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Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

Name: Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 4 h 50 min
Cuisine: indian
Ingredients: 1 cup full-fat plain yogurt; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/2 tsp ground ginger; 1 tbsp garam masala; 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice; 2 tsp cumin; 1/2 tsp ground black pepper; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1″ chunks; 1 tbsp oil; 5 garlic cloves, minced; 1 cup canned tomato sauce; 1 1/2 tsp garam masala; 1 tsp cumin; 1 tsp coriander; 1 tsp paprika; 1/2 tsp tumeric; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 cup heavy cream; 1/4 cup cilantro, for topping (optional)

Published on January 7, 2021

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The quickest way to a silky smooth, satisfying bowl of chicken curry! This Instant Pot chicken tikka masala is warm and fragrant with chunks of tender chicken smothering a bed of fluffy white rice!

Please note this post was originally published in 2019. I’ve since redone the text but the recipe remains the same.

Do you guys have any meals that you like to make that require a fair bit of time, with many components, but you all thoroughly enjoy SO much that it’s worth it!? For me, this was chicken tikka masala before I got an Instant Pot!

I would marinate the chicken, thread it onto skewers, grill it, make the sauce, prepare some dough for fresh naan, cook the naan, then make some rice. It was a full afternoon affair, trying to time everything right so that your naan is fresh and warm at the same time as your chicken and sauce and rice, however; it was SO good it was all worth it. One of those meals where you can’t stuff it into your face fast enough, and you’re almost disappointed when you start to feel full.

Well, I’ve now been making chicken tikka masala in the Instant Pot, and this dish has ALL of the flavor with SO much less time. I usually still whip up some naan bread and rice, but I don’t fuss with the skewers and the grill and hovering over the stove. It’s practically a total dump-n-go dish now! The sauce is silky smooth and flavorful, and the chicken is so moist and tender!

What is chicken tikka masala?

I won’t profess to know the exact ins and outs of Indian cuisine (although I do LOVE eating it) but tikka masala is a dish similar to butter chicken, if you’re a fan of that one! Butter chicken is much creamier, with less tomato in the base, while tikka masala has less cream and more of a tomato base. You definitely feel less gross after tikka masala!

How do you make Instant Pot chicken tikka masala?

For the longest time, I didn’t think I would have much use for an Instant Pot. I kept seeing all of these amazing looking recipes online and wondered if it was too good to be true. I enjoy cooking a lot, so would using a pressure cooker take away from that? Turns out, the recipes are (mostly) as awesome as they looked, and I’m still enjoying the process of cooking.

This recipe still requires a marinade, so if you know you’re going to eat it the next day, start the marinade the night before. It’s best if it sits overnight!

Once you are ready to start cooking, remove the chicken from the fridge. Turn the Instant Pot to the sauté mode, on medium heat, and add the oil. Once the oil has heated up, add the garlic cloves and sauté for a minute or until fragrant. Add the marinated chicken, along with the remaining marinade. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure the chicken doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Turn the Instant Pot off. Add the tomato sauce, followed by the garam masala, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric and salt. Stir to combine everything. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, locking it and ensuring the valve is sealed. Turn the Instant Pot to cook at high pressure for 10 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure. When the 10 minutes is up, allow the steam to release naturally for about 5 minutes, before using the quick release to finish releasing all of the steam.

Now for the magic! Turn the Instant Pot to sauté, and add the cream, stirring to combine. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Serve immediately, with basmati rice and/or naan to sop up all of that delicious sauce.

Can you make this recipe if you don’t have an Instant Pot?

Yes! I’ve included directions in the recipe card below to try this out on the stovetop. It takes longer but the end result is just as creamy and satisfying!

If you’re a fan of thick and saucy curries, I guarantee you’ll be making this one again and again. It has just the right amount of spice, so the whole family loves it!

I keep meaning to post my recipe for naan bread too, but hey. There’s only so much time in a day! Until then, try this one. There’s nothing like sopping up all of that silky smooth sauce with a piece of warm, garlicky naan!

Happy eating!!

Some of my other favorite Instant Pot recipes: