Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala is a super flavorful and aromatic Indian chicken curry made with marinated tender chicken cooked in a creamy sauce. This restaurant-quality chicken tikka masala is so easy to make in the instant pot that you will not consider take-out again. Make it along with pot-in-pot basmati rice for a complete meal.

Chicken Tikka Masala is one of the favorite Indian curries to order in a restaurant. Let’s take a minute to acknowledge some other Indian favorites – Butter Chicken, Chicken Korma, Salmon Tikka Masala, and for the vegetarians, Paneer Tikka Masala, Saag Paneer, Dal Makhani and Chana Masala.

You might think getting the exact flavor at home is hard. However, once you have the basic Indian spices, it is fairly easy to make this chicken curry in the pressure cooker or even on the stovetop.

Watch How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

What is Chicken Tikka Masala?

Chicken tikka masala is a dish of chunks of roasted marinated chicken (chicken tikka) in a spiced curry sauce. The sauce is usually creamy and dark orange colored. We will change it up a bit to make it easy to make in the instant pot, with the same great taste.

What is the difference between Chicken Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken?

The two dishes are very similar but certainly have some subtle differences in how they are made.

Chicken Tikka Masala is a British invention. Below are some characteristics –

• Uses chicken tikka as its base, which is marinated grilled boneless chicken cooked in a tandoor or on a grill (we will modify this aspect a bit to simplify and make this a one-pot recipe)
• has a spicier tomato-based sauce
• no butter used
• made with white breast meat
• Very little cream is used.
• Lemon juice added

Butter Chicken is a Punjabi North Indian dish created in a restaurant in Delhi. Here are some distinctive features –

• Has a tomato-based sauce. But less tomatoey than CTM.
• more buttery & more creamy
• very mild
• made with dark thigh meat
• cashew, honey used to sweeten

You’ll love this Chicken Tikka Masala because:

√ It is warm, flavorful, comforting, and rich in protein.

√ It is easy to make in under 30 minutes in the instant pot

√ The thick and creamy sauce is perfect with rice or for dipping naan

√ You can make pot-in-pot rice along with the curry for a complete meal.

Ingredients

• Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken breast. Chicken thighs would work just as well.
• Yogurt: Use plain full-fat yogurt or Greek yogurt. Adds a tangy and creamy element to the curry.
• Ginger and Garlic: You can use freshly minced garlic and grated ginger or a store-bought ginger-garlic paste.
• Lime juice: It adds a tangy and refreshing flavor to the chicken.
• Spices: You’ll need cumin powder, coriander powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, and salt.
• Ghee or Oil: Adds richness and a buttery flavor to the curry.
• Onion: I prefer to use yellow onions, but red onions will work just fine.
• Tomato Puree: I used canned tomato puree. This is not tomato paste. It is called tomato passata or tomato sauce in some countries.
• Cream: It is used to make the curry rich, creamy, and luscious.
• Dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi): It adds a unique flavor that enhances the overall taste of the curry.

How to Make Chicken Tikka Masala?

There are 4 main steps to make Chicken Tikka Masala in the instant pot.

1. Marinate the chicken
2. Brown the chicken
3. Make the sauce
4. Pressure cook

Let’s get started with the easy step-by-step chicken tikka masala recipe.

Chicken Tikka Marinade

Mix the yogurt, spices, ginger, garlic, and lime juice to a bowl. Now add in the chicken breasts one by one and coat them with the marinade on both sides. Refrigerate this chicken tikka marinade for 30 minutes to 8 hours.

After getting the marinade ready, I gathered all the other ingredients and kept them ready.

Brown the chicken

Start the instant pot and let it heat on the sauté high mode (Press Sauté, then Adjust to more).

Layer the chicken breasts in the instant pot and let them cook a bit on both sides. It will just take a couple of minutes on each side. Take out and cut into pieces. Note that the chicken is not completely cooked at this point. It just helps to seal the flavor of the spices into the chicken.

If you prefer cutting the chicken into smaller pieces before marinating, that would work too.

Change from the traditional recipe

This part is different from the traditional Chicken Tikka Masala recipe. Ideally, the marinated chicken pieces would be broiled in a tandoor (or grill) until they start to char and then added to the sauce.

To go the traditional route, cut the chicken to pieces before marinating. Then broil in the oven until they start to char (about 5-10 minutes). Then, use it in the recipe.

We are simplifying the recipe by browning the chicken in the pot. The only thing we lose is a bit of the smoky flavor from the chicken cooked in a tandoor. But trust me, you will still love this version of chicken tikka masala and will not hesitate to enjoy it for a quick weeknight dinner.

Making the Sauce

I like to have lots of sauce in my chicken curries, just like my coconut chicken curry and malai chicken, so I can enjoy them with rice or naan.

You don’t have to clean the pot. Heat oil in the instant pot to make the chicken tikka masala sauce. Add onions, ginger, and garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add water and deglaze the pot so there are no brown bits sticking to the bottom.

Now add the tomato puree, spices, and chicken. (Diced or crushed tomatoes will work too)

Pot-in-pot Basmati Rice with Chicken Tikka Masala

If you are planning to make pot-in-pot rice along then keep it ready and place the trivet and the pot-in-pot steel bowl of rice with water. I used white basmati rice, which cooks well at the same time. Other rice varieties may take longer to cook, which might not work well to cook along with chicken.

Learn more about the instant pot pot-in-pot method with this comprehensive guide!

Pressure Cook the Curry

Close and pressure cook for 4 minutes, followed by 5-minute NPR (release pressure manually 5 minutes after the beep).

Open the instant pot and carefully remove the rice bowl (I use these tongs). Add in the cream and dried fenugreek leaves and stir it well.

Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro leaves. This easy chicken tikka masala is ready to enjoy with rice.

If you like flavored rice, check out my cumin rice and turmeric yellow rice recipe. It goes really well with chicken curries.

If you are new to the Instant Pot, check out this Instant Pot Quick Setup Guide to get you started.

Can this Chicken Tikka Masala be made on the stovetop?

Yes, of course. The instant pot helps to make cooking faster when food is cooked under pressure. You can cook the exact same recipe in a skillet. Cover the chicken after adding it to the sauce and simmer until it is cooked well. Stir at regular intervals.

How to Serve?

This chicken tikka masala can be served with roti, paratha, or naan. Like other Indian curries, you can also serve it with basmati rice or cumin rice.

We love to pair curries with cucumber raita and kachumber salad.

Check out more serving options at 20+ Easy Sides for Curry.

How to Store?

When I make this for a special dinner, there are usually no leftovers, as it is always the most popular curry. However, if you make a big batch, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in airtight containers. Reheat the curry in the microwave.

You can also make extra gravy and freeze it for later. That way, you can cook some marinated chicken breasts and add them to the tikka masala sauce for a quick meal.

Looking for more easy Instant Pot Indian Recipes? Here are 23 Best Instant Pot Indian Recipes for you to try!

Love Tikka Masala? Check these out:

Curry

Paneer Tikka Masala – Instant Pot

Curry

Tofu Tikka Masala (Vegan Indian Tofu Curry)

Curry

Instant Pot Salmon Tikka Masala (Pressure Cooker)

Pasta

Chicken Tikka Masala Pasta