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FAQs: All Your Butter Chicken Questions Answered!

Published . Last modified by 169 Comments

Finally! All your burning Twosleevers butter chicken questions answered here! Everything from trouble shooting, substitutions, meal prep, questions about my audacity in creating such a simple Indian dish–everything you always wanted to know and more, answered in one handy-dandy FAQ.

butter chicken questions

No other dish I have made in my Instant Pot has led to as many questions as my Instant Pot Now and Later Keto Indian Butter Chicken. And that makes me very happy. I thought I’d put in all the questions I get into a handy dandy FAQ to make this easy. Please let me know if you have other questions/answers you’d like to see added.

Authenticity: What's the difference between Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala?

Well, let’s start with what they have in common.

Neither of them is probably truly Indian dishes. But they’re both delicious so who cares? Here’s my view of the differences between Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala:

  • Butter chicken doesn’t have onion in it. Tikka masala does have it
  • Butter chicken is largely tomatoes, butter, and cream. Tikka Masala is onions, tomatoes, and in my recipe, a carrot for body. But it has a thick sauce that is vegetable based.
  • Tikka means a piece of meat. So the best way to make Chicken Tikka Masala is to make the Tikka Bites either separately or as part of the recipe.
  • There are probably as many differences in opinion on this topic as there are people, but this is a good start.
Authenticity: Butter chicken is complicated! How dare you call this simple dish Butter chicken??
  • Well so is Chicken Biryani. So is Lamb Rogan Josh. So is Carne Adovada.  So are a lot of other dishes–if made following traditional methods. But not when I make them.
  • I’m trained a a scientist (Ph.d. in Experimental Psychology). I understand basics of food chemistry. I spent a lot of time and a lot of trials to reproduce authentic tastes with minimal efforts.
  • You’re welcome
  • Try it before you knock it
Troubleshooting: Your butter chicken is way too bland for me. How can I change that?

There are a few ways to spice up this dish if it’s too bland for you.

  • Increase cayenne pepper
  • Increase garam masala
  • Check your garam masala to see if the ingredients in it correspond to what’s in my garam masala recipe. This is the number one culprit for bland Butter chicken after following this recipe.
  • Make Chicken Tikka Bites instead of plain chicken and add those to the sauce.
Troubleshooting: My sauce was thin and watery and I had to use cornstarch to thicken it. What went wrong?
  • This happens if you add the butter and cream before the sauce has had a chance to cool down, causing the sauce to be to thin. Next time, wait a little before adding them.
  • For the love of Butter chicken, do not add corn starch. Just put the sauce in the freezer for a few minutes or the fridge for a while, and it will thicken up just fine.
Spices: Do I really need to make my own garam masala? If not, what brands can I use?
  • I would highly recommend you make your own. If you buy the whole spices I recommend in my garam masala recipe you can use those for other spice mixes on this site.
  • Whole spices keep well for a year or more. Ground spices lose their intensity after about 6 months, so if you buy whole ones, you can make different mixes and have them taste fresh.
  • If you prefer not to make it, I would recommend either The Spice House garam masala, Penzey’s garam masala, or small batches from places like Trader Joe, Sprouts, Central Market, etc.
  • People have reported good results with McCormick Garam Masala
  • Do NOT use Private Collection, which is nothing but Paprika, and very red
  • Indian Grocery stores carry brands such as Shaan, Badshah, and MTR that work well.
Substitutions: Can I double this recipe? Do I need to double the time?
  • People have successfully quadrupled the recipe with no problems.
  • If you double it, please double all the ingredients.
  • You do not need to increase the time under pressure. The pot will take longer to come to pressure, but once it is under pressure, the cook time is the same.
Substitutions: Can I substitute bone-in legs/thighs? How about chicken breast?
  • Yes, you can substitute bone-in chicken thighs. Add 1 minute to cook times
  • If you’re using chicken breast, be sure to cube it into smaller pieces so it will cook at the same time as the recipe calls for.
  • Yes, you can substitute chicken breast. Chicken breast needs closer to 15-20 minutes to cook well so you may have to increase time depending on what size breast you’re using.
Substitutions: Can I use frozen chicken? Do I need additional time for that?
  • Yes, you can use frozen chicken. The pot will take longer to come to pressure. Increase cook time under pressure by 1 minute just to be sure.
  • This won’t work if your chicken is frozen into one big lump. You will likely have to cook it once, open the pot, and re-cook it.
Substitutions: Can I just increase the chicken if I don't want sauce for later?
  • I wouldn’t do that although I know people do it. I think it makes a blander sauce.
  • I also have heard of people drinking the sauce on its own, so there’s never any leftover anyway (you know who you are!)
Substitutions: Can I make this with tomato sauce/tomato purée instead of canned tomatoes? How about fresh tomatoes?
  • Yes to tomato purée.
  • Yes to crushed tomatoes
  • Proceed with caution on tomato sauce, as it might burn. Add 1/4 cup of water if in doubt.
  • Proceed with caution on fresh tomatoes, as they might burn. Add 1/4 cup of water if in doubt.
Substitutions: Cilantro =yucky soap! Do I have to have it? What can I substitute instead?
  • Either omit, or use parsley. This dish doesn’t rely on cilantro for all it’s flavor so it will be fine.
Substitutions: Can I make this tofu/paneer/chickpeas/other vegetables?
  • Tofu: Add 1/4 c water to the sauce while pressure cooking. Add tofu after the sauce is cooked.
  • Soy curls: See vegetarian version of Butter Chicken here.
  • Paneer: Add 1/4 c water to the sauce while pressure cooking. Add paneer after the sauce is cooked.
  • Shrimp: Add 1/4 c water to the sauce while pressure cooking. Add shrimp after the sauce is cooked and let it heat through and cook.
  • Vegetables: Add 1/4 c water to the sauce while pressure cooking. Add steamed veggies after the sauce is cooked.
  • Chickpeas: Add 1/4 c water to the sauce while pressure cooking. Cook chickpeas pot in pot on top of the sauce. Increase cook time to 25-30 minutes. Mix sauce and cooked chickpeas. Or use canned chickpeas.
Substitutions: Can I substitute something else for the cream and the butter?

People have successfully substituted the following:

  • Butter:
    • Earth balance or other vegan butter
    • Coconut oil
  • Cream:
    • Half and half,
    • Milk (thin sauce, I do not recommend)
    • Coconut milk
    • Evaporated Milk
Substitutions: Do I really need ALL that butter/cream?
  • Well, both of those help a lot with the flavor. I suggest you try it once with the proportions suggested.
  • Next time, try cutting those by whatever amounts make you comfortable, and see how you like it.
Substitutions: Do I really need an immersion blender? Which one should I get?
  • Immersion blenders are wonderful, safe things to use when dealing with hot liquids so I highly recommend them. This is the one I have (affiliate) but this one is also good.
  • Technically you could blend the sauce in a blender, but hot liquids + blender = high disaster potential so be careful.
  • You can make this with crushed tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes, but you may have a little scorching.
  • You can use a wire whisk to blend in the tomatoes after they’re cooked.
  • You can leave the whole, but your sauce won’t be as thick.
Meal Prep: Can I cook rice at the same time in the same pot?
  • Yes. Place a steamer rack on top of the sauce. In a heat-safe pot, add 1 cup rinsed and drained basmati, 1 cup water, salt and ghee.
  • Cover the pot with a silicone lid or foil.
  • Place on top of steamer rack and cook chicken and rice as directed.
Meal Prep: What I can do with the leftover sauce?
  • Freeze it
  • Add shrimp and heat through
  • Add steamed vegetables
  • Add paneer
  • Add boiled eggs
  • Add rotisserie chicken
Meal Prep: Does this reheat well? Does it freeze well?
  • Very well to both questions, but I would not recommend re-pressure cooking it as the sauce may separate.
  • Just use stove-top or easier still, your microwave to defrost it.  
Family Friendly: Is this too spicy for children/spice intolerants? How can I reduce the spice?
  • Reduce Ginger
  • Reduce Cayenne pepper to 1/4 teaspoon
  • Reduce Garam Masala
Family Friendly: We've never had Indian food before / My family hates curry. Should we still try this?
  • If you’ve never had Indian food before, this is the perfect place to start. Indian Butter chicken is flavorful and spiced, but not spicy.
  • If you hate curry, you’re probably responding to ready-made curry powder. This doesn’t use curry powder.
  • If you are unusually sensitive to cinnamon taste, this may taste very cinnamony to you if your garam masala has too much.
  • Invite a friend that you know loves Indian food, and try it so the food won’t be wasted and your friend will be happy 🙂
  • If all else fails, lie to your family and say this is an Italian (substitute cuisine of preference here) dish and see if they notice.

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Can I place the leftover sauce in the instant pot and add chicken and cook under pressure for 20 or so minutes? If not, I will be thrilled to use the sauce in some other way because it was delicious!! If I were to reuse the sauce for another meal, it would be great! Thanks!

    • Dairy does not do well in this recipe under pressure, so if you know you will want to pressure cook the sauce later, then don’t add cream and butter to what you want to reserve. But you can always just pressure cook the chicken separately, and heat the sauce on the stove.

  3. Hi! I’ve made this recipe several times (with great success!) in my old Cuisinart electric pressure cooker that recently died. I have a new Instant Pot 6 qt pressure cooker and got a “BURN” message when I tried to cook it tonight. This happened before it came to pressure. I stirred it (there were a few burned areas on the bottom) then put it back on to high pressure for 10 minutes. It just finished cooking, so I’m waiting for the natural release. Should I have added some water or stock to the diced tomatoes in the first step of the recipe? If so, how much? Has anyone else experienced this problem? I appreciate your advice, thanks!

    • This is the model I have: Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker and Warmer

  4. Urvashi (or web manager): There is a broken link on the Butter Chicken FAQ page. The first reference to the actual recipe returns a 404 error.

  5. Hello! I’ve been wanting to make Butter Chicken for a long time, and after some research, found this pressure cooker version. I’m very excited to make this for dinner tonight! There is one detail I’m still not clear on. I’m opting to use 2 boneless chicken breasts. (1-1/3 lb.) In the ingredient list, it does not specify to cube the chicken prior to cooking, so that leads me to believe they should be cooked whole. At the end of the directions, it says,” Break it up into smaller pieces, if you like, but don’t shred it.” What is the best method for the breasts? I feel like I should cube it up before cooking, but if cooking them whole, and chopping it up after removing to puree the sauce is the better option, I will do that. Please advise. Thank you!

    • I know this is very old, but… chicken breasts do not have as good a texture as the chicken thighs, IMHO, And they also don’t give off the same amount of fat and liquid which is part of the cooking process. They would take less time, and so definitely you would not want to cut them because then they would take even less time than that or else be very overcooked.

  6. I just made Butter Chicken for the umpteenth time, and am adding my slight modifications, issues, and comments:

    1. I previously froze about half of a BIG can of tomatoes, about a pint. However I must not have divvied up the tomatoes and liquid proportionally, as the tomatoes started to burn to the IP. No problem, I just dumped on a cup of froze homemade chicken stock which I always have in my freezer.

    2. I didn’t chop the garlic cloves, just smashed them with a big knife to remove the peels. I figured chopping was an unnecessary step, since the immersion blender will pulverize them at the end.

    3. I didn’t have frozen or fresh ginger, so used crystalized. I minced it up a bit, though that probably wasn’t necessary, for the same reason that mincing the garlic didn’t seem really necessary.

    4. I’ve never added any cayenne before, but this time I put in a few healthy shakes – maybe 1/8 tsp? It was fine, not too hot at all.

    4. I used two big solidly frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts; just laid them on top of the sauce and closed the lid. a) I prefer BS thighs; the breast meat is dryer and doesn’t have as much flavor as the thighs. When it was done, removing the meat to the cutting board and dicing it was easy peasy.

    5. I added a few minutes to the pressure-cooking time since the chicken was frozen solid. I checked the cookbook which said 10 minutes; I had 26 minutes in my memory, so I compromised and set the IP to 16. It worked fine.

    6. I couldn’t find the pint of half-and-half that I’m sure I bought last week, so used 1/2 c Goya coconut milk. I think I prefer the smoother sweeter taste of half-and-half, but even so, I could happily drink the leftover sauce right from the IP.

    7, We ate it with jasmine rice and naan, both easily available at our grocery store. Next time Raita and maybe some mango chutney.

    Regarding the question above related to children – my 3 and 4 year old grandsons and 28 year old son in law, neither of whom has been exposed to much beyond burgers, nuggets, hot dogs, and potatoes except at my house, LOVE butter chicken! The 3 year old says Indian food is his favorite! (That’s quite a compliment; sometimes when I make unfamiliar food he pushes it around while repeatedly muttering “I don’t like this stuff.”)

  7. Love this recipe! We’ve made it countless times with chicken. We have some vegetarian friends coming over for dinner and would like to use paneer. Do you recommend 1 lb of paneer in lieu of 1 lb chicken? Or is there a better quantity of paneer to use? Thanks for a great dish!

  12. Hi, purchased your book and went straight to the Butter Chicken recipe. Followed it and the instant pot gave me an overheat warning. The model is 6.t qt DUO from 2013. Only once had I had this before and it was due to sugars scorching on the bottom. I am thinking that is what happened with the tomato.

    Does this recipe call for a pot-in-a-pot? I read the recipe several times before starting and determined no, due to wording. Thoughts?

  13. Hello, I purchased your book and look forward to making some of the amazing sounding dishes. I do have a quick question on this recipe though. The nutrition content for this recipe in the book and on the website are very different. Which one do you believe is more accurate?

    The website has it listed as 300 calories, 20g Fat 3g Carbs, 1g Fiber, and 25g protein, but the book has it as 512 calories- 36g Fat 16g Carbs, 6g fiber 31 grams protein

  14. Hi , I read about you and your butter chicken. I bought your book and made it yesterday. It was fantastic. I also made your GM blend. My question is everything is so exact except it says one cinnamon stick. What is the standard size af one stick. I’ve google and searched and there are as many answers as sizes.
    Thank you