Instant Pot Chicken Changezi Recipe

Q: What Is Chicken Changezi?

Also known as Murgh Changezi, is a dish named after the Mongolian ruler Genghis Khan, known as Changezi Khan by the Indians. India was ruled by the Mughals (Mongolians) in the 14th century under Babur. However, the Mughals brought their cuisine far before this official ruling. The link between this dish and Genghis Khan was that Khan was adamant of the spices used - he was sensitive, so his chicken could not be too spicy. As a result, the milk and cream in the dish assisted in cutting down the heat. However, it appears that Genghis Khan never actually reached Delhi, so the exact origins of the dish aren’t entirely clear. Get more information about the dish here.

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Tender, flavorful Chicken Changezi made effortlessly in the Instant Pot. This rich, creamy Indian classic is a perfect one-pot meal for lunch or dinner that the whole family will love.

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This post is sponsored by Chicken Farmers of Canada. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

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What Is Chicken Changezi?▼

Also known as Murgh Changezi, is a dish named after the Mongolian ruler Genghis Khan, known as Changezi Khan by the Indians. India was ruled by the Mughals (Mongolians) in the 14th century under Babur. However, the Mughals brought their cuisine far before this official ruling. The link between this dish and Genghis Khan was that Khan was adamant of the spices used - he was sensitive, so his chicken could not be too spicy. As a result, the milk and cream in the dish assisted in cutting down the heat. However, it appears that Genghis Khan never actually reached Delhi, so the exact origins of the dish aren’t entirely clear. Get more information about the dish here.

Chicken Changezi vs Butter Chicken

No matter the origin story, this dish is popular in North India, particularly in Old Delhi. The chicken is first roasted, and then cooked in a tomato gravy with ginger and garlic, classic Indian spices, milk and cream. It looks similar to the popular butter chicken (or murgh makhani), and while they are both dishes inspired by the Mughals, one key difference between changezi chicken and butter chicken is that the former uses ghee, milk and onions, while I state that for butter chicken, onions are a big no-no! Furthermore, the spices are different in the two dishes. Chicken changezi is a lot less complex than butter chicken. You can enjoy changezi chicken with bread such as Homemade Tandoori Naan or Rumali Roti, or it can be enjoyed with rice such as Simple Basmati Rice or Jeera Rice.

I first tried Chicken Changezi on my trip to Delhi back in April this year. My aunt had made it for a family dinner and it was my favorite dish of that was served! I knew I’d have to try it when I got home, and I believe it was one of the first dishes I had cooked upon returning! I first tried it over the stove, but I realized that slow cooking it in the Instant Pot would make it so much better, and I’m happy to share this recipe with you today! If you don’t have an Instant Pot then no worries! I’ll give Crock Pot instructions at the bottom of this post!

Also, if you didn’t know, September is National Chicken Month! If you love chicken like I do, then you definitely need to celebrate with plenty of chicken recipes! I’ve been enjoying lots of chicken recipes lately such as my Open-Faced BBQ Chicken Sandwich, Jamaican Jerk Chicken, California Grilled Chicken Burger, and a quick Homestyle Chicken Curry for when I’m in a pinch! If you need chicken recipe inspo, browse tons of my delicious poultry recipes on the blog for plenty of variety! Participate in the Chicken Around The World campaign and share your recipes with Chicken Farmers of Canada by tagging them @chickendotca and be sure to enter their contests in September and October! You can win $850 on Instagram and $5000 on their website, check out the contest here!

If you’re looking for a new Indian Instant Pot recipe, then you’ll love this Changezi Chicken recipe! If Indian cooking is new to you, then this is an excellent place to start! Try this out as part of your Destinations Unseen theme in my Live to Cook one-month challenge! Get this free guide by signing up for my newsletter, and you’ll also get my 5 tips to get you inspired to get creative in the kitchen! Be sure to share your tasty dishes with me by tagging me on Instagram!

To get a visual representation of how to make this curry in the Instant Pot, be sure to watch the video! Please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already, and hit the bell so you receive notifications when my video recipes go live! Let’s get cooking!

Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Changezi Chicken

Juicy and tender chicken
Rich and flavorful
Creamy and luscious gravy
Minimal clean-up
Slow-cooked, so you can get it ready in the morning and it’ll be ready for dinner
Make-ahead friendly!

Chicken Changezi served in a copper bowl with creamy tomato sauce and garnished with fresh green herbs.

Tools Needed

Ingredients Needed

Let’s see what we need for this dish. All ingredient quantities and the complete instructions are in the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card at the bottom of this post, so be sure to scroll down or press the “Jump to Recipe” button. The recipe card will also let you scale the recipe based on how many chicken thighs you have and how much curry you want to make - all ingredient quantities will automatically be adjusted for you!

For the Marinade

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (look for the Chicken Farmer’s of Canada logo for the best quality chicken!)
Tomato paste
Turmeric
Salt
Plain yogurt

Spices

Onion Paste

Sauce

Passata
Milk
Cream

How to Make This Changezi Chicken in the Instant Pot

In a bowl, combine all chicken, yogurt, tomato paste, salt and turmeric. Mix well and marinate for at least 1 1/2 hours.

Plain yogurt in a glass bowl for marinating chicken changezi ingredients.

Chicken marinating in yogurt, tomato paste, and spices in a glass bowl for Instant Pot Chicken Changezi.

Chicken marinating in yogurt with red chili powder and turmeric in a glass bowl.

Marinated chicken mixed with yogurt, tomato paste, and spices in a glass bowl.

Raw chicken pieces marinating in yogurt, tomato paste, and spices in a glass bowl.

Marinated chicken mixed with yogurt and tomato paste in a glass bowl, showing the combined ingredients before cooking.

Turn Instant Pot to Sauté mode on high and melt ghee over medium high heat.

Instant Pot set to Sauté mode on high, displaying 00:29 on timer for cooking aromatics.

Melted ghee in Instant Pot inner pot on sauté mode, ready for spices and aromatics.

Add cumin seeds, hing, green cardamom, black cardamom, bay leaves, onions, almonds and cashews.

Instant Pot with melted ghee and a bay leaf floating in the center of the inner pot.

Hand holding a cardamom pod over creamy mixture in Instant Pot during sauté step.

Instant Pot with melted ghee, cumin seeds, cardamom pods, bay leaf, and partially cooked onions during sautéing.

Sliced red onions sautéing in an Instant Pot with whole spices during the initial tempering stage.

Sliced red onions in an Instant Pot inner pot during sauté mode preparation for Chicken Changezi.

Sliced red onions and cashews in an Instant Pot inner pot during sauté mode for Chicken Changezi.

Sliced red onions with whole spices and nuts sautéing in an Instant Pot on high heat.

Cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown, for about 15-20 minutes. If you only own a slow cooker, sauté these ingredients in a pan or pot over the stove.

Shredded cooked chicken with golden cashews and fried onions in a spiced masala mixture in an Instant Pot.

Once the oil has separated from the onion mixture, add in the ginger-garlic paste, and the remaining dried spices (deggi mirch, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala); cook until fragrant, 2 minutes. Stir often.

Spiced onion and cashew masala cooking in pot with ghee being stirred in during preparation of Chicken Changezi.

Cooked onion and spice masala with cashews in an Instant Pot, ready to be blended for Chicken Changezi.

Spoon of ground coriander powder being added to cooked onions and spices in a pot for Chicken Changezi.

Spoon of ground coriander powder being added to sautéed onions and meat in pot for Chicken Changezi.

Discard the bay leaf and transfer the spice and onion masala to a blender. Add 1/3 Cup milk to help puree until smooth.

Stirring cooked ground meat and spice mixture in Instant Pot with wooden spoon during Chicken Changezi preparation.

Ginger-garlic paste and spices being added to browned onion masala in an Instant Pot

Spiced onion and ginger-garlic masala being blended to a smooth paste in a food processor.

Spiced onion and ginger-garlic paste blended to smooth puree in blender pitcher for Chicken Changezi.

Add the puree back to the Instant pot or slow cooker. Rinse out the pitcher for the blender and add into the Instant pot or slow cooker. Add chicken along with its marinade to slow cooker and toss with spice mixture.

Smooth spiced onion masala puree in an Instant Pot inner pot, ready to be added back to the curry.

Smooth onion and spice puree in an Instant Pot, ready to be added back to the curry base for Chicken Changezi.

Raw chicken pieces coated in spiced onion masala puree in an Instant Pot, ready for slow cooking.

Add passata, mix well and set the Instant Pot to Slow Cook mode cook on high until chicken is tender, 3 1/2 hours or on low for 7 hours. Once done, stir and adjust seasoning with salt to taste.

Red passata being poured into a creamy tan-colored curry base in a white pot.

Instant Pot with lid open showing cooking process for Chicken Changezi recipe on slow cook setting.

Spoon lifting creamy orange chicken curry from Instant Pot, showing tender cooked chicken in rich tomato-based sauce.

Add in cream, stir, prepare the garnish by heating ghee in a pan. Once hot, add the slit green chilies and let them sizzle until fragrant.

Creamy tomato-based curry sauce being stirred in an Instant Pot during slow cooking preparation.

Creamy tan-colored chicken curry mixture in an Instant Pot with a metal spoon, mid-cooking stage.

Green chillies sizzling in ghee in a pan during garnish preparation for Chicken Changezi.

Pour over the dish; sprinkle lightly with dried fenugreek leaves and serve.

Chicken Changezi served in a decorative bowl with creamy tomato sauce, garnished with fried green chillies and fenugreek leaves, with naan bread on the side.

Creamy chicken changezi garnished with sizzled green chillies and dried fenugreek leaves in a blue bowl.

Tips & Tricks for Amazing Changezi Chicken

Let the whole spices toast for at least 30 seconds or so before you add in onions.
Keep stirring and cooking the onions until they are completely cooked down and golden brown.
Keep an eye out for the oil getting separated in the onion mixture before adding the powdered spices. Make sure to cook out the rawness of the spices for maximum flavor.
You can easily substitute boneless chicken thighs with bone-in chicken thighs if you prefer.

Chicken Changezi curry in a brass pot with creamy tomato sauce garnished with green chilies and cilantro, served with naan bread.

I Don’t Have an Instant Pot! How Do I make This in a crock pot?▼

You can follow the same set of steps to prepare this dish in a crock pot or slow cooker, except performing the sauté steps on the stovetop in a pan or a pot.

How to store▼

Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Because of the chicken and the milk and cream, this dish will stay fresh for about 3 days. I wouldn’t recommend freezing this dish.

How to Reheat▼

You can reheat it in the microwave or over the stove. For the microwave, it will take about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir at 30 second intervals to ensure it is evenly warmed through.

To reheat over the stove, get a sauce pan and heat it on medium-low. Bring the gravy to a simmer, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Chicken Changezi in a copper bowl with creamy tomato sauce, garnished with green chilis and cilantro.

Other Indian Instant Pot Recipes

Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!

Recipe by Anadi Misra

Slow-Cooked Instant Pot Chicken Changezi Recipe

Tender, flavorful Chicken Changezi made effortlessly in the Instant Pot. This rich, creamy Indian classic is a perfect one-pot meal for lunch or dinner that the whole family will love.

Instant Pot

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20 min

Prep

3 hr 30 min

Cook

1 hr 30 min

Rest

5 hr 20 min

Total

servings

medium

Level

Ingredients

Tap any quantity to scale

For the marinade

boneless, skinless chicken thighs
(33 g) tomato paste
(43 g) plain yogurt
saltShop →
turmericShop →

For the sauce

hingShop →
(30 ml) ghee · make your ownShop →
(3 g) cumin seedsShop →
green cardamom podsShop →
black cardamom podsShop →
bay leavesShop →
large onions(sliced)
(33 g) cashewsShop →
(16 g) almondsShop →
(15 g) ginger-garlic paste · make your own
(3 g) garam masalaShop →
(8 g) Deggi MirchShop →
(3 g) ground corianderShop →
(1 g) ground cuminShop →
kasuri methiShop →
salt(to taste)Shop →
(80 ml) milk
(130 g) passataShop →
(240 ml) half and half 10% cream

For garnish

(15 ml) ghee · make your ownShop →
green chilies(slit thin lengthwise)

Instructions

To prepare chicken changezi

1
In a bowl, combine the chicken, yogurt, tomato paste, salt and turmeric. Mix well and marinate for at least 1 1/2 hours.
In a bowl, combine the chicken, yogurt, tomato paste, salt and turmeric. Mix well and marinate for at least 1 1/2 hours.
Learn the technique
2
Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode on high and melt ghee over medium high heat. Add cumin seeds, hing, green cardamom, black cardamom, bay leaves, onions, almonds and cashews. Cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown, for about 15-20 minutes. (if you only own a slow cooker, sauté these ingredients in a pan or pot over the stove).
Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode on high and melt ghee over medium high heat. Add cumin seeds, hing, green cardamom, black cardamom, bay leaves, onions, almonds and cashews. Cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown, for about 15-20 minutes. (if you only own a slow cooker, sauté these ingredients in a pan or pot over the stove).
Learn the technique
3
Once the oil has separated from the onion mixture, add in the ginger-garlic paste, and the remaining dried spices (deggi mirch, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala); cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir often.
Once the oil has separated from the onion mixture, add in the ginger-garlic paste, and the remaining dried spices (deggi mirch, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala); cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir often.
4
Discard the bay leaf and transfer the spice and onion masala to a blender. Add ⅓ cup milk to help puree until smooth.
Discard the bay leaf and transfer the spice and onion masala to a blender. Add ⅓ cup milk to help puree until smooth.
5
Add the puree back to the Instant pot or slow cooker. Rinse out the pitcher for the blender and add the milk into the Instant Pot or slow cooker. Add chicken along with its marinade to slow cooker and toss with spice mixture.
Add the puree back to the Instant pot or slow cooker. Rinse out the pitcher for the blender and add the milk into the Instant Pot or slow cooker. Add chicken along with its marinade to slow cooker and toss with spice mixture.
6
Add passata, mix well and set the Instant Pot to Slow Cook mode on high until chicken is tender, 3 1/2 hours or on low for 7 hours. Once done, stir and adjust seasoning with salt to taste.
Add passata, mix well and set the Instant Pot to Slow Cook mode on high until chicken is tender, 3 1/2 hours or on low for 7 hours. Once done, stir and adjust seasoning with salt to taste.
7
Add in cream, stir, prepare the garnish by heating ghee in a pan. Once hot, add the slit green chilies and let them sizzle until fragrant. Pour over the dish; sprinkle lightly with dried fenugreek leaves and serve.
Add in cream, stir, prepare the garnish by heating ghee in a pan. Once hot, add the slit green chilies and let them sizzle until fragrant. Pour over the dish; sprinkle lightly with dried fenugreek leaves and serve.

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Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen

Chicken Changezi vs Butter Chicken

Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Changezi Chicken

Tools Needed