Instant Pot Chicken Curry - Pressure Cooker or Stovetop Recipe (2024)

Published: Jan 30, 2017 · Modified: Dec 19, 2023 by Dara · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 20 Comments

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This flavorful Instant Pot Chicken Curry with Potatoes can be cooked in minutes in the pressure cooker or simmered on the stovetop. 350 calories and 9 Weight Watchers SmartPoints. Thank you to The Little Potato Company for helping me share this recipe with you.

When I was a consultant and therapist for children with autism, I had a couple of clients who had emigrated from India. Each time I went to their homes, I was greeted with the aromas of coriander, ginger and garam masala. I may have been there to treat their child, but I could never resist asking the parents what was cooking in the kitchen. Inevitably, there was a pressure cooker on the stove, filled with some sort of dal, which is a vegetarian dish typically made of lentils and perfectly spiced.

It took several years for me to get into the pressure cooker game, but as soon as I started to become comfortable with my new Instant Pot, after cooking multiple batches of Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili and Instant Pot Vegetable Soup, Indian food was next on the agenda.

A dal will come later, but first we're diving into this Instant Pot curry chicken with potatoes, which can also be made on the stovetop if you don't have a pressure cooker. My family loves, and I mean LOVES, a good curry, but I often don't have the time to wait around for a curry to simmer for a couple of hours. So, if we want curry on a weeknight, it's either a slow cooker version or a batch made in the pressure cooker. (The time total cooking time in the recipe below includes the time that it takes for the Instant Pot to reach full pressure.)

I grew up eating my mum's curries, either made with chicken or beef, and she almost always included potatoes. Since I cook almost exclusively with The Little Potato Company Creamer potatoes, I grabbed a bag of the Blushing Belle variety (though any of the Creamer potato varietals would work in this recipe). I always feel good about adding the Creamer potatoes to our weekly menus because they're packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber.

We always serve up our curries with brown basmati rice, raita (a mixture of Greek yogurt and grated cucumber) and mango chutney, with some sort of vegetable side dish.

Printable Recipe

Instant Pot Chicken Curry Recipe with Potatoes

This flavorful Instant Pot Chicken Curry with Potatoes can be cooked in minutes in the pressure cooker or simmered for longer on the stovetop.

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Entrees

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Gluten Free, Healthy Dinner Recipes, Instant Pot, Poultry Recipes

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Ingredients

2 teaspoon olive oil
½ yellow onion chopped
½ Gala apple chopped
2 tablespoons minced ginger
4 garlic cloves minced
6 tablespoons mild curry paste
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 pound Little Potato Company Creamer potatoes halved or quartered*
1 ½ cup diced tomatoes
¾ cup chicken broth
¾ cup lite coconut milk
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper

Instructions

For Instant Pot:

Set the Instant Pot to the saute setting. Add the olive oil and allow to heat for 1 minute. Add the onion, apple and ginger, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, curry paste, coriander, cumin and garam masala, and cook for 1 minute.
Add the chicken thighs, potatoes, tomatoes, chicken broth, coconut milk, salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
Put the lid on the Instant Pot, close the steam vent and set to HIGH pressure using the manual setting. Decrease the time to 10 minutes.
Once the time is expired, wait for 5 minutes, then carefully use the quick release valve to release the steam. Shred the chicken with two forks. Season to taste. Serve.

For The Stovetop:

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onions, apple and ginger, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, curry paste, coriander, cumin and garam masala, and cook for 1 minute.
Add the chicken thighs, potatoes, tomatoes, chicken broth, coconut milk, salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
Cover the pot, with the lid ajar, and simmer for approximately 2 hours, or until the gravy thickens. Shred the chicken with two forks. Season to taste. Serve.

Notes

* Larger Creamer potatoes should be quartered and the smaller ones should be halved.

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I provide nutritional information for my recipes as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using the LoseIt! calculator. While I attempt to provide information that is as accurate as possible, you should calculate the nutritional information independently before relying on it.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

Disclosure: This post is part of an ambassadorship for The Little Potato Company. All opinions are my own. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Shy
September 21, 2021 at 9:51 am
I’ve made this so made pIf I wanted to do 1.5 or 2x the recipe, do I need to increase the cook time?
Reply
- Dara
  September 21, 2021 at 10:04 am
  Hi Shy, the general rule of thumb for the Instant Pot is that you do not need to increase the cooking time if you are increasing the amount of ingredients, only if you are increasing the thickness of a piece of meat.
  Reply
Kristina Mackenzie
February 11, 2018 at 12:30 pm

My husband and I made this last night for some friends and everyone really liked it. Served it with basmati rice, chutney , raita and naan, with some sauteed greens on the side. Definitely one to make again.
Reply
Gail
January 28, 2018 at 11:00 am
This looks really great. If I have curry powder not curry paste. Can I use this instead? And if yes what would be the amount. Thank you so much, for any input .
Reply
- Dara
  February 11, 2018 at 12:32 pm
  Gail, curry powder and curry paste are two different beasts, so I don't suggest substituting one for the other.
  Reply
Jana
May 02, 2017 at 9:00 pm
My fiance and I are not huge fans of chicken thighs. I assume we could use chicken breasts instead but wondered if that changes the cook time in the Instant Pot at all. Do you know? Thank you!
Reply
Gail
February 26, 2017 at 12:21 am

Awesome! Pure awesomeness. Did the stove top method. Considering getting an instant pot after this recipe. Served over zucchini noodles. The potatoes are enough carbs for me. Thanks for another great recipe.
Reply
- Dara
  February 26, 2017 at 9:43 am
  I'm so glad to hear that, Gail! And I love the idea of serving this over zucchini noodles. I've made this recipe at least 7 times now - my family loves it that much. 🙂
  Reply
Ashley Valdez
February 02, 2017 at 5:28 am

Dara, first: I'm a fuge fan of Indian food so thank you so much for this delicious chicken curry recipe. Second: Your blog has been a friend online to me. It sometimes seems like I know you. Third: Don't stop sharing these lifesyle tips that are pure gold.
Reply
- Dara
  February 02, 2017 at 7:41 am
  Thank you so much for your comment, Ashley! What a great way to start my day. 🙂 I hope you have a chance to try the curry recipe.
  Reply

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