Instant Pot Chicken Curry

What's quick, delicious, and only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish? Our recipe for Instant Pot chicken curry. The dish is made with a few aromatics and a handful of spices, plus other ingredients that you likely have in your pantry. The ingredients are simple, but the dish is packed with savory flavors. Hearty chicken thighs simmer in a spiced broth mixture using the pressure cooker setting of your Instant Pot. The chicken comes out juicy and tender after only four minutes, and soaks up all of the delicious aromas from the medley of spices. And, as everything from sautéeing to simmering happens in the multicooker, there's not a lot to cleanup. 

This simple chicken dinner is sure to become a regular addition to your weeknight menu—everyone will love it.

The Benefits of Using a Multicooker

There are so many reasons we love to use our multicookers, slow cookers, pressure cookers, and Instant Pots. 

• Saves time: Depending on the setting you use, you can save yourself a good amount of time on dinner. For this recipe, we use the "sauté" and "pressure cook" settings. Onions and plenty of spices are sautéed in the machine instead of on the stovetop (this takes about the same amount of time). Once the chicken is added, it only takes about 4 minutes on the pressure cook setting for the meat to cook through perfectly and absorb all of the flavor from the spices. 
• Fewer dishes: Everything happens in the multicooker, so you'll have fewer pans to clean up at the end of the meal. Aside from a pot to cook rice to serve on the side, you shouldn't need many other dishes, other than a knife and cutting board. 
• Convenient: If you're short on stove space and/or don’t feel like turning on your oven, using a multicooker is a great solution. You can tuck it away in a corner of your countertop and let it do its thing without getting in the way. It’s also a great option if you need to start working on dinner before you're actually ready to eat. Most multicookers have a "keep warm" function, so dinner will be ready when you are.

Flavorings for Chicken Curry

• Aromatics: We start to build flavor in this dish with sliced onions, fresh ginger, and garlic. By taking the time to properly sauté these ingredients, the curry will have a bold flavor when it’s finished. 
• Dried spices: We use crushed cumin and coriander seeds, Spanish paprika, chili powder, and a cinnamon stick in this recipe. These are classic flavors that you’ll find in many curry dishes. The combination of savory, sweet, and smoky spices is what makes this recipe special. 
• Tomato paste: Not only does tomato paste give chicken curry its signature burnt orange color, it also adds a hint of acidity and sweetness to the dish. 
• Ghee: Ghee is the fat of choice when it comes to sautéeing the onions and other aromatics. It is used a lot in Indian cooking and has a richer flavor than regular butter. It also has a higher smoke point. You can use a neutral oil instead if you prefer.

Serving Suggestions

This chicken curry recipe is best served over something that will absorb the saucy liquid. Cooked rice or warmed naan flatbread are most traditional, but it can also be served with cooked lentils (dal) or any of your favorite whole-grains. 

As far as toppings go, opt for something cooling, like a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, to help mellow out the spiciness. And you can’t go wrong with a squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro or mint leaves.