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.
For the slow cooker version of this recipe click here!
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!
Instant Pot Tikka Masala
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
- Cut chicken into bite sized chunks
- Heat Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker to saute
- add chicken and sauté for 5-8 minutes until lightly browned
- Add onions and garlic and sauté for 1-2 more minutes
- Add all remaining ingredients to pot except cream and salt
- 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)
- Do a quick release, remove lid and return pot to saute
- Stir in cream and salt and let heat through to serve
- Serve with brown rice and naan or as desired
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
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How would you modify for crockpot or stove top?
Here is the slow cooker version: https://slowcookergourmet.net/slow-cooker-tikka-masala/
looks great love indian dishes ,but a query you say heavy cream i live in uk we have single ,double.and whipped .help please xx
You’ll want to use a whipping cream, which has about 30% fat content. If you use double cream you may want to thin it with a bit of water.
I have to admit that I don’t know much about Indian food but this sure looks easy and delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Karly!!
Tried this two days ago, using boneless thigh meat (for more flavour). Very tasty, but a taste of the Orient? Well, the wiki on the dish claims research to show it was invented by British Indians—we’ve a large Indian population here in the UK, of course, and this nation as a whole is virtually addicted to spicy Indian food. I have certainly eaten many a tasty CTM after a night out.
Loving your pages, Jennifer… I often pop by when out of ideas for a meal, knowing your recipes are home-tested and are sure to work. TTFN, Keith.
Thanks Keith!! I love hearing this and appreciate your perspective! Thanks!!
I’ve been on the hunt for more IP recipes so this deliciousness is perfect!!! I’m all about those aromatics 🙂
What a delicious looking recipe for the Instant Pot! I’ve been loving experimenting with the pressure cooker setting and this looks like the perfect dinner to put in my rotation! I bet the chicken comes so tender and those aromatic spices must smell amazing while it’s cooking.