingredients
- Butter or ghee
- Cinnamon
- Bay leaves
- Cumin seeds
- Spices (coriander, turmeric, chili powder, black pepper)
- Salt
- Garam masala
- Onions
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Tomato paste
- Chicken
- Water or broth
- Potatoes
- Cilantro
More details in the recipe card at the bottom of this post
How to Make Curry Chicken in the Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)
- Turn on Saute Mode.
- Saute whole spices and add onions, garlic, and ginger.
- Saute onions, tomatoes, and add spice powders.
- Saute spices, add chicken and broth.
- Pressure cook.
- Release pressure.
- Stir in potatoes.
- Pressure cook.
- Release pressure.
- Add cashew butter and cilantro.
How to Turn on Saute Mode
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the Saute function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the Saute function and press Start.
Saute Whole Spices and Add Onions, Garlic and Ginger
- Melt ghee or butter and add cinnamon, cumin seeds, and bay leaves. Stir until fragrant, being careful not to burn, about 30 seconds.
- Add onions, garlic, and ginger.
Saute Onions, Tomatoes and Add Spice Powders
- Saute the onion mixture until it’s a deep golden brown, about 7 to 10 minutes. If you find the onions sticking to the bottom, deglaze periodically with a couple of teaspoons of broth or water.
- Add the tomato paste mixture to the Instant Pot and stir.
- Saute until the tomato paste is cooked, about 3 minutes. If it sticks to the bottom, add a tablespoon of water.
- Press Cancel. The spices will cook in the residual heat.
- Add coriander, turmeric, black pepper, chili powder, salt, and stir till fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Saute Spices, Add Chicken and Broth
- Deglaze the pot with a tablespoon of water or broth so there’s nothing stuck to the bottom of the inner pot.
- Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat with the spice mixture.
- Add broth or water.
Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 9 minutes
- Close the lid and make sure the steam release handle is in Sealing position.
- Press Manual (or Pressure Cook) and + or – until the display reads 9 (9 minutes).
Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 9 minutes
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 9 minutes (00:09).
- 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. ]
Stir in Potatoes
- Stir in cubed potatoes and garam masala.
Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 6 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 ‘6‘ (6 minutes).
Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 6 minutes
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 6 minutes (00:06).
- 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.
Add Cashew Butter and Cilantro
- Carefully stir in cashew paste, cashew butter, coconut cream, or heavy cream to thicken the chicken curry and make it creamy.
- Select Saute and heat through until thickened, stirring occasionally to make sure the bottom doesn’t burn.
- Press Cancel and garnish the Instant Pot curry chicken with cilantro.
Stovetop Directions for Curry Chicken
To make this recipe on the stovetop:
- Saute whole spices.
- Saute onion, garlic, and ginger.
- Saute tomatoes.
- Saute powdered spices.
- Stir in broth, chicken, and potatoes.
- Simmer until the chicken is cooked through.
- Stir in cashew butter, if using.
- Garnish with cilantro.
See the stovetop version of chicken curry for detailed instructions.
Instant Pot Chicken Curry
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp ghee or butter
- 1 bay leaf large
- 2 inch cinnamon stick
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 cups onions chopped fine
- 1 Tbsp garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp ginger minced
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 Tbsp coriander powder
- 3/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 3/4 tsp black pepper powder
- 3/4 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or cayenne (to taste)
- 1 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 3 lbs chicken thighs or drumsticks bone-in
- 2 cups potatoes cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or water *
- 1 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 2 Tbsp cashew butter or ground cashews
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- In Saute mode, melt ghee or butter. Add cinnamon, cumin seeds and bay leaf and stir till fragrant, being careful not to burn.
- Add onions, garlic and ginger, and saute till deep golden brown, about 7 to 12 minutes. If you find the onions beginning to burn, deglaze with a teaspoon or two of broth.
- Mix tomato paste with 2 tablespoons of water and add to the onions.
- Saute until the tomato paste is cooked, about 3 minutes. You should notice that the oil starts to separate from the tomato. If it sticks to the bottom, add another tablespoon or two of water.
- Press Cancel to turn off Instant Pot. Otherwise, spices can burn when you add them.
- Add coriander, turmeric, black pepper, chili powder, salt and stir till fragrant.
- Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat with the spice mixture. Make sure there's nothing stuck on the bottom of the inner pot. This is very important!
- Add chicken broth or water.
- Close the lid and Pressure Cook on High Pressure for 9 minutes.
- Do a Quick Release of pressure. [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods].
- Open the lid and carefully stir in the cubed potatoes and garam masala.
- Close the lid and Pressure Cook on High Pressure for 6 minutes.
- Do a Quick Release of pressure. Press Cancel.
- Open the lid and add cashew butter or cashew paste **, stir the chicken curry and heat through in Saute mode, until thickened. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.
- Press Cancel, sprinkle chicken curry with cilantro and serve with Instant Pot basmati rice, bread or naan.
Notes
- At 6 minutes, the potatoes cook very well. You can reduce the cooking time to 3 minutes for firmer potatoes.
- * If making the recipe with bone-in chicken, add an extra 1/4 cup of broth if you are prone to getting the burn message.
- ** To make cashew paste, blend 1/4 to 1/3 cup cashews with very little water to make a thick paste similar to peanut butter. Substitute cashew paste with cashew butter or heavy cream or coconut cream. You can also thicken the curry by cooking down the liquid at the end, in Saute mode. If you prefer a thin curry, you can omit the thickeners altogether.
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. chopped onions, minced garlic, diced chicken, etc
- See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips, including homemade garam masala.
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!
More Instant Pot Curry Recipes
Instant Pot Chorizo and Potato
Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
Instant Pot Vindaloo
M
Hi Neena, I made this tonight for my husband and brother in law. Let me tell you this curry WAS SO GOOD!!! Thank you 😊
Paint the Kitchen Red
Wow, thank you so much for those kind words! I’m so happy to hear this – it’s a special recipe!
sb
Came out tasty!
I used skinless boneless thighs, cooked 5 minutes first section, then 6 minutes with potatoes.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you for taking the time to comment – much appreciated!
Michael
Question – this recipe looks really good. I am going to use a whole chicken and cut it up. The question is how easy after cooking and cooling will the chicken come off the bone? I like to debone with the chicken after cooking to make eating the curry easier.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Michael, the chicken becomes quite tender with the given times but if you add an extra 2 to 3 minutes, it should be fall-apart consistency. Hope you enjoy the recipe.
Michael
I ended up cooking the chicken for 10 minutes and letting it sit for 10 before pressure release. Worked great. Love your recipe! While it still takes a long time to do everything, using the Instantpot saved a lot of stovetop time. Thanks so much!
Jennifer H
I just made this tonight and my husband and I both thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn’t have any cashews so I left the cashew paste out but I found I didn’t need it. It has a nice amount of heat and kick of spice and the flavors were very good. I also added a cup of chopped carrots at the same time as when you add the potatoes and it was nice to have the extra veggies. Thanks for a great recipe, perfect for a cold winter dinner!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Jennifer, I’m glad you like the recipe and thank you for sharing your modifications!
Sofia
Delicious and easy! As someone new to cooking Indian food this recipe is the only one that has been easy to follow. Loved the result. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you for commenting, Sofia – glad you liked the recipe.
Krista
Call us crazy but we aren’t big fans of potatoes around here and often substitute them for sweet potatoes – Do you think that would be doable in this recipe?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Krista, my husband much prefers sweet potatoes to potatoes, so I get ya! Sweet potatoes cook much faster so I would cook them for much less time – like 1 or 2 minutes.
Ricky
This recipe is absolutely perfect! My whole family and friends love this delicious recipe.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Ricky, that thrills me since it’s my very first Instant Pot recipe 🙂
Jeanie
Very delicious! Will definitely make this again. Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you, Jeanie – I’m so glad you like the recipe!
Dennis J Chmiel
Are you kidding? I sent this recipe to may printer and was horrified to see that it printed out 14 pages (both sides). That’s just crazy. Will never use this site again, never.
Dennis
Paint the Kitchen Red
Dennis, I’m sorry to hear that. You can click on ‘Printable recipe card’ from the table of contents and the recipe card has a print button. That gives you the ability to print the recipe card which is only 2 pages long. I’m guessing you were printing the entire blog post.
Kristin
It’s so good but I get burn notices every time I make this. 🙁 Sometimes it “cooks through” and sometimes it doesn’t. Adding more liquid and scrapping the bottom before setting it to pressure cook doesn’t help.
I keep making it and just “preheat” like three times through and it kinda works anyway.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Kristin, thanks for your comment. I’m surprised that even adding extra liquid doesn’t help. Here’s what I think you might want to try: don’t add the tomato paste until the end and put it on top without stirring in. Another idea is to use cut-up boneless chicken thighs. And pressure cook chicken and potatoes together for 4 to 5 minutes. Also, if I may ask, what model and size IP do you have?
Janet
This was an excellent dish. I used four large chicken thighs (some fat trimmed off). Total weight was 1 1/2 lbs. The sauce I made just as written because we wanted lots of it for our Naan. You do have to give the IP your full attention during the saute phase, as it will burn quickly. At the end, I used about 1/4 c. of half and half. Can’t wait to have the leftovers for dinner tonight!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Janet, I’m so glad that you liked the recipe and thank you for taking the time to share your tips.
Annie
If I have the Instant Pot Mini, should I just cut the recipe in half? And if so, do I cut the cooking times in half?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Annie, when you cut a recipe in half, you keep the same cook time. The only thing about this recipe is that it uses a minimal amount of liquid and when you halve that, you might not have enough to bring the Instant Pot to pressure. So add some extra broth. You can also use diced boneless chicken thighs (less chance of a Burn message) and cook chicken and potatoes for 4 to 5 minutes.