This Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry is a quick and easy Indian chicken curry ready in 30 minutes. Made with chicken cooked in an onion and tomato-based sauce flavored with Indian spices. It turns out rich, flavorful, and perfect for a quick weeknight meal. Learn how to make this chicken curry in a stovetop pressure cooker or Instant Pot with step-by-step photos and tips.
I often make this pressure cooker chicken curry on busy weekdays because it's quick, easy, and tastes like a curry that has simmered for hours.
When I have a little more time, I usually make my dhaba-style chicken curry or pressure cooker chicken biryani for a special family meal.
Featured Comment: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This looked very promising since the picture of the dish displayed a sauce that reminded me of the beloved chicken curries of my childhood in Delhi.
I was not disappointed: my children loved this recipe, and I will be making it for them regularly! - Rohan
About this Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry Recipe
This Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry recipe is perfect for beginners. To make this curry, the chicken is marinated first. Then in the pressure cooker, a flavorful sauce is made with onion, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, and aromatic Indian spices.
Marinated chicken is then combined with the sauce and pressure-cooked for 2 whistles. Serve this delicious Indian chicken curry with Roti, or steamed rice.
In this post, I'll show you how to make this easy chicken curry recipe in a stovetop pressure cooker as well as the Instant Pot with step-by-step photos and helpful tips. If you love chicken curries, try my chicken bhuna masala, chicken korma, and restaurant-style chicken curry next.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- One-pot chicken curry that's ready in 30 minutes: A quick and easy chicken curry that's perfect for busy weekdays with minimal cleanup.
- Cooks faster than traditional chicken curry.
- Perfect for beginners: Simple ingredients and easy-to-follow steps make this recipe foolproof.
- Spicy rich gravy: Made with onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and aromatic Indian spices, this curry has a rich homemade taste with less cooking time.
- Versatile and meal-prep friendly: Make a big batch of this flavorful chicken curry, let it cool, store it in the fridge for easy lunches or dinners up to 2 days, or in the freezer for a month.
Jump to:
- About this Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry Recipe
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Chicken Curry Ingredients
- How to make Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry (Step-by-Step Recipe)
- Tips to make the best Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry
- Recie FAQ
- How to make Instant Pot Chicken Curry
- Other Indian Chicken Curry Recipes to Try!
- Recipe Card
Chicken Curry Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make this chicken curry in a pressure cooker.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for full ingredients, quantities, and a printable version.
- Chicken: Bone-in chicken works best for pressure cooker chicken curry as it adds more flavor to the gravy. You can use curry-cut chicken, drumsticks, thighs, or a mix of pieces.
- Curd/yogurt: Use fresh curd or yogurt. It keeps the chicken soft and moist. It also makes the chicken curry creamy.
- Red chili powder: I use spicy red chili powder for marinating the chicken and Kashmiri red chili powder for the curry. Kashmiri chili powder adds a bright red color without much heat. If you don't have it, use any red chili powder and adjust the quantity to suit its spiciness.
- Ghee/clarified butter: It is an optional ingredient. It adds some richness to the gravy. You can substitute it with butter or skip it completely.
- Green chilies: Skip adding them if you prefer less spicy.
- Tomatoes: I have ground fresh tomatoes in the mixer to make the paste. You can substitute it with canned tomatoes or tomato passata.
For the detailed list of ingredients & their measurements, please check out the recipe card below.
How to make Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry (Step-by-Step Recipe)
Step 1: In a mixing bowl, combine chicken with all the ingredients mentioned under marinating the chicken (in the recipe card). Cover and keep it aside for 30 minutes (image 1).
Step 2: Heat oil and ghee in a pressure cooker over medium heat. Add the whole spices and sauté for 30 seconds (image 2).
Step 3: Next, add onions and sauté until onions are translucent (image 3).
Step 4: Add ginger-garlic paste and green chilies (image 4). Sauté until the raw smell from the ginger-garlic leaves.
Step 5: Add turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala powder, and salt (image 5). Be careful while adding salt, as we have already added salt while marinating the chicken.
Step 6: Stir and cook until the masala starts to leave oil from the sides (image 6).
Step 7: Add the tomato paste and cook until thick, and the oil separates. (images 7 & 8).
Step 8: Next, add the marinated chicken, stir to combine, and cook it for 5 minutes (images 9, 10 & 11).
Step 9: Add 1 cup of hot water, combine, and cook until the gravy comes to a boil (image 12).
Step 10: Now, cover and cook for 2 whistles (image 13). Let the pressure settle down completely. Open the lid. Chicken curry is ready to serve. Garnish with coriander leaves (image 14).
Serve with jeera rice, yogurt Naan, or paratha.
Tips to make the best Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry
- Marinate the chicken: Marinating keeps the chicken soft, juicy, and flavorful after pressure cooking. If you're short on time, you can skip this step.
- Use bone-in chicken: Bone-in chicken adds more flavor to the curry and gives a richer gravy.
- Use thick curd (yogurt): Thick curd or hung curd helps tenderize the chicken and creates a creamy, flavorful curry.
- Cook the masala until it releases oil: This is the key to a rich and flavorful chicken curry. Properly cooked onion-tomato masala develops the best taste and aroma.
- Allow the curry to thicken: Pressure cooking releases liquid from the chicken, so the curry may look thin at first. Simmer it for 10 to 15 minutes after releasing the pressure, and the gravy will thicken beautifully.
Recie FAQ
It takes only 2 whistles to cook chicken in a pressure cooker.
Yes, this chicken curry is perfect for making ahead. In fact, the flavors develop even more after a few hours, making it taste even better the next day. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and reheat gently before serving. You can also freeze it for up to 1 month.
Yes, you can make the recipe without curd. It is a natural tenderizer for meat or chicken that makes it soft and moist. Also, it enhances the taste of the curry by adding creaminess to it.
To substitute, grind some cashews (5-6) with tomatoes to a fine paste. It will add the same amount of creaminess to the chicken curry. Also, while marinating the chicken, add lemon juice instead of curd.
Chicken releases a lot of moisture while pressure cooking, which can make the curry seem watery. If this happens, simmer the curry uncovered for 10-15 minutes after releasing the pressure until the gravy thickens to your liking. Also, avoid adding extra water, especially if using fresh tomatoes, as they release liquid during cooking.
How to make Instant Pot Chicken Curry
- Start by marinating the chicken with the ingredients given in the recipe card. Set it aside for 30 minutes.
- Heat the Instant Pot in sauté mode and add oil and ghee. Toss in the whole spices and let them sizzle for 30 seconds, releasing their fragrant aroma.
- Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes or until translucent. Add ginger-garlic paste and green chili and sauté for 2 minutes or until onions turn golden brown. Keep stirring at regular intervals.
- Add spice powders and saute for 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and sauté for another 2-3 minutes or until oil starts to release from the sides while stirring at regular intervals.
- Add the marinated chicken and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Do not skip this step, as it adds lots of flavor to the curry.
- Pour in the water and stir it with the chicken, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot for extra flavor (deglazing). Close the Instant Pot lid, select 'Pressure Cook' on high pressure, and set the timer for 5 minutes.
- Cook until the timer goes off. Let the pressure be released manually using the quick-release method.
- Garnish your Instant Pot Chicken Curry with fresh cilantro and serve it hot with your favorite sides.
Recipe Card
Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry
Video
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
For marinating the chicken
- 500 gram chicken
- ½ cup curd/yogurt
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- salt to taste
For the chicken curry
- 2 tablespoon of oil
- 1 teaspoon ghee/clarified butter optional
- 1 bay leaf
- 1- inch cinnamon
- 4 cloves
- 2 green cardamoms slightly open it and add
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 onions chopped
- 2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 2 green chilies slit
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder If using any other chili powder, add as per taste.
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- salt to taste
- 2 tomatoes grind to a fine paste
Instructions
How to make Pressure cooker chicken curry
- In a mixing bowl, combine chicken with all the ingredients mentioned under marinating the chicken (in the recipe card). Cover and keep it aside for 30 minutes.
- Heat oil and ghee in a pressure cooker over medium heat.
- Add the whole spices and saute for 30 seconds.
- Next, add onions and saute until onions are translucent.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and green chilies. Saute until raw smell from ginger-garlic leaves.
- Add turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala powder and salt. Be careful while adding salt as we have already added salt while marinating the chicken.
- Stir and cook until masala starts to leave oil from the sides.
- Add the tomato paste; cook until the masala starts to leave oil from sides.
- Add the marinated chicken, stir to combine and cook it for 5 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of hot water, combine and cook until the gravy comes to a boil.
- Now, cover and cook for 2 whistles. Let the pressure settle down completely. Open the lid.
- Chicken curry is ready to serve. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Notes
- Start with marinating the chicken with the ingredients given in the recipe card. Set it aside for 30 minutes.
- Heat the instant pot in sauté mode and add oil and ghee. Toss in the whole spices and let them sizzle for 30 seconds, releasing their fragrant aroma.
- Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes or until translucent. Add ginger-garlic paste and green chili and sauté for 2 minutes or until onions turn golden brown. Keep stirring at regular intervals.
- Add spice powders and saute for 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and sauté for another 2-3 minutes or until oil starts to release from sides while stirring at regular intervals.
- Add the marinated chicken and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Do not skip this step, as it adds lots of flavor to the curry.
- Pour in the water and stir it with the chicken, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot for extra flavor (deglazing). Close the Instant Pot lid, select 'Pressure Cook' on high pressure, and set the timer for 5 minutes.
- Cook until the timer goes off. let the pressure be released manually using the quick-release method.
- Garnish your Instant Pot chicken curry with fresh cilantro and serve it hot with your favorite sides.
- Marinate the chicken: Marinating keeps the chicken soft, juicy, and flavorful after pressure cooking. If you're short on time, you can skip this step.
- Use bone-in chicken: Bone-in chicken adds more flavor to the chicken curry and gives a richer gravy.
- Use thick curd (yogurt): Thick curd or hung curd creates a creamy chicken curry and helps tenderize the chicken. To make hung curd, place a muslin cloth over a strainer, pour in the curd, and let it drain for 15 minutes before using it for marination.
- Cook with ghee: Ghee enhances the flavor and adds richness to the chicken curry.
- Cook the chicken curry masala well: Sauté the onion-tomato masala until it starts releasing oil. This step develops deep flavor and gives the curry a rich taste.
- Use Kashmiri red chili powder: It gives the chicken curry a vibrant red color without making it overly spicy.
- Allow the curry to thicken: Pressure cooking releases liquid from the chicken, so the curry may look thin at first. Simmer it for 10-15 minutes after releasing the pressure, and the gravy will thicken beautifully.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Jon Malik
I would like to use an Instapot pressure cooker. Could you explain a substitute measurement or time for 2 whistles?
Preeti
It will take around 5 minutes, if using Instant pot.
Rohan
This looked very promising since the picture of the dish displayed a sauce that reminded me of the beloved chicken curries of my childhood in Delhi.
I was not disappointed: my children loved this recipe and I will be making it for them regularly (my wife and I both follow a vegan diet but I continue to make meat dishes for my teenage sons).
Thank you very much!
Preeti
Thanks a lot. Glad you liked the recipe.
Kush
Totally loved the outcome of this recipe every step explained very well and also turns out exactly as the picture. I would definitely cook this on a weekly basis and I love to have this rice
Preeti
Glad you liked it. Thanks for the star rating.
Srikanth
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Samaira
Wow