Get your Indian fix by making one of my most popular recipes, chicken tikka masala, now adapted for the Instant Pot pressure cooker.
Chicken tikka masala is one of my favorite dishes of all time, and one of the most popular Indian dishes ordered at American restaurants. It goes great with basmati rice to help soak up all of the delicious sauce, or with some slabs of naan bread on the side. I enjoy this dish frequently in various forms, whether it be in a restaurant or just at home with a microwaveable frozen version (the one at Trader Joe’s is quite good!). I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit that there have been times where I ate chicken tikka masala more than once in a single day. It’s just one of those dishes that ticks off all of the boxes for me: (1) warm and comforting, (2) thick and saucy, (3) tons of spices and flavor, and (4) tender bites of chicken.
I developed my one-pan stovetop chicken tikka masala recipe about half a year ago — it’s a made-from-scratch chicken tikka masala that’s surprisingly easy and tastes just as good as the restaurant version. Since then, I’ve been asked to adapt the recipe to make an Instant Pot version. Via pressure cooking, it only takes 10 minutes to cook the sauce, which is about half as long as the stovetop method. I’ve also made some minor adjustments such as tweaking the spice mix and using less heavy cream. All in all, this Instant Pot chicken tikka masala tastes just as amazing as the stovetop version, so you can pick whichever cooking method you prefer.
Recently, I added a slow cooker chicken tikka masala for those of you with crockpots and other slow cookers.
If you’ve ever made my stovetop chicken tikka masala, you’ll know that it comes with a generous amount of sauce. This Instant Pot version is the same. You won’t ever find me skimping on tikka masala sauce, otherwise, what’s the point of basmati rice and naan if there isn’t extra sauce to soak up? The flavors here are top notch — even the typically wary-of-Indian-food Mr. Savory Tooth loves it — and there’s also a wonderful hint of lemon flavor as an added bonus.
For a low carb and keto friendly version, simply make the recipe as follows and substitute white rice with riced cauliflower or low carb naan.
Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala (Pressure Cooker)
Ingredients
For marinating the chicken:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts about 2, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup plain 2% fat greek yogurt 7 ounces
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
For the sauce:
- 15 ounces canned tomato sauce or puree
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 4 teaspoons garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream added last
For serving:
- basmati rice
- naan
- freshly chopped cilantro
Instructions
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Marinating the chicken: Combine all marinade ingredients (minus the chicken) in a bowl and mix well. Add chicken chunks and coat with the marinade. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
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Pressure cooker saute mode: Select the saute mode on the pressure cooker for medium heat. When it has reached temperature, add chicken chunks (along with any marinade sticking to them) to the pressure cooker. Saute until the chicken is cooked on all sides, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the saute mode.
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Pressure cooker high pressure mode: Add all of the sauce ingredients except the cream to the pressure cooker, over the chicken, and stir. Secure and seal the lid. Select the manual mode to cook for 10 minutes at high pressure. Use the quick steam release handle to release pressure.
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Pressure cooker saute mode: Select the saute mode on the pressure cooker for low heat. When it has reached temperature, add cream to the pot, stirring with the other ingredients. Simmer until the sauce is thickened to your liking, a few minutes.
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Serving: Serve with basmati rice or naan. Garnish with cilantro.
Nutrition Notes
This recipe yields 12.5 g net carbs per serving. Nutrition information does not include rice or naan.
| Nutrition Facts Per Serving |
| Calories 460 | |
| Total Fat 27g | 41% |
| Saturated Fat 17g | 85% |
| Trans Fat 0g | |
| Cholesterol 171mg | 57% |
| Sodium 970mg | 40% |
| Potassium 320mg | 9% |
| Total Carb 19g | 6% |
| Dietary Fiber 6.5g | 26% |
| Sugars 6g | |
| Protein 32g |
Hi, is there a way to make this less spicy- hot?
I like the flavors but when I made mine it turned out a bit too spicy-hot for my liking. Do I just decrease the cayenne pepper next time?
That’s correct. Reduce or omit the cayenne altogether.
This was delicious! As good, if not better than you get in the restaurant! Probably needed a little more cayenne 🙂
Cooked this for the first time tonight and was not disappointed! Will definitely do it again as it was so good 😁
My 12 yr old just made this! She is in love!! Her and her sister are now planning Thanksgiving Dinner!!
Haha that’s amazing! I’m impressed that a 12 year old was able to make it 🙂
Hi, I’ve made this recipe a few times and it’s delicious! My only issue is that I get a BURN warning just as the pot comes to pressure every time. Then I have to release the pressure, take everything out and scrape the pot before starting the cooking process over. Any tips for not getting it to burn?
Do you have a newer Instant Pot? Some of the newer models have been programmed with a more sensitive burn indicator. You can dilute the tomato sauce with a bit of water to reduce the likelihood of the burn warning.
I’m sorry to be dense, but do you just throw away the remaining yogurt with spices (marinade)? I’m wondering if maybe I could stir it in when I put in the cream. What do you think?
Hi Amanda! I typically don’t have much leftover marinade, as most of it is stuck to the chicken. But you can certainly stir it in when you add the cream.
We loved it and will make it again. My sauce didn’t turn out as thick as I would have liked. What could I do differently next time? I followed the recipe exactly.
How moist was your chicken before cooking? If a bit damp, pat dry with paper towels. Was there a lot of exuded liquid after sauteing? If so, saute longer to evaporate some of that excess liquid. Also, make sure you’re using Greek yogurt. Avoid non-Greek yogurt varieties, which are thinner. Lastly, simmer/boil longer after cooking to reduce the sauce. Hope these suggestions help!
Just made my first meal in the instant pot. This chicken tikka masala was sooo good! My husband agreed it beat our local Indian restaurant’s. The chicken was so tender and flavorful. I never thought that was possible in just 20 minutes.
WOW! I’m such a noob at cooking, but directions were so easy to follow and it turned out very tasty! Thanks!
You’re welcome Audrey!
Made this last night for friends and it was a huge hit! Can’t wait to make it again
Made this tonight for a few friends, and we were all very impressed. Super tasty and very simple to make. I have already shared it with a few people. I have been craving Indian food for a few weeks and it hit the spot. I’m happy to have found this gem and I will be making again in the near future.