Keto Butter Chicken in the Instant Pot
Published September 14, 2020 • Updated February 23, 2026
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This is the recipe I come back to when I want a warm, filling dinner that doesn’t take all evening. I’ve tested a lot of Indian-inspired recipes over the years, and this keto butter chicken has earned its permanent spot in my weekly rotation. The sauce is rich, deeply spiced, and creamy without a single grain of sugar or flour to thicken it.
Most versions start with a marinade, which means you have to plan ahead. I skip that entirely. I dice the chicken thighs, brown them for a minute in the pot, and build the sauce right on top. The Instant Pot does something special with these spices. Garam masala, coriander, turmeric, and ginger all bloom in that sealed environment, and you get a depth of flavor that would normally take an hour of simmering on the stove. Mine is ready in about 25 minutes, start to finish.
I stir in cold butter right at the end. That last tablespoon melts into the sauce and gives it that glossy, velvety finish that makes butter chicken what it is. If you want to keep this dairy-free, coconut oil works in place of the butter, and the full-fat coconut milk already in the recipe handles the creaminess.
Three out of four readers who’ve commented mention serving this over cauliflower rice, and I do the same. It soaks up the sauce without adding carbs, and the mild flavor lets the spices shine through. One of my readers shared that her son was circling the kitchen waiting for it to finish. That’s the kind of reaction I love hearing about. My keto curry gets the same treatment. For more protein-forward recipes, my keto sesame chicken and Instant Pot shredded chicken are both in heavy rotation at my house.
One thing I’ve learned from reader feedback: you’ll want more salt than what’s listed. Andy doubled this recipe to feed 9 people, and his only note was to bump the salt. I went back and retested, and I agree. I’ve since started adding an extra half teaspoon during the saute step, and it pulls everything together. Taste as you go.
This is one of those low carb meals that actually gets better as a leftover. I portion the chicken into individual containers and reheat on the stove with a splash of water if the sauce has thickened. The spices keep melding overnight, so day-two portions have even more depth. For more warm, filling meals, try my keto beef stew.
How I make this
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Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter or ghee, divided -
1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
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1/4 cup diced onion
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3 garlic cloves, minced
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1 inch ginger root, grated
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2 teaspoons ground coriander
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2 teaspoons Garam Masala
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2 teaspoons turmeric
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1 teaspoon salt
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1/2 teaspoon paprika
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1 cup tomato sauce
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1 (13.5oz) can full fat coconut milk
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Melt butter
Add 1 tablespoon butter or ghee to the liner of the Instant Pot and hit ‘saute’ function.
Cook chicken
Add diced chicken and saute for 1 to 2 minutes, just until browned or cooked on the outside.
Sauté onions, garlic and ginger
Add onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and ginger. Cook for 20 seconds or until fragrant.
Add remaining ingredients, except butter
Stir in spices, tomato sauce and coconut milk.
Pressure cook
Secure lid and close pressure valve. Pressure cook high for 6 minutes. Once finished cooking, wait a few minutes for the pressure to release naturally before turning or pressing the vent to completely release the pressure.
Everything's better with butter
Stir in remaining butter.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
I've made this both ways. Chicken breast works, but it dries out faster under pressure, so I reduce the cook time by about 2 minutes. Thighs are my default because they stay juicy and tender every single time, even if I forget to release the pressure right away.
What can I substitute for coconut milk?
I've swapped in heavy cream on nights when I'm out of coconut milk, and the sauce still comes together. It's a bit richer and less tropical. If you want to keep things dairy-free, cashew cream works as well.
How do I prevent the burn notice?
I used to get this every time until I figured out the trick: scrape the bottom of the pot after sauteing the onions and garlic. Any browned bits stuck to the bottom will trigger the burn warning once pressure builds. I also make sure the tomato sauce goes in last and I don't stir it down to the bottom.
Can I make this dairy-free?
I've tested this with coconut oil instead of butter, and it works. You lose a little of that classic buttery richness, but the coconut milk and spices still carry the sauce. I add an extra teaspoon of coconut oil at the end where I'd normally stir in the butter.
Can I make this in a slow cooker instead?
I've done it on busy mornings when I want dinner waiting for me. Combine everything except the final butter in your slow cooker, set it on low for 6 hours or high for 3, then stir in the butter at the end. The sauce gets even thicker this way because of the longer cook time.
What if I don't have all the spices?
One of my readers, Kristi, made this without all the spices and said it still became a staple. I think garam masala is the one you really need. If you're missing coriander or turmeric, the dish still works, just with a slightly different flavor profile. I wouldn't skip the ginger though.
How do I store and reheat leftovers?
I keep leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. The sauce actually tastes better the next day because the spices have more time to meld. I reheat mine on the stove over medium-low, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much. This also freezes well for up to 3 months.
Indian food is among the most flavorsome in the world and keto butter chicken is a delish example. Despite the healthy twist, the dish promises buttery spices and saucy curry. This flavorful meal makes for a delicious and easy weeknight dinner.
Butter chicken is synonymous with masalas. The thick gravy, when eaten with 
I left the coconut milk in the fridge the night before without thinking about it and when I opened the can the thick cream had all settled on top so I just used that, skipped the watery liquid, figured it probably wouldn't matter. the sauce texture was completely different from my last four or five batches, actually coated the chicken instead of pooling under it, had some body. same 6 minutes, no cornstarch or anything extra. can't go back to just shaking the can and dumping the whole thing in.
Chicken thighs are doing real work here, and the fat content is exactly why this translates to keto. It renders under pressure and bonds with the coconut milk the way cream would, which is what separates this from lower-fat versions that come out watery and flat. Before I tracked macros I ordered butter chicken all the time, never really thought about what made it taste that way. Going keto forced me to read every ingredient. Somewhere around batch three I realized the ghee and coconut milk are doing the same job as the cream and butter at the restaurant. That's when this became the recipe for me, not a workaround. Six net carbs a serving and it's just on the rotation now.
That 'not a workaround' moment is real. I got there around batch four. The ghee and coconut milk aren't filling in for the cream, they're just doing the same job a different way.
Right. Once I stopped treating it like a substitute, it stopped tasting like one.
Making this for 12 Saturday, doubled the batch, does the 6-minute cook time still hold?
Cook time holds. Pressure doesn't care about volume, just needs to reach it. The thing is the fill line, doubled with the coconut milk gets close to max in a 6qt. If you're brushing against it, two back-to-back runs beats cleanup.
6.3 net carbs. That's what finally got me to stop ordering takeout butter chicken and just make it myself (I've been nervous to touch Indian spices forever, too many things to measure). Counting everything going in I was certain I'd mess up the ratio somehow, but the Instant Pot just... handles it. Six minutes later the sauce is this warm orangey-red and the chicken is cooked through and I'm standing there like, that was it?
The spice intimidation is real, Denise. Turns out half of those spices were sitting in my pantry unused for months. That 'that was it?' is exactly why I keep making this twice a month.
Wasn't sure the sauce would survive the week (I've had coconut milk curries go grainy and weird after two days). Not with this one. Four batches in, I do six containers every Sunday and the sauce is still coating everything by Thursday, not pooling at the bottom. The turmeric and garam masala get more forward by day two, which is wild. Four stars because I add a squeeze of lime at the end and it snaps into place, but the base is so solid I keep it on permanent rotation.
Quinn, good call on the lime. I squeeze some in on reheats too, cuts right through the sauce. Garam masala gets more forward by day two. I notice it every time I make this.
Four stars from my husband, who ate straight from the pot.
Made this last week and loved it, though I'm not sure I cut the chicken right (I eyeballed "1 inch" and they were probably bigger). The 6 minutes cooked them through fine, but is that timing calibrated to that size or more of a general guideline?
Butter chicken was the hardest thing to give up when I went keto. Loved Indian food and just assumed it was off the table for good. Made this last week and the way the garam masala and coconut milk came together was exactly what I remembered, maybe more intense because my whole apartment smelled incredible while it was cooking. Stood at the Instant Pot thinking I can just have this now, whenever I want. That feeling kind of snuck up on me.
The smell hits before it even pressurizes. That 'I can have this whenever' feeling doesn't go away.
This is probably batch seven for me, and somewhere around batch four I started blooming the garam masala and coriander in the ghee for about 30 seconds before adding the chicken. The sauce has a completely different depth now. Still four stars because it took me a few rounds to get the seasoning where I wanted it, but once I did, this became a weekly dinner.
Blooming the garam masala in ghee does something the recipe as written doesn't quite get you. Four stars after seven batches, I'll take it.
I used to order butter chicken from this little Indian place near my old apartment, every Friday. Went keto and told myself it was just one of those things I had to let go. Made this last week and the moment the garam masala hit the butter in the pot I stopped. That smell. The coconut milk keeps it richer than my old takeout order ever was, and having it done in under 30 minutes on a weeknight made the whole thing feel kind of unfair. I'm not letting this recipe go.
Coconut milk does that. Full fat is what makes the difference, the lite versions don't coat the same way. Glad the Friday thing found a new form.
I've tried at least four other keto butter chicken recipes and none of them got the sauce right. This one does. The coconut milk and garam masala balance is exactly what every other version was missing, and it came together in under 30 minutes with no marinade.
Garam masala ratio took me the most rounds to get right. Too little and it just tastes like spiced tomato sauce.
I have chicken breasts in my fridge (already cut up, so I'm skipping the grocery run) and wondering if they'd work the same as thighs at 6 minutes high pressure, or if that'd dry them out. Breasts get so rubbery in the Instant Pot if they go even a little over. Would you pull a minute off the cook time just to be safe?
Two minutes off, not one. I do 4 minutes high pressure with breasts and they come out fine in this sauce. One minute less isn't enough buffer.
I kept skipping this because butter chicken without marinating just seemed like it'd taste flat. Finally made it on a Tuesday when I needed something fast. Oh my god. The coconut milk and garam masala in that Instant Pot sauce is freaking unbelievable, like it cooked for hours but it was 6 minutes. I've made a lot of Indian food at home and this is the one that made me feel like I'd been overthinking it the whole time.
The pressure cooker basically does the marinating. Six minutes and the garam masala is fully into the chicken, which took me a few batches to trust but now I don't even think about it.
Used heavy cream instead of coconut milk since I didn't have any. Came out richer but the spice balance was totally fine. Worth knowing if you want to skip the store run.
Yeah, that's my swap too when I'm out. Sauce gets richer but the garam masala and turmeric cover it.
The garam masala and turmeric hit so hard I almost didn't notice my sauce came out runny. First time using these spices and the smell alone stopped me in my tracks. Going to try less coconut milk next time to get it thicker.
Yeah, cutting back on the coconut milk helps. I also just hit sauté for a couple minutes when mine comes out thin. Tightens up fast without messing with the flavor.