This Whole30 instant pot butter chicken couldn’t be easier to make. It’s Paleo, gluten-free, keto and takes under 30 minutes from start to finish. This low carb, dairy-free, and totally delicious Indian dish is a simple recipe but packs a ton of flavor and only has a cook time of 10 minutes in the pressure cooker. It’s a great recipe for meal prep or just for a quick family friendly weeknight meal.
I love butter chicken. Love it. It’s traditionally made with dairy products, so to make this Whole30 and paleo version, we’ve had to swap it out for coconut milk. So while this won’t be an exact replication of butter chicken, it is a great alternative for those who eat dairy-free and gluten-free that was inspired by the real dish.
Whole30 Instant Pot Butter Chicken Ingredients
To make this recipe, I prefer to use chicken thighs because they are so much more tender and juicy, and they tend to absorb more flavor than chicken breasts, especially when cooked under pressure in the instant pot. That being said, you can easily substitute the thighs for chicken breasts if you prefer. You’ll also need canned diced tomatoes, a can of unsweetened, full fat coconut milk and a little bit of ghee.
The only other ingredients are a handful of different spices. Common ones such as chili powder, cumin and salt and pepper. There’s a few spices that may not be so common if you haven’t cooked much Indian food before, such as garam masala and turmeric but they are easily found at almost all grocery stores or Amazon. All of the spices and the canned items are also available from Thrive Market, which is where I get pretty much all of my pantry goods and staples.
How to Make This Pressure Cooker Butter Chicken Recipe
This Whole30 and low carb butter chicken recipe really could not be easier to make. It’s a quick and easy process, and keeping it all contained to one pot in the instant pot makes clean up so simple. You’ll first start by heating the ghee with the pressure cooker on saute mode. Once it’s hot, just throw in the minced garlic, minced ginger and onion. Saute these quickly, just for a few minutes, and then you’ll add in all of the remaining ingredients.
It will be cooked on high pressure for only 10 minutes, and then you’ll transfer the chicken thighs to a cutting board. Then, use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until it’s smooth. You could use a blender to do this, but the immersion blender makes it such a quicker and less messy process to just do it right there in the instant pot. Then, chop the chicken thighs into bite size pieces and just stir them back into the sauce. and the Whole30 instant pot butter chicken is complete!
You can garnish with some fresh cilantro, which we love the flavor combination of. Serve this Whole30 butter chicken over cauliflower rice, cauliflower mash or mashed potatoes. If you or others in your family don’t eat Paleo or low carb, you can serve it over basmati rice, which soaks up the sauce and tastes so good!
Other Whole30 Instant Pot Chicken Recipes You’ll Love:
Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken
5 Minute Chicken Meatballs & Marinara
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Instant Pot Butter Chicken: Paleo, Whole30, Keto, Easy
This Whole30 instant pot butter chicken couldn’t be easier to make. It’s Paleo, gluten-free, keto and takes under 30 minutes from start to finish. This low carb, totally delicious Indian dish is a simple recipe but packs a ton of flavor and only has a cook time of 10 minutes in the pressure cooker. It’s a great recipe for meal prep or just for a quick family friendly weeknight meal.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6 1x
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (can substitute chicken breasts)
- 2 cans diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 can unsweetened coconut milk, full-fat
- 1/2 white onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 2 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 1.5 tsp coriander
- 1.5 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Cilantro to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Put the instant pot on saute mode and add the ghee into the pot. Once it’s melted and hot, add in the minced garlic, ginger and chopped onion. Cook for about 3 minutes until the onion has softened and the garlic and ginger is fragrant.
- Next, add the chicken thighs, drained diced tomatoes and coconut milk. Stir in the spices and lemon juice.
- Close the lid, set the valve to sealing and then cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Once finished, do a quick release. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken thighs to a cutting board.
- Use your immersion blender to blend the sauce in the instant pot until smooth. Chop the chicken thighs into bite size pieces and add them back into the instant pot. Stir to incorporate into the sauce.
- Serve over cauliflower rice, mashed cauliflower/potatoes
Notes
- This recipe is great with basmati rice if you’re not low carb, or eating paleo/Whole30
Keywords: whole30 instant pot recipes, whole30 butter chicken, instant pot butter chicken, dairy free, paleo, whole30 instant pot chicken
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Callie says
We loved this recipe! It really was so quick to make and so easy.This will be a weeknight go-to!
★★★★★
paleobailey says
So happy to hear this! Thank you so much!!
Steph E. says
Awesome recipe! My husband and I love Indian food, and this totally hit the spot but was much cheaper, faster AND healthier than going out or ordering in. Definitely on my rotation now.
★★★★★
paleobailey says
I’m so happy to hear this! Thank you so much for letting me know!