Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

Inspired by your favorite restaurant you can now make meals with the delicious flavors of Indian food at home with the help of your pressure cooker. This Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala is quick and easy to make and perfect for serving with rice and naan.

My family loves eating foods with flavors we normally wouldn’t try.  From authentic Chinese food while spending time in China to authentic Indian food my husband had while traveling there, we are always up for a tastebud adventure. We often try out different local restaurants in order to try new foods, although I have to admit when we go to our favorite Thai restaurant I always get the same thing.  We don’t get to go there often, and I really love the crab fried rice.  The other thing we love to do is to recreate versions of these foods we love at home. And although I never expect it to be exactly the same at the “real” thing, we’ve been able to have some very delicious dinners by stepping outside of our recipe box and making things like this Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala.

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One of the things I love about this chicken tikka masala is that even my picky 1st grader loves it.  To find a dinner she will eat without complaint or critical review is tough, she really keeps me on my toes. But the mild flavors of this dish are great for kiddos and even picky grownups too!

A few notes about the spices in this Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala:

• garam masala – this is a common spice blend used in India and the actual spices used will vary from region to region. Some of the typical ones used are peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, cumin and corriander
• turmeric – earthy scented when dried, roasted and ground, turmeric is often used in Indian and Asian cooking for the flavor and aroma it adds to dishes.  It’s also commonly believed to be anti inflammatory and the flavor will be slightly bitter.

Using your Instant Pot to make Chicken Tikka Masala:

• sautéing the chicken will serve two purposes, first it will give the chicken a bit more flavor and second, it will heat up the pot a bit so that it will come to pressure more quickly once you start to pressure cook
• you don’t want to add the cream until the end when using a pressure cooker – because of the high heat it will cause dairy products to separate
• be prepared for all the scents once you open the pot! Indian cooking results in a lot of aromatics and your whole house will suddenly smell like dinner!

5 from 4 votes

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Instant Pot Tikka Masala

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

Inspired by your favorite restaurant you can now make meals with the delicious flavors of Indian food at home with the help of your pressure cooker. This Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala is quick and easy to make and perfect for serving with rice and naan.

Servings: 8

Calories: 296 kcal

Author: Slow Cooker Gourmet

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 cup heavy cream
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. Cut chicken into bite sized chunks

2. Heat Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker to saute

3. add chicken and sauté for 5-8 minutes until lightly browned

4. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 1-2 more minutes

5. Add all remaining ingredients to pot except cream and salt

6. Cover and switch Instant Pot to manual pressure for 8 minutes on high according to manufacturer instructions (up to 10 minutes if larger pieces of chicken)

7. Do a quick release, remove lid and return pot to saute

8. Stir in cream and salt and let heat through to serve

9. Serve with brown rice and naan or as desired

Recipe Notes

Recipe Notes:

• Use up to 2 cups of cream depending on personal preference of creaminess to tomato flavor desired
• You can also make a slow cooker version. Get the recipe here.

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Tikka Masala

Amount Per Serving

Calories 296 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 15g 23%

Saturated Fat 8g 40%

Cholesterol 117mg 39%

Sodium 352mg 15%

Potassium 865mg 25%

Total Carbohydrates 11g 4%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 5g

Protein 27g 54%

Vitamin A 17.2%

Vitamin C 16.7%

Calcium 7.2%

Iron 14.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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