Chicken Tikka Masala (Stovetop + Instant Pot)
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!
Servings: 6
Calories: 273kcal
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
Calories: 273kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 14g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g
