Instant Pot Chicken Curry Recipe
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Juicy chicken simmered in a glossy North Indian style onion-tomato masala, finished with a sprinkle of garam masala, this Instant Pot chicken curry lands on the table in just 30 minutes, no babysitting required. The pressure cooker does the heavy lifting, locking in moisture and drawing deep flavor from every spice. It tastes like the curry I grew up eating at home, but on a busy weeknight schedule. Serve it with hot basmati rice or a stack of warm naan, and dinner is done.
Table of Contents
I’ve been making chicken curry on the stovetop my whole life. My mom’s version takes about an hour of slow simmering, and honestly, I still make it that way on weekends. But on a weekday, when I’m tired from a full day of working, that’s where my Instant Pot earns its place on the counter.
After dozens of tests, too watery, too dry, chicken that fell apart, chicken that stayed tough, I finally nailed the timing and the spice ratios. This recipe gives you fall-off-the-bone tender chicken in a thick, scoopable gravy that tastes like it was cooked for hours. No shortcuts in flavor, just shortcuts in time.
What Is Instant Pot Chicken Curry?
This Instant Pot chicken curry is a North Indian–style chicken curry cooked under pressure in an electric pressure cooker like the Instant Pot. Traditionally called murgh masala or chicken masala, this dish builds its flavor on a base of sautéed onions, ginger, garlic, and tomatoes, plus a careful blend of ground spices: turmeric, coriander, cumin, Kashmiri red chili powder, and garam masala. Pressure cooking shaves about 40 minutes off the stovetop version and makes the chicken exceptionally tender.
It is different from butter chicken, which is sweeter, creamier, and tomato-forward, and different from chicken korma, which is nut-based and mild. This is the everyday homestyle curry, bold, balanced, slightly spicy, and deeply savory.
If you do not have an Instant Pot, don’t worry, you can make this in a traditional stovetop pressure cooker too.
Ingredients
- Chicken – I prefer using skinless, bone-in chicken pieces for curries, as the bones add nice flavor. However, you can also use boneless chicken thighs if you prefer. Avoid chicken breasts, as they tend to turn dry and stringy.
- Yogurt (Dahi, Curd) tenderizes the chicken and adds tang. Use whole milk yogurt; skim curdles under pressure.
- Tomato – I have used pureed fresh tomatoes, but you can use canned tomato puree too. Use a slightly lesser amount, as the canned puree is concentrated.
- Spice Powders – You will need coriander powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, black pepper powder, and salt.
- Whole Spices – In addition to spice powders, you will need whole spices such as cloves (laung), black peppercorns (kali mirch), green cardamom (hari elaichi), bay leaves (tejpatta), and cinnamon (dalchini). This gives the curry a perfect amount of heat and flavor.
- Green Chilies – To add more spice, you will also need green chilies. But if you do not like it spicy, you can avoid it too.
- Oil and Ghee – I have used a combination of both, but you can also use either one.
- Other Ingredients – You will also need lime juice, cilantro (fresh coriander leaves), and ginger-garlic paste.
How To Make Chicken Curry In An Instant Pot
Press the SAUTE button of the Instant Pot. Add oil and ghee to the pot. Once the oil is hot, add the cloves, peppercorns, green cardamom, bay leaf, and cinnamon, and let them sizzle for 15 seconds, until fragrant.
Add the chopped onions and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often.
Add the ginger garlic paste and green chilies, and cook for 5-6 minutes, until the onions turn deep golden brown. This is where your curry gets its color and depth. Don’t rush it.
Now add coriander powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, black pepper powder, and salt, and cook for a minute. If the pot looks dry, splash in a tablespoon of water.
Add the chicken pieces and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the tomato and yogurt, then cook for 2-3 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pot clean. This step prevents the BURN error and lays the foundation for the gravy.
Now add water and mix well.
The Instant Pot does not evaporate water the way an open pan does. Add only ½ cup of water at most. The chicken and tomatoes will release plenty of their own juices.
Close the pot lid and set the valve to seal. Cancel Saute. Press the Pressure Cook button and set the timer for 8 minutes on high.
Once cooking finishes, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then move the valve to venting to release any remaining steam. Open the lid carefully.
Quick release toughens the meat. A 10-minute NPR lets the chicken relax and reabsorb juices, then release the rest manually.
If the gravy looks thin, set the Instant Pot back to saute and simmer uncovered for 3 to 5 minutes until it reaches your desired thickness. Taste and adjust salt.
Add lime juice and cilantro and mix well. Serve hot!
How To Avoid The Burn Warning
The BURN warning is the most common Instant Pot frustration, especially with tomato-based curries. Two things prevent it every single time:
- Don’t skimp on liquid, but don’t overdo it either. ¼ cup is the sweet spot for 500 g of chicken.
- Deglaze thoroughly after adding yogurt, no brown bits stuck to the bottom.
Want rice cooked at the same time? Place 1 cup of rinsed basmati rice and 1.25 cups of water in an oven-safe bowl. Set it on a tall trivet over the curry before pressure cooking. Both finish together.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken curry tastes great with Indian breads such as roti, plain tawa paratha, butter naan, rumali roti, or lachha paratha.
You can also serve it with steamed rice, jeera rice. A side of onions and lime wedges makes the meal even more indulgent.
Storage Suggestions
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The curry tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld.
Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat with a splash of water to loosen the gravy. A microwave also works for reheating.
You can also freeze it in portion-sized containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
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Instant Pot Chicken Curry Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot/ Electric Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- 2-3 Cloves
- 2 Green Cardamom
- 3-4 Black Peppercorns
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 1 cup Onion (chopped)
- 2 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 2-3 Green Chillies
- ½ cup Tomato (grated)
- 2 Bay Leaves
- ½ cup Yogurt
- 1 teaspoon All Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- Salt (to taste)
- 500 gram Chicken
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 2 tablespoon Cilantro (chopped)
Instructions
- Press SAUTE button of the Instant pot.
- Add oil and ghee in the pot.
- Once the oil is hot, add cloves, green cardamom, black pepeprcorns, cinnamon and bay leaves and fry for a few seconds.
- Add onion and fry until it turns light brown.
- Add ginger garlic paste and green chillies and fry for another 2-3 minutes.
- Now add coriander powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder and salt and fry for a minute.
- Add chicken .and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add tomato and yogurt and cook for 2-3 minutes
- Now add ½ cup water and close the lid of the pot.
- Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 6 minutes.
- Cook until the timer goes off.
- Let the pressure release automatically and then open the lid.
- Add lemon juice and fresh coriander and mix well.
- Serve.
I just tried this chicken curry in my newly bought Instant Pot. It was my first recipe to make in the Instant Pot and came out delicious. Can’t believe it doesn’t take time at all to cook in Instant Pot. Will try more recipes for sure!
I’ve made this recipe twice, and it is probably the best chicken curry recipe I’ve come across. Makes me feel like I’m at home 🙂
This is the yummiest, simple curry I’ve ever made. My family loved it. Thanks for sharing 😍
Yet another amazing recipe Neha! We tried this tonight after having great success with your saag paneer this week and of course we were not disappointed. This was so simple and I still cannot believe it takes just a matter of minutes in the pressure cooker to enjoy tender and delicious chicken curry! And what do we have for dessert? Your shrikhand of course! Thanks so much for sharing.
Happy to hear 🙂