Instant Pot Butter Chicken
This Instant Pot Butter Chicken Recipe with coconut milk makes a healthy restaurant-quality meal at home, in your electric pressure cooker, in 30 minutes from start to finish.
This Instant Pot Butter Chicken Recipe with coconut milk makes a healthy restaurant-quality meal at home, in your electric pressure cooker, in 30 minutes from start to finish.
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tbsp cornstarch
- 4 large garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 oz can tomato paste
- 14 oz can coconut milk full fat
- 2 inch ginger root minced
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 3 - 3.5 lbs chicken drumsticks or thighs*
- cilantro and green onion for garnish
- brown rice for serving
- Carbohydrate 10.9954365853016 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 10.7838384585666 g
- Fiber 1.44080531342766 g
- Protein 2.33477542550914 g
- Saturated Fat 9.42914109609649 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (164g)
- Sodium 33.9863315172885 mg
- Sugar 9.5546312718739 g
- Trans Fat 0.686689273012689 g
- Calories 139 calories
Step-by-step
- In Instant Pot, add ingredients in exact order as listed above: water, onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, garam masala, chili powder, salt, pepper, coconut milk, tomato paste, maple syrup and chicken.
- Close the lid, set pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cooking on High for 20 minutes. Display will say ON, Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to come to pressure, you will see a bit of steam coming out from a valve, then float valve will rise and countdown will begin.
- After 20 minutes, Instant Pot will beep, display will say OFF and now it needs to bring pressure down before you can open it, which will be indicated by a dropped down float valve. You can let it do it on its own which will take about 20 minutes - Natural Release. OR you can do Quick Release by turning pressure valve to Venting position, which takes 2-3 minutes. I recommend doing so outside to avoid the mess and smell.
- Open the lid and press Sauté (cancel Keep Warm if it's on). In a small bowl, whisk water and cornstarch with a fork, pour over chicken and stir gently. Cook for a few minutes until sauce has thickened a bit. Serve with brown rice, garnished with cilantro and green onions.
A standard recipe ledger omits how the starches interact with high-pressure moisture, particularly when substituting dairy with plant-based alternatives like full-fat coconut milk. Relying on canned coconut milk instead of heavy cream introduces a higher water content that must be counteracted by a precise finishing thickener, ensuring the sauce clings properly to the poultry rather than pooling at the bottom of the bowl. When pressure cooking poultry on the bone, the connective tissues break down over twenty minutes at high pressure to enrich the surrounding liquid, but this same process releases additional juices that dilute the aromatics.
Adjusting this dish for dairy-free or paleo diets requires zero modifications to the core spices, since the curry powder, garam masala, and chili powder naturally contain no animal products. Swapping standard refined sugar for maple syrup adds a distinct caramel note that complements the natural sweetness of the onions and tomato paste without requiring specialized pantry items. Whisking four tablespoons of cornstarch with a quarter cup of cold water before hitting the Sauté function prevents clumping and allows the starches to swell at a simmer until the sauce reaches a glossy consistency.
Serving the finished poultry over nutty brown rice provides a chewy grain base that absorbs the robust spiced sauce effectively, balancing the richness of the coconut milk. Leftovers keep safely in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, though the spices will continue to meld and deepen in intensity over the first twenty-four hours.
