Whole30 Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala (Paleo, Low Carb) (2024)

For the Chicken

• ▢ 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 2 pounds, diced
• ▢ 1 cup plain, non-dairy yogurt optional
• ▢ 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ▢ 2 teaspoon garam masala
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice about half a lemon
• ▢ 2 teaspoons black pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon dried ginger

For the Sauce

• ▢ ¼ cup ghee 4 tablespoons
• ▢ 1 medium white onion diced
• ▢ 2 serrano chiles minced (deseeded for mild, seeds left in for medium/hot)
• ▢ 5 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 ½ tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• ▢ 4 ½ teaspoons garam masala
• ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
• ▢ 1 green bell pepper deseeded, sliced into strips
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
• ▢ salt to taste
• ▢ 1-2 cups coconut cream just the solid white part from a can of coconut milk

To Serve

• ▢ steamed cauliflower rice
• ▢ fresh cilantro chopped

• In a medium bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients besides chicken. Toss chicken in marinade to coat well. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, up to overnight.

• In the Instant Pot in Sauté Mode, Normal Heat, heat the ghee. Add onion and cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes.

• Reduce heat to Low Heat. Add serrano chiles, garlic, and ginger, and cook, stirring occasionally, until a nice, even toffee-brown color, about 10 minutes. Add 1-2 teaspoons water as needed if you notice the mixture sticking or drying out. If you cook this part over Normal Heat, monitor the mixture very closely. It will burn if you don't watch it well!

• When mixture is a toffee brown color, add garam masala and paprika; stir well. Cook a few minutes, or until fragrant, adding a couple tablespoons of water to reduce sticking, if necessary.

• Add the tomato sauce and stir well; transfer mixture to the blender and blend until smooth. Return sauce to pot and simmer for 15-25 minutes over Normal Heat or until thick like a paste, rather than like a sauce.

• Add chicken, sliced bell pepper, fenugreek leaves, and salt. Secure lid and cook on Manual High Pressure for 6 minutes. Carefully Quick Release.

• Add the coconut cream and stir until smooth. Taste and correct seasonings, adding more salt or fenugreek leaves as necessary. Serve over steamed cauliflower and top with plenty of chopped fresh cilantro.

• Yogurt: Use a compliant non-dairy yogurt, or skip it entirely and just marinate the chicken in the lemon juice and spices.
• Make it Dairy Free: Use refined coconut oil in place of the ghee.

Recipe yields approximately 6 servings. Nutritional values shown reflect information for one serving out of 6, not including cauliflower rice. Macros may vary slightly based on specific brands or types of ingredients used.

To determine the size of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed, then weigh the recipe when finished. Divide the total weight (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by 6. Result will be the weight of one serving.

We used a 6-quart Instant Pot to test and perfect this method. As with any appliance, cook times may vary slightly from one Instant Pot to another, and from one altitude to another.