Julie Clark
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Instant Pot Chicken Curry
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Looking for an easy dinner for busy weeknights? Try this 30 minute Instant Pot Chicken Curry. You’ll love the comforting flavors and a tip for making it less spicy.
If you follow us on Instagram, you know we spent about 10 days in Thailand last summer. We knew we liked Thai food, but we fell in love with new Asian foods such as curry. We were able to visiting a cooking school where we were taught some of the basics of Asian cooking. Although I know this does not scratch the surface of centuries of traditional Asian dishes and cooking, it definitely increased our desire to learn more.
This Instant Pot Chicken Curry is an easy dinner solution that you can easily mix up on a busy weeknight. You’ll only need about 30 minutes and some of that is hands off cook time.
Let’s talk about curry!
Try a more authentic chicken curry in the Instant Pot.
What does chicken curry taste like?
Chicken curry has a unique flavor. Although you can make your own curry powder, we buy storebought curry already mixed. Any brand will do. Just find one you like.
The flavor is very deep and earthy. Curry powder often contains bay leaf, turmeric and cumin.
Is chicken curry spicy?
Chicken curry can be very spicy depending on the type of pepper used. For this recipe, we kept it family friendly so all could enjoy. It is not very spicy. My husband adds shakes of dried red pepper flakes to make it more spicy.
The kids love it as is!
What is the best cut of chicken for curry?
We are using boneless skinless chicken breasts in this recipe because that is what we normally have on hand. Boneless skinless chicken thighs are a great option too. They are higher in fat so have a lot of flavor and stay tender.
How to Make Chicken Curry in the Instant Pot
- Turn pot to sauté mode. Place cumin and ginger in dry pot. Stir fry for about 1 minute or until it becomes aromatic. Do not let ingredients brown.
- Add oil, chicken, salt, curry powder and red pepper paste. Stir to mix all ingredients well, browning the chicken lightly on all sides.
- Pour coconut milk and stir. **Add tomato sauce to reduce spice if you wish. We find this recipe perfect without the tomato sauce.**
- Cover, lock pressure cooker, turn the valve to sealed and set to cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
- Allow the chicken to naturally release for 5 minutes, then open the valve to release all the pressure.
How do you thicken a curry?
If you like your curry a little thicker than this recipe provides, you can remove about ¼ of a cup of the sauce and mix it with 2 tablespoons of tapioca starch or cornstarch. Drizzle the mixture back into the pot and stir well. It should thicken as it sits as long as the sauce is still really hot.
Does coconut cream thicken curry? Yes. Coconut cream will thicken curry slightly. However, coconut cream melts as it gets hot, so it may not be as “creamy” as you would think.
What to Serve with Chicken Curry
Chicken curry is delicious served with a side of rice and a sprinkling of freshly chopped cilantro on top. If you’d like a low carb version you could make your own cauliflower rice.
A side of steamed or roasted vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus or brussels sprouts would be a good choice too.
Other Instant Pot Recipes
You may also love our Thai peanut noodles!
Instant Pot Chicken Curry
Looking for an easy dinner for busy weeknights? Try this 30 minute Instant Pot Chicken Curry. You'll love the comforting flavors and a tip for making it less spicy.
Servings 6
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts (cut in bite-sized chunks)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ cup curry powder
- 1 teaspoon red pepper paste
- 1 can coconut cream (13.66 ounces) (or coconut milk)
- 1 can tomato sauce optional (8 ounces)
- prepared rice
- cilantro
Instructions
- Turn pot to sauté mode. Place cumin and ginger in dry pot. Stir fry for about 1 minute or until it becomes aromatic. Do not let ingredients brown.
- Add oil, chicken, salt, garlic powder, sugar, curry powder and red pepper paste. Stir to mix all ingredients well, browning the chicken lightly on all sides.
- Pour coconut milk and stir. **Add tomato sauce to reduce spice if you wish. We find this recipe perfect without the tomato sauce.**
- Cover, lock pressure cooker, turn the valve to sealed and set to cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Allow the chicken to naturally release for 5 minutes, then open the valve to release all the pressure.
- Serve with rice and garnish with cilantro.
Notes
The calories shown are based on the recipe serving 6, with 1 serving being ⅙ of the recipe. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**
Nutrition
Calories: 550kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 686mg | Potassium: 699mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 223IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 6mg
Do you have a recipe for this without the insta pot?
It says cook 8 minutes, allow to release for 5 min then open. Does that mean cook for 8 then let it sit for 5 before opening opening. Sorry, new to the instant pot game.
This looks great however do you have a recipe for chicken curry for the crockpot or using a skillet? I don’t have an instant pot cooker. Thank you so kindly. I make a lot of your recipes and they are very yummy!!!
Also, I asked for easy chicken curry and I got instant chicken curry. Is it the same thing?
I just want to ask a question. Red pepper paste. Is it spicy? And what do I use. I’m not an American so I don’t know these things, also I’m 80 and don’t cook that often but I truly love a hot curry.