Nothing beats curry made from chicken that’s been marinating in our tikka or butter masala paste and yogurt for 2-3 hours, browned and slowly simmered. But we’ve all had crazy days when you’re exhausted and frazzled, and all you want is a quick, delicious meal for you and/or the family.
So here’s one of my favorites – an instant pot tikka masala recipe made with frozen chicken, done in 30 minutes in an Instant Pot / pressure cooker. That’s right, straight from the freezer, no defrosting needed! Best of all, whilst it cooks, you can bathe the kids, feed the dog, take a shower, and feel human again!
Frozen Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2.2lbs / 1 Kg frozen chicken legs
- 1 cup (235ml) coconut cream or milk
- 1 cup (235ml) tomato puree
- 2-3 tsp Mekhala Organic Tikka Masala Curry paste or Mekhala Organic Butter Masala Curry paste
- 2 cups tightly packed chopped spinach (optional)
Method:
- Combine coconut cream/milk, tomato puree and curry paste, making sure there are no lumps.
- Add frozen chicken to your Instant Pot / pressure cooker. Pour prepared mixture over the chicken, making sure most of it is covered in sauce.
- Set Instant Pot on Pressure Cook/Hi for 15-20 min (20 minutes for larger pieces), or 10 minutes for chicken breast.
- Once your frozen chicken tikka is done cooking, quick release. Stir in chopped spinach and serve with rice.
Tips:
- Dairy milk or cream will curdle in a pressure cooker / Instant Pot, so only use coconut milk or coconut cream (for a richer consistency).
- To reduce calories in your frozen chicken masala, you can increase the tomato to coconut cream ratio or use light coconut milk. But honestly, YOLO! You can easily enjoy less of the rich sauce rather than go without.
- Chicken legs or any bone in chicken will be more flavorful. If you’re using frozen chicken breast, reduce the cook time to 10 minutes and use an extra teaspoon of paste.
Haven’t got an Instant Pot? This instant pot tikka masala recipe will work with any multicooker like Ninja Foodie that has a pressure cooker function.
Use the hashtag #MadeWithMekhala to show your delicious dishes to the Mekhala community on IG today.