Instant Pot Chicken Potato Curry

It takes less than 40 minutes to prepare this delectable Chicken Potato Curry in the Instant Pot. It's full of authentic flavors from whole spices, as well as tender pieces of chicken and potato. This curry is low carb, gluten-free, and dairy-free, making it a healthy weeknight meal to serve over rice or with naan!

Potatoes are a staple in Indian and Pakistani cuisine, and are frequently added to chicken curry recipes such as this one. Potatoes make the meal more hearty, and taste amazing when they absorb all the flavors from the sauce. You can even add carrots to this recipe, by cutting them into large pieces similar to the potato. They will cook well, and add even more nutritional value to this satisfying meal!

This Indian Chicken Potato Curry has a simple onion base, and is not as creamy as say, Chicken Tikka Masala. Most Indians leave these creamy curries for restaurants, and home-cooked curries are usually simple and lighter like my Mom's Chicken Curry, Keema Curry, and Shrimp Masala Curry.

Ingredients for Chicken Potato Curry

Chicken- This curry is typically made with bone-in chicken, however, I used boneless chicken thighs because my young daughter prefers them. If you use bone-in chicken, see my notes below for different cooking instructions.

Potatoes- They add to the heartiness of the curry, and absorb all the goodness of the wonderful fragrant spices!

Ginger, Garlic, Onion, Cilantro, & Lime Juice- This combination of flavors is very common in many Indian recipes and adds to the fresh, authentic feel of this curry.

Whole Spices- Cardamom, bay leaf, cloves, black peppercorns, and cumin seeds, to be specific. Using whole spices adds to the authentic, fresh flavors in the recipe, but if you'd like to simplify it, you can skip using them and instead increase the quantity of Garam Masala. If you don't like having whole spices in the final dish but still want the flavors, try adding them to a spice pouch that you can easily remove before serving.

Green Chili Pepper- You can skip this if you're not a fan of spicy foods!  Add kashmiri red chili powder and adjust the amount to taste; you can use paprika if you don't have this on hand. I personally have not made mine too spicy, but it is very easy to adjust to your own spice level.

How to cook Chicken Curry with Potatoes?

• Cut boneless chicken into bite-sized pieces.
• In a bowl, add the chicken and spices. Mix well, and let it rest for about 20 minutes.
• Heat the Instant Pot in Sauté mode, add oil, and then the potatoes. Saute while frequently stirring for about 3 minutes. Then remove the potatoes and set aside. We are doing this, so the potatoes get a bit crispy on the outside and hold their shape when cooked with the chicken.
• Now add the whole spices, and sauté for about 30 seconds to get the aroma.
• Add the green chili, onions, ginger, and garlic, and sauté well while stirring frequently.
• Add in the chicken, and sauté again until the outer skin turns white, about 4-5 minutes. This sauteing is key to getting the amazing flavors in this curry!
• Then add water to deglaze, and make sure nothing is sticking at the bottom of the pot.
• Add the potatoes; there is no need to stir these in. We are not stirring, as the potatoes will cook quickly during this cooking time.

• Now cook the curry under high pressure.
• Then open the pot and stir in the lime juice and garnish with cilantro. The curry is ready to enjoy!

Using bone-in chicken

The cooking time for bone-in chicken is higher, and the potatoes can turn to mush if they are cooked along. Hence if you're using bone-in chicken, don't add potatoes at the start.

Instead, pressure cook the chicken for 6 minutes, quick releasing the pressure when it's done. Open the Instant Pot, add the chopped potatoes, and then pressure cook for another 3 minutes. This ensures that the bone-in chicken is properly cooked, and has a nice, tender texture!

Variations

• Try adding carrots or green peas along with the potatoes to this Chicken Curry. Cut the carrots in large sizes similar to potatoes.
• Replace potatoes altogether with sweet potatoes for an Indian Chicken Sweet Potato Curry!
• Add coconut milk or heavy cream at the end to make the curry thicker and more creamy.
• You can also add cashew paste or cashew butter for taste.

More Chicken Curries You'll Love

If you want to try more curry recipes, try out some of my other favorites!

• Coconut Chicken Curry
• Chicken Saag
• Chicken Karahi
• Chicken Korma
• Chicken Vindaloo
• Black Pepper Chicken Curry

📖 Recipe