This Instant Pot Butter Chicken is a fast and easy family dinner perfect for babies through adults. The chicken is tender, the flavors robust but mellow, and the method is so easy.
If you love Chicken Tikka Masala, you will love this incredibly flavorful (yet mild) Indian chicken recipe. The combination of shredded chicken and tomatoes with just enough cream and butter to add richness really is something special—and it’s a wonderful way to share flavors with the kids.
The shredded chicken is incredibly tender, making it easy for babies and toddlers to chew. It was one of my go-to chicken recipes when my kids were little because we all loved it.
We love to have this Butter Chicken with basmati rice, naan or pita bread, and a simple veggie side.
Why This Recipe Works
With a hands-off method, this Butter Chicken cooks while you go about your day. And creates the yummiest, most tender chicken that is easy for all ages to enjoy.
(You may also like my Pan-Seared Chicken, Lemon Broccoli Pasta, and Pizza Rolls.)
Table of Contents
Ingredients You Need
To make this Instant Pot Butter Chicken recipe, you’ll need to have the following ingredients on hand and ready to go.
- Chicken thighs: These cook quickly in the recipe and are seriously moist and tender—which makes it very easy for babies and toddlers to chew and enjoy.
- Crushed fire-roasted tomatoes: This is a more flavorful version of diced tomatoes, which works well in this mix of ingredients. Just be sure they don’t have chiles in them! (You can also use regular crushed tomatoes if that’s what you find at the store.)
- Garam masala: This adds the classic flavor you’ll be expecting from butter chicken. Look for it near other spices at the store. If you don’t see it or don’t have it, use cumin instead.
- Ginger and garlic: You can use ground, dried ginger and garlic, or grate frozen ginger, peel and all, on a microplane.
- Butter and cream: We stir these into the cooked chicken to add flavor and richness. You can omit the butter and use coconut milk instead of cream to make this dairy-free.
- Rice: Use any variety of cooked rice you prefer. You can also use fully cooked rice from the store to save a step.
- Lime, cilantro, cucumbers, and naan bread, optional for serving
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Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a preview of how to make this Instant Pot Butter Chicken so you know what to expect from the process. Scroll down to the end of this post for the full information, including the amounts and the timing.
Step 1. Mince the garlic and grate the ginger with a microplane.
Step 2. Add the spices, chicken, and tomatoes to the Instant Pot.
Step 3. Remove the cooked chicken from the sauce and shred.
Step 4. Melt butter and cream into the sauce. Add the chicken. Serve.
Featured Review
“Love this recipe! I’ve made it once a week for the last two years at least. So easy, and a huge hit with kids and adults alike. Freezes well. Only mod I make is instead of butter and heavy cream I throw in a can of coconut milk. Yum!!!”
—Steph
TIP: Keep a knob of fresh ginger in a zip top storage bag in the freezer and grate it with a microplane frozen, skin and all, to make grating easier and to never waste fresh ginger—it won’t go bad before you have a reason to use it again!
Frequently Asked Questions
Butter chicken (also known as “murgh makhani”) is one of the most popular Indian dishes that you can find all over the world. It has flavors similar to tikka masala, is laced with cream and butter, and is actually easy to make at home. It was originally created by Kundan Lal Gujral as a way to soften leftover chicken.
This recipe here is a somewhat simplified (and less spicy) version of the original that’s family-friendly…and super delish.
The easiest way to thicken this Butter Chicken is to simmer it for a few minutes when you add the cream and the butter. (Though to be honest, the first time I made this I actually forgot to do that step and it was still delicious!)
You sure can! You’ll simply combine the ingredients in the slow cooker as you would in the Instant Pot and slow cook for longer. See the Notes section of the recipe below for the information.
If you can’t find or don’t have garam masala, you can use cumin for a less authentic, but still delicious option.
How to Store
Store any leftover instant pot Butter Chicken in an airtight container and reheat to serve. You can also freeze this in a freezer bag for up to 6 months.
Best Tips for Success
- To make this dairy-free, omit the butter and use full fat canned coconut milk in place of the cream.
- Feel free to double the recipe to make a larger portion (or to ensure leftovers!)
- Pureeing the sauce, either with an immersion blender or in a regular blender, makes the sauce smooth and eliminates large pieces of tomatoes—which many kids may prefer.
- Serve over your favorite type of rice. Basmati rice is particularly good. You can make the rice ahead of time, or cook it while the chicken is cooking.
- Chop the shredded chicken up into tiny pieces for babies who are learning to feed themselves finger foods.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe, so please comment below to share!
Easy Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes (without chili peppers)
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (from about 1 1/4-inch piece)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced; or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (optional)
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs (trimmed)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (cut into cubes)
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups fully cooked rice
- Fresh lime juice, chopped fresh cilantro, and/or naan bread, optional
Instructions
- Stir together the tomatoes, ginger, garlic, garam masala, and salt (if using) in the Instant Pot.
- Nestle the chicken into the tomato mixture. Lock the lid and set to cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- When cooking is complete, press "cancel" and let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then carefully quick-release any remaining pressure. (There may not be any.)
- Remove the cooked chicken from the pot and chip with a pair of kitchen scissors, or shred with two forks.
- Stir in the butter and cream. Return the chicken to the pot.
- Serve over rice with plain yogurt, chopped or thinly sliced cucumbers, lime juice, cilantro, and/or naan bread as desired.
Equipment
Notes
- If you don’t have or can’t find garam masala, you can use cumin. (It will have a less distinctly Indian flavor, but it will still be good!)
- To make this dairy-free, omit the butter and use full fat canned coconut milk in place of the cream.
- If you can only find diced fire-roasted tomatoes, you can puree the sauce smooth in Step 4 right before you add the chicken back in.
- Feel free to double the recipe to make a larger portion (or to ensure leftovers!)
- Pureeing the sauce, either with an immersion blender or in a regular blender, makes the sauce smooth and eliminates large pieces of tomatoes—which many kids may prefer.
- Serve over your favorite type of rice. Basmati rice is particularly good. You can make the rice ahead of time, or cook it while the chicken is cooking.
- Chop the shredded chicken up into tiny pieces for babies who are learning to feed themselves finger foods.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container and reheat to serve.
- SLOW COOK IT: Stir together the tomatoes, ginger, garlic, garam masala, and salt (if using), in a slow cooker. Add the chicken. Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Remove the chicken and shred it, then cover to keep warm. Stir in the butter and cream, then stir in the shredded chicken.
Nutrition
Recipe shared with permission from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This post was first published November 2019.
This was so delicious, made it dairy free and it was super yummy!!
I’m so glad!
Tried it this weekend, and it was a hit with my 1-year-old! My husband and I loved the flavor as well, and it was so easy to prepare. (I used my slow cooker.) My picky 3-year-old had a stomach bug, so he’ll have to try it next time. (I’ll rate this 6 stars if he likes it! Haha)
I’m so glad!
We had this tonight for dinner and everyone loved it! It was perfect for my 16 month old, who was previously tube fed and is still weaning onto solid food, he had two big helpings which is just amazing!!
I actually only had turkey breast and added a bit of finely chopped up spinach & onion but it worked great! Cant wait to make it again 🙂
What does it mean to trim chicken thighs? I never cook them 🤦🏼♀️
Just if there is excess fat, you can trim it off with a pair of kitchen scissors.
Could a can of garbanzo be substituted instead of chicken to make it vegetarian and still have the same cook time? My 1yo isn’t a fan of meat but LOVES beans!
Sure! I think I’d add two 14.5 ounce cans to make sure it’s not super saucy. That will be delish!
Made this one night on a whim and man have we been missing out! My 1 year old loved loved loved this recipe and it helped me expose her to a different culture of food. This will be on rotation now.
I’ve made this several times and I love it! I usually make the rice in the instant pot first and then make the dish. I also have used frozen ginger and garlic for extra convenience.
Would you change anything if using chicken breasts instead?
No, timing is the same
Increase cook time if increasing amount of chicken??
How much more do you plan to make? If you double it, the cooking time should be the same.
Can you add the meat straight from the freezer? This is one of the things I love about the instant pot. When I forget to defrost meat, I can still make something in there.
Yes, you may want to add 1/3 cup water just to ensure you don’t get a burn notice. I’d do 12 minutes on high and the rest of the recipe the same. Enjoy!
I’m starting to prep, assemble and freeze some meals in advance to make dinner time easier. Any idea what the cooking time would be in instant pot if this was all frozen? We love this recipe!!
That’s a great idea! I haven’t done it, but I would guess from frozen, it would be 12-15 minutes on high pressure + 10 minutes natural release. Let me know how it goes!
Would I need to adjust the time if i used thighs and breasts? I’d also like to use ~1.8lbs of chicken since I find there’s so much extra sauce (which is DELICIOUS!).
I tried this one tonight for my family and everybody loved it! My 5 year old and 3 year old are without complaints and it’s been a while! Thank you so much!
I did double the recipe and added 2 bell peppers to add veggies to the sauce and blended it. Delicious! Thank you Amy!
I’m so glad to hear that and I love the idea of adding peppers!
For a dairy-free version has anyone tried coconut milk with any success?
I have and it’s great!
Made this tonight. It’s not my favorite Indian dish but it was so easy, quick, and delicious. Plus my toddler ate it with us!
Made in my pressure cooker and will definitely make again.
I’m so glad!