Instant Pot Chicken Curry Recipe

This classic Pakistani-style Instant Pot Chicken Curry is cozy, flavorful, and easy enough for a weeknight dinner. It uses simple pantry spices, a short ingredient list, and very little hands-on prep. The curry is made with bone-in chicken for traditional flavor, and potatoes cook right alongside the chicken to make it heartier. You can leave the potatoes out, but if you grew up eating aloo chicken, you will probably agree that they make the dish feel complete.

“Such a great recipe and the taste reminded me of my childhood!”

Maria

Classic Chicken Curry in the Instant Pot – New & Improved

This Instant Pot chicken curry recipe has been updated to make it even more reliable, especially when cooking chicken and potatoes together. The earlier version had a longer pressure-cooking time, which sometimes made the potatoes too soft. Some readers also felt the curry had too much liquid. A traditional Pakistani chicken curry, or salan, often has a little gravy and is not meant to be dry, but it should taste rich and well-balanced rather than watery.

The improved method uses less water, a shorter pressure-cooking time, and a slightly longer sauté step before pressure cooking. This gives the onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and spices more time to develop into a smooth masala. The result is a homestyle Pakistani chicken curry with tender chicken, soft but intact potatoes, and a flavorful gravy that works beautifully with rice, roti, paratha, or naan.

Ingredients

Here are a few helpful notes before you begin. The ingredients are simple, but the size of the chicken pieces and potatoes can make a big difference in the final texture of this Instant Pot chicken curry.

• Chicken: Bone-in, skinless chicken gives this curry a traditional flavor and helps create a richer gravy. A smaller chicken works best because this recipe uses 1 pound of chicken pieces. If the chicken is very large, you may only get a few pieces, which can affect how evenly everything cooks.
  • Boneless chicken option: Use larger 1 to 1.5-inch pieces of boneless chicken thighs, breast, or tenders. Pressure cook for 6 minutes on high pressure instead of 8 minutes. Boneless chicken releases more liquid as it cooks, so you may reduce the added water to 1/2 cup if you prefer a thicker curry.
• Potatoes: Potatoes turn this into aloo chicken curry and make the meal more satisfying. Russet potatoes work well, but yellow or red potatoes may also be used.
  • How to cut the potatoes: Cut the potatoes into large 1.5-inch chunks so they hold their shape during pressure cooking. If using 3 small potatoes, quarter them by cutting lengthwise and then widthwise. If using 2 medium potatoes or 1 large potato, cut them into large cubes of about 1.5 inches.

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Curry + Key Tips for Success

The most important tip for this recipe is to keep a small bowl or glass of water nearby while sautéing. The Instant Pot can brown ingredients quickly, and bits of onion, tomato, or spice may stick to the bottom. Stir often and deglaze with a splash of water whenever needed. This prevents scorching and helps build a smooth, flavorful masala.

Sauté the Onions and Chicken

• For the smoothest curry, finely chop the onions and tomatoes. A food processor is helpful, but careful hand chopping also works. Pakistani chicken curry usually does not have large visible chunks of onion or tomato; instead, they cook down into the masala and become part of the gravy.
• Start by sautéing the onions until lightly golden. Add the garlic and ginger, then the chicken. Let the chicken change color and pick up a little browning before adding the spices and tomato.

Add Spices and Tomatoes, Then Pressure Cook

• After adding the whole spices, ground spices, green chili, salt, and tomato, continue to sauté for a few minutes. This step blooms the spices and helps the tomato break down into the curry base.
• Add the potatoes and water, then gently mix so the chicken and potatoes are mostly submerged. This helps everything cook evenly under pressure.

Uncover and Garnish

• When the curry is done, you should see the oil rise slightly to the surface. This is a sign that the masala has cooked through. If you want a thicker gravy, use the Sauté – High setting for 2 to 3 minutes after pressure cooking. Remember that the curry will continue to thicken as it cools.
• Finish with garam masala and fresh cilantro for a warm, fresh, and aromatic final touch.

Tried this recipe? If you make this Instant Pot chicken curry, leave a comment and share how it turned out. Your feedback helps others and is always appreciated.

4.86 (28 ratings)

Instant Pot Chicken Curry

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 12 mins

Total Time: 50 mins

This Instant Pot Chicken Curry is a simple, nostalgic Pakistani-style chicken curry with tender chicken, warm spices, and optional potatoes for a hearty homestyle meal.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup neutral oil, such as avocado or grapeseed
• 1 medium yellow onion, about 200 g, finely chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/3 inch ginger, crushed
• 1 medium tomato, about 140 g, very finely chopped or puréed
• 1 lb bone-in, cut up, skinless chicken, about 454 g
• 1 small green chili pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, use the lower amount if skipping potatoes
• 2 small Russet potatoes, about 320 g, peeled and cut into large 1.5-inch cubes

Whole Spices

• 1 tsp whole coriander seeds, roughly crushed
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 5-6 whole black peppercorns
• 2 whole cloves

Ground Spices

• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili or mild red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder

After Cooking

• 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro leaves
• 1/4 tsp garam masala

Equipment

• Instant Pot
• Food processor, optional for finely chopping the onions and puréeing the tomatoes

Instructions

1. Select the Sauté – More setting on the Instant Pot. Once hot, add the oil and onions. Sauté, stirring often, until the onions turn lightly golden, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Deglaze with 2 tablespoons of water. Add the chicken and fry until it changes from pink to pale, about 3 minutes, deglazing as needed if anything sticks. Add the whole spices, ground spices, salt, green chili pepper, and tomato. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, until the oil begins to separate from the masala.
2. Add the potatoes and 3/4 cup water. Mix well, making sure the chicken and potatoes are submerged as much as possible.
3. Cancel Sauté. Secure the lid and set the pressure valve to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook and cook on High Pressure for 8 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then manually release the remaining pressure.
4. Open the lid and garnish with garam masala and cilantro. Serve hot with roti, paratha, rice, or naan.

Notes

Note 1: To make this curry with boneless chicken, use larger 1 to 1.5-inch cubes. Boneless thighs are preferred, but tenders or breast also work. Pressure cook on High Pressure for 6 minutes. Since boneless chicken can release more liquid, reduce the water to 1/2 cup if you want a thicker gravy.

Note 2: The Instant Pot retains liquid while pressure cooking, so the water you add before sealing the lid will determine the final amount of curry. Use 3/4 cup for a balanced gravy or up to 1 cup if you prefer more sauce.

Tip: For a smoother homestyle chicken curry, finely chop the onion and tomato. If using a food processor, pulse the onion until finely chopped, but do not blend it into a watery paste. Remove the onion, then use the same processor to make a rough tomato purée.

Calories: 354kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 18g

Author: Izzah Cheema

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani

This is an updated version of a post originally published on November 13, 2019. It now includes an improved recipe, new photos, and a clearer method.