Butter Chicken: Creamy, Rich, and Bursting with Flavour
Bring the taste of a classic Indian favourite into your kitchen with our delicious Butter Chicken recipe. Known for its creamy, spiced tomato sauce and tender pieces of marinated chicken, Butter Chicken is a dish that’s both comforting and full of rich, complex flavours. With the Instant Pot, you can recreate this beloved restaurant-style dish at home with ease, letting the flavours develop beautifully as it cooks.
Butter Chicken starts with tender chicken pieces marinated in yoghurt and aromatic spices, then cooked in a luscious, creamy tomato sauce. The Instant Pot’s efficient cooking process ensures the chicken stays juicy while infusing it with the flavours of ginger, garlic, garam masala, and mild chilli. A touch of butter and cream added at the end gives the sauce its signature richness and velvety texture, making each bite incredibly satisfying.
Serve this Butter Chicken with fluffy rice or warm naan to soak up the delicious sauce. Perfect for weeknight dinners or entertaining guests, this dish offers the taste of authentic Indian cuisine without the hassle. With the Instant Pot, preparing a homemade Butter Chicken that’s bursting with flavour and wonderfully creamy has never been simpler.
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
8 minutes
Total Time:
23 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 medium onion
- 2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp fenugreek powder or seeds
- 1 tsp cumin
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 300 g boneless
- 400 g tin chickpeas
- 250 ml cream or yoghurt
- 1 tbsp butter
- Salt and pepper
Pot In Pot Rice
- 220 g
- 250 ml/1 cup water
- ½ tsp salt
- To serve
Instructions
- Start your Butter Chicken meal by selecting Sauté on the Instant Pot and add the oil and diced onion.
- Sauté for 2 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and ginger paste. Sauté for another minute while stirring.
- Add all the spices and sauté for 1 more minute, then add the tomato paste and 1 cup/250ml water and give everything a stir.
- Add the chicken breast and chickpeas, using a spatula to ensure the chicken sits in an even layer, but do not stir it too much, and press cancel.
- If making pot in pot rice, mix the rice, water and salt in a suitably sized bowl, and then place this on the long-legged trivet into the inner pot.
- Secure the lid and select pressure cook, setting the time to 5 minutes. Once cooked, allow the pressure to release naturally for 7 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
- Open the lid, remove the bowl of rice, and fluff with a fork.
- Give the butter chicken a mix then stir through the cream/yoghurt and the butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve your Butter Chicken immediately with the rice, plus naan or roti.