Instant Pot Butter Chicken Freezer Meal
There’s no need to go to an Indian restaurant when you can make this Instant Pot butter chicken recipe at home. It tastes just as good as the ones you’d find there. The best part is that it’s a freezer meal. It can be made ahead, saving time.
Most of our family loves ethnic food, but our oldest daughter doesn’t. Butter chicken is the exception. She loves butter chicken and so do the rest of us. Making butter chicken used to take at least an hour. With this Instant Pot butter chicken freezer meal, it is less than half the cooking time.
Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, coarsely cubed
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp. minced ginger plus 2 tsp. minced ginger
- 7 cloves garlic, minced, divided
- 1 Tbsp. lime juice
- 3 tsp. garam masala, divided
- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne powder
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. water
- 1 Tbsp. corn starch
To assemble the freezer meal, place the cubed chicken in a large resealable bag. Mix together the yogurt, 2 tsp. of the ginger, 4 cloves of minced garlic, lime juice, and 2 tsp. of the garam masala in a bowl and pour over the chicken. Remove the excess air and seal the bag.
In another bowl, mix together crushed tomatoes, 2 tsp. of the ginger, 3 cloves of minced garlic, salt, 1 tsp. of the garam masala, cumin, ground coriander, and cayenne pepper and place the mixture in a medium sized resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air and seal.
Staple the medium bag to the large bag and freeze.
On the day of cooking, take the freezer meal out to thaw. Set the Instant Pot to sauté. Add in 2 Tbsp. olive oil and 2 Tbsp. of butter. Add the chicken in batches, setting on a plate once browned.
Put 1/2 cup of water in the Instant Pot, scrape the sides and bottom and turn it off. Pour in the sauce from the medium bag and add the chicken back. Lock the cover and seal the steam nozzle. Set it to high pressure and cook for 5 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
The sauce will be a bit runny. In a small bowl, mix together 1 Tbsp. of water with 1 Tbsp. of cornstarch and stir into the sauce.
If desired, sprinkle with parsley or cilantro. Serve with Naan bread or over Basmati rice. 
I think that you will enjoy this Instant Pot butter chicken. This simple recipe is included in our Instant Pot Freezer Meal Plan along with other recipes, prep lists, shopping lists, and printable labels. 
You may also be interested in these recipes:
Tikka Masala Instant Pot Freezer Meal 
- 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs, coarsely cubed
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp. minced ginger plus 2 tsp. minced ginger
- 7 cloves garlic minced, divided
- 1 Tbsp. lime juice
- 3 tsp. garam masala divided
- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne powder
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. water
- 1 Tbsp. corn starch
-
To assemble the freezer meal, place the cubed chicken in a large resealable bag.
-
Mix together the yogurt, 2 tsp. of the ginger, 4 cloves of minced garlic, lime juice, and 2 tsp. of the garam masala in a bowl and pour over the chicken.
-
Remove the excess air and seal the bag.
-
In another bowl, mix together crushed tomatoes, 2 tsp. of the ginger, 3 cloves of minced garlic, salt, 1 tsp. of the garam masala, cumin, ground coriander, and cayenne pepper and place the mixture in a medium sized resealable freezer bag.
-
Remove the excess air and seal.
-
Staple the medium bag to the large bag and freeze.
-
On the day of cooking, take the freezer meal out to thaw.
-
Set the Instant Pot to sauté.
-
Add in 2 Tbsp. olive oil and 2 Tbsp. of butter.
-
Add the chicken in batches, setting on a plate once browned.
-
Put 1/2 cup of water in the Instant Pot, scrape the sides and bottom and turn it off.
-
Pour in the sauce from the medium bag and add the chicken back.
-
Lock the cover and seal the steam nozzle.
-
Set it to high pressure and cook for 5 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
The sauce will be a bit runny. In a small bowl, mix together 1 Tbsp. of water with 1 Tbsp. of cornstarch and stir into the sauce. If desired, sprinkle with parsley or cilantro. Serve with Naan bread or over Basmati rice.
