• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Savory Tooth

recipes for low carb meals

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Low Carb Main Dishes
    • Low Carb Appetizers and Sides
    • Low Carb Instant Pot Recipes
    • More Categories
  • Low Carb Diet
    • How to start
    • The Science
    • Grocery List
    • Pantry Stuffers
    • Substitutions
    • My Journey
  • About
    • About The Blog
    • Subscribe
  • Contact

Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala (Pressure Cooker)

January 12, 2018 By Julia 290 Comments This post may contain affiliate links

Pin65.1K
Share4.3K
Tweet43
Shares 69.5K

Get your Indian fix by making one of my most popular recipes, chicken tikka masala, now adapted for the Instant Pot pressure cooker.

Instant pot chicken tikka masala
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.

Instant pot chicken tikka masala
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.

Instant pot chicken tikka masala
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

Instant pot chicken tikka masala
4.72 from 76 votes
Print

Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala (Pressure Cooker)

Most popular chicken tikka masala recipe, adapted for a pressure cooker like the Instant Pot.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 460 kcal

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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  
Vitamin A 40% · Vitamin C 33% · Calcium 7% · Iron 10%

MORE DELICIOUS INSTANT POT RECIPES:

Artichokes cooked in the Instant Pot and served with a spicy garlic mustard dip
Instant Pot Artichokes
Instant pot corned beef and cabbage
Instant Pot Corned Beef
Instant Pot Salmon
Instant Pot Salmon

Instant Pot Chicken with mushroom gravy
Pin65.1K
Share4.3K
Tweet43
Shares 69.5K

Filed Under: 10-20g Net Carbs Per Serving, Low Carb Instant Pot Recipes, Low Carb Main Dishes Tagged With: cayenne, cilantro, garam masala, gluten free, ground ginger, instant pot, lemon juice, paprika, rice, turmeric, yogurt

« Instant Pot Chicken With Creamy Mushroom Gravy
Instant Pot Leg of Lamb with Gravy »

Leave a Reply

4000

Sign up for my newsletter
4000

  Notifications  
Email me when there are
Lauren

So yummy! Everyone loved it!

Reply
1 day ago
Nicole

I made this for dinner last night and it was DELISH! much like making mole at home, I’ve been intimidated by making chicken tikka masala but not anymore. Thank you for the easy-to-follow, scrumptious recipe! It will definitely have a prominent spot in my dinner rotation. 😊

Reply
1 day ago
Laura

Can I use chicken thighs instead?

Reply
3 days ago
Julia

I haven’t tried using chicken thighs for this recipe. If you use them, I suggest boneless and skinless thighs.

Reply
3 days ago
Laura

Thank you! Do you think the cooking time would stay the same?

Reply
3 days ago
Julia

I would keep the cooking time the same. Let me know how it turns out!

Reply
3 days ago
Laura

It turned out great! The chicken breast was a bit dry when I made this last week. But the thighs were perfect. Thanks, again!

Reply
3 days ago
Rfuerst

I prefer chicken thighs in this recipe. I also sweeten it with honey for a little extra zing. This recipe is great. Also it doubles well. We eat this a lot around here!

Reply
1 day ago
Maria

THIS WAS REALLY GREAT. EVEN BETTER THE NEXT DAY, EVERYONE LOVED IT. SO EASY IN THE INSTANT POT.

Reply
3 days ago
Ttaylor

Made this tonight exactly as stated on recipe. It was super delicious. It tasted a lot like what we find in restaurants. Served it with Basmati rice cooked with cumin seed, and baked naan. Cilantro garnish added a wonderful freshness and aroma. Wonderful recipe! Thank you for sharing.

Reply
4 days ago
Monica

I really love this recipe! I’ve made it once before and I am making it again now but I have a question. I forgot to buy heavy cream. Can you substitute coconut milk for the heavy cream. Thanks in advance for responding.

Reply
6 days ago
Julia

I haven’t tried that myself, but I know other readers have subbed some or all of the heavy cream with coconut milk and enjoyed it.

Reply
5 days ago
Angela

If I wanted to use fresh ginger instead of powdered, how much should I use?

Reply
7 days ago
Julia

Use 1 tablespoon fresh ginger.

Reply
6 days ago
Megan

Is it just me, or was this extremely spicy. Trying to figure out what I did wrong!

Reply
10 days ago
Julia

Did you add more than 1/4 teaspoon cayenne? That’s the only spicy ingredient.

Reply
9 days ago
« Previous 1 … 6 7 8

Primary Sidebar

NICE TO MEET YOU

Photo of JuliaHi, I'm Julia! I create recipes for delicious LOW CARB meals that everyone will love. More about me. Subscribe for latest recipes.

START A LOW CARB/KETO DIET

  • A Beginner’s Guide
  • Printable Grocery List
  • Science Behind The Keto Diet

Instant Pot Favorites

Instant Pot Beef And BroccoliInstant Pot Beef And Broccoli
Instant Pot Chicken Tikka MasalaInstant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
Instant Pot Mushroom ChickenInstant Pot Mushroom Chicken
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese SoupInstant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup

Footer

Site Usage

Use of this website constitutes acceptance of its terms and conditions and privacy policy.

About

savory tooth is a food blog featuring delicious recipes for low carb meals. These recipes are easy to make, healthy, and nutritious -- perfect for a keto diet and lifestyle. Follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook.

Recent Posts

  • How To Cook An Artichoke In The Microwave April 19, 2018
  • Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin April 17, 2018
  • How To Cook Bacon In The Oven Perfectly Every Time April 15, 2018

Copyright © 2015–2018 · Savory Tooth

MENU & SEARCH
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Low Carb Main Dishes
    • Low Carb Appetizers and Sides
    • Low Carb Instant Pot Recipes
    • More Categories
  • Low Carb Diet
    • How to start
    • The Science
    • Grocery List
    • Pantry Stuffers
    • Substitutions
    • My Journey
  • About
    • About The Blog
    • Subscribe
  • Contact