This authentic and easy Instant Pot chicken curry is a delicious family recipe. The Instant Pot pressure cooker makes the chicken so tender and flavorful! Now you can skip the takeout and make this easy pressure cooker chicken curry recipe at home, from scratch, in no time.
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➡ If you’re new to Kerala cooking, start with my Kerala Cooking Basics guide for ingredient tips, shopping advice, and more authentic recipes.
Authentic chicken curry uses individual spices such as cumin, coriander, and turmeric, and not curry powder. This allows each recipe to have unique and custom flavors.
My mom’s chicken drumstick curry with potatoes was the first recipe I wanted to make when I got my Instant Pot. This delicious curry is from the South Indian state of Kerala, and it’s made with chicken and potatoes.
Sunil says ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I have made this several times and it never fails. Love this recipe!
As much as I love the stovetop version (which is amazing!), I love making this chicken curry Instant Pot pressure cooker recipe because it’s so convenient.
Pressure cooking allows the chicken to cook quickly and retain its moisture, resulting in a flavorful and tender chicken curry dish. For another delicious curry-flavored recipe, try my chicken curry soup which can be made in the Instant Pot or stovetop.
Another family recipe (this one from my mother-in-law) is a pork vindaloo Instant Pot version.
❤️ WHY THIS IS THE BEST INSTANT POT CHICKEN CURRY RECIPE
- This is a family recipe, and it’s the real deal – an authentic Indian chicken curry. My recipe is made with potatoes.
- It’s customizable – you can use boneless skinless chicken, omit the potatoes, and add more veggies.
- This Indian chicken curry is healthy and suitable for most diets.
- This is a comforting, hearty recipe that is sure to please curry lovers.
- You can make this curry on a weeknight or for a special occasion.
➡ Serve this chicken curry Instant Pot recipe over Instant Pot Jasmine rice, Instant Pot brown basmati rice, and roasted cauliflower or Instant Pot aloo gobi on the side.
Ingredients and Tips
🧂 Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken Curry
💡 Ingredient and Recipe Tips
🧈 Fat: Ghee is ideal for authentic flavor. Substitute with butter, vegetable oil, or coconut oil. Try my Instant Pot ghee recipe for homemade!
🌶️ Whole Spices: Cook the cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, and cumin seeds very briefly – don’t let them burn!
🥄 Ground Spices: Kashmiri chili powder is mild but colorful. Substitute with a smaller amount of cayenne pepper plus paprika for color. The recipe isn’t too spicy – feel free to add more chili powder to taste.
🥣 Garam Masala: Homemade garam masala smells divine and tastes incredible. If using store-bought, try and get a fresh batch if yours has been in the cabinet for a long time – it makes a difference.
🧅 Onions: Red onions provide authentic curry flavor. Yellow onions work as a good substitute. Take the time to get the onions nice and golden brown – it’s totally worth it! Learn about all the different ways to brown onions!
🍅 Tomatoes: Tomato paste works great (it’s a family tradition!). Fresh or canned tomatoes (drained) also work – pulse in a mini food processor or blender first.
🍗 Chicken: I use bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks for maximum flavor! For boneless whole thighs, pressure cook the chicken 4 minutes, release pressure, then add the potatoes for 6 minutes (10 total). For cubed chicken, add the chicken pieces and potatoes together and cook 5 minutes.
💧 Liquid: Chicken broth or stock adds more flavor than water. Deglaze the Instant Pot really well before adding the broth.
🥔 Potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes add heartiness. To omit, cook the chicken for the total time without adding the potatoes partway through.
🥛 Thickening: Thicken the gravy with cashew butter or cashews blended into a paste. Use cream, coconut milk, or coconut cream for a coconut chicken curry variation.
🥬 Spinach Variation: For chicken saag, add frozen spinach at the end and heat through on Sauté mode.
⏰ Time Saver: Make the onion mixture ahead and store it in the fridge up to 3 days until ready to use.
🌿 Garnish: Add plenty of fresh cilantro for an authentic finishing touch.
🔥 Burn Message: Some people report that they get the Burn Message with this recipe. Here are a few ways to avoid the burn message:
- Try using boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 2 inch pieces instead of bone in chicken. Pressure cook the chicken and potatoes together for 4 minutes. There’s no need to release pressure partway through to add the potatoes.
- Add an extra ¼ to ½ cup of broth or water and make sure the liquid gets to the bottom, below the chicken pieces.
- Deglaze really well, and make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pot. Lower the Saute temperature if you need to.
- Don’t sauté the tomatoes. Instead, add them on top of the chicken, without stirring.
- Place a low trivet in the inner pot and put the chicken pieces on the trivet. This allows the liquid to have full contact with the pot. What is a trivet?
❓ FAQS
Yes, double the recipe without any change to the cooking time. To avoid the burn message, use boneless chicken cut up into 1 to 2 inch pieces. See tips for more details.
I don’t recommend reducing the quantity 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 curry sauce.
Prepare the chicken and potatoes on the stovetop and transfer to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or 3 to 4 hours on high.
How to Make Indian Chicken Curry
⏲️ Instant pot Instructions
- Melt ghee or butter and add cinnamon, cumin seeds, and bay leaves. Stir until fragrant, being careful not to burn, about 30 seconds.
- Add the chopped onions, garlic, and ginger. 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 tomato paste mixed with water to the Instant Pot.
- Saute until the tomato is cooked, about 3 minutes. The oil will separate from the tomatoes. If it sticks to the bottom, add a tablespoon of water.
- Press Cancel to turn off the Instant Pot. The spices will cook in the residual heat. Add coriander, turmeric, black pepper, chili powder, salt.
- Stir spices until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 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 and stir to coat with the spice mixture.
- Add broth or water. Make sure the liquid reaches the bottom of the pot, and gets under the chicken. If needed, place the chicken on a trivet.
- Close the lid.
- Program the Instant Pot to pressure cook on high pressure for 9 minutes.
- The display will go from On to 9:00. The float valve will go up after a few minutes. The display will count down to 00:00.
- Do a quick release of pressure. Once the float valve goes down, the lid can be opened.
Note: If you’re using boneless chicken, pressure cooking instructions will be different. See details in tips or recipe card.
- Stir in cubed potatoes and garam masala. Pressure cook for another 6 minutes. If you want the potatoes to be more firm, reduce the cook time to 4 minutes.
- Do another quick release of pressure and open the lid.
- Carefully stir in cashew paste or cashew butter to make the chicken curry creamy. Cook chicken curry in Saute mode, stirring occasionally, until desired consistency.
- Press Cancel and transfer the chicken to a serving dish. Garnish the pressure cooker curry chicken with cilantro. Serve with white rice, brown rice, naan, or cauliflower rice.
See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
♨️ Stovetop Instructions
- 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 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon ghee or butter
- 1 bay leaf large
- 2 inch cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 cups onions chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 ½ tablespoon coriander powder
- ¾ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ¾ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or cayenne (to taste)
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 3 lbs chicken thighs or drumsticks bone-in, or 2 lbs boneless chicken thighs (whole)
- 2 cups potatoes cut into 2 inch cubes
- ½ cup low sodium chicken broth or water [See Note 1]
- 1 ½ teaspoon garam masala preferably homemade
- 2 tablespoon cashew butter or ground cashews (cashew paste) [See Note 2]
- ¼ 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 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 to the pot 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. If using boneless chicken thighs, pressure cook on high pressure for 4 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. [See Note 3]
- Close the lid and Pressure Cook on High Pressure for 6 minutes. [See Note 4]
- Do a Quick Release of pressure. Press Cancel.
- Open the lid and add cashew butter, 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, brown rice, bread or naan.
Notes
- Note 1: Some people get the Burn message with bone-in chicken, and others don’t. If making the recipe with bone-in chicken, add an extra ¼ cup of broth if you’re prone to getting the burn notice. Another option is to use boneless skinless chicken cut into 2-inch pieces, pressure cook both the chicken and potatoes together for 4 to 5 minutes on high pressure and do a quick release of pressure. There’s no need to cook the chicken and potatoes in two stages.
- Note 2: Cashew paste is used to thicken the curry. To make cashew paste, blend ¼ to ⅓ cup of cashews with very little water to make a thick paste similar to peanut butter. You can substitute cashew paste with cashew butter. If you prefer a thin curry, omit the thickeners altogether. You could also thicken the curry by cooking down the liquid at the end, in Saute mode or adding heavy cream or coconut cream (See below).
- Note 3: The garam masala can also be added at the very end when you’re heating through on Saute mode. This makes the flavors bolder. Try my homemade garam masala.
- Note 4: At 6 minutes, the potatoes cook very well. Reduce the cooking time to 3 minutes for firmer potatoes.
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. chopped onions, minced garlic, diced chicken, etc.
- To make coconut curry chicken, add ¼ to ½ cup of coconut milk at the very end and heat through.
- To make a rich and creamy curry like butter chicken, add ¼ cup of heavy cream and 1 tablespoon of butter at the very end and heat through.
Nutrition
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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.
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Sreelekha Sashidhar says
Tried the recipe and loved it!
Reminded me of mom’s chicken curry:)
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Sreelekha, so great to hear from you! I’m so glad you tried it out 🙂 I just made this recipe 2 days ago – one of those standbys that I can make now with my eyes closed. Probably the only one that I don’t need to look at the recipe for! Yes, but nothing compares to mom making it for you, right?!
Beth says
This may sound dumb, but where’s the actual curry in this recipe?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Beth, no dumb questions on this blog – you’re probably asking something someone else is thinking of too 🙂 So, in Indian cooking, the word “curry” generally refers to a dish with gravy. When the British colonists left India, they wanted to take back a spice mix that would replicate the flavor of the curries in Indian and that was the origin of “curry powder” which is sometimes referred to as “curry” in the west. Every Indian household has different spice combinations that are similar to the spices in this recipe, with some dishes having fewer and other dishes have more spices. In India, it is rare to use a generic curry powder. Hope that helps explain things!
Pete says
My go to curry recipe for pressure cooking – love it. Normally add a couple of extras like mustard seeds and whole dried chilies. Love the cashew cream.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you so much for your comment, Pete! Wait up – a similar, yet different (!) curry is coming up next week. I love it and hope you’ll try it out 🙂
Jeff says
I appreciate the details and pictures for the instant pot! I will be trying this recipe tonight :D. Very thorough walk through!!!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hope you enjoy it, Jeff!
Nat says
Hello! Just bought my first IP today and I’m excited to make YOUR recipe my first 🙂 I got all the lingos and know I can get garam masala at Sprouts… one question, what’s deglazing??? I grew up eating Japanese curry (inspired by Indian curry… potatoes and all!!) and I now cook it for my husband and kids. Our fave dish. Hands down. But I’m going to put on my big girl pants and try your recipe and cook curry from scratch! (Japanese curry is made from curry paste cubes/bouillon)
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hey Nat, deglazing is when you add small amounts of clear liquid like water or broth to a hot stainless steel pan and scrape to incorporate all the brown and crusty bits into the liquid and have them become part of the sauce. If you don’t do this, the Instant Pot sensors can have trouble sensing the contents of the inner pot and you can get the ‘Burn’ error. Hope you like the recipe.
Sandy R says
Hi Neena-I just got a 6-qt Instant Pot, and found your wonderful tutorial on getting familiar with IP, and doing the water test. My question is, the IP Manual states to always add 18 oz fluid (not counting oils) to anything being cooked. Your recipe only calls for 1/2 cup. Can you explain the difference?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Sandy, welcome to the IP world and great question! Many foods release their own liquid (onions, vegetables, even chicken). Many of my recipes have much less than the recommended quantity of liquid and I have no issues. But different Instant Pot versions/models do work differently so when you’re first starting out I’d suggest making a recipe that has more liquid just to have a positive experience! If you want to make this recipe and it’s your first time, use diced boneless chickenless chicken thighs (pressure cook the chicken and potatoes together for 4 minutes; that way you don’t have to open the Instant Pot in the middle). If you wish, you can add an extra 2 Tbsp to 1/4 cup of broth to be safe. As you learn more about the IP, you can try and follow the recipe as written. I’m always here to help so just comment here or send me an email 🙂
Sara says
I have made this delicious Chicken curry a few times now, and every time i wonder why i don’t make it more often. Great recipe! I use coconut cream as thickener. Yummy, thanks!!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Sara, thank you so much – I really appreciate the comment. Coconut cream/milk is a great option.
Tarini says
Hi Neena,
Thanks for this great recipe – it tasted amazing.
I used boneless thighs and adjusted the time accordingly – however there wasn’t a lot of curry. What can I do next time to ensure there is more curry?
Thanks,
Tarini
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Tarini, thanks for your question. This recipe is for a thick curry, as written. I would just add more water as you’re cooking or add some coconut milk or cream at the end to give it more gravy. If you found the spice level to be adequate as written, then you could increase the spices by a small amount to counteract the extra liquid. Hope that helps.
Lori says
I was super excited to make this using chicken drumsticks. Sadly, I got the dreaded “burn” message. I added the 1/2 cup of water and deglazed, but still it burned. Thick mixtures with tomato bases often burn in the IP, I should have been more cautious… I removed everything, switched to a different liner, added the potatoes and a full cup of water on the bottom, then dumped everything back on top of the potatoes. That did the trick! I cooked it for 9 minutes, then let it naturally release for about 8 more minutes. I stirred in the cashew paste (super easy to make) and added more spices, it thickened up nicely. It might be helpful to remind folks after step 6 to fully deglaze the pot and be sure to add sufficient liquid – at least a cup – on the bottom. The final product was yummy, but what a lot of work!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Lori, thank you for the comment. I will add a note to the the recipe to watch out for the burn message – thanks for the suggestion.
Gaurav Chawla says
Amazing amazing recipe. I cooked this yesterday for a small party at our place and everyone couldn’t get enough of this. A few changes I made: I put a whole serrano green chilli while chopping the onions in a blender, I put couple of whole pods of cardamom along with the masalas before cooking the meat, and did not put potatoes but it turned out great My wife and I have cooked couple of other recipes as well, but this was perfect. Thank you Neena. This will be in heavy rotation.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you so much, Gaurav. I make this all the time for guests too and it’s always well-received. I like your changes. My husband doesn’t like biting into cardamom pods in curries so I usually omit!
Erin Banks says
This was perfection. I made with chicken breast. Didn’t do two cook times, just added potatoes and graham Marsala before closing lid. I also reduced reduced spice to 1/4 tsp. cook time to 10 min, release pressure after 5 min. It’s ready and perfect!!! Thank you. Kids loved it
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks for your comment, Erin – I’m glad you liked the recipe and made it your own.
Mary says
Hi Neena,
It’s freezing here in Milwaukee, so curry is what I’m craving. Would substituting peanut butter for the almond paste work in this recipe. When you refer to coconut cream is that the cream that collects at the top of a can of coconut milk?
I’m a late comer to Instant Pot. I used mine for the first time last night and I already love it!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Mary – thanks for your question. I feel that peanut butter would be too strong and would change the flavor of the curry. The ground cashews or cashew paste have a less dominating flavor. Coconut cream is the thick coconut layer on the top of the can – you’re right. You can also use regular coconut milk. I also use cream sometimes. Cornstarch is also acceptable. Welcome to the Instant Pot world 🙂
Vicki says
Nice heat, tasty dish! Thank you for posting!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
You’re welcome, Vicki – glad you liked it!
Barb Mathers says
I have the 8-quart instant pot and after I added the potatoes and garam masala, I kept getting BURN on my instant pot. I depressuried and indeed there was a burnt layer on the bottom of the inner pot. I scraped all of that off and added more liquid, but it happened again. I ended up finishing the recipe on my stovetop. Very tasty, but I wanted it to work in the instant pot. Any ideas?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Barb, it could be due to the 8 quart requiring more liquid. What you can do is add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of broth OR make 1.5 to 2 times the recipe. Another thing that might work for you is to use smaller pieces of chicken (boneless skinless) so it’s less crowded (Cook for less time, though.) Good luck.
Leone says
Made this for the first time a couple of days ago and IT WAS SOOOOO DELICIOUS! I’m still new to the whole InstantPot thing so finding your recipes is a huge help. Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you, Leone! This is my sentimental favorite recipe on the blog, and it makes me very happy when someone else discovers it and loves it!
Vivek says
How would you adjust the cooking time if you don’t include the potatoes?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Vivek, good question. You would cook for the total time, uninterrupted: 15 minutes.
Ben says
Thanks for the recipe Neena, I made this this evening (my first instant pot meal) it was delicious! I added mustard seeds and increased the garlic and ginger and added a couple of green chillies. The gravy was great. A revelation.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Ben, I’m glad you had success with your first IP meal – that was ambitious! My original recipe does have mustard seeds, so that’s perfect. Your changes sound perfect to me.
Emily says
Hi Neena,
First, it’s so lovely to see how active people are here in sending questions, and how active you are in replying to them. This is my first time on your blog and I’m really touched by the community engagement on display!
Second, I’m curious whether you prefer to chop the chicken pieces or leave them whole, and if you remove the bone when serving. I’ve cooked with bone-in chicken, but only in instances where I’ll be shredding the chicken off the bone. Thanks in advance!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Oh, thank you so much for your kind words, Emily! I do love my readers and I get so much joy from other people making my recipes and liking them! re: the chicken curry, I always prefer bone-in chicken because of the flavors coming from pressure cooking the bones. The chicken should be cooked almost to fall-apart consistency, but not the shredding stage. If I have smaller thighs, they do sometimes separate from the bone, and I discard the bones. But ideally, I would serve them bone-in and whole. When my mom makes this curry on the stovetop, she uses a meat cleaver and cuts the pieces into smaller pieces but I don’t do that.
Elle says
This was amazing! My whole family enjoyed it, even my 3-year-old. Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Excellent, Elle! Pleasing a 3-year-old is a mighty feat! Thanks for the comment.
JIa says
Delicious ! Just made it today! Keep em coming.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Yay! I’m glad you like it 🙂
Heather says
Delicious! Used Heavy whipping cream instead of cashew paste, and took the skin off the chicken. Loved it!!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Heather! Oh, yeah – that sounds like butter chicken actually; must have been really tasty! Thanks for your comment 🙂