Gluten Free Dairy Free Butter Chicken is the perfect simple Indian gluten free dinner that is budget friendly and packed with flavor. This Instant Pot Butter Chicken with Coconut Milk is full of tender pieces of chicken and a tangy sauce that rice soaks up beautifully.

Before going gluten free, Indian food was something I enjoyed often. This was a recipe I wanted to recreate because it was simple to make dairy free and full of flavor.

You don’t need very many ingredients to make this gluten free butter chicken, either.

There are 2 ways to cook this. My favorite way is the Instant Pot. You can however, use a slow cooker, but it is a 2 step process. 

What ingredients do I need for this gluten free dairy free butter chicken? 

• Boneless skinless chicken thighs
• Coconut Oil
• Tomato Sauce
• Coconut Cream
• Coconut Milk
• Onion
• Garlic
• Garam Masala
• Tapioca Starch
• Ground Ginger
• Salt

What can I substitute for cream in butter chicken? 

Can you use boneless skinless chicken bread instead of thighs? 

Yes, however thighs have more flavor and are much more tender, plus they are inexpensive. If you can use thighs, but if all you have is chicken breast, it will work just fine. 

Serve this meal over a bed of your favorite rice and a vegetable side dish. 

Gluten Free Dairy Free Butter Chicken

Instant Pot Butter Chicken with Coconut Milk 

0 from 0 votes

Print

Instant Pot Butter Chicken with Coconut Milk

Easy gluten free dairy free butter chicken recipe

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Servings 6

Calories 319 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Lbs. Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs cubed
• 4 TBSP. Coconut Oil
• 1 Onion Chopped
• 2 TBSP. Garlic
• 2 TBSP. + 1 tsp. Garam Masala
• 1 TBSP. Coconut Sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. Ground Ginger
• 1 TBSP. Tapioca Starch
• 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1 Can Full Fat Coconut Cream
• 1/2 Cup Coconut or Almond Milk 10 oz.
• 1/2 Cup Tomato Sauce

Instructions

1. Chop the onion and set it aside
2. Cube the chicken into bite size pieces
3. Put the Instant Pot on Saute mode.
4. Put 2 Tbsp. of the coconut oil in the pot and allow it to melt.
5. Brown the chicken
6. Add the onions and garlic and the rest of the coconut oil and sauté.
7. While the chicken is cooking mix your sauce together.
8. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and blend, then adding the coconut cream, coconut milk and tomato sauce. Stir until its blended well.
9. Once the chicken and onions are done pour the sauce on top and stir it.

10. Then put your Instant Pot on poultry mode or slow cook on medium for 6 hours.

Recipe Notes

While your chicken is cooking you can make the rice and any vegetable dish to do with it. You might want to get the rice started first though if you are going to cook it in the Instant Pot because it will be done in less than 15 minutes!!! Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Butter Chicken with Coconut Milk

Amount Per Serving

Calories 319 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Fat 20g31%

Saturated Fat 14g88%

Trans Fat 0.02g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 2g

Cholesterol 108mg36%

Sodium 366mg16%

Potassium 444mg13%

Carbohydrates 12g4%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 24g48%

Vitamin A 117IU2%

Vitamin C 5mg6%

Calcium 31mg3%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Need more easy gluten free dinners like this Gluten Free Butter Chicken? I’ve got you covered…

• Instant Pot Vegan Lentil Soup
• Gluten Free Vegan Feta Pasta Recipe
• Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
• Mexican Dirty Rice with Ground Beef

This post was originally published on August 4, 2016. It was updated in September of 2022.