Pressure Cooker Curry Chicken

By Ashley Lonsdale

Updated February 4, 2026

Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Ready In
1 hr
Rating
5(95)
Comments
Read comments

Like magic, a faster path to Jamaican curry chicken appears with the presence of a pressure cooker and the absence of chicken bones. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs and potatoes tenderize quickly in a sweat of onion, garlic and ginger. A whole Scotch bonnet pepper gently perfumes the whole dish, bobbing on top, but those looking for a screaming-hot curry may mince the cooked chile and stir it into the curry to release its power according to taste. Potatoes emerge soft and creamy, their extra starches helping to thicken the golden gravy, which is best served over rice.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon hot or mild Jamaican curry powder (such as Betapac) 

  • 2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil

  • 1 large yellow onion, diced

  • 1 red bell pepper, diced

  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced

  • 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, cut into thin matchsticks

  • 1 ½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces

  • 1 ¼ cups chicken stock

  • 2 fresh thyme sprigs

  • 1 Scotch bonnet chile

  • Cooked rice, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

39 grams carbs; 144 milligrams cholesterol; 407 calories; 3 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 12 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 963 milligrams sodium; 36 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Season the chicken with salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons curry powder. Set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Set the pressure cooker to sauté. Melt the coconut oil, then add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and ginger. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, fragrant and softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon curry powder and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently to toast the ground spices.

  3. Step 3

    Add the potatoes, stock and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the chicken and place the Scotch bonnet on top. Cover, set steam valve to the sealed position and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Release the pressure manually. 

  4. Step 4

    Carefully remove the Scotch bonnet. If desired, mince a little bit of the spicy, tender flesh and stir into the curry for an extra-hot dish. Give the curry a good stir to encourage the potato starch to thicken the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and serve over rice. (If you’d like to prepare this recipe in advance, see Tip for freezing info.)

    Tip

    • To freeze, transfer the curry to a large heatproof bowl and cool it to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or run the container under warm tap water until the curry releases, then transfer to a saucepan or pot. Cover and heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until warmed.

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    Ratings

    5 out of 5
    95 user ratings
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    Comments

    SamFloss.

    @SP the Scotch Bonnet is a sub-variety of the Habanero pepper, selected for a particular appearance, heat, and fruitiness. Burpee seed catalog has a habanero pepper, as well as a low heat version, Habanero Nada, with very low heat but fruitiness similar to the Scotch Bonnet.

    SP

    @Dan No they’re not. I have grown both! Similar heat levels but a different underlying flavor.

    Kathryn

    Really good! This is a flavorful curry with lots of warming spices. I didn't have any Jamaican curry powder, but a quick search yielded a simple recipe for it using spices I had on hand. I took one star off for this recipe because there was too much liquid (though this might be unavoidable with a pressure cooker recipe). I ladled off about a cup of liquid and let it simmer for a while before breaking up the potatoes to thicken it up. With that adjustment, it made a great meal!

    Bookwoman

    I’ve got no pressure cooker but you’re cutting the chicken into small pieces first so even in a conventional pot, it takes under a half hour once the chicken is added. We avoid coconut oil (I know, yummy) because it doesn’t go with statins but olive oil was fine. But it yielded a ton of liquid. Next time I’d add less water. Shockingly, my kids loved it, even the usually picky eater who turns out is a big curry fan. No one was crazy about adding the rice because the potatoes seemed to have the carb base covered. So people had the rice on the side. This dish has huge flavor and was incredibly homey.

    Gina

    Has anyone tried to cook the rice at the same time in the Instant Pot? This turn out beautiful, but it was a night when I did not have rice already cooked and was hoping to avoid another pot to clean.

    Andrea

    I made it as written and it was delicious and even better the second night. I've added it to my regular dinner rotation.

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