Description
Instant pot coconut chicken curry brings tender chicken and aromatic spices together in a creamy sauce that comes together in minutes rather than hours. Your weeknight dinner just became easier, with layers of coconut and curry flavor that make each bite satisfying without keeping you in the kitchen all evening.
Ingredients
Scale
Base and aromatics:
- 1 tablespoon ghee or oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 0.5 tablespoon ginger paste or grated
- 0.5 tablespoon garlic paste or minced
Protein and liquids:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1–1.5 inch pieces
- 1 cup tomato puree
- 0.25 cup water
- 1 cup full-fat canned unsweetened coconut milk
Seasonings and finishing:
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- Switch your Instant Pot to sauté mode and warm 1 tablespoon of ghee or oil for about 30 seconds, then add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds if you have them on hand.
- Toss in 1 cup of diced yellow onion along with 1/2 tablespoon of ginger and 1/2 tablespoon of garlic, letting everything soften and turn golden for roughly 3 minutes.
- Mix in 1 cup of tomato puree and 1 teaspoon of garam masala, cooking this base for 2 to 3 minutes so the flavors develop.
- Add your 1 pound of chicken thighs cut into 1 to 1.5 inch pieces and let them cook in the spiced mixture for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Pour 1/4 cup of water into the pot and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom, then turn off the sauté function.
- Seal the lid and pressure cook on high at 15 psi for exactly 4 minutes.
- Release the pressure quickly once the timer goes off, then open your pot carefully.
- Stir in 1 cup of full-fat unsweetened coconut milk and switch back to sauté mode for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add 1 tablespoon of lime juice at the end, giving everything a final stir before serving your curry over rice or with naan.
Notes
- Make sure to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot when deglazing, as this adds deep flavor to your curry sauce.
- If your chicken pieces are thick, cut them into smaller chunks so they cook evenly in the short 4-minute pressure cooking time.
- For a dairy-free version, use full-fat coconut milk from the start instead of adding it at the end, and skip the garam masala if it contains dairy.
- Add the lime juice right before serving since it brightens the dish best when fresh, and taste the curry before adjusting the spices to suit your preference.
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Cook Time: 13-15 minutes
- Category: Slow Cooked Chicken
- Method: Pressure Cooking
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 389 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 85 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 105 mg