Instant Pot Butter Chicken
This Instant Pot Butter Chicken is tender, juicy, and coated with a velvety sauce flavored with indian spices. It pairs perfectly with cauliflower rice for a hearty paleo, keto and whole30 friendly meal.
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Ready in an instant pot in just 12 minutes, yet so rich and flavorful, this Instant Pot Butter chicken will taste like you have been working in the kitchen all day.
Trying to eat healthy in the new year but you don’t have much time to make healthy meals?
I gotchu.
This one-pot Paleo Butter Chicken recipe is quick, easy, healthy, and perfect for meal prep!
It is definitely one of Tom’s and my favorites among all the other Whole30 Chicken recipes we love like Masala Crockpot Pulled Chicken, Crockpot Thai Coconut Curry Chicken, and more.
Tender, juicy chicken paired with an incredibly flavorful sauce that’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and is quickly becoming a household favorite.
While there’s not actually butter in this butter chicken recipe, the use of ghee and coconut cream makes the sauce buttery, silky, and smooth.
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Ingredients Needed for Paleo Butter Chicken
At first glance, it may look like a lot, but really you only need some tomatoes, coconut milk, chicken and spices to throw this recipe in your Instant Pot for a quick and healthy meal!
First, you’re going to want to marinate the chicken using the following ingredients:
Chicken Thighs or breast- skinless and cubed. Chicken thighs have a higher fat content and tend to be more juicy, but either one will work with this recipe.
Masala- a spice blend of toasted cinnamon, mace, peppercorn, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and cardamom pods that is commonly used in Indian cuisine.
Cumin- a spice that is believed to increase antioxidant uptake, promote digestion, improve blood pressure, and provide iron.
Salt- to taste.
Arrowroot flour- gluten-free, thicken the sauce and helps it stick to the chicken.
Chili powder- did you know chili powder is actually a combination of spices? It has several different spices including chili peppers, cumin, onion and garlic powder. Spicier varieties of chili powder will often contain cayenne as well.
The ingredients for the sauce:
- Garlic
- Minced ginger
- Cumin
- Masala
- Chili power
- Smoked paprika
- Salt
- Coconut milk (full fat)
- Crushed tomato (Canned)
Optional ingredients:
- Carrots
- Peas
- Cilantro (garnish)
If you wanna kick the heat up a notch, feel free to add some cayenne, jalapeños or other spicy peppers that you enjoy!
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How to Make Coconut Milk Butter Chicken
First, cut the chicken into 1- 2” cubes.
Then, mix 1 – 2 tbsp of arrowroot flour with 2 – 3 tbsp of water. (You may need extra arrowroot starch if using chicken breast). Mix the chicken in. Coating chicken in a little bit of starch can keep it from drying out in the cooking process.
Heat up 2 Tbsp of ghee butter in the instant pot (using the sauté function) then lightly sauté the garlic for a min or less (without the garlic turning dark brown).
Next, add the spices in, mix it in and let it cook for an additional 30 – 40 seconds.
Then, add the crushed tomatoes, ginger, and cubed chicken.
Now, seal the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 8 – 10 minutes.
Once done, quickly release the steam. Stir in coconut milk. Turn instant pot onto saute function and let the sauce cook down for additional 3 – 4 minutes.
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Can I Make Whole30 Butter Chicken If I Don’t Have an Instant Pot?
Absolutely! It’s super easy too, it just takes a little longer to cook.
Just follow the same directions above for the Instant Pot but use the stovetop instead.
Bring the sauce to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
The chicken is fully cooked when it hits an internal temperature of 165 F.
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How to Serve Keto Butter Chicken
If you’re looking to stay on the Whole30 track, cauliflower rice is a great option.
You could also serve this Indian butter chicken with:
- Naan bread
- Basmati rice
- Quinoa
- A mix of veggies like broccoli, pea pods, cauliflower, asparagus
Honestly, you can serve this keto butter chicken with anything you love!
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How to Store the indian-spiced meal
Keep your leftover paleo butter chicken stored in an air tight container in the fridge for 3 days.
Even better, you can freeze it too! That means this is a great meal prep recipe that you can double (or triple!) so you will always have something healthy on hand.
Seriously, no excuses.
What’s your favorite chicken recipe? Leave a comment below!
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN USE “TRIED IT” ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING #SHUANGYSEATS
More healthy Instant Pot Recipe You may Like:
1. Instant Pot Cashew Chicken {Whole30}
2. Sweet Potato Turkey Chili {Instant Pot}
3. Instant Pot Peanut Butter Chicken
Get the recipe:Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Chicken Thighs or breast boneless; skinless cubed
- 2 tsp masala
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 – 2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1 – 2 tbsp arrowroot flour *
- 3 -4 tbsp ghee or regular butter
- 4 -5 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
- 1 cup coconut milk, full fat or coconut cream
- 1 14 oz can Crushed Tomato
Equipment
Instructions
- First, cut the chicken into 1- 2” cubes.
- Then, mix 1 – 2 tbsp of arrowroot flour with 2 – 3 tbsp of water. (You may need extra arrowroot starch if using chicken breast). You will want to let the chicken marinade in this while continuing with the next steps.
- Heat up 3 – 4 Tbsp of ghee butter in the instant pot (using the sauté function) then lightly sauté the garlic for a min or less (without the garlic turning dark brown).
- Next, add the spices in, and let it cook for an additional 30 – 40 seconds.
- Then, add the crushed tomatoes, ginger, and the cubed chicken.
- Now, seal the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 8 – 10 minutes.
- Once done, quickly release the steam. Stir in coconut milk. Turn instant pot onto saute function and let the sauce cook down for additional 3 – 4 minutes.
Notes
The Nutrition Facts above are specific to the ingredients I chose to use for this recipe, which may vary.
What are we supposed to do with the arrowroot? It says to mix it with water but then…. what?
Hi LL, thank you for pointing this out-I have now edited the recipe, sorry for the confusion. Once you mix the arrowroot flour with water- you will want to let the chicken marinade in that while continuing with the next steps. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
-Constance
So quick and flavorful! Everyone loved this one.
Wanted to love this recipe… and it was pretty good. But a few things knocked it down a few stars. First, when I read “ready in 12 min!” I was super stoked. The reality, it took more like hour to prepare and then cook, which I didn’t budget for.
Second, the recipe called for ghee but when following the directions (and quickly because my hungry kid crying in the background) nowhere does it say to add it. Just to sear the chicken in oil. So I added a few tbsp to the pot and hoped for the best.
It came out flavourful, but it was more of an Indian-spiced tomato sauce instead of a creamy sauce. Guess a lighter sauce is to be expected with it being Whole30!
All in all, I would make again, but would have to make a few adjustments.
Hi Andrea,
Thank you for the feedback! Sorry, it took longer than you expected and I am glad that it turned out flavorful for you.
Shuang