This 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 curry 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 that it is hard to get the exact flavor at home. 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.
Table of contents
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 it 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
How to Make?
There are 4 main steps to make Chicken Tikka Masala in the instant pot.
- Marinate the chicken
- Brown the chicken
- Make the sauce
- Pressure cook
Let’s get started with the easy step-by-step chicken tikka masala recipe.
Chicken Tikka Marinade
Add the yogurt, spices, ginger, garlic, and lime juice to a bowl and mix them. 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
Now 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 to smaller pieces before marinating, that would work too.
Change from the traditional recipe
This is the part that is different than 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 curries, just like my coconut chicken curry, so I can enjoy them with rice or naan.
You don’t have to clean the pot. To make the chicken tikka masala sauce, heat some oil in the instant pot. 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, dried fenugreek leaves and stir it well. This easy chicken tikka masala is ready for you to enjoy with the rice.
If you like flavored rice, check out my cumin or jeera 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 stovetop without instant pot?
Yes, of course. The instant pot just helps to make the cooking faster when cooking food under pressure. You can cook the exact same recipe in a skillet. Cover the chicken after adding it to the sauce and simmer until the chicken is cooked well. Stir at regular intervals.
Pro-Tips
- Use ghee or butter in place of oil to enhance the flavor.
- Use plain, full-fat fat, or Greek yogurt for the marinade. Pat dry the chicken to avoid extra liquid when marinating.
- I use Kashmiri chili powder, which is mild but adds a beautiful color to the curry.
- I use canned tomato puree; however, diced tomatoes will work too. If using fresh tomatoes, use 3 and puree or dice them.
- Use coconut milk and dairy-free yogurt to make it dairy-free.
You will love this Chicken Tikka Masala because:
√ It is warm, flavorful, and comforting
√ 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.
Hope you enjoy this Chicken Tikka Masala!
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:
Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe (Pressure Cooker)
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken breasts
For marinade
- 1/4 cup Yogurt, thick
- 3/4 tablespoon Ginger , grated
- 3/4 tablespoon Garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Lime juice
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, mild, adjust to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala
- 1 teaspoon Salt , adjust to taste
Spices for sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Garam masala
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, adjust to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
For sauce
- 3 tablespoon Ghee or Oil , divided
- 1 cup Onion , finely diced
- 1 teaspoon Ginger , grated
- 1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
- 1 cup Tomato Puree, canned (do not use tomato paste)
- 3/4 cup Water
- 1/2 cup Heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Dried Fenugreek leaves (Kasoori Methi)
- Cilantro , to garnish
For Rice
- 1 cup Basmati rice
- 1 1/4 cup Water
- 1 tablespoon Ghee or Oil, (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Salt , (optional)
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- Combine all ingredients for the marinade (except chicken) in a bowl and mix well. Add chicken and coat on each side with the marinade. Let is rest for anywhere between 30 minutes to 8 hours in the refrigerator.
Brown the chicken
- Start the instant pot in Sauté mode and adjust to the high setting. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Add the chicken pieces and lightly brown on each side for about 2-3 minutes. Take chicken out of the pot and cut into pieces about 2-3 inches in size. (Note: The chicken is not completely cooked yet)
Prepare the sauce
- Add the rest of the oil to the instant. Add the onions, ginger, garlic and sauté for about 4 minutes until onions are golden.
- Add water and deglaze the pot making sure nothing is stuck to the bottom.
- Add tomato puree, spices and mix well. Add any leftover marinade too. Add the chicken pieces and stir it.
- (optional) In a steel bowl, add the ingredients for rice. Put a tall trivet and the bowl of rice on top of the trivet.
Pressure Cook the Curry
- Press cancel and close the lid with vent in sealing position. Change the instant pot setting to high pressure for 4 minutes. When the instant pot beeps, let it rest for 5 minutes then manually release the pressure.
- (optional) Using tongs, carefully take out the bowl of basmati rice. Then take out the trivet.
- Add cream, kasoori methi and stir well.
- Garnish with cilantro. Chicken tikka masala is ready. Enjoy with basmati rice and naan.
I am Indian and grew up on the best Indian food. This is absolutely delicious. Will be making this again and again. Thanks!
Hi Liane – So good to hear that.Thank you for sharing it 🙂
I made this and it was delicious but the result was pretty watery. Am I doing it wrong or is there a way to thicken it? I’m doing this in an instant pot and my only substitution was instead of tomato puree, I used half tomato paste and half water.
Hi Michelle – sorry to hear that the curry was watery. I believe the substitution can make a difference. However you can just put it on sauté mode for 3-4 minutes and it will thicken quickly. Glad you liked the taste!
I do make chicken tikka curry … but it’s good to have exact measurements and bit different way 😊 I have not made in instant pot so I definitely try 🙏 my kids love chicken tikka 👏
Thanks. Hope you all enjoy it!
Hi, Meeta!
When doubling this recipe in a 6qt IP, I found it burned about two minutes into the pressure cycle (after preheating is complete). Any suggestions for keeping it from burning?
The first time it burned, I emptied the unburned portion into a bowl, cleaned the pot, and then restarted. I added an extra half cup of water, but it burned again a second time at the same point. So I pulled it out again, then emptied into a bowl, and decided to eat it as it was.
For what it’s worth, it tastes really good! But how do I keep it from burning?
Thank you!
Hi Dustin – Thank you for sharing your experience. The reason for the burn is mostly tomato puree. I would suggest to add the tomato puree just before pressure cooking, and not stir it. Only stir after the pressure cooking is complete. I am glad that you enjoyed the tikka masala. Hope you try it again!
I will definitely give that a shot and come back to let y’all know how it went; thanks for the tip!
Absolutely amazing! Every ingredient and it’s measurement in this recipe is just perfect!
Happy to hear you enjoyed the curry!
Hi: It smells divine. Haven’t eaten it yet but it was easy to put together. I have a question, though. Do you throw the chicken in the oil with all the marinade on it? It did not brown with all the yogurt on it. Was I supposed to rinse it off? Thanks, Dianne
Hi Dianne – I do put the chicken in the oil with the yogurt on it. It helps to seal the flavors. Brown it as much as it does. As it is going to get cooking in the curry too, it will be cooked well. Hope you enjoyed it!
Made this for my daughter and she loved it, reduced the spice for her and used the coconut milk as she is allergic. Fast and delicious.
Hi Vikky – Happy to hear your daughter enjoyed the tikka masala!
Hi Meeta- Which brand tomato purée are you using in this recipe?
I use trader joes tomato puree most often. Hope you enjoy the curry!
Hi Meeta- I went to Trader Joe’s but they don’t have any tomato purée. They only have a tiny can of tomato paste (6 oz) or tomato sauce (15 oz) or diced can of tomatoes. Could you please specify which one to use? So excited to try this recipe and thank you!
Hi Rekha – Use their tomato sauce. Hope you enjoy the curry!
I love this Chicken Tikka Masala dish. I’ve made it more than once—sometimes with coconut milk and sometimes with heavy cream. Sometimes I’ve made it with ginger and garlic from tubes sold at the supermarket (so easy when you don’t feel like peeling and chopping), and sometimes with minced ginger and garlic from little bottles; sometimes I mince the garlic myself (but am too lazy to ever peel ginger!). If I’m particularly concerned that my ingredients might burn, I deglaze with 3/4 c. water (in that case, after pressure-cooking, I’ll sauté for about 5 minutes to thicken up the sauce), but I found it works fine to use only 1/4 c. of water. All of these slight variations work fine.
The brand of Kashmiri Chili Powder that I have though (called Mantra Organic) is *very* spicy—quite a bit more so than everyday generic chili powder from the supermarket. (That surprised me, because I thought that Kashmiri Chili Powder was generally milder than regular.) So I needed to reduce the amount of it in the marinade to only 1 tsp. from the 2 tsp. recommended. There’s still an additional 1 tsp. that the recipe calls for in the sauce. With only 2 tsp. total of Kashmiri Chili Powder (rather than the 3 tsp. total in the original recipe) I found that the dish had quite a sufficient kick!
What I like about the recipe too is that I can marinate the chicken overnight and then clean up the kitchen. The actual making of the recipe the next day goes much more quickly, and with less mess!
Hi Donald – So happy to hear that you have been enjoying the chicken tikka masala and have found the variations that work best.
You are right that the Kashmiri chili powder is supposed to be milder. I use the MDH brand powder. Another popular brand us Everest for indian spices. You should be able to find these in the indian grocery stores.
Excellent recipe! Will definitely make it often.
Hi Irene – Glad to hear you enjoyed the curry!