This rich and flavorful Instant Pot chicken curry has all the traditional curry spices mixed with coconut milk and tender chicken. It can be made in just thirty minutes and is the perfect easy recipe for chilly nights.
The focus of this chicken recipe, as with most Indian recipes, is on the spices. Simple ingredients are cooked together with the perfect mix of spices to make it flavorful, hearty, and delicious.
This curry chicken Instant Pot recipe is so simple that you likely have everything in your cupboards already. You can also make this recipe your own by adding a few favorite vegetables like mushrooms, zucchini, and peppers.
Lindsay Howerton-Hastings says: 
NOTHING better than a delicious fast curry in the winter! Can’t wait to make this again, it was delicious.
» Also try Instant Pot Japanese Curry.
Ingredients You Need
The spices are important for this recipe. You want to use a fresh curry and garam masala so they are bursting with flavor. You also need to make sure to salt the curry well enough to bring out the flavors. Chicken Curry alone without salt will fall flat.
- Spices – You’ll need a few classic curry spices, including cumin seeds, cloves, garam masala, salt, chilies (optional), and curry powder. You can get a mild, medium, or hot curry powder, depending on if you want a spicy chicken curry.
- Ghee or butter – Ghee is the traditional choice here, but if you don’t have any in your cupboard, butter is a great alternative.
- Garlic & Ginger – These versatile vegetables will add complex flavors to your dish and shouldn’t be skipped. You could also use a powdered form, but fresh is always best.
- Chicken thighs – Using the thigh is best for richness and flavor, but chicken breasts or boned chicken work too.
- Chopped tomatoes – Canned tomatoes are perfect. You can also cut fresh tomatoes, but that will take a little extra time and effort.
- Coconut milk – Full-fat coconut milk adds a crucial creaminess, with a touch of the calming coconut taste that suits this pressure cooker curry so well.
- Cilantro – Also known as coriander, this herb is the perfect garnish for most Indian curries.
Equipment Needed
- Instant Pot – I use a 6-quart Instant Pot Plus to make all of my recipes. If you’re using an 8-quart pot, you will need to adjust the amount of liquid accordingly, as it requires more than the 6 quart to build steam.
Helpful Tips
- I’ll slip this in here just one more time because it’s so important. Salt is what really brings out the great flavors in the curry. If your curry doesn’t quite taste the way you expect, it probably doesn’t have enough salt. Add more and taste again until you’re satisfied with the flavor.
- If the curry isn’t thick enough, continue cooking down on saute mode until thickened, or add a cornstarch slurry to the pot until thickened.
- Curry powder can be quite hot. Be sure to purchase the level of heat you’re comfortable with. You can also increase the heat by adding chopped green chilis.
Instant Pot Chicken Curry
Note: Made in a 6-qt Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) ghee or butter
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) cumin seeds
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 8 cloves
- 1 pound (454 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs chopped into bite sized pieces
- 2 teaspoons (6 g) garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons (4 g) ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) garam masala
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) curry powder
- 1 can finely chopped tomatoes 14.5 ounces
- 1/4 cup (59 ml) water
- 1 cup (237 ml) full-fat coconut milk
- Cilantro for garnish
- Chili optional and to taste
Instructions
- Turn on sauté mode. When hot, add the ghee, cumin seeds, and onions. Sauté for 5-7 minutes. If onions begin to burn, either turn saute mode to low, if available, or add a tablespoon of water. Add the chicken pieces and brown them for about 3 minutes.
- Turn off sauté mode. Add ginger, cloves, garlic, garam masala, curry powder, tomatoes and water.
- Lock the Instant Pot lid and set the vent to sealing. Press the pressure cook button and set to 5 minutes. When done, allow the pressure to release naturally, then remove the lid.
- Turn on sauté mode again and stir in the coconut milk. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until heated through.
- Turn off the Instant Pot. Add salt and additional curry powder, if necessary. Serve over basmati rice.
Notes
- Salt is what really brings out the great flavors in the curry. If your curry doesn’t quite taste the way you expect, it probably doesn’t have enough salt. Add more and taste again until you’re satisfied with the flavor.
- If the curry isn’t thick enough, continue cooking down on sauté mode until thickened, or add a cornstarch slurry to the pot until thickened.
- Curry powder can be quite hot. Be sure to purchase the level of heat you’re comfortable with. You can also increase the heat by adding chopped green chilis.
Nutrition
Additional Serving Information
If you like a richer tasting sauce, add 1 tablespoon of butter at the end of cooking. You can also cook with butter instead of ghee, if you want.
If you want to make this dish vegetarian, cook the recipe without the chicken and add any veggies you want at the end of cooking. The veggies will only need a few minutes with the Instant Pot on saute mode to soften.
You can serve this delicious chicken curry over rice, like basmati rice. Jasmine rice is a great alternative. Or you can serve it over cauliflower rice for a low-carb alternative. The rice can be cooked in the Instant Pot at the same time as the curry using the pot-in-pot method.
Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry
It’s possible to cook this chicken curry in the traditional pressure cooker. You will follow all of the first steps, but saute your ingredients in the stove top pressure cooker pot. Secure the pressure cooker’s lid and ensure the pressure valve is set to the “Sealing” position, similar to the Instant Pot’s sealing setting.
Increase the heat to high and bring the pressure cooker up to pressure. Once the pressure indicator signals that full pressure has been reached, reduce the heat to the lowest setting that maintains pressure.
Cooking times under pressure for stovetop models are generally shorter due to their higher operating pressure, so reduce the recommended Instant Pot time by about 10%. This recipe calls for 5 minutes under pressure, so cook for only 4 minutes in the pressure cooker.
Other Chicken Recipes to Try
- Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
- Instant Pot Chicken & Rice Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Marsala
- 40 Instant Pot Chicken Recipes to Try
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Laura is a passionate home cook and the owner of A Pressure Cooker Kitchen. She is dedicated to helping people create delicious Instant Pot meals with ease. Laura is an expert at developing recipes that can be prepared quickly and easily using a pressure cooker.
NOTHING better than a delicious fast curry in the winter! Can’t wait to make this again, it was delicious.
Glad you liked it, Lindsay.
This is a great solution for busy weeknights! Thanks!
thanks for this flavourful and easy to make IP curry!!
The recipe doesn’t say when to add the cloves.
Hi Dan, sorry for the confusion. I have updated the recipe. You would add the cloves after you turn off sauté mode and add all the other spices. I hope you enjoy!