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Instant Pot Butter Chicken

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.

By Diane UngerApril 7, 2020

  • Makes
    4 to 6 servings
  • Cook Time
    1 hour
  • Slow Cook Time
    3½ to 4½ hours
  • Active time plus cooling
    25 minutes active
  • Rating

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.

Tip

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.

Ingredients
  • 1

    cup roasted salted cashews

  • 14½

    ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

  • 3

    tablespoons salted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces, divided

  • 1

    medium yellow onion, chopped

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 3

    medium garlic cloves, minced

  • 1

    tablespoon minced fresh ginger

  • 1

    tablespoon garam masala

  • 1

    teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1

    teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or ¾ teaspoon sweet paprika plus ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • 2½

    pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch pieces

  • 2

    tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, divided

Step 1

In a blender, puree the cashews and ¾ cup water until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; set aside if pressure cooking or cover and refrigerate if slow cooking. In the now-empty blender, puree the tomatoes with their juices until smooth, about 1 minute. On a 6-quart Instant Pot, select Normal Sauté. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and melt. Add the onion and 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin and chili powder; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the chicken and tomato puree, then distribute in an even layer.

Step 2

Press Cancel, lock the lid in place and move the pressure valve to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook or Manual; make sure the pressure level is set to High. Set the cooking time for 10 minutes. When pressure cooking is complete, quick-release the steam by moving the pressure valve to Venting. Press Cancel, then carefully open the pot.

Step 3

Stir the cashew puree and remaining 1 tablespoon butter into the chicken mixture, scraping the bottom of the pot. Select Less/Low Sauté and cook, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened and coats the chicken, 4 to 5 minutes. Using potholders, carefully remove the insert from the housing. Cool for about 5 minutes. Stir in half of the cilantro, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with the remaining cilantro.

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