Indian food is hard not to love. Those bold spices create a sensational and unique flavor that makes me adore these dishes. Like many people, I adore butter chicken. And that’s why I worked hard to find a way to fix my cravings for Indian food whenever I want it. My Instant Pot Butter Chicken can help you conquer your fears of cooking a different style of cuisine with ease. In fact, you won’t believe you can get that truly authentic taste with just a bit of effort in your own kitchen. Marinated in Greek yogurt and simmered in a bold sauce sauce, the chicken stays perfectly juicy and bursts with flavor. Bite after bite, you’re going to love it!
Why this recipe
This is not the easiest butter chicken recipe, but I promise the result is so close to the authentic version that you’ll find it worth the effort.
It uses a Greek yogurt based marinade to create a more flavorful and juicier chicken.The marinade helps to brown the chicken beautifully, adding another layer of flavor.The curry mix is true to the authentic butter chicken.It has the perfect liquid ratio, so the butter chicken sauce will come out creamy and thick.
We made so many batches to test out the recipe, so I gave away some to my friends. They told me it tastes SO GOOD, that it’s even better than the restaurant version.
Marinate the chicken
Marinating the chicken in the curry and Greek yogurt based sauce will keep the chicken flavorful and juicy. It also helps with the browning.
Ingredients
Your table should have the ingredients below before you start cooking. I grouped the onion, ginger, and garlic in one bowl, because you will add them in the same step.
Cooking process
Brown the chicken
I highly recommend browning the chicken in a nonstick pan. Do not use Instant Pot for this step. The yogurt coating burns easily in the Instant Pot and it doesn’t brown evenly. While the browning step isn’t a must, I strongly urge you to make time for it. We’ve tried making the dish with both methods, and the browning version makes a big difference. It produces a very appetizing looking chicken, a richer taste, and thicker sauce.
Cook in Instant Pot
The rest is easy: Now your curry is ready to serve! Scoop a big ladle of chicken with the sauce onto your steamed rice and enjoy!
Afterthoughts
I was hesitant to publish such a long and complicated recipe. But after so much testing, we decided this was the way to create the best result. If the steps look a bit daunting, you can make the dish on a weekend. I love my Instant Pot Butter Chicken for meal-prep. It holds up well in the fridge and in the freezer, and tastes just as great after thawing. It’s exotic and flavorful, perfect with steamed rice to soak up the thick, rich, and balanced curry sauce.
More delicious Instant Pot recipes
Chinese Style Instant Pot MeatballsEasy Instant Pot Lentil Soup (Chinese Style)Instant Pot Braised Beef (Chinese-Style)Chinese Instant Pot Chinese Sausage RiceInstant Pot Pork Ribs (Chinese-Style)
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with. Lilja Walter is a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team and worked closely with Maggie to develop and test this recipe.
