{"id":3054,"date":"2019-10-12T22:23:40","date_gmt":"2019-10-13T04:23:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pressurecookingtoday.com\/?p=3054"},"modified":"2019-10-12T22:22:11","modified_gmt":"2019-10-13T04:22:11","slug":"pressure-cooker-indian-butter-chicken","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pressurecookingtoday.com\/pressure-cooker-indian-butter-chicken\/","title":{"rendered":"Pressure Cooker \/ Instant Pot Butter Chicken"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pressure Cooker \/ Instant Pot Butter Chicken<\/strong> is a classic Indian restaurant favorite that is easy to make at home<\/strong>. You’ll love the combination of tender chicken thighs and a creamy, buttery tomato sauce. <\/em><\/p>\n

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There’s something special about Indian butter chicken\u2014flavorful chicken thighs marinated in yogurt and spices and smothered in a delicious tomato sauce.<\/p>\n

Traditionally, butter chicken is made with chicken cooked in a tandoor oven and marinated in a creamy curry to make it tender. However, when you make it in your electric pressure cooker, you can have tender butter chicken on your table in just 30 minutes. <\/strong><\/p>\n

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How to Make Instant Pot Butter Chicken in Any Electric Pressure Cooker<\/h2>\n

This Instant Pot Butter Chicken recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker<\/strong>, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, and Mealthy MultiPot. Pressure cookers are perfect for cooking chicken thighs until they’re tender and flavorful! (See more of my favorite Pressure Cooker \/ Instant Pot Chicken Thighs Recipes<\/a> here.)<\/p>\n

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Browning Your Chicken in Butter<\/h3>\n

They don’t call this butter chicken<\/em> for nothing! This Indian Butter Chicken recipe calls for a whole stick of butter! While I enjoy a lightened-up version of butter chicken<\/a>, my family insists on making this full-flavored version.<\/p>\n

Technically, you can<\/em> reduce the butter and sub in half-and-half for the heavy cream, but I don’t recommend it\u2014you’ll lose out on the flavor and thickness of the sauce. (This flavor is worth the calories, I promise!)<\/p>\n

Don’t skip the step of browning the chicken in the butter, since this adds quite a bit of flavor to the meal.<\/p>\n

If you’re in a hurry, brown just one side of the chicken thighs. The sauce will still get the flavor of the browning, but you’ll be out of the kitchen in half the time.<\/p>\n

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What Is Garam Masala and Where Do I Find It?<\/h2>\n

The spices you choose will make or break your Indian Butter Chicken.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The secret to a great butter chicken is garam masala<\/a>, a blend of classic Indian spices. It seems like every brand makes a different blend that includes different spices. Garam masala generally includes cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom, plus something to add a little heat like cumin or black pepper. <\/p>\n

While my local grocery store carries this spice, I prefer the blends available from a specialty spice store or an Asian food market. In a pinch, you can also make a quick garam masala at home<\/a>.  <\/p>\n

While this dish is mild by Indian standards, if you prefer to keep things extra mild side, substitute the fresh ginger for 1\/2 to 1 teaspoon ground ginger and reduce the jalapeno peppers to just one.<\/p>\n

(This is the way my grandkids like it; when I’m cooking for them, I’ll make a batch this way and add a bit more spice to my own bowl. )<\/p>\n

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What to Serve with Pressure Cooker \/ Instant Pot Butter Chicken<\/h2>\n

This Pressure Cooker Butter Chicken isn’t complete without a side of rice. Normally I’m not too picky about what kind of rice I use, but I definitely prefer to use basmati rice with this dish. <\/p>\n

I also like to do the hot water soak with Basmati rice. (Read more about it on my Pressure Cooker \/ Instant Pot White Rice<\/a> recipe.)<\/p>\n

Naan is also a must-have with this meal. When I’m in a hurry, I’ll use frozen naan from Costco<\/a> or Trader Joes. However, when I want to make it extra special, I’ll make homemade naan<\/a>. <\/p>\n

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Is Indian Butter Chicken the Same as Chicken Tikka Masala?<\/h2>\n

You might be surprised how often I’m asked if Tikka Masala is the same as this Indian Butter Chicken recipe.<\/p>\n

Honestly, I find the two to be very similar. My favorite local Indian restaurant<\/a> serves both Butter Chicken and Tikka Masala, and the only difference I can see is that their Tikka Masala includes onion.<\/p>\n

If you don’t believe me, maybe you’ll believe Neena<\/a>, one of my favorite food bloggers and my go-to expert on Indian food. In her excellent post for Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala<\/a>, she says:<\/p>\n

People often wonder what the difference is between the two most popular dishes at Indian restaurants: Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala. They\u2019re very similar. And ever-evolving.<\/p>\n

Every Indian restaurant probably has its own take, and opinions vary on what constitutes an \u2018authentic\u2019 version of this curry. But this much is true: Butter Chicken<\/strong> (Murgh<\/em> or Chicken Makhani<\/em>) originated in North India, whereas Chicken Tikka Masala is a British adaptation of Butter Chicken. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Both dishes are popular because they are relatively mild dishes and are a great introduction to Indian food.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

No matter what you call it, you’ll love the results you get from this Pressure Cooker Indian Butter Chicken recipe!<\/p>\n

If you haven’t tried Indian Butter Chicken before, you’re in for a treat!<\/h3>\n

Update:<\/strong> <\/em> This recipe has been on the blog for over five years, and it’s still one of my favorites. It’s such a forgiving recipe\u2014I never measure the cilantro, use what peppers I have on hand, often eyeball the spices, and add more cream (never less!). As long as I serve it with naan<\/a> and basmati rice<\/a>, and my family is happy!<\/p>\n

I’ve updated the recipe to be closer to how I currently cook it, so you’ll notice the recipe now places the spices in a different order than in the video. (I still wanted to show the video so you can see how easy it comes together!)<\/p>\n

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