Why you’ll love this chicken tikka masala recipe
Your family will devour this Instant Pot chicken tikka masala any night of the week! Better yet, a few smart shortcuts allow you to make it in 35 minutes or less!
Traditional chicken tikka masala recipes involve a long prep and cooking process with an extended marinating time and a long, slow simmer on the stove. However, with an Instant Pot, you can enjoy tender pieces of chicken bathed in a deeply and authentically flavored tomato cream sauce in a fraction of the time!
- Flavor: Garam masala and fresh ginger infuse the sauce with a rich, warm spiciness, intensified by a blend of sautéed onion, jalapeño, and garlic.
- Texture: The deliciously silky and creamy curry sauce thickened with crushed tomatoes is to die for!
- Ease: You don’t need to hunt down hard-to-find ingredients or a mile-long list of spices. A simple garam masala spice blend and a few kitchen staples get the job done!
In addition, using chicken thighs instead of white meat allows us to skip the lengthy marinating process without sacrificing flavor or texture.
Pair Instant Pot chicken tikka masala with garlic butter rice and fresh naan bread for a quick and easy dinner that is sure to be a hit with the entire family!

What is chicken tikka masala?
Chicken tikka masala is an authentic Indian dish featuring tender pieces of boneless chicken swimming in an intensely seasoned tomato curry cream sauce. Typically, the chicken is marinated in yogurt and grilled or roasted before getting added to the creamy orange sauce.
Not quite authentic, this Instant Pot chicken tikka masala recipe is a simplified version of the traditional recipe. However, it still features all of the classic flavors and ingredients.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter and coconut oil – A combination of butter and coconut oil provides the best of both worlds in terms of flavor. Butter provides richness, and coconut oil gives the dish a subtle, coconut-y taste.
- Onion – An entire large onion might sound like a lot, but onion plays a major role in the sauce’s flavor and chunky texture.
- Jalapeño – Provides a touch of heat, but overall, this is a mild version of chicken tikka masala. My toddler ate it right up!
- Garlic – Adds another layer of flavor to the dish, pairing well with the onions and fresh ginger.
- Ginger – This is added for its warming, slightly spicy taste. Fresh ginger is best, but if you can’t find it, you can use ginger paste, which is normally found in the produce section at the grocery store.
- Garam masala – A warming and fragrant spice blend, usually featuring black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and cardamom.
- Crushed tomatoes – A key ingredient in tikka masala, crushed tomatoes add sweetness and acidity and form the base of the sauce. They also give the sauce a thick and chunky texture.
- Chicken thighs—I’ve tested this recipe with chicken breasts, and they weren’t nearly as satisfying as chicken thighs. Chicken breasts just can’t compete with juicy and tender thigh meat! Make sure you use boneless and skinless chicken thighs chopped into bite-sized pieces.
- Plain yogurt – This is added to the sauce at the end to give it extra creaminess and a hint of tang. For a dairy-free option, you can substitute yogurt with coconut cream, but keep in mind that this would give the sauce a much stronger coconut flavor.

How to make chicken tikka masala in Instant Pot
From sautéing the aromatics to cooking the chicken and sauce, all the ingredients come together in the Instant Pot! You can even make your rice in the Instant Pot with this complete guide to Instant Pot rice.
- Add the butter and coconut oil to your Instant Pot. Set it to sauté to melt the ingredients.
- Add the onion, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the jalapeño, garlic, ginger, garam masala, and salt.
- Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

- Mix in the chopped chicken, and stir to combine.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, and stir well.

- Place the cover on your Instant Pot, and set it to manual. Cook for 6 minutes at high pressure. Note: It took about 15 minutes for my IP to come to pressure.
- Do a quick release, and carefully open the lid.
- Stir in the yogurt, and sprinkle with fresh cilantro, if desired.

- Serve over fluffy white rice with naan bread on the side.

Recipe Tips
- I highly recommend using chicken thighs in this Instant Pot chicken tikka masala recipe. Since dark thigh meat is far more tender and succulent than boneless chicken breasts, marinating isn’t necessary. The only reason traditional tikka masala recipes require marinating is to infuse the lean chicken with flavor and tenderize the meat. Using chicken thighs allows us to skip this step!
- To develop the deep flavors, we’re sautéing onion, garlic, ginger, and spices before adding chicken. This step is crucial, and you’ll understand it once you get a sniff of warm aromatics coming out of your Instant Pot.
- If you’re sensitive to spicy food, you can skip the jalapeño. Or, remove all the seeds and the ribs inside to make it slightly less spicy. However, this recipe is pretty mild as is.
- Factor in time for your Instant Pot to come to pressure. Mine took about 15 minutes to come to pressure before the 6-minute cooking time started.
Instant Pot Tips:
- If your Instant Pot displays the dreaded burn message, it’s likely due to one of these 4 mistakes that cause the Instant Pot burn message. Don’t worry, it’s simply a safety mechanism, and it’s easy to fix!
- Allow the pressure to release naturally before opening the lid, and never, ever force the lid open! The lid will open easily once it’s safe to do so.
- To prevent burns, keep your hands and face away from the steam holes when releasing the pressure.
- If you’re new to pressure cooking, review this Instant Pot beginner’s guide.
Time-Saving Tips:
- You can do all of the prep work ahead of time. Chop your onion, jalapeño, garlic, ginger, and chicken up to 1 day in advance. This will allow you to get right to work when you’re ready to make dinner!
- Make a big batch of cooked rice to keep on hand for an easy side dish throughout the week. Serve the rice with this Instant Pot chicken tikka masala, and use the rest to make vegetable fried rice or Korean ground beef.
Storing Tips:
- Store leftover Instant Pot chicken tikka masala in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- To reheat, warm leftovers on the stove over low heat or in the microwave in 1-minute increments. Stir well between each minute, and continue heating until warmed through.
- To freeze, let the chicken tikka masala fully cool. Then, transfer it to an airtight container or plastic freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Note that the Greek yogurt might cause the sauce to become grainy during thawing and reheating.
FAQs:
The short answer is that butter chicken is a mild dish with a distinct buttery flavor, and chicken tikka masala is intensely seasoned with a tangy cream sauce. The two dishes are often confused with each other because they both consist of diced chicken in a tomato cream sauce.
While the spice blend will vary depending on what brand you purchase, most garam masala powder contains a blend of these warming and aromatic spices: cumin, coriander, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and fennel.
Like many popular Indian dishes, chicken tikka masala is best served with warm naan bread and white rice. Fluffy white rice, garlic butter rice, cilantro lime rice, and saffron basmati rice are all great options. For a lighter alternative, try serving it with cauliflower rice or roasted vegetables instead!
More Easy Dinner Recipes:

Easy Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 jalapeno seeded and sliced thin
- 4 garlic cloves pressed (or ½ tablespoon minced garlic)
- 2- inch ginger freshly grated (or 1 tablespoon ginger paste)
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into cubes, Note 1
- 1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
For serving:
- Cooked rice
- Naan bread
- Fresh cilantro optional
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté and melt butter and coconut oil in the pot.1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.1 large onion
- Add jalapeno, garlic, ginger, garam masala, and salt and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add chicken and stir to combine everything.1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Pour crushed tomatoes and stir well.1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
- Cover and set the Instant Pot to Manual. Cook for 6 minutes at high pressure. (Note: It took about 15 minutes for my Instant Pot to come to pressure.)
- Do a quick release and carefully open the lid.
- Stir in yogurt and serve over cooked rice and with naan bread. If desired, sprinkle some fresh cilantro.
Share your thoughts! If you make this please leave a review letting me know how it was!
Notes
– Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
– Freeze cooked and cooled chicken tikka masala in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Note that the Greek yogurt might cause the sauce to become grainy.
– Reheat thawed leftovers on the stove over low heat or in the microwave in 1-minute increments, stirring in between.
Nutrition
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full nutrition disclosure.

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Reader's Reviews
Sandy says
Can I sub sour cream for the yogurt?
I was afraid it might curdle?
It is in the instant pot now but not serving until tomorrow.
Should I wait and add the sour cream tomorrow right before serving?
Shinee says
Hi, Sandy. Yes, sour cream would be fine too. And yes, add it when you reheat it and before serving. Let me know how you like it.
Megan @ MegUnprocessed says
I love the flavor of masala! One of my favorite seasonings to use!
Shinee says
So aromatic, right? Thanks, Megan. Hope you give this recipe a try.
Shelby says
I am saving this to try. The first Indian food I ever ate was Chicken Tikka Masala and I absolutely love it!
Shinee says
Shelby, you’ll love this! It’s easy and delicious. 😉