Instant Pot Butter Chicken (Dairy Free)
This flavorful butter chicken is dairy free and so easy to make in your instant pot. Serve over rice to take advantage of every drop of the creamy tomato-based sauce.
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil can use ghee or coconut oil if you prefer
- 1 white or yellow onion diced
- 1½ tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 pounds chicken breasts boneless and skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup water
- 1½ tablespoons garam masala
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ cup canned unsweetened coconut cream do not use lite, see notes about swapping canned coconut cream
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot to the sauté setting. When it’s hot, add your olive oil (or another cooking fat of choice) and then your onion. Stir and let the onion get a bit translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and saute for one minute or until golden. Once done press the cancel button to stop sautéing.
- Add chicken, crushed tomatoes, water, garam masala, curry, ginger, paprika, salt, coriander, cumin, and chili powder. Stir to combine.
- Seal the Instant Pot. Set it to Pressure Cook (or Manual, depending on the model Instant Pot you have) on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Carefully release the steam once done and remove the lid.
- Scoop ½ cup of the solidified cream from the top of a can of coconut milk or coconut cream. Stir into your butter chicken. Garnish with chopped cilantro and a drizzle of coconut milk (optional) when serving. Ladle over white rice or cauliflower rice.
Notes
You can use canned coconut milk or coconut cream for this recipe. After opening the can do not stir it. The solidified cream will be on the top. Scoop it out and add it to your sauce. You should have about 1/2 cup of cream.
What if your canned coconut milk is already stirred so you don't have any solidified cream at the top? You can still use it - although I'd recommend using at least 3/4 cup instead of just 1/2. (I've used 1 full cup of the stirred coconut milk with no problem before.) Your sauce won't be as thick because of the higher water content but otherwise there isn't much of a difference.
Do not use the coconut milk found in a carton, jug, or box. These contain a lot more water than the canned kind and will not help create a creamy sauce. They'll actually just thin the sauce out further.
Nutrition
Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 941mg | Potassium: 1082mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 717IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 4mg