Fast and easy Chicken Tikka Masala made in the Instant Pot. This spicy, creamy tomato Indian dish is an easy pressure cooker recipe.

EASY Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

EASY Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

This three-ingredient Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala is one of the simple dishes I love to whip up for dinner!

My husband loves spicy Indian food, but I wasn’t a fan until I discovered Tikka masala sauce. If you like creamy tomato soup and a small hint of spices, then you’ll enjoy this easy chicken recipe.

The best part about making it in an Instant Pot is the guaranteed tenderness of the chicken. I love Instant Pot recipes and this Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala will melt in your mouth.

Served with jasmine rice, it’s a wonderful quick, and easy meal. In other words, I highly recommend trying this recipe if you’ve never tried tikka masala!

Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

More chicken recipes you might enjoy:

Fast and easy Chicken Tikka Masala made in the Instant Pot. This spicy, creamy tomato Indian dish is an easy pressure cooker recipe.

Not From Scratch

If you want a Chicken Tikka Masala recipe made from scratch, this is not for you. I’m a busy mom and only share my technique for making this dish in my Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

Tikka Masala Sauce

Chicken tikka is an Indian dish. The masala sauce was added to satisfy the desire of British people to have their meat served in gravy. Chicken tikka masala sauce usually includes tomato purée, cream, coconut cream and spices. The sauce is orange because of the turmeric and paprika spices.

You can make your own sauce from scratch, but to save time for this dish, I’ve found some great flavorful tikka masala sauces in a jar. 

You can find a lot of great sauces on Amazon as well. Here are a few we recommend:

The sauce pictured below is what I used for this recipe, but I also love the Tikka Masala sauce by Maya Kaimal and Kevin’s sauce as well!

Tikka Masala Sauce

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

This chicken only takes 8 minutes to cook, but it will take 10 -12 minutes for your Instant Pot to pre-heat. For a total of about 18-20 minutes of hands-free cooking, you can’t beat it!

Pour a few tablespoons of sauce into the Instant Pot pan and add boneless skinless chicken thighs. Cover the chicken with more sauce and add a small amount of water. I used coconut water to give it a sweeter flavor.

Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

When it’s done, you’ll have plenty of sauce, which is perfect for spooning over rice.

Shred or slice the chicken and place onto a serving plate, spoon more sauce over the top of the chicken and serve with jasmine rice and warm naan.

Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

This Chicken Tikka Masala is one of my favorite things to make in my Instant Pot. It’s so simple!

Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala easy recipe.
Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
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4.73 from 18 votes

EASY Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

Fast and easy Chicken Tikka Masala made in the Instant Pot. This spicy, creamy tomato Indian dish is an easy pressure cooker recipe.
Total Time18 minutes
Yield: 4
Author: Amy Locurto
Calories: 377kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 16 oz Tikka Masala Sauce
  • ¼ cup coconut water or regular water

Instructions

  • Preheat Instant Pot by pressing the sauté button.
  • Pour a few tablespoons of sauce into the instant pot pan and add chicken thighs.
  • Turn off the sauté feature.
  • Pour half of the sauce left in the jar over the chicken, then add water. Make sure the chicken is fully covered. Set the rest of the sauce aside.
  • Close the Instant Pot lid and make sure the pressure release valve is turned to sealing.
  • Press manual, high pressure for 8 minutes.
  • It will take 10 -12 minutes for your instant pot to pre-heat. Then it will start pressure cooking for 8 minutes.
  • When it’s done cooking, turn the valve to released the pressure. Carefully remove the lid.
  • Heat remaining sauce in the microwave.
  • Shred or slice the chicken and place onto a serving plate, spoon the heated sauce over the top of the chicken.
  • Serve with Jasmine Rice and warm Naan (flat bread).

Notes

Plan To Make This?Please share if you do. Mention @LivingLocurto or tag #LivingLocurto on Instagram. We’d love to see!
CLICK HERE -> To Leave a Comment
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: chicken, dinner, instant pot

Nutrition

Calories: 377kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 256mg | Sodium: 213mg | Potassium: 577mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 490IU | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1.8mg

Originally published April 1, 2019, updated 2025.

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17 Comments

  1. I like serving it with the sauce not in the Instant Pot. It’s thicker and less watered down from the steam. But you can mix a little of both together. It’s just a personal preference and whatever you prefer.

  2. 5 stars
    Yummy! I made this with chicken breasts and sauce from Fred Meyer. It came out perfect. Thank you.

  3. 5 stars
    This was so authentic tasting. My entire family was so pleased. I made it exactly how the recipe suggested and I canโ€™t think of a single thing Iโ€™d change. Thank you so much! So delicious.

  4. 5 stars
    This sounds delicious. I have to try it for sure. Love how easy it is to make.

  5. When making tikka masala I use the Aldi’s brand of sauce, but I’ve never done it in my instant pot. Can’t wait to try it out!

  6. 5 stars
    Oh man this looks tasty! I feel like it’s a great summer recipe. I know my family will love it!

4.73 from 18 votes (11 ratings without comment)

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