This Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala is a flavorful addition to your weekly menu. It’s packed with tender chicken swimming in a thick and spice filled tomato coconut milk based sauce with peas served over basmati rice. Super simple to make and packed full of flavor!
Do you have an Instant Pot? Are you living that best pressure cooker life?
If you’re new around here you might not know I LOVE my Instant Pot.
Especially now that I’m in construction hell. It’s hard to get any cooking done without a stove BUT having a pressure cooker helps a TON.
I actually made this recipe at the beginning of winter and I’m just getting around to sharing it now. It was so comforting and PERFECT for cold winter nights.
And, if you’re a big fan of recipes that are full of flavor this is the recipe for you.
It’s all about the flavor.
I also added in some frozen petite peas because I always have a bag hanging out in my freezer and it goes perfect in chicken tikka masala.
Plus it brings a little pop of green which is always appreciated in a dish that comes out this orange.
I mean, I’m totally all about orange food but I just like to bring a pop of freshness.
You feel me, right?
To serve I spooned the Instant Pot chicken tikka masala over steamed basmati rice with a sprinkle of cilantro.
Crazy. Freaking. Good.
Plus, this meal reheats beautifully so need to try and eat it all in one sitting.
Of course, if you want to eat it all in one sitting I promise I won’t judge.
How to make Instant Pot chicken tikka masala
Well, like any good pressure cooker recipe it’s a balance of throwing it all into the pot and carefully picking the perfect cooking time.
For this recipe, I like to marinate my meat overnight just to really pack the meat with the most flavor possible. If you’re in a time crunch you can always cut the marinating time down to a few hours.
Or, let’s face it, you can skip it BUT I really do think it makes a difference when it comes to the flavor of the meat.
After everything is in the pot, turn it on, let it do its thing, manually release the pressure, stir in the peas and serve.
Trust me, if you’re looking for a take out fake out this is the dish you need! So flavorful, so easy and so perfect!
Do you love this Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala?
Try a few other delicious pressure cooker recipes like my Instant Pot Pork Chili Verde, Instant Pot Asian Chicken and Rice Soup, Instant Pot Red Wine Rosemary Short Ribs, Pressure Cooker Cranberry Sauce Pulled Pork, Pressure Cooker Hard Boiled Eggs or my Pressure Cooker Butternut Squash Congee

Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
This Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala is a flavorful addition to your weekly menu. It's packed with tender chicken swimming in a thick and spice filled tomato coconut milk based sauce with peas served over basmati rice. Super simple to make and packed full of flavor!
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1/2 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons garam masala, divided
- 2 teaspoons turmeric, divided
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 (5 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup light coconut milk
- 2 cups frozen peas
- Minced cilantro
Instructions
- Cut chicken breast into 1-inch cubes.
- In a medium-sized bowl add Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon turmeric, ground ginger, ground garlic, and lemon juice.
- Whisk to combine and stir in chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- When you're ready to make the chicken add oil to your Instant Pot and press the sauté button.
- When the oil is hot add the chicken in batches and brown. Add your browned meat to a plate and add more oil between batches if necessary.
- Add the chicken back to the Instant Pot and add in the tomato sauce, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, and remaining garam masala and turmeric. Stir to combine.
- Secure the lid, make sure the nozzle is placed to "seal" and cook on the high manual setting for 10 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to reach pressure.
- When the cooking time is over manually release the pressure and remove the lid when unlocked.
- Gently stir to combine, turn the Instant Pot back on to sauté mode, and pour in the coconut milk.
- Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the mixture has thickened.
- Turn off the Instant Pot and stir in the frozen peas and let them warm in the sauce, about 5 minutes.
- Serve over rice with a sprinkle of cilantro.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 363Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 568mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 5gSugar: 8gProtein: 43g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

Instant Pot Pinto Beans - no soaking necessary and packed full of flavor!
Thursday 21st of January 2021
[…] Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala […]
Anne
Wednesday 27th of March 2019
The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons garam masala, divided, and 2 teaspoons turmeric, divided. You use half of the ingredients in the marinade but when does the remaining garam masala and turmeric get added to the recipe?
chiranshi
Friday 15th of March 2019
These look absolutely divine, We made the chicken tikka masala two nights ago and they were delicious.
Jessica@homeaddons
Tuesday 12th of March 2019
Hey Brandy! Looks like a new favorite is going to be served every now and then :) Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Catalina
Wednesday 20th of February 2019
One of my favorite dishes! I should try your recipe next time!