Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Our rich, creamy riff on classic Indian butter chicken uses no heavy cream—pureed cashews bring the creaminess and allow the warming spices and aromatics to shine through.
- Makes4 to 6 servings
- Cook Time1 hour
- Slow Cook Time3½ to 4½ hours
- Active time plus cooling25 minutes active
- 30
Our Instant Pot version of classic Indian butter chicken is rich and flavorful, but its creaminess doesn’t come from a flood of dairy, as is commonly the case. Instead, we give curry its requisite velvetiness with cashews (pureed in a blender with water) and only 3 tablespoons of butter (2 tablespoons are added early, and 1 tablespoon at the finish). For best flavor, use roasted salted cashews rather than raw. The chopped cilantro is added at the end, so to save time and ensure it remains fresh and fragrant, prep it while the chicken cooks. Serve with basmati rice or warm naan.
Editorial Note: This recipe was developed for the Instant Pot. For the version that employs the broiler and stovetop, see Butter Chicken.
Don't bother washing out the blender between pureeing the cashews and tomatoes; you can leave the tomato puree in the blender jar until ready to use to avoid dirtying another bowl.
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