Shredded chicken thighs made incredibly tender in a rich tomato sauce with hints of Indian spices…oh yes! This Instant Pot Butter Chicken is an easy family dinner that everyone at the table (babies on up) can enjoy.
Instant Pot Butter Chicken
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 introduce the kids to new flavors.
We love to have this Butter Chicken with basmati rice, naan or pita bread, and a simple veggie side. I’ve made this chicken recipe so many times now—I double it each time since we love it so much.
This recipe is adapted from the Multi-Cooker Baby Food Cookbook, from my friend Jenna Helwig—who you may know from her previous books Baby Led Feeding and Real Baby Food. I love that the methods are straight forward and they can all be eaten by babies.You can buy this awesome new cookbook.
TIP: Surrounding a potentially new dish, like this one, with “safe” foods such as rice, bread, and/or a favorite veggie, is an easy way to have a low-pressure family dinner.
Table of Contents
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Why is butter chicken called butter chicken?
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.
(I usually don’t provide that kind of culinary history, but I love knowing those tidbits!)
Ingredients You Need
To make this Instant Pot chicken recipe you’ll need:
- Crushed fire-roasted tomatoes: 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.
- Salt (optional)
- Ginger, garlic, and salt: Each adds flavor. You can use ground, dried ginger and garlic, or grate frozen ginger, peel and all, on a microplane.
- 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.
- Butter and cream: We stir these into the cooked chicken to add flavor and richness. You can omit the butter and use coconut milk 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
TIP: If you can’t find or don’t have garam masala, you can use cumin for a less authentic, but still delicious option.
Dairy-Free Butter Chicken
To make this dairy free, you can omit the butter and use full-fat coconut milk in place of the cream.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the simple steps involved in making this easy chicken recipe. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.
- Mince the garlic and grate the ginger.
- Add to the multi-cooker with the tomatoes and spices.
- Nestle in the chicken. Cook!
- Remove chicken and shred.
- Melt butter and cream into the sauce. Simmer to thicken.
- Stir the chicken back in. Serve over rice.
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!
How can I thicken Butter Chicken in an Instant Pot?
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!)
Can I make this in a Slow Cooker?
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.
How to Store
Store any leftovers 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
- 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.
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 multi-cooker.
- 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.)
- Chop the chicken in the pot with a pair of kitchen scissors, or shred with two forks.
- Stir in the butter and cream.
- 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.
So delicious, the whole family loved it! Very easy as well. Win-win!
Was easy and yummy with some small additions. I added smoked paprika and cumin for extra flavour, as well as two teaspoons of sugar and coconut milk instead of cream.
This was so delicious, Amy! Thanks for sharing such a quick, yet yummy recipe! All three of my kids…10,4, and 2 ate! That is a true accomplishment!! – Amy
Could you use frozen chicken thighs? Would it change instant pot cook time?
It would be similar time for boneless, maybe add 2 minutes if using ones with bones to ensure they cook all the way through.,
This is a go-to recipe in our house. It’s fast, it’s tasty, it doesn’t dirty a bunch of dishes, and everyone loves eating it. An absolute favorite!
This was so good! I used a can of coconut milk and used the extra to cook the rice. Yum
We absolutely love this recipe, it’s one of our go-to’s! So easy and yummy.
I’ve never eaten butter chicken before – mainly because I never understood why it was called butter chicken but it’s red 😆 But looking at the ingredients and how easy it is I figured I’d try it!
Super easy and pretty tasty! One of my two kids tried it – one bite – and said it was ok, the other refused. But my sister and I both really enjoyed it.
Thinking I might put a couple batches together in freezer bags so I can have a quick dinner to throw in the instant pot some nights!
Hi! Can i just use normal diced tomatoes if i can’t find fire roasted ones? Thanks!
Of course!
My toddler refused to eat this but the rest of the family absolutely loved I’m going to make it one of our regular meals now and hopefully my little guys will warm up to it and try it some day!
Thank you for this delicious recipe! My toddler, husband, and I love this with naan, yogurt, and cucumbers and paired with potatoes and mixed veggies as well.
Do you have advice on whether we can put in raw cut potatoes and frozen mixed veggies with the raw chicken in the Instant Pot? I currently cook the veggies separately then mix together with the sauce in the end. I am always looking for more ways to make 1 pot wonders!
Thanks!
Did the slow-cooker version, and it was fantastic. Really delicious and really easy—the perfect combination. And if I ever get over my mental block about using the pressure cooker function on the instant pot, it’ll also be really fast!
Great flavor and my 22m boys inhaled it. But for me, in the instant pot, it came out quite watery, which didn’t work great for toddlers, so i thickened the rest with a cornstarch slurry. Thanks for another great and easy family recipe!!
I’ve made this twice now – once in the instant pot and once in the crockpot. Both are so easy! Each time I’ve made it, I think to myself, “this is SO good!” We will be adding this to our regular dinner rotation! Thank you, Amy, for another great recipe!!!
This did not taste anything like a traditional butter chicken. However, it was still good and my 14 mo and husband liked it! It was also incredibly easy which is always appreciated. I doubled the recipe for 2.25 lbs of chicken thighs, but found it to be a lot of sauce and would probably not double the sauce ingredients next time.
This is a go-to for us. Both my young kids love it. Sometimes my 3-year old prefers to have it without the sauce. The recipe is so versatile and the chicken comes out great every time. My husband and I love it too and we serve it up over basmati rice and sautéed spinach or steamed broccoli. We love your recipes!
I’m so glad to hear that!
I very rarely leave comments (like this is my second time in more then a decade) because most recipes I try and think “that tasted fine but not worth it to make it again”…NOT this recipe! Wow this was delicious AND easy to make!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us! My 12 month old daughter, my husband, and myself all thoroughly enjoyed this dinner! My daughter was literally sticking her fingers in the sauce and licking her fingers, she’s never done this before! It was so cute (insert little smiley face holding back tears). I threw this meal together so quickly and I loved that it didn’t need a million different ingredients to taste delicious. My husband asked that I add this to our menu rotation; he is very picky so I knew this was a winner as soon as he said that. Make this tonight, you will not be disappointed! Divine!!
I’m so glad to hear that!
This was delicious! My husband and 14 month old loved it. My 3 year old ate only the cucumber and naan. 😂🤷♀️ Thank you for yet another great recipe (and so easy!).
Everyone in my family loved this dish, kids and adults! My picky 5 yo even had seconds! I used thin-sliced chicken breasts, and it cooked beautifully in about 5.5 hours in the slow-cooker. Also used your mango frozen yogurt recipe as “mango lassis” to go with the dish!
The ease of this recipe is incredible—perfect for parents of little ones. I had my 2.5 year old help with the steps up until adding the chicken—always an awesome bonus when a recipe makes it easy to incorporate little helpers. The notes are so helpful and thoughtful. I only had salted butter, so I should have cut back on the added salt (turned out a bit salty but I’m confident it was my issue not the recipe—just adding in case relevant to others). Really good flavor, but what I appreciate most about this one and so many of the Yummy Toddler Food recipes is that it feels like Amy thought about how to make it as simple as possible. Thank you for another thoughtful and yummy recipe!
I’m so glad to hear that!
Hi Amy, this recipe sounds perfect. I really want to make it tonight but don’t have any cream or coconut milk. I do have some full fat Greek style yoghurt, I’m thinking adding some of this may add the fat content that the cream provides? I know it won’t be identical but I’m thinking it’ll help the sauce keep a similar consistency? Maybe add more milk or liquid to stop it thickening to much? You’ve added so many alternative options, so I’m sorry to ask another question!
Hi- I would make it and just skip the part about adding the cream and then top with the yogurt. I wouldn’t stir it in, just add it on top to each serving since I’m not sure whether it might separate a little or not. Should be delish though!
This recipe ticked all the boxes for us: easy to make, delicious and toddler approved. So glad I ran across your instagram! This recipe will definitely be in our routine. Thanks for sharing!
Would this work ok with frozen chicken breasts? Do you think more cooking time in the instant pot?
I’ve done it with frozen thighs for the same time and it’s great. For breasts, which are usually thicker, I would do 12 minutes to be safe. Enjoy it!
Very easy to make but didn’t taste like butter chicken to my fiancé and I. Kind of just tastes like pasta sauce with ginger in it. We do eat authentic butter chicken so that might be the issue. My toddler didn’t love it but had a few bites.
Highly recommend. My 14 month old devoured this whole batch in like 4 days. And it took 5 min to prep. This is going to be a go to recipe, for sure
So glad to hear that!
Both my picky toddler and husband love this recipe! I double the garlic but otherwise follow the directions. Sooo good!! This is the second time I’ve made it this week haha!
I’m so glad!
One of our new favorite go-to dinners! Definitely a great addition to our dinner rotation. Thank you!’
We love this recipe! I’m new to using my pressure cooker, do I have to adjust the cooking time if the chicken is frozen?
The cook time for frozen is the same. It will take a little longer to heat up to pressure cook, but otherwise it’s the same!
This recipe was a hit at my house! My 9 month old son LOVED it along with my husband and I. Literally craving this again.
Just wondering if you have any tips on how to not get the “burn notice” while cooking this in an instant pot? It’s happened to me several times, and I end up having to scoop everything into a pot and cook on the stovetop anyways (still delicious, but not too convenient!) any tips would be great!
You could add 1/4-1/2 cup water if that’s happening.
Do you know if this works with skin on thighs? Thank you!
Yes, it’s the same if there’s skin on.
I keep forgetting to review this but Amy knocked it out of the park on this one! It’s subtle enough for little taste buds but so yummy for adults. I doubled the recipe this time and I did 4 teaspoons of garam masala because I like a little extra spice and my kids didn’t notice! The best thanks again!
My 1 year old, husband and self all enjoyed this recipe!!! The chicken was delicious! I made with basmati rice. This meal will become a staple in our household!
Highly recommend giving this a try. My almost 4 year old said “two thumbs up!” The hubs and I loved it as well.
Love it. My not-at-all picky 6 yo enjoyed it, my very picky 2 yo says “I yuv it.” Only edit was to add a little more cream to amplify the buttery creamy flavor/texture. Otherwise it’s absolutely a great introduction to these flavors. Highly recommend.
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!