This is the best Chicken Tikka Masala recipe you will find. Make an authentic Tikka Masala recipe, with very little work, in your electric pressure cooker. This is going to be the BEST, most authentic tikka masala recipe you’ve ever had, but it will be done in less than half the time you normally spend.
PRESSURE COOKER CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
First the name. Why Double Up? Two reasons: 1. Twice the sauce you need and 2. The marinade and the sauce take the same spices, but you put twice as many spices in the sauce and in the marinade.
If you weren’t in a hurry, you’d make the sauce below, you’d make the Chicken Tikka Bites properly, and then you’d mix the two. But let’s face it, I’m almost always in a hurry, and if you’re trying to feed your family after work, I suspect you might be too.
So I figured I’d try it as one step. It’s not as good as making it separately, but I ate it a little too quickly to care.
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
What I did was, I marinated the chicken, I put in all the ingredients for the sauce in the pot, and I cooked everything together. Once the chicken was cooked, I took it out and reverse-seared it, which is just a fancy way of saying I browned the cooked chicken. You could easily skip the browning bit and just enjoy it as it is.
Okay, I know you’re going to think I’ve lost my mind. A carrot?? In the sauce??
Yes. A carrot. In the sauce.
Why, you ask me?
To add body. If I made it without it, I’ll hear a lot comments about how it didn’t feel like the restaurant version of chicken tikka masala.
But I didn’t want to fill it with junk, so I thought of what would enhance the taste and thicken the sauce at the same time.
So I added a carrot.
You won’t taste it, but you’ll feel it in the thickness of the curry.
WHY DO YOU HAVE LIQUID SMOKE IN YOUR PRESSURE COOKER CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLY AUTHENTIC?
So, what’s up with the Liquid smoke? Is that a traditional Indian ingredient?
Not in the slightest actually. In fact, I have a funny story about this.
When I was about 14, a friend of the family told me about liquid smoke, which he had seen on his travels to the United States.
He was quite the prankster so I was sure this was a huge joke. I mean, come on! Liquid smoke??
He said if I was that sure, then I would surely be willing to bet with him. The loser was supposed to push a peanut around the room….with their nose.
I was so sure he was making this up! But I really didn’t want to be going around the room pushing a peanut with my nose with my butt inelegantly up in the air.
I was so conflicted because of course, I wanted him to be the peanut pusher.
Finally, the looming, potential indignity of it made me turn his bet down. Boy am I glad I didn’t take that bet! Because he did, in fact, show up with a bottle of liquid smoke, and I was well-educated on liquid smoke now.
Looking for other great instant pot Indian recipes? Check out my Chicken Korma recipe! This recipe is so easy that you can make it on a weeknight, start to finish, in just one hour!
And if you’re looking for a great Indian dessert, check out my Instant Pot Halva recipe. Make this delicious Indian Halva without having to stand over the stove constantly stirring!
HOW TO REPLICATE A DHUNGAR WITH LIQUID SMOKE
While liquid smoke is not at all traditional, we do have a technique called Dhungar.
To make a dhungar, you take a piece of lighted charcoal. This hot charcoal is set in a small dish. That dish is placed within the larger pot containing a dal, or a curry of some sort.
You then put a lid on the top to allow the charcoal smoke to permeate the dish.
And there you have a dhungar.
I often use either Liquid smoke or smoked paprika to replicate that flavor.
Which is why you will see that this Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala has some unusual ingredients in it, but like I said, tastes very authentic.
The steps for this Indian Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe are:
- Marinate the chicken with yogurt and spices
- Add the sauce ingredients to the Instant Pot
- Cook it all together, purée the sauce with an immersion blender, brown the chicken (or not)
- Take out half the sauce for later. Put chicken into rest.
- Eat over rice or with naan, or over cauliflower rice.
I know it looks like a long list of ingredients. But guess what? The spices for the chicken and for the sauce are almost the same.
What’s more, the marinade has half of each spice as the sauce. Hence the name double up.
See? I had a point when I named it. So it should go fast.
★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below! Just click on the stars in the recipe card to rate.
Make easy, authentic Chicken Tikka Masala right at home in your Instant Pot or pressure cooker! It's by far the easiest way to make Chicken Tikka Masala.
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken (breast or thighs), cut into large pieces
- ½ cups Greek yogurt
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger minced
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne
- ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika for color and a slightly smoky taste
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke (omit if unavailable)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 14-ounce Canned Tomatoes
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 5 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 teaspoon minced ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Cayenne
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1-2 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoons Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 4 ounce half and half (use full-fat coconut milk if dairy free)
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- ¼-1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- Marinate the chicken with the ingredients specified making sure to beat and blend the yogurt well so it doesn't separate later. Let is rest for 1-2 hours if possible.
- Place sauce ingredients into the Instant Pot. Place the chicken with the yogurt on top of the sauce ingredients.
- Cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes and release pressure quickly.
- Remove chicken and either set aside, broil, or put in your air fryer to brown, as you choose.
- Meanwhile using an immersion blender, purée the sauce well.
- Add 1/2 cup of half and half, cream, or coconut milk and stir well.
- Remove half the sauce and freeze for later.
Put chicken back into the remaining sauce, mix in the garam masala, garnish with cilantro and serve.
- The spices for marinating and for the sauce are almost the same. The marinade takes half the spice the sauce does.
- To be efficient, put the sauce ingredients in the Instant Pot, and the raw chicken in a bowl. As you add turmeric to the marinade, add twice that amount of turmeric to the onion and tomato sauce as well.
- Please note that a few readers who used 8 quart Instant Pots had the BURN message with a single batch of this, but not a double batch. The same readers were able to make this without the BURN message.
- If you have an 8 quart, either double this recipe or use 1/2 to 1/4 cup of water to add to the chicken and vegetables.
I am not a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information is provided a courtesy, and can vary depending on the exact ingredients you use.
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Nimrat says
June 29, 2019 at 10:21 amHoping to make this this weekend, I do not have an air fryer though and wanted to clarify the broil method for the chicken. Is this broiling in the oven? And if so for how much time? Thank you for the recipe! I have made your instant pot kadhi and my whole family and I enjoy it very much.
URVASHI PITRE says
June 29, 2019 at 10:38 amYou can broil in the oven to cook quickly in a skillet with lots of ghee (my fav method!) broiling I would think would be 5-8 minutes depending on the size of the chicken pieces.
Stacey says
June 25, 2019 at 12:01 pmMaybe a silly question, but you say save half the sauce for later. Is that just to make the dish again? ie.. cook some chicken in it? Or what do you use the sauce for?
MeowBoops says
June 5, 2019 at 3:00 pmThis recipe and the IP butter chicken are the real deal. So very good. I followed exactly. Thank you for sharing! These recipes rival the restaurant we frequent!
MeowBoops says
June 5, 2019 at 3:03 pmI also meant to mention I use the 6QTDUO and did not get the burn notice. 🙂
jessicasmusingsweb says
February 5, 2019 at 3:18 amHi there! I really love your recipes. I have your book and tried the Butter Chicken the other night and it was fantastic! I would like to try this recipe next. I am wondering how exactly do you brown the chicken in the air fryer? What temperature and for how many minutes? Thanks!
URVASHI PITRE says
February 15, 2019 at 12:46 pmHi there! I have an airfryer cookbook out that has a ton of chicken recipes. The blog also has several air fryer chicken recipes that may be helpful for you
Wayne Henry says
December 31, 2018 at 3:53 pmI just bought your book and made this recipe. Amazing! Adding the carrot is pure genius. Can you please make a recipe for Aloo Palak?
PeteP says
June 3, 2018 at 10:51 amLove your recipes for Indian food in the Instant Pot!
Question though. Last night I made a double batch of your Chicken Tikka and got the BURN message on my Ultra. This is the second recipe this has happened with. I’m pretty sure I followed the instructions to the letter other than doubling everything up.
Suggestions on how to avoid the BURN message? I’m never sure how much cooking has completed when this happens and how to recover. In this case, I set it for another 5 minutes at high and ir reported BURN again. But the food was still delicious.
Frances Reeves says
May 31, 2018 at 6:57 pmJust made this tonight. Best thing I have made in my instant pot. Also used your recipe for the garam masala. Will be making this often.
Su says
May 20, 2018 at 9:13 amLittle confused here..why does the recipe calls for half of sauce to be frozen for later..why not just half the amount to start with?
n can i just brown the chicken before putting it in the sauce to be cooked instead of doing it at the end?
Francine says
April 5, 2018 at 7:42 pmI’ve had my IP less than a month. One of the things that swayed me to actually get it was finding your Indian Instant Pot Cookbook. I love Indian food and never had the patience to make it at home. I made this a few nights ago for the first time because chicken tikka masala is a favorite dish of mine. It was fabulous. Better than some I’ve had in a restaurant. Even my husband said it was better than dishes he’s had at Indian restaurants. I also did basmati rice PIP. This meal was a definite home run and highly recommend.
Mona Wachsler says
April 4, 2018 at 7:06 pmThis is the 3rd time I’ve made this recipe and it is just fantastic Tonight was the best ever. I do make a couple of alterations in the technique. I pressure cook sauce for 5 minutes, release the pressure, add chicken thighs/marinade and stir it all togethe, then pressure cook for 5 minutes after adding chicken. I know this is an extra step but the chicken is absolutely perfectly cooked, moist and tender. The sauce helps flavor the chicken better I think when it’s stirred and coated. Also, I used 2 1/2 lbs of thighs. I did have a little brown on the bottom of the pan, but does not burn and adds flavor when scraped.
I added about a tablespoon of brown Ghee at the end along with the cream.
Served with Basmati rice and peas. Thank you Urvashi for this fabulous recipe. I will be cooking this often as we can’t seem to get enough! 10 stars!
Marie says
April 4, 2018 at 11:01 amHi, I’ve tried another Tikka Masala recipe, but it didn’t quite taste like the restaurant version I’m used to. So, I’d like to give your recipe a try. There isn’t a store around me where I can get just a single carrot; I don’t eat them because I’m just not a huge fan of them. Is there something else I can use?
URVASHI PITRE says
April 4, 2018 at 6:50 pmI’d use a small potato then
Amilia says
March 16, 2018 at 8:03 pmI’m new to the IP. What do you mean, “Cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes.” What setting on the IP should I use?
URVASHI PITRE says
March 16, 2018 at 10:11 pmUse either pressure cook or manual button
Bridget Booth says
March 15, 2018 at 12:18 pmMaking today. If I made your basmati pilau rice would the flavors with the chicken sauce be good together or not?
Would plain rice be better?
By the way why does the basmati cost double the cost of other rice like jasmine for instance?
Carrie Coello says
March 3, 2018 at 2:25 pmIs there any reason not to just double the meat/marinade, but leave the sauce quantities as is? I tried it with your butter chicken recipe, in my 8 qt instant pot, and it seemed to work out fine. Just checking to make sure I’m not missing a good reason to not attempt the same with this recipe.
Mona Wachsler says
April 4, 2018 at 9:12 pmI made it tonight and used 2.5 lbs of thighs because that’s what was in the package, but did not double the sauce or the marinade. There was enough marinade (without increasing the recipe) to coat 2.5 lbs of chicken. I used my 6 quart and it turned out great. Proportion of sauce to chicken seemed perfect~ (we like a little extra sauce…) Have made it before with the 1 1/2 lbs that recipe calls for and of course had a lot of sauce left as Urvashi states, but with 2.5 lbs there wasn’t a lot of extra sauce.
Sam T says
February 12, 2018 at 9:01 pmThis was really delicious. Doubled it to cook for a crowd & it fit fine in a 6 quart IP. For the sauce, I had whole spices on hand so I toasted whole spices on saute mode 1st instead of adding the ground garam masala with the rest of the sauce ingredients. the extra sauce was even better the next day…I could have just eaten it with a spoon!! But, it’s in my freezer awaiting a week night when I need something quick. I think it will be amazing reheated with some chickpeas. Will definitely be making again! Thanks!
Ewelina Hohenfels says
February 6, 2018 at 1:52 pmWhat can I use instead of the Greek that is Dairy free?
URVASHI PITRE says
February 6, 2018 at 7:06 pmSour cream or regular cream or half and half
Mary says
February 3, 2018 at 5:36 pmIs it possible to make only the sauce in the Instant Pot and save for later? (I like the idea of a “simmer sauce” or a sauce to serve with your Tikka bites). The same for your butter chicken as well, since they both make sauce enough for 2 dinners.
Thanks
URVASHI PITRE says
February 3, 2018 at 7:41 pmThat’s a great idea. You’d have to put 1/4-1/2 cup extra water to make just the sauce.
Mary says
February 3, 2018 at 8:13 pmThank you.???? I was wondering about extra liquid since there would not be any from the chicken.
Kristin Pozniak says
February 3, 2018 at 2:32 pmThis looks amazing!!! I don’t have any greek yogurt, and I’m not feeling like “waiting” to make this. Think I could use sour cream instead? I have everything else…
URVASHI PITRE says
February 3, 2018 at 3:48 pmI’d try it ????
Mary Lee Kopen says
January 31, 2018 at 7:55 pmLove your recipes, but I’m a little confused by the directions to use large pieces of chicken. A lot of leeway there. If I was using a normal, boneless skinless thigh, into many pieces would I cut it? Thanks so much
URVASHI PITRE says
January 31, 2018 at 8:13 pmAbout 3-4 pieces. I hope that helps!
Mary Lee Kopen says
January 31, 2018 at 7:33 pmLove your recipes, but I’m a little stumped by your direction to cut chicken into “large“ pieces. Don’t want the chicken to overcook. If it’s a normal size boneless skinless thigh, into many pieces would you suggest cutting it!? Thanks!
URVASHI PITRE says
January 31, 2018 at 8:14 pmI’d say about 3 pieces each
Savannagal says
January 29, 2018 at 11:54 amI’ve read many Instantpot recipes and often wonder how they can be converted to a regular pressure cooker. I don’t own and will not be purchasing an Instantpot. But I do own a pressure cooker, which gets no use. I would love to start using it and trying these fantastic sounding recipes. Is there a good way to know how to adjust an Instantpot recipe to work in a regular pressure cooker? Thank you.
URVASHI PITRE says
January 29, 2018 at 5:43 pmSo it shouldn’t be that different for a pressure cooker. I’d cook maybe 1-2 minutes less since they cook at higher PSIs but other than that, they should work.
Eric says
January 24, 2018 at 1:23 pmCan this be doubled in a 6qt IP? I recently made your Butter Chicken and loved it! Figured if this was nearly as good I’d want as much of it as possible!
URVASHI PITRE says
January 24, 2018 at 7:34 pmYes you can definitely double it. Enjoy!
Claudia says
January 22, 2018 at 1:24 pmGreat recipe! I have an 8 qt and didn’t want to get the burn reading, so I added a bit of water to the sauce, as well as the coconut water from the can of coconut milk. (Whenever I open a can of coconut milk the coconut cream sits on top of about 2 inches of coconut water.) I just used the whole 14 oz can of coconut milk, not just a cup. I also used a bit more yogurt (whole milk). Other than that I stuck to the amount of spices suggested (well, a bit less garlic and cayenne), and it tasted great, not too spicy for my kids. Lots of sauce, which is awesome as my kids love sauce but are so-so on meat. Definitely a keeper, and very easy!
Mary says
January 21, 2018 at 5:51 pmI made this tonight and it is amazing!!! I blended the sauce in my Vitamix and it came out silky smooth. I look forward to trying more of your recipes. So good!!!!
Dena says
January 21, 2018 at 11:02 amI prepared as described, no alterations except for doubling the recipe. I also blended my own garam masala. This dish is so full of flavors and chicken is so tender. I made fresh Na’an as well, my teenagers loved it.
Laraine Palmer says
January 18, 2018 at 5:50 amI’ve just finished eating and I can still feel the warmth and taste the party that was Urvashi’s Chicken Tikka Masala in my mouth. I made this with Urvashi’s home made Garam Masala recipe (do yourself a flavour and search for it on this site)
Thank you Urvashi! This recipe gets a big thumbs up from the family and me. ????
Ann says
January 17, 2018 at 3:15 pmDo you suggest thawing the chicken prior to marinating it, for use in the IP? I have frozen chicken and wonder if I just need to wait a couple of days for it to thaw in the fridge, or to ask if there would be a sort cut. Thanks!
URVASHI PITRE says
January 17, 2018 at 5:11 pmYes I do think it needs to thaw so it can tenderize properly
Ann says
January 17, 2018 at 7:12 pmThanks so much for your response! I love your recipes!
Sharon says
January 16, 2018 at 9:51 pmWhat flavor of liquid smoke would you recommend?
URVASHI PITRE says
January 16, 2018 at 9:56 pmTBH I use whatever I have at home ????
Sharon malcolm says
January 14, 2018 at 6:26 pmI tried this recipe and followed to the letter but go a burn reading and had to dump it all out. Added 2 cups water to sauce and tried again. I have an 8qusrt IP. Do I have to adjust recipes because of size?
URVASHI PITRE says
January 14, 2018 at 6:48 pmI’m sorry to hear that. Hundreds of people have made this quite successfully. The only time I hear of it burning, it’s either a seal issue (as in, your seal wasn’t on tight, you forgot to close the vent etc.) or the yogurt you used was ultra ultra thick. Are either of those likely in your case?
Sean Huck says
January 12, 2018 at 11:05 amHi Urvashi,
Can you use whole milk plain yogurt instead of Greek yogurt? I realize Greek is likely less fat, but I prefer the taste of whole milk. Any reason not to substitute?
Thanks! All your recipes look delicious!
Cyndy says
January 4, 2018 at 10:24 pmI just recently got my Instant Pot and your cookbook. The first thing I tried was the Chicken Tortilla Soup from your page. I’ve already made it twice! Then I tried the butter chicken, twice, once with your paneer recipe. Oh so good! Tonight I tried the Chicken Tikka Masala, and I think this is the best thing I have EVER made, and I’m almost 60. Thank you so much for having quality low carb dishes. Honestly, I won’t need naan or rice with this. Just eating with a spoon is delicious!
URVASHI PITRE says
January 5, 2018 at 12:02 amyay!! This makes me so happy! Glad to hear that 🙂
Michelle says
January 2, 2018 at 10:24 amThis is one of my favorite recipes- in fact, I usually make it weekly! One thing I finally tried to help save some time since I make it so frequently… I add all of the dry spices from the marinade and sauce mixture in a small container and mix well (turmeric/ cayenne/ smoked paprika/ salt/ garam masala/ cumin). Then add 1 TBSP of the spice mix to the marinade, and 2 TBSP of the spice mix to the sauce (3 TBSP total per batch). I will start making a larger batch of the spice mix now since I make this so often.
Caroline says
December 30, 2017 at 12:04 amI made this tonight. Only my 3rd time using my IP. Worked great! Most successful meal yet! Great flavor, even though i misread teaspoons as tablespoons on the ginger — oops! A little spicy for the kids, but I’ll pay more attention next time – which I’m sure won’t be too long 🙂 Thanks for the create recipe
URVASHI PITRE says
December 30, 2017 at 12:42 amYay! I’m so glad to hear that!
rick says
December 28, 2017 at 12:05 amWow that was incredible thanks. I used the version from the cookbook!
URVASHI PITRE says
December 28, 2017 at 12:56 amYay! Good to hear that
hulahoop says
December 27, 2017 at 2:02 pmIs it spicy at all?
URVASHI PITRE says
December 27, 2017 at 7:19 pmYou can control the spice by reducing the cayenne
Kirti says
November 18, 2017 at 6:36 pmI used fresh tomatoes instead of canned, do i need to add any water to make sure the IP comes to pressure or that it doesn’t burn?
URVASHI PITRE says
November 18, 2017 at 11:25 pmI’d add 1/4 c of water.
Pam says
November 16, 2017 at 7:52 pmThis was really good. Some changes I made were to sauté the onion, carrots, garlic and ginger in some olive oil before adding the tomatoe,spices and chicken. Also I bought Dion Garam Masala spice mix instead of making my own. I also didn’t add more Garam Masala in the finishing stage. Served over plain rice. Will definitely make it again.
Adi E says
November 13, 2017 at 8:27 pmTHIS WAS AWESOME!!!!!
— thanks to Em’s comment, I went ahead and used a can of full fat coconut milk for the marinade instead of greek yogurt. (just didn’t have any greek yogurt). For the sauce, I used 1/2 cup of cream.
Followed the directions exactly in the pressure cooker. (I have an older Instant Pot and did the manual setting for 10 min. There wasn’t much pressure to release.)
I can’t say enough about this recipe. By far the best Indian food I’ve ever made at home. Highly recommend!
Shalanda Caudillo says
October 20, 2017 at 8:49 pmWhich setting on your Instant Pot, do you use to cook this with?
URVASHI PITRE says
October 20, 2017 at 10:48 pmHi there! I just cooked it under pressure so either pressure cook or manual depending on your model
[email protected] says
October 14, 2017 at 5:27 pmHi Urvashi,
I just made this recipe along with your Indian Basmati Rice Pilau. Delicious! I will triple the recipe next time for our family of 5. There’s so much sauce left. What do you recommend I do with it?
Thank you so much! I’m impatiently waiting for your cookbook in the mail next week!
Tuan
URVASHI PITRE says
October 14, 2017 at 6:44 pmI would make chicken tikka bites or paneer tikka bites and use the sauce for that. You could also steam vegetables and add to the sauce. A can of chick peas would do well, as would hard boiled eggs.
Alison M says
September 21, 2017 at 3:26 pmDo I add the yogurt and spices the chicken has been marinating in to the sauce in the Instant Pot or just the chicken?
URVASHI PITRE says
September 21, 2017 at 3:38 pmAdd it all! Don’t lose that goodness.
Parveen says
September 18, 2017 at 7:42 amThis was one of the best recipes I have ever made. I left out the steps for finishing because my prime now order had not arrived and they had my half and half. It didn’t even need it. Absolutely fabulous. Hats off! I can’t wait to work my way through the cookbook.
URVASHI PITRE says
September 18, 2017 at 11:56 amOh yay! I’m so glad! Thank you for sharing that with me
Larissa H says
September 10, 2017 at 9:20 pmWould it be ok to marinate the chicken for longer than 2 hours?
URVASHI PITRE says
September 10, 2017 at 9:25 pmOh yes I often leave it 6-8 hours. I wouldn’t go too much longer as the yogurt does tenderize the chicken.
Larissa H says
September 11, 2017 at 3:45 pmThank you!! And one more question! If I increase the amount of chicken, should I also increase cooking time?
URVASHI PITRE says
September 11, 2017 at 4:40 pmNo cook time stays the same. It will take longer to come to pressure but not to cook under pressure.
Jennie says
September 10, 2017 at 12:20 pmHow long do you recommend broiling the chicken for?
URVASHI PITRE says
September 10, 2017 at 12:52 pmLike about. 3-4 minutes at most? I don’t usually broil it tbh
Em says
August 2, 2017 at 4:27 pmFor the marinade- can’t use yogurt. Would it be ok to use a can of coconut milk?
URVASHI PITRE says
August 2, 2017 at 4:27 pmYes it would.
Jen Neefer says
May 27, 2017 at 1:10 amOooooh! This is going directly into my To Try Soon queue! 🙂