Keto Butter Chicken Recipe (Instant Pot)
Published Aug 19, 2020 Updated Feb 27, 2024
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A classic Indian dish made low carb! This Instant Pot Keto Butter Chicken Recipe features tender chicken breast in a deliciously creamy, buttery, tomato-based sauce served over a bed of cauliflower rice. It comes together in 30 minutes and makes a healthy, satisfying meal for those busy weeknights!
Table of Contents
What Is Butter Chicken?
Butter chicken, or Murgh Makhani, is a popular Indian dish made with marinated, grilled chicken pieces simmered in a tomato-based, creamy sauce.
The sauce typically includes butter, cream, tomatoes, various spices, and sometimes yogurt or coconut milk. It is known for its rich and flavorful taste, often served with rice or bread such as naan.
In this keto-friendly version, my Instant Pot Butter Chicken has only 3 net carbs and is perfect for anyone on the keto diet or who is eating Whole30, Paleo, or just healthier.
What Makes This Recipe Great
We are obsessed with Indian food at our house. One of our go-to orders is Butter Chicken with homemade Naan from a local Indian restaurant called Taj Mahal. The only problem with this restaurant is it’s super expensive and not as carb-friendly or healthy as I’d like it to be.
To remedy this, I wanted to create a healthy, authentic version that I could make for my family right at home. My easy Keto Butter Chicken recipe is super easy to make in your Instant Pot, just as delicious as the restaurant version, and also Whole30, Keto, Dairy-Free, and Paleo-compliant. Protein-packed and has only 3 net carbs!
Delicious, nutritious, full of flavor, and absolutely deserves to be on the dinner rotation!
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken breasts: I used boneless skinless chicken breasts diced into bite-sized pieces. Feel free to use boneless skinless chicken thighs if preferred.
- Diced tomatoes or Tomato sauce
- Olive oil
- White onion
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Garam Masala
- Chili powder
- Turmeric
- Paprika
- Salt
- Curry powder
- Ghee
- Chicken broth
- Canned coconut milk
- Fresh cilantro
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Set your Instant Pot to sauté mode. Add avocado oil. Add the chopped onion to the Instant Pot and cook until it becomes soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the minced garlic and grated ginger, and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the spices (turmeric, cumin, coriander, paprika, garam masala, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and salt) to the Instant Pot. Stir well to coat the onions and spices evenly.
- Add the chicken pieces to the Instant Pot and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is lightly browned on all sides.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth, and give everything a good stir to combine.
- Close the pressure cooker lid and set the valve to sealing. Pressure cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
- Once the cooking time is complete, allow for a natural pressure release for about 5 minutes, then carefully do a quick release of any remaining pressure.
- Open the Instant Pot lid and stir in the 2 tablespoons of butter and the heavy cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Serve your keto butter chicken over cauliflower rice for keto or cooked basmati rice/naan, and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.
How to Find Garam Masala?
I live in Missouri, and I found that it was extremely hard to find this Indian spice in our grocery stores. You can, of course, order through Amazon, but I didn’t have time to order, so I made up my own blend.
If you are having a hard time locating the grocery store, use my recipe below. It will make extra, so just store any leftovers in a jar for later use.
Garam Masala Spice Recipe: Makes 1/4 cup
- Cumin, ground: 1 tablespoon
- Coriander, ground 1 ½ teaspoons
- Cardamom, ground 1 ½ teaspoons
- Black pepper, ground 1 ½ teaspoons
- Cinnamon 1 teaspoon
- Cloves, ground ½ teaspoon
- Nutmeg, ground ½ teaspoon
Mac’s Pro TipS
Alternative Cooking Methods
Yes! You can make it on the stovetop or even in the crock pot. For more details, see below for the exact instructions.
Crock-Pot Version
- First, heat the onions and garlic with olive oil for about 30 seconds.
- Add in all the spices along with the chicken broth and stir.
- Transfer the onions to a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
- Add in the diced chicken, ghee, and then top with tomato sauce.
- Stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 hours or on low for 4 to 6 hours until the chicken is cooked through and reaches 165F.
- Once the chicken is done cooking, add in the coconut milk and stir to combine.
- Serve over cauliflower rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Stove-Top Version
- Heat the onions and garlic with olive oil for about 30 seconds in a large pot or extra large skillet on the stove over medium heat.
- Add in all the spices along with the chicken broth and stir and heat in your hot skillet for around 3 minutes.
- Add in the diced chicken, ghee, and then top with tomato sauce. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on medium high heat for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and reaches 165F.
- Once the chicken is done cooking, add in the coconut milk and stir to combine.
- Serve over cauliflower rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Serving Tips
- Cauliflower Rice (For Keto, Whole30, and Paleo)
- Naan and regular rice (NOT Keto, Whole30 and Paleo)
- Steamed veggies
- Quinoa (NOT Keto, Whole30 and Paleo)
- Sautéed green beans
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave and serve with a fresh batch of riced cauliflower.
To freeze, let the keto butter chicken cool completely. Then, store in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat.
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Keto Butter Chicken Recipe (Instant Pot)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts diced
- 1-15 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 large white onion diced about 1 cup
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- OPTIONAL: For spicy add ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk canned or heavy cream if not dairy-free
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2-3 tablespoons ghee or butter vegan butter for dairy-free
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Set your Instant Pot to sauté mode. Add avocado oil. Add the chopped onion to the Instant Pot and cook until it becomes soft and translucent about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the minced garlic and grated ginger, and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the spices (turmeric, cumin, coriander, paprika, garam masala, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and salt) to the Instant Pot. Stir well to coat the onions and spices evenly.
- Add the chicken pieces to the Instant Pot and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is lightly browned on all sides.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth, and give everything a good stir to combine.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to sealing. Pressure cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
- Once the cooking time is complete, allow for a natural pressure release for about 5 minutes, then carefully do a quick release of any remaining pressure.
- Open the Instant Pot lid and stir in the 2 tablespoons of butter and the heavy cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Serve the butter chicken over cauliflower rice for keto or cooked basmati rice/naan, garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.
Notes
Alternative Cooking Methods
Yes! You can make it on the stovetop or even in the crock pot. For more details, see below for the exact instructions.Crock-Pot Version
- First, heat the onions and garlic with olive oil for about 30 seconds.
- Add in all the spices along with the chicken broth and stir.
- Transfer the onions to a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
- Add in the diced chicken, ghee, and then top with tomato sauce.
- Stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 hours or on low for 4 to 6 hours until the chicken is cooked through and reaches 165F.
- Once the chicken is done cooking, add in the coconut milk and stir to combine.
- Serve over cauliflower rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Stove-Top Version
- Heat the onions and garlic with olive oil for about 30 seconds in a large pot or extra large skillet on the stove over medium heat.
- Add in all the spices along with the chicken broth and stir and heat in your hot skillet for around 3 minutes.
- Add in the diced chicken, ghee, and then top with tomato sauce. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on medium high heat for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and reaches 165F.
- Once the chicken is done cooking, add in the coconut milk and stir to combine.
- Serve over cauliflower rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Serving Tips
- Cauliflower Rice (For Keto, Whole30, and Paleo)
- Naan and regular rice (NOT Keto, Whole30 and Paleo)
- Steamed veggies
- Quinoa (NOT Keto, Whole30 and Paleo)
- Sautéed green beans
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave and serve with a fresh batch of riced cauliflower. To freeze, let the keto butter chicken cool completely. Then, store in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Loved this recipe! I did a mix of chicken thighs and breasts and definitely prefer the thighs due to them being less dry than the breasts. Also served with whole 30 smashed potatoes instead of rice/cauliflower rice i had left over and it was delicious!
Yay Bryn,
Thrilled you loved the recipe. Thank you for the kind words of support.