Pressure cooker curry chicken makes for an easy weeknight meal. This recipe makes a flavorful (but not hot) dish that’s loaded with flavors that the whole family will love.
Chicken and rice? Yes, please! It’s my favorite combination. And to this day, it always amazes me how different each dish tastes. My chicken, black bean and rice burrito bowls are totally different than this chicken curry but they share several ingredients. I swear that cooking is practical magic.
This recipe feels a little bit like the child’s game “telephone.” Do you know the one? Where all the kids sit in a circle and whisper a phrase into each other’s ear. By the end, a game that started with “Counting Cars Quietly” ends up being “Hounding Mars Quiets Lee.”
I was inspired by Ruth Reichl’s food cart curry chicken. Which was inspired by a food cart she frequented while she was the editor of the now-defunct Gourmet magazine. (May it rest in peace. I loved that magazine.) Was Ruth inspired by the famous “The Halal Guys” cart or just one of the other carts that line the streets of NYC? I don’t know. But I do know that the curry that inspired this recipe must have been delicious.
If you’re lucky enough to live in NYC or by one of the Halal Guys’ restaurants, maybe you’re familiar with this dish. It’s marinated chicken thighs served with turmeric rice. At many Halal carts, a “white sauce” often accompanies the dish, along with some lettuce and, depending on the vendor, a tomato slice or two.
The curry chicken served at food carts is so good and so flavorful. But is it authentic curry?
No. Of course not.
Because…there’s no such thing as authentic curry.
Curry is one of those {annoying} culinary terms that mean different things to different people. There’s a good reason for this. Curry isn’t an Indian word. “Curry” comes to us from the Brits. It’s an anglicized version of the Tamil word kari meaning sauce.
Most folks, however, don’t think of a sauce when they hear the word curry. To many curry=spicy.
Enter: curry powder.
To further the idea that curry means spicy, look no further than curry powder. This spice blend is just that, a spice blend. Think of it the same way you think of pumpkin pie spice. It varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. There isn’t a classic blend for curry. Most of the time, it’s a blend of turmeric, coriander, cumin, garlic, black pepper, fenugreek, cinnamon, fennel, nutmeg, white pepper, cayenne red pepper, cilantro, cloves, cardamom, and ginger. Some blends contain a hint of saffron. Those are my favorite.
With all those spices, you know it’s going to be flavorful! Yet flavorful ≠ hot. Unless it’s labeled “hot”, don’t’ expect curry powder to pack any heat. It’s a tasty blend of spices, not a hot one.
And that’s why this is one of my favorite dishes: the flavor. And, thanks to the pressure cooker, it’s really easy to make.
But…
There are a lot of ingredients.
Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry: How to Make It
There are so many ingredients that I wondered if this recipe fit the definition of “Cook Fast, Eat Well.” It nails the “Eat Well” part. But Cook Fast?
I don’t know.
How do you define “fast cooking?” For me, it’s something I can get on the table fast that doesn’t require a ton of prep work. Chopping eight different vegetables often feels too much when I want to cook something quickly. Measuring lots of different spices, like for this recipe, feels okay to me.
And, since I love this recipe so much, I decided that it did, indeed, belong in the Cook Fast world.
Start by marinating the chicken with the spices, a little olive oil, and lemon juice. Allow this to sit for at least 10 minutes. You can marinate the chicken for up to four hours. (If you do, please keep it in the fridge.) After four hours, the chicken gets mushy because of the lemon juice. If you want to marinate it overnight, leave out the lemon juice and add it right before cooking.
While the chicken marinates, slice a small onion into thin strips. You really do want a small onion. Pressure cookers tend to intensify some flavors, and onion is one of them. If you overdo it with the onion, it can overwhelm the entire dish.
Heat some olive oil in your pressure cooker. (If your pressure cooker doesn’t have a sauté setting, do this in a small skillet.) Cook the sliced onion until it just begins to soften.
Add the garlic and salt. Cook until you can smell the garlic aroma wafting from the pot. This takes about a minute or so. Garlic burns quickly. Stir it the entire time to prevent burning.
Add the marinated chicken and stir.
Then add the rice. Give it a stir. This step coats the rice with the spices from the chicken.
Add the chicken stock. I use a no-sodium chicken stock and then I salt to taste when the dish is done.
Look at how the turmeric in the curry powder changes the color of the stock. Isn’t it pretty? I mean, as pretty as raw chicken soup can be.
Cook under high pressure for ten minutes. Do a quick release and stir.
Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry: Serving
The food carts in NYC serve this with white sauce. What’s white sauce? It’s basically thinned and flavored mayonnaise. I like it but it adds calories that I don’t need. So I usually skip it. My preferred way of serving is a sprinkle of cilantro and a drizzle of hot sauce.
I usually serve this alongside a simple salad drizzled with a vignette. If tomatoes are in season, add a few slices to the salad. It makes for the perfect simple side.
Easy Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- juice of one lemon, minus 2 teaspoons (see note)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- white sauce, optional (recipe below)
- hot sauce, optional (We use Sriracha)
White Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon milk or water
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
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In a large bowl, combine the chicken thighs, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons olive oil, curry powder, oregano, cumin, and smoked paprika. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. (You can marinate this for up to four hours. If you do, keep it in the fridge. After four hours, the chicken gets mushy because of the lemon juice. If you want to marinate it overnight, leave out the lemon juice and add it right before cooking.)
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Add the remaining oil to the pot of an electric pressure cooker. Turn on the saute setting and heat oil until it shimmers. Add the thinly sliced onions and cook until soft and lightly brown, about three minutes.
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Add minced garlic and salt. Cook until aromatic, about one minute. Stir in the chicken. Turn off the saute setting. Add the rice. Give everything a stir. Then add the chicken broth. Again, stir.
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Lock lid in place. Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes. When the cooking time is up, do a quick release. (Release the steam valve.) Unlock the lid and open away from your face. Gently stir the rice with a fork.
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Top with chopped cilantro. Serve with white sauce and hot sauce on the side.
Megan @ MegUnprocessed says
Such a flavorful recipe!
Tracy says
Can you make this without the rice? Would you lower the broth amount?
Elizabeth says
Tracy–
I’m posting a rice-free version next week. Simply omitting the rice didn’t work great (I tried it!) When I post the recipe, I’ll send you the link! 🙂
Carolyn says
Did you happen to have a recipe without he rice?
Elizabeth says
Not yet!
Andrea says
How would you adjust if making this with brown rice?
Elizabeth says
Andrea–
I’m not sure. Right now, I’m trying to create some brown rice bowls. Since brown rice takes longer to cook than white, the meat tends to be overcooked by the time the rice is done. When I have an update, I’ll let you know!
Tamm says
If I’m using brown rice, should I keep the chicken thighs whole to account for the additional cook time? Thanks
Elizabeth says
Brown rice takes a much longer time to cook. So, yes, I’d use whole chicken thighs (bone-in, skin off) to prevent dry chicken.
Nikkit says
This is really yummy. We just got our instant pot and this is the first recipe we tried. Turned out great. Since then we have also made the chicken burrito bowl recipe you have and it was also great.
Elizabeth says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Renita says
I’ve made this recipe twice now and it has been delicious both times! The first time I followed the recipe with the exception of lemon juice and it was just fine. The second time, I added 1/2 cup more rice and broth since my kids prefer a lot of rice with their chicken. I added the lemon juice this time but did not adjust the spices. I found it good but not as flavorful as the first. If I’m cooking more rice, should I add more a teaspoon of curry powder?
Elizabeth says
I would. I’d also increase the salsa. 1/2 cup of rice is actually a lot. It will suck up lots of liquid and flavors.
Tami says
Did you ever figure out the recipe without rice? I’d love to try it!
Elizabeth says
Still working on it!
Kate says
Hello! Could chicken breasts be used instead of thighs? Thanks!
Elizabeth says
Yes! Absolutely!
Emily says
Made this tonight for my debut instant pot meal – it was fabulous!! Even my 15 month old devoured it. Thanks for the great recipe!
cook4fun says
I made it tonight for my debut meal too! My family loved it! I think next time, I’ll make the white sauce with plain yogurt instead of mayo though. I will def make it again:))
Linda says
Hi Elizabeth —
I can’t find the post with the recipe omitting the rice. Could you please point me to the link? Thank you so much!
Elizabeth says
Still getting it right! I’ll email you when it goes up. 🙂
Tracy Tidwell says
I made this tonight and it was great; thank you for the recipe. What do you think about using coconut milk instead of chicken broth in this? Or at least half coconut milk and half chicken broth?
Elizabeth says
Yum! I think I’d do half and half. Full fat coconut milk can be thick and strong. I’d worry about the machine not reaching pressure. If you do it, let me know how it goes!
Lala says
I made this and loved it. It was the first dish I made in my stovetop pressure cooker. I’m making it again tonight. Thank you.
Keitha says
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It was delicious. My son said, “It tastes like we are eating like kings!” We skipped the white sauce and used Marie Sharp’s Habanero Hot Pepper Sauce. It was amazing.
Mark wilson says
This was the first full meal I made, family loved it, turned out wonderful…. thank so much
Sandy A. says
Just got my IP today! ALSO would love a version without rice if you are successful. 😉
Michelle says
I LOVE this recipe! If doubling the recipe how long should I cook it for?
Elizabeth says
The cooking time remains the same. (always take the temperature of the chicken when done, just to be sure.)
Kat says
Easy, quick and delicious! Your recipe is the first I tried in my Instant Pot, it is now in my favorite meal rotation. I used chicken breasts, bottled lemon juice (next time I will use fresh) and strained kefir in the sauce. The hot sauce added some nice heat. I paired it with a simple cucumber salad.
Jamie says
I just got an Instant Pot and made this as my first recipe – the flavors were AMAZING and I honestly couldn’t believe how fast dinner was ready. I will definitely be making this again! I used breasts instead of thighs because it’s what I had, and they were a bit dry, so I’ll make with thighs next time!
Chelsea says
If I doubled the recipe, would you change the time?
Elizabeth says
It shouldn’t.
Ian says
Mine came out way too watery and with too much chicken stock flavor. Do you think 1.5 cups of liquid are really needed? I know 1 cup rice normally requires 1 cup of water. Do you think adding the chicken and sauteed onions ought to increase or decrease the amount of liquid needed? I was thinking of trying again with only 1 cup if liquid.
Elizabeth says
Hmmm..that’s odd. If yours came out watery, then yes, I’d try reducing the liquid. I haven’t experienced this during testing. If I do, I’ll come back and update you. 🙂
Ian says
Did you use a 6 qt or 8 qt instant pot for this?
Elizabeth says
6 quart! 🙂
Cheryl says
Got an IP for my birthday a couple weeks ago, and used it for the first time tonight, making this recipe. It was awesome!! I’m totally sold on the IP! Can’t wait to try some more of your recipes–your instructions made it super easy to dip my toe in–and get great results. Thanks so much!!!
Jackie says
Can’t one use potatoes instead of rice?
Elizabeth says
I don’t believe that would work as an equal swap. However, I love the idea! I’m going to work on a potato-based curry. Thanks!
Matt says
We love this recipe! (Ditto on the chicken burrito bowls too). For the chicken curry, have you ever tried making a double batch? We’d love to make lunch leftovers but are unsure how to adjust the cooking time.
Elizabeth says
Glad you enjoyed it! I haven’t tried doubling the recipe. I believe the cook time would remain the same. Just be sure not to fill your pressure cooker more than halfway. That’s an important safety step that you don’t want to ignore. ????
Felicia Freeman says
I double it most of the time… no issues
Joan says
Thanks for the great recipe. I made a few changes for our taste. Omitted cumin. Added another tsp of curry and sauteed with garlic. Added some ginger paste. Used 1 cup of light coconut milk, 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 Tbs better than boullion instead of chicken stock. Added some fresh basil aand peas and carrots after pressure release. A complete meal.
Sarah York says
I added some chopped cherry tomatoes and adjusted liquid. Used chicken breast instead of thighs. Also set pressure for 8 minutes. It came out great. Nice blend of spices and herbs.
Janet says
So good and super easy! Definitely making it again! 😋