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Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala is the epitome of good Indian food! It starts with a simple marinade, and you can cook it entirely in the instant pot or on the stovetop! Serve with steamed basmati rice or my personal favorite, garlic naan!
This is the mic drop of all instant pot meals!
Chicken Tikka Masala in the instant pot is my go-to recipe when I want a flavorful Indian dish in a flash without putting in a ton of effort!
So after months of recipe testing, I’m pleased to be bringing this meal to the blog. I love serving homemade chicken tikka masala with basmati rice. But if I’m feeling extra indulgent, I’ll also make a batch of homemade garlic naan. This is the perfect meal to make when it’s cold out or when you want good comfort food that’ll warm your soul.
Initially, when I shared this recipe, it was just the instant pot version. I received a ton of requests for directions on how to make it on a stovetop, so I tested the recipe, and now you have instructions for both, and no excuses not to try it.
Meals that are easy on the cook are my favorite kind.
This is delicious! Next time, we will double the recipe so we can have more!
What’s the difference between butter chicken and tikka masala?
Murgh makhani and butter chicken are the same thing! Literally translated, ‘murgh’ means chicken, and ‘makhani’ means butter. It always makes me crack up when I hear people arguing that a recipe tasted more like murgh makhani than butter chicken!
Now, let’s talk about the difference between murgh makhani/ butter chicken and chicken tikka masala. So as we know, butter chicken contains butter. This isn’t always in the form of butter as we know it. Sometimes, it’s in the way of clarified butter or ghee, which is what I prefer to use in my butter chicken recipe. Butter chicken is also a tad bit sweeter (because of either sugar or sauteed onions) and milder concerning spices than chicken tikka masala. Chicken tikka masala packs more of a punch with a spicy marinade. It also may or may not contain any butter. I reserve the ghee for my butter chicken and opt for oil when I’m making chicken tikka masala. However, ghee would work lovely in place of the oil in this recipe should you choose to use it.
Ingredients for chicken tikka masala recipe
- Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken tender or chicken breasts for this recipe. Chop chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes so they cook evenly. For those who like dark meat chicken, the boneless chicken thighs are a great option as they’re more flavorful and more traditionally used.
- Yogurt: acts as a tenderizer in this recipe to marinate the chicken. This recipe typically uses plain yogurt, but Greek yogurt will also work.
- Lemon juice: used as a tenderizer in this recipe to marinate the chicken
- Fresh Ginger: the heart and soul of Indian food! You can use grated ginger or ginger paste for this recipe; both will work.
- Garlic: the other heart of Indian food? What I’m trying to say is that both garlic and ginger are starting points for so many Indian and Pakistani recipes. You can use grated garlic cloves or garlic paste for this recipe; both work.
- Seasonings and spices: both ground white or black pepper and garam masala are used to flavor the chicken. You’ll need a teaspoon salt for the seasoning. We’ll also use ground cumin, coriander, paprika, garam masala, fenugreek leaves, ground turmeric, and cayenne pepper for the gravy portion of this recipe. The spice levels in this recipe can be adjusted by using more/less cayenne pepper.
- Olive oil: we’ll use it to brown the chicken before simmering the sauce. We do use a bit more oil in the stovetop version than the one for the instant pot.
- Tomato Puree: you want to use a tomato puree that doesn’t contain anything but pureed tomatoes. Italian passata or tomato sauce works really well! You don’t want to use whole tomatoes, diced, tomato paste or crushed here. If you’d still like to use them, run them through the blender so it’s a puree before adding them to the instant pot. It’s important to do this so our cream sauce doesn’t have chunks of whole tomatoes in it at the end.
- Heavy cream: be sure to use heavy cream for this recipe. I’ve tested it with half and half as well, and though it does work, I find the heavy cream balances and mellows out the spices better because of the higher fat content.
- Fresh Cilantro: Just for a little color on top of the dish once the masala is done simmering.
How to make the best chicken tikka masala
- Start by marinating the chicken: this is the same for the stovetop and instant pot. Add the yogurt, lemon juice, ginger paste, garlic paste, pepper, salt, and 1 teaspoon garam masala in a small bowl. Whisk it together then add the chunks of chicken. Marinate for as long as you can. The more hours it marinates, the tastier it will be!
- Sauté the chicken. You can do this in the instant pot or a skillet or pan if you’re making this on the stovetop. If you’re making this on the stove, you’ll want to remove the chicken before you saute the masala portion of this recipe over medium heat.
- Add all the remaining ingredients: if you’re making this in the instant pot, just add everything but the cream. Place the lid on top, seal, dial in the cooking time, and cook on high pressure. For the stove-top version, you’ll want to saute the aromatics with the spices and continue to cook with the passata. Lower from medium-high heat. You want the sauce to simmer and reduce a bit. Once the sauce is ready, add the chicken back to the pan.
- Add the cream and serve warm! Once the instant pot goes off, do a quick pressure release and pour in the cream. For the stovetop version, kick the heat up to medium and drizzle in the cream. Turn off the stove or the instant pot. Taste and adjust the quantity of salt or garam masala. You’ll also want to have some fluffy basmati rice prepared to serve this with.
FAQs about this recipe
I like serving anything with a masala sauce with basmati rice that I usually just boil. Basmati rice is cooked differently than traditional rice, and my recipe explains all of that in full detail! You could also make something like my chana masalaor 30-minute brown lentil dal to serve alongside the chicken tikka masala. Homemade naan or garlic naan are a must with this!
I’ve only tested the recipe as written. Though many recipes call for the chicken to be cooked on a rack in the oven, my family has always prepared chicken tikka masala the way I’ve written this recipe.
They are not. Though there are many spices that overlap between the two seasonings, they are very different in terms of flavor. Garam masala contains ingredients like black pepper, cinnamon, and cloves. Whereas curry powder contains mustard seeds, and curry leaves, amongst many other ingredients.
For this recipe, I give a range for the amount of garam masala. Authentic brands are more potent, and you’ll need one 1- 1½ teaspoons garam masala, whereas mainstream brands will require a bit more to get that same flavor punch.
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
- Finger Lickin’ Butter Chicken
- Garlicky Palak Paneer (Saag Paneer)
- Indian Vegetable Fritters (Pakoras)
- My Mom’s Beef Samosas
- Creamy Sweet Mango Lassi
Chicken Tikka Masala (Stovetop + Instant Pot)
Ingredients
chicken marinade:
- 1½ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts tenders or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger or paste
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
tikka masala:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1½ teaspoon grated ginger or paste
- 8 cloves garlic grated or minced
- 2 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garam masala see notes
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼-½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 (15-ounce) jar passata or tomato sauce or puree
- ½ cup heavy cream
- cilantro for serving
- Prepared Basmati Rice for serving
- Homemade Garlic Naan
Instructions
- MARINATE THE CHICKEN: In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, ginger paste, garlic paste, ground white pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and garam masala. Add the diced chicken and mix; set aside for at least 20 minutes. If you’ve got time, I suggest covering with plastic wrap and letting it hang out in the refrigerator for 1-10 hours.
Cook:
- STOVE TOP: Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large dutch oven or sauté pan. When heated, add the marinated chicken (along with the marinade) and let saute for 5-7 minutes so the chicken cooks through, stirring as needed to cook chicken evenly on all sides. Remove the cooked chicken to a bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet along with the grated ginger and garlic and cook for 1-minute scraping and removing any stuck-on bits. Then, add all the spices (including the fenugreek leaves,) and give it 30 seconds before adding the passata. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt and allow the sauce to reach a simmer, once simmering, add ¼ cup of water, lower the heat to low and allow the sauce to continue cooking for 14-18 minutes. Then, add the chicken back into the pan, stir to combine.
- INSTANT POT: Select the sauté mode on your instant pot when it’s hot, add the oil followed by the marinated chicken (along with the marinade) and let sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring so nothing sticks to the bottom. Add all of the remaining ingredients for the sauce (except the cream) along with ½ teaspoon salt and stir everything well. Cover with the lid, make sure it is set to ‘seal’, and let cook on manual high pressure for 9 minutes. Use the quick release lever to release the steam as soon as the timer goes off.
- FINISH IP + STOVE: Hit the sauté button on the instant pot or just kick the heat up to medium on the stove and drizzle in the cream; stir to combine. When the tikka masala reaches a gentle simmer. Turn off the stove/IP and taste. Adjust with additional salt or garam masala as desired. Serve warm with naan and cooked rice.
Notes
-
- For the garam masala in the gravy or tikka masala portion of the recipe, you’ll need 1-2 teaspoons based on the type of garam masala you used. For authentic Indian brands, you’ll want to start with 1 – 1 ½ teaspoon, for all other brands, I suggest using 1 ½ – 2 teaspoons. Keep in mind that you can always adjust with additional garam masala at the end if it isn’t spicy enough for you!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This? Leave a comment & rating below!
This is SO GOOD and super simple considering the flavor payoff. I will never make another Chicken Tikka Masala recipe again after making this one! I marinated the chicken 10 hours and I think it was extra tasty, but I’m sure it will still be good with less marinating time because of how flavorful the sauce is, which was the perfect consistency!
Superb recipe! The addition of fenugreek in the recipe helps nail the taste of what I expect from chicken tikka. I won’t be ordering this dish from a restaraunt anymore, I can make it from home. Thanks Marzia, my quest for the perfect chicken tikka recipe has ended.
I am a bit confused on the chicken marination. I plan to use a jar of tika masala sauce and I want to use my “instant pot” “clone”.
Delicious! I cooked it on the stove top and used coconut milk instead of cream because that’s all I had. So good! Thank you 🙂
Hello!
If I just do the Instant Pot Version, would I just disregard the Heavy Cream them all together? I made this before and LOVED it but can’t remember if I used the heavy cream or not ha-ha.
Also, would Whipping Cream be a Heavy Cream? I am always confused about this when recipes ask for ‘Heavy Cream’
Thank you!
Hi Kayla!
You’d still add in the heavy cream (or whipping cream) at the end like it’s mentioned in step 3. Whipping cream and heavy cream can be used interchangeably in this recipe! The only different between these two is the fat content 🙂
This was SO good. This was our first attempt at making Tikka Marsala at home. The recipe was so easy and tasted just like a restaurant!
I was lazy and subbed cream cheese with a dash of heavy whip for the yogurt. It turned out amazing! I love all your recipes. You are my go to when searching for something to dish up for the fam.