Instant Pot Chicken Curry ticks all of my weeknight dinner boxes: quick, easy, stupid flavorful, and totally kid-friendly. This recipe goes from fridge to table in 30 minutes using a pressure cooker. Gluten free and dairy free with a Whole30 option, this is comfort food meal you can feel really good about loving.

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Winner winner, Instant Pot chicken dinner! Um, YES. I pinky promise, this Instant Pot Chicken Curry is a recipe that your whole family is going to love! It’s rich and creamy and mild in spice, so it’s great for little ones and anyone who’s sensitive to heat.
Made with real, whole food ingredients in just 30 minutes, it’s so easy to make chicken curry in your Instant Pot for a quick, delicious and hassle free dinner.
What is Chicken Curry?
So a (quick) history lesson: “curry” is a catch-all colonial term used to identify spices from any number of countries and cultures. Curry is both a seasoning blend, and a dish (typically sauce-based with protein). Curry seasoning blends and dishes are common to a variety of regions globally – there are plentiful recipes for Indian, Asian, and Caribbean curry recipes.
Most of the curry recipes Americans enjoy are British-ized Indian dishes, and this is one such recipe. It’s a decent approximation of “chicken curry” that’s offered at your local Indian restaurant (although that one will likely be rich with hand-ground spices, fresh chilis, and tons of spice). Our Instant Pot Chicken Curry is a milder, family friendly version you can easily make at home – there’s a place for both in my foodie heart!
Instant Pot Curry Spices
A great curry recipe is all about the flavors and aromatics, and this Instant Pot version is no different. This is a pretty standard Americanized chicken curry – which is to say it’s on the sweet side, and not incredibly spicy.
- Curry powder: Do pick a curry powder that suits your level of heat, and do make sure it’s fresh. Commercial blends are often labeled “sweet” or “hot”. If you’re not a curry or spice aficionado, go with Madras curry powder – it’s an all-around “basic” curry option that’s widely available, and is what we regularly use.
- Cumin: Ground cumin has an earthy and nutty taste with the perfect kick of spice (not heat).
- Turmeric: Turmeric has a bitter and earthy flavor and lends beautiful color to the finished dish.
- Fresh garlic and ginger: Use fresh ginger and garlic for the freshest flavors. Mince both as finely as you can to release the most aroma. Garlic can be minced with your favorite chef’s knife. I prefer to grate ginger finely with a microplane, or using the smallest holes on a box grater.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Curry
Instant Pot chicken curry is ready in just 30 minutes, and since the flavor walks on the milder side, it’s perfect for discerning palettes (both kids and adults!). Preparing a dish like curry in the Instant Pot is all about the layering, so you’ll start by toasting the spices, then infusing the base with alliums, and finally cooking the chicken. Coconut milk and lime juice bring balance to the final texture and marry the flavors perfectly.
Pssst….this post is also available as a story, with accompany video in the recipe card!
- Here’s my secret for incredible flavor in this curry – toast the spices in coconut oil! Because curry made in the pressure cooker is super quick (aka, minimal simmering), this step helps enhance the flavors right from the start. P
- Press the “Saute” button on the Instant Pot and allow the inner pot to heat up. Add coconut oil and heat until shimmering. Add the curry powder, cumin, and turmeric and cook the spices in the hot oil, stirring continuously with a rubber spatula, until they’re bubbling and very fragrant; this only takes a minute or two.
- Add the onions, garlic and ginger. Toss them in the spices to coat and sauté for three minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, work it into the vegetables, and cook until it deepens in color.
- Pour in half a cup of chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. This deglazing step is important for two reasons: those browned bits are packed with yumminess, and the Instant Pot will come to pressure more efficiently if the bottom is “clean”.
- Stir in the chicken, season with salt, then secure the lid.
- Ensure the pressure valve is set to sealing, then cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes. It takes 7-10 minutes to come to pressure.
- Perform a quick release as soon as the timer goes off.
- Remove the lid, then add one cup coconut milk and a cornstarch slurry. Give everything a good stir.
- Press the “Saute” button and simmer a few minutes – just long enough for the sauce to thicken. You can also stir in 1 cup frozen peas at this point.
- Add a bit of lime juice (trust!) as well as fresh cilantro, then serve over your choice of rice.
How Do I Thicken the Sauce?
Add a cornstarch or arrowroot slurry at the end. It will quickly thicken and leave you with a thick and flavorful sauce.
Can I Add More Vegetables?
Sure can! If you’d like a more robust recipe, add one cup frozen peas along with the coconut milk and cornstarch slurry. You can also add diced carrots with the onions, and/or one cup diced yukon gold potatoes with the chicken.
Is This Curry Spicy?
As written this recipe is fairly mild. For a spicier dish, add ½ – 1 tsp cayenne pepper along with the other spices. Alternatively, add a chopped red chili with the onions.
Tips for Making This Recipe Perfectly
- Be sure to start this recipe by toasting the spices in coconut oil. You won’t believe how much this improves the flavor!
- Fresh ginger yields best flavor, but dried can be substituted if you are in a pinch. Start with ½ teaspoon.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs are traditional for most curries. They have more flavor and cook to a super tender, almost shreddable bite. Chicken breast can be too firm and tends to be a little drier.
- Use full-fat coconut milk best flavor and texture.
- Coconut milk can sometimes come out grainy, so always shake well before measuring.
Make it Your Way
- To make it Whole30 and paleo, substitute cornstarch with arrowroot powder and serve over cauliflower rice.
- Add one cup frozen peas with the coconut milk and cornstarch slurry for a more nutritionally complete meal.
More Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes
- Keema Beef Curry with Peas and Potatoes
- 20-Minute Honey Garlic Chicken
- Weeknight Taco Soup
- Veggie Packed Hamburger Soup
Did you make this Instant Pot Chicken Curry? I’d love to know how it turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Curry
Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 3 tbsp curry powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 2 tsp fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thigh, diced into 1” pieces
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cornstarch, or arrowroot powder for Whole30 and paleo
- 1 c coconut milk
- cilantro, to taste
- lime juice, to taste
Instructions
- Press the “Saute” function on the Instant Pot and set the timer to 10 minutes. Add the coconut oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the curry powder, cumin and turmeric. Stir continuously with a rubber spatula to toast the spices until they are very fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
- Add the onions, garlic, and ginger. Toss to coat in the spices and saute for 2 minutes. If you notice the pot getting too dry, add a tablespoon of chicken broth to prevent the onions from scalding.
- Add the tomato paste and work into onions; cook until the tomato paste deepens in color, 1-2 minutes.
- Add ½ cup chicken broth to the pot. Stir and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the diced chicken thigh and salt and give everything a good stir.
- Press the “Cancel” button to turn off the “Saute” setting. Secure the lid, ensure the pressure valve is set to “Sealing” then program to High Pressure for 5 minutes. It will take 8-10 minutes for the pot to come to pressure. Perform a quick release once the timer goes off.
- Combine the cornstarch or arrowroot powder with one tablespoon of water in a small jar. Whisk until smooth. Pour the slurry and coconut milk into the pot, then stir; simmer 2-3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
- Add lime juice and cilantro. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. Serve immediately over steamed jasmine rice.
Notes
- Fresh ginger yields best flavor, but dried can be substituted in a pinch. Start with ½ teaspoon.
- Use full-fat coconut milk. Coconut milk can sometimes come out grainy, so always shake well before measuring.
- Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30 second intervals, or in a pot on stove over a medium flame, stirring occasionally.
- Freezer: Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat as noted above.
- Make it Whole30: substitute arrowroot for the cornstarch.
- Add frozen peas: add 1 cup frozen peas along with the coconut milk and slurry.
- Add carrots: peel and dice 1 medium carrot and add with the onions.
- Add potatoes: add 1 cup diced yukon gold potatoes with the chicken. Dice the potatoes on the small side (less than 1″) so they cook through.
Jenny
This is delicious! I’m not usually a big fan of slow cooker or Instant Pot meals because I think the flavors get muddy, but that was not at all the case with this curry. I also make the slow cooker cilantro chicken for taco night, and everyone loves it. You’ve got some real slow cooker/instant pot skills!
Allison
This was really easy and turned out well. The 15-month-old liked it too! The only issue I had was the instant pot giving me the “burn” error message. It was close to the end of the cook time, so when I released the pressure and checked everything was done.
Rada
Made it tonight after looking for a quick and tasty curry. This was absolutely delicious, simple and straightforward to make. Lots of options to add and increase veggies. i served it over cauli rice. Definitely a winner and will keep on rotation.
Doc
Great flavor. Gluten free was important. My wife would like a touch of sweetness in the Dish.
Danielle
You might try adding a bit of mango chutney – that would probably sweeten things up just enough. Thanks for the feedback!
Kendra
My boneless skinless chicken thighs are frozen – any tips for cooking time? Thanks.
Danielle
Hi Kendra – try 12 minutes to start, and increase the chicken broth to 1 cup (I would actually deglaze with 1/3 c and get those those browned bits scraped up and the bottom clean, then turn off the pot and add the remaining 2/3 cup – you’ll want to hedge against too much evaporating when using frozen thighs). Remove the chicken pieces whole and chop on a cutting board (though they might fall into nice shreds right in the pot). If they’re not quite cooked through, just simmer a bit longer after adding the coconut milk. Please let me know how it turns out!
Rick Holcomb
My experience with curry is what I get from Harris Teeter near me. Which I love. However it’s obvious I did something wrong, while the results are edible, once I salted it up, they are also bland and don’t taste like curry. Was very careful to follow the instructions. I added 1/2 teaspoon of lemmon juice and about 2/3rds of leaves off a stalk of celantro at end, along with peas and carrots. I’m wondering if the problem was the curry powder which I got off a spice rack at a local store, weis organic curry powder. It was what was available, could you recommend something better I could find online?
I would call myself an moderately experienced cook in most areas, definitely a curry novice. Started being more adventurous since covid turned me into a hermit.
Using a rubber spatula in an instapot didn’t work. Mine started melting almost immediately. It was 30 to 40 years old, maybe newer ones are more heat resistant.
Sarah
I’ve made this 4 times in the last two weeks. Obsessed. If anyone doesn’t think this is great it’s probably because they’re using low quality curry powder.
Niti
Where did you buy the curry powder from?
Elisa
This was SO good!!! I made it last night and still can’t get over how delicious it was. I used my own curry powder that I mixed myself and I threw in an extra tablespoon to be sure it was extra flavorful. Made for friends and they raved – will absolutely make again, I think next time I’ll try it with cod (and shorten the cooking time a little bit). Thank you!!
Beck and Bulow
My biggest savior with cooking has been a meat thermometer. I got a pretty inexpensive one the stays in the meat while cooking and has an alarm once you hit the set temperature and please visit us: https://www.beckandbulow.com
Danielle
This was delicious! I didn’t have tomato paste so I added a half can diced tomatoes when I was supposed to add the paste. Then I added the second half when I was supposed to add the broth. Likely turned out a bit thinner bc there was more liquid but it was fantastic! I added spinach at the end and served with quinoa and cilantro. So yummy! I’ll definitely make it again.
Bob
I have chicken breast do I reduce the cooking time?
Danielle Esposti
No, you shouldn’t need to – if anything you might need 1 minute more as chicken breast is thicker than thighs, but because the chicken is diced into bite-sized pieces and not whole, it should be fully cooked through in the same amount of time.
Sherri
Have not used store bought curry before and probably won’t ever again. I guess you take a gamble when you buy it premade. Also had serious trouble when I added the powdered spices to the heat and either some of the powder or the overwhelming smell overtook my lungs. I normally toast whole spices. I added more water to hopefully prevent the “burn” but didn’t work. Had heard to never mix tomato into anything as it messes up the instapot reading. It’s true. I wound up just letting it cook without pressure. Yes, I get all the gooey off the pot prior.
We could eat it.