This Instant Pot Chicken Curry is a delicious solution to the weeknight dinner dilemma. With no toasting of spice or sautéing required, it’s quick and easy to pull together in a matter of minutes.
Sometimes you have time to toast spices, sauté onions to a tender state, sear chicken to golden-brown perfection, simmer sauces for hours. But when you don’t and you’re craving a Chicken Curry, this recipe made in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker is the answer.

Ingredients For Instant Pot Chicken Curry
Chicken – one thing that I think the Instant Pot and pressure cookers are exceptional at doing is maintaining the tenderness of chicken breasts. So for this recipe, I have opted to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If you prefer to use thighs, you can substitute them using the same cooking time.
Onions – yellow onion is my choice for this recipe. It brings a nice sweetness to the sauce.
Carrots – make sure to cut the carrots in 1-inch pieces. If they are any smaller, they’ll just break down in the sauce.
Crushed Tomatoes – with a bit of acidity, the tomatoes balance the creaminess of the coconut milk.
Chicken Broth – I feel like chicken broth helps to make the chicken taste just a little more chicken-y in dishes like this.
Tomato Paste – this ingredient adds a deeper tomato flavor to the curry.
Spices – I have kept the spices pretty simple in this recipe. They are easily obtained at the grocery store and you’ll likely have them in your pantry. They include garlic, ginger, curry power, cumin, and salt.
Coconut Milk – it’s important to use the full-fat version in this recipe. The low fat tends to thin out the sauce and the result is more of a chicken curry soup.
Garnishes – fresh red pepper adds a nice contrast in texture to the finished dish; cilantro is a traditional garnish that helps round out all of the flavors; and lime adds a nice brightness.
How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Curry
I like to call this a dump-and-go recipe. Outside of stirring a few ingredients before layering the chicken, carrots, and onions, you literally place all of the ingredients in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker – with the exception of the coconut milk – set it to cook and let it do with it does best.
The first ingredients that go into the Instant Pot are the tomatoes, chicken broth, tomato paste, garlic, ginger, curry powder, cumin, and salt. A quick stir makes sure that everything is distributed evenly before the layering starts.
Next the chicken, carrots, and onion are layered into the Instant Pot. There’s no need to stir at this point.
Secure the lid making sure that the vent is closed. Cook for 4 minutes time on high pressure. Once the time is up, make sure to allow the cooker to naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes. This helps to ensure that the meat stays tender and juicy. After 10 minutes are up, you can open the vent to allow the rest of the steam to release.
Remove the lid and choose the sauté function, adding the coconut milk and heat through. You may be temped to add the coconut to make this a complete dump-and-go, but please don’t. The high pressure cooking will curdle the coconut milk.
You can add the garnishes directly to the finished dish or let people add them as they prefer. But do make sure to serve the curry with rice – basmati is really great – or naan bread, or both!
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Instant Pot Chicken Curry
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Bring to Pressure: 5-15 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Indian
DESCRIPTION
This Instant Pot Chicken Curry is a delicious solution to the weeknight dinner dilemma. With no sautéing required, it’s quick and easy to pull together in a matter of minutes.
I suggest using ¼ cup chopped cilantro, ¼ cup chopped red bell pepper, and 1 lime cut into wedges for garnish and serving with basmati rice or naan bread,
Ingredients
- 1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
- 1 Tbsp. curry powder
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 medium carrots cut into 1-inch thick coins
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk, full fat
Instructions
- Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, tomato paste, garlic, ginger, curry powder, cumin, and salt in inner pot of your Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Stir to combine.
- Layer the chicken, carrots, and onion in the inner pot. It’s not necessary to stir.
- Close and lock the lid. Make sure the steam release handle is in the sealed position.
- Select PRESSURE COOK and cook on HIGH for 4 minutes of cooking time.
- Allow to NATURAL RELEASE for 10 minutes.
- Turn the steam release handle to the venting position to release any remaining steam.
- When the valve has dropped, unlock the lid and open carefully.
- Press CANCEL and choose the SAUTÈ function.
- Add the coconut milk and heat through.*
Notes
*To thicken sauce: If you prefer a thicker sauce, combine 2 tablespoons cold water with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and add along with the coconut milk cooking until the sauce has thickened.

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