Here's a one-pot pressure cooker recipe for an Indian favorite, Chicken Saag, also known as Palak Chicken. This creamy and flavorful chicken and spinach curry is tasty, healthy, and a breeze to make with this 30-minute recipe.
Enjoy with a side of garlic naan, or some pot-in pot cumin rice for a restaurant-quality meal!
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Chicken Saag is one of my favorite weeknight Indian dishes. It's a healthy, nutrient-rich one-pot curry ready in 30 minutes.
The best part about this dish is that you take care of greens and protein, all in the same pot. So all that's left to do is pair it with some rice or naan and dinner is done! That's probably why over the years, this recipe has become a reader's favorite, just like Palak Paneer.
This recipe is my easy take on a restaurant-style Chicken Saagwala. Let's get started!
What is Saag Chicken?
Chicken Saag is a North-Indian curry made with tender chicken pieces simmered in a warmly spiced spinach-based gravy. In Hindi, 'Saag' refers to curried greens which can include one or more of the dark leafy greens like spinach, mustard, etc.
Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions
It takes a handful of ingredients to make this saag dish. Let's take a look at what we need:
- Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breast work best in this recipe. Chicken thighs will also work, simply reduce the pressure cooking time to 6 minutes. I don't recommend bone-in chicken since the spinach will overcook in the time it takes to cook the chicken.
- Spinach: Fresh spinach is always my preference for this dish. I prefer to use baby spinach, but you can also use large spinach leaves, rinsed thoroughly and coarsely chopped.
- Aromatics: Sliced onions, serrano pepper, ginger, and garlic form the base flavors here. Use white, yellow, or red onion. As for peppers, jalapeno is another option. You can use ginger garlic paste or add ginger paste and garlic paste separately.
- Spices: We use staple Indian spices including garam masala, coriander, cumin, Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric, and salt to bring out the flavors in this curry.
Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Chicken Saag
In this recipe, I adapted my stove-top recipe for the Instant Pot and made it a one-pot dish. This recipe works with any electric pressure cooker. Here are the step-by-step instructions and photos:
- Turn on Saute mode in Instant Pot. When the display reads 'hot', add 1 tablespoon of oil. (pic 1)
- Sprinkle a little garam masala and salt on chicken breast (or thighs) and place it seasoned side down in the cooking pot. Let it brown for 1 minute. (pic 2)
- Flip the chicken and season the other side with a pinch of garam masala and salt and cook for 1 minute. Remove the chicken and keep it aside. (pic 3 & 4)
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and cumin seeds and let them sizzle. (pic 5
- Add the onion, halved green pepper, ginger, and garlic. Saute for 1 minute. (pic 6)
- Add salt, turmeric, garam masala, ground coriander, ground cumin, and Kashmiri Chili Powder to the pot and stir to combine. (pic 7) Cance Saute.
- Now add water and deglaze the pot by scraping off any brown bits stuck at the bottom. (pic 8)
- Add the spinach leaves and toss them well with the aromatics. (pic 9). Place the chicken on top of the spinach. (pic 10)
- Close the lid. Set 8 minutes on Pressure cook or manual mode. If using chicken thighs, adjust the time to 6 mins. When cooking time is up, manually release the pressure. When the pin drops, open the lid. (pic 11)
- Remove the chicken and keep it aside to rest while you blend the curry. (pic 12)
- Using an immersion blender, blend to a smooth consistency. If you like your curry a bit chunky, you can customize that while pureeing. (pic 13)
- Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and add it back to the spinach curry. (pic 14 & 15).
- Optional step: Stir in 1 teaspoon of butter. This gives the curry a gorgeous shine. (pic 16)
What to Serve with Chicken Saag
Like most Indian curries, Chicken Saag goes great with rice, roti, or naan. Since this dish is a combination of protein and vegetables (chicken and spinach), I like to keep it simple and serve it with:
- Cumin Rice (can make this pot-in-pot- see instructions below)
- Cucumber Raita (Indian Yogurt Dip)
If you're eating low-carb, you can pair this curry with Indian Cauli rice (riced cauliflower).
How to Make Pot-in-Pot Rice
Assemble rice, water, and seasoning in an oven-safe bowl as per recipe instructions. You can follow this recipe for Cumin Rice.
Place a trivet over the chicken and spinach curry. Push down the trivet gently so it is stable.
Place the rice bowl on top of the trivet, like in the picture below, close the lid and follow the remaining pressure cooking instructions.
How to Store
Store leftover chicken saag in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to a month.
To reuse, thaw in the fridge overnight and heat in individual portions in the microwave or stovetop for 1-2 minutes.
Try a Variation
1. How to Make Chicken Saag with other Greens
As long you match the quantity of the greens to around 10-12 ounces, you can make this recipe with any greens of your choice.
Some alternatives that have worked well for me are combinations of any two varieties of these greens: baby kale (or regular kale), mustard greens, collard greens, and spinach.
Here is a recipe for Saag made with a combination of Mustard Greens and Spinach (Sarson Ka Saag).
2. Vegetarian Alternative: Saag Paneer/Palak Paneer
The vegetarian alternative for this dish is called Saag Paneer or Palak Paneer. This extremely popular dish is made with Paneer, a firm Indian cottage cheese, that's simmered in spinach curry.
3. Make Restaurant-Style 'Extra Creamy' Saag Chicken
The Chicken Saag that I've had in restaurants is rich and creamier than my homestyle version. Here's what you can do to get that taste:
- Add ¼ cup heavy whipping cream towards the end along with chicken pieces. Simmer the curry for 2-3 minutes. Check for seasoning and turn off the heat.
- Or, for a dairy-free alternative, add ¼ cup cashews along with the onions and saute. When you puree the sauce towards the end, the cashews will blend and provide a nice creamy texture.
Make-Ahead Instructions for Entertaining
When making this chicken saag curry ahead of time for entertaining, break it up into two steps
- Make the chicken curry (without spinach) a day earlier.
- On the day of the party, microwave the greens, puree them, and simmer with the chicken curry before serving.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Seasoning the chicken adds another level of flavor to this curry, so avoid skipping that step.
- If you don't have the time to briefly brown the chicken, simply season it with garam masala and salt before placing it on top of the spinach.
- If making this curry with boneless skinless chicken thighs instead, reduce the pressure cooking time to 6 minutes.
- You can also make this curry with mixed greens, like spinach, mustard, kale, etc. As long you match the quantity of the greens to around 10-12 ounces, you can make this recipe with any greens of your choice.
- When making this curry ahead of time for entertaining, break it up into two steps. Prepare the chicken curry (without spinach) a day earlier. On the day of, microwave the greens, puree them, and simmer with the chicken curry before serving.
- To make Restaurant-style 'extra creamy' Chicken Saag, you can add ¼ cup heavy whipping cream or cashew cream towards the end along with chicken pieces and simmer.
Frequently Asked Questions
As the name suggests, this curry is made of chicken pieces simmered in a curry made of spinach, onion, ginger, garlic, and Indian spices.
Saag is a generic term used for curried greens. This includes a variety of green leafy vegetables like Mustard Greens (Sarson), Fenugreek (Methi), Collard Greens, Spinach (called Palak in Hindi), and other similar varieties. Typically in northern India, Saag refers to a curried combination of spinach and mustard greens, whereas Palak refers to a spinach curry.
Yes, you can. However, I recommend mixing it with spinach, about a 50-50 ratio to balance the bitter aftertaste of kale leaves.
Absolutely! This curry is made with chicken breast, which is a lean protein, and mainly spinach, which is rich in many nutrients, including Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, iron, folate, potassium, and fiber.
The spiciness of saag can be customized to taste. For a mild curry, skip the green chili/peppers and replace the red chili powder with regular paprika.
No. Chicken saag recipe can be made without any dairy. In this recipe, skip adding the butter for finishing and enjoy a dairy-free recipe.
Based on this recipe, each serving of chicken saag contains about 210 calories per serving. This does not include any sides.
More Spinach & Saag Recipes
📖 Recipe
Chicken Saag (Chicken Spinach Curry) | Palak Chicken
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Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (Refined olive oil or vegetable oil)
- 1½ pounds chicken breast (boneless, skinless), can use thighs instead
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 cup onion, chopped (1 medium onion)
- 1 Green Chili, cut in half (Serrano or Jalapeno)
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste (1 inch ginger)
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste (3-4 cloves)
- 12 ounces baby spinach
- ½ cup water (adjust for 8 qt)
Spices
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoon garam masala (if using store-bought, add 3 tsp)
- 1½ tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon Kashmiri Chili Powder (or paprika)
Optional Ingredient (add after pressure cooking)
- 1 teaspoon butter
Instructions
- Turn on Saute mode in Instant Pot or any electric pressure cooker. When the display reads 'hot', add 1 tablespoon oil.
- Sprinkle a little garam masala and salt on chicken breast (or thighs) and place it seasoned side down in the cooking pot. Let it brown for 1 minute. After that, flip the chicken and season the other side with a pinch of garam masala and salt and cook for 1 minute. Remove chicken and keep aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and cumin seeds. As soon as the sizzle (takes about 30 seconds), add sliced onions, halved green chili/pepper and crushed ginger and garlic. Saute for 1 minute.
- Add all the spices along with ½ cup water. Turn off Saute mode. Use the water to deglaze the pot, which means scrap any brown bits in the cooking pot.
- Add baby spinach leaves and toss them well. Place the chicken on top of the spinach. Close the lid. Set 8 minutes on Pressure cook or manual mode. If using chicken thighs, adjust time to 6 mins.
- When cooking time is up, manually release the pressure. When the pin drops, open the lid.
- Remove the chicken and keep aside. Using an immersion blender, blend the spinach into a smooth consistency. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and add it back to the spinach curry.
- Optional step: Stir in 1 teaspoon of butter. This gives the curry a gorgeous shine.
Notes
- Seasoning the chicken adds another level of flavor to this curry, so avoid skipping that step.
- If you don't have the time to briefly brown the chicken, simply season it with garam masala and salt before placing it on top of the spinach.
- If making this curry with boneless skinless chicken thighs instead, reduce the pressure cooking time to 6 minutes,
- You can also make this curry with mixed greens, like spinach, mustard, kale, etc. As long you match the quantity of the greens to around 10-12 ounces, you can make this recipe with any greens of your choice.
- When making this curry ahead of time for entertaining, break it up into two steps. Prepare the chicken curry (without spinach) a day earlier. On the day of, microwave the greens, puree them, and simmer with the chicken curry before serving.
- To make Restaurant-style 'extra creamy' Chicken Saag, you can add ¼ cup heavy whipping cream or cashew cream towards the end along with chicken pieces and simmer.
Mike says
Wow, this was fantastic! I used thighs and as it was my very first IP recipe I followed it to the letter and it really was wonderful, I could really not tell it from a restaurant quality saag.
I’ll definitely be trying some of your other recipes!
(Hoping you have a nice chicken tikka masala, British Indian style - if not maybe you work a recipe up?)
Aneesha says
Hi Mike, thank you so much! Here's a chicken tikka masala recipe, I hope you enjoy this one too: https://spicecravings.com/no-cream-skinny-instant-pot-chicken-tikka-masala
Donna says
I would love to try this, but I do not have an instapot. what changes do I need to make if I do on stove.
Thank you, this sounds delicious
Aneesha says
Hi Donna, Here are the stove-top instructions that have been tried successfully by a few readers (see comments): Follow steps 1-5 in a heavy bottom pot on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 20 minutes, till the chicken cooks through (165F). Once done, remove the chicken and dice. Puree the spinach mix and add chicken back. Enjoy!
Margaret says
Can I use thawed frozen spinach in this recipe?
Thanks!
Aneesha says
Yes, absolutely! You'll end up with more liquid after pressure cooking, which you can dry off by sauteing for a few minutes. Enjoy!
Lizet Bowen says
This dish was delicious. One of my kids was a little bit scared when he saw the green sauce ???? but once he tried it, he loved it too. The whole family enjoyed it.
Aneesha says
Lol, that's exactly how my daughter reacts to 'green food' 🙂 I'm so glad your family enjoyed it. Thanks Lizet!
Seth says
Hello. This looks great, as do many of your other recipes. I'm going to try this one first, but I am confused about one thing. You say 8 minutes for chicken breast and 6 minutes for thighs. I thought thighs take longer to cook than breasts. There is another recipe I use for cooking chicken breast which calls for 5 minutes with a 10 min npr. This comes out absolutely perfect. I'm a little worried about cooking it for an additional 3 minutes...
Aneesha says
Hi Seth, Is the 5 mins for whole chicken breast or pieces? This one is for whole chicken breast because we want to be able to pull that out and puree the spinach sauce. And chicken thighs cook faster than breast because they are less thicker than breast. Let me know what cut you're using and I can confirm the timing. Thanks.
Emily Olson says
Hello! This dish looks absolutely delicious. I really want to try making it, but I unfortunately do not have an instant pot. What would I need to do to be able to cook it on the stove top?
Aneesha says
Hi Emily, I would follow steps 1-5 in a heavy bottom stock pot on medium-high heat. After that, reduce to medium heat, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, till the chicken cooks through. Once done, remove the chicken and dice. Puree the spinach pix and add chicken back. Enjoy!
Emily says
My husband and I just finished eating this delicious meal, thank you for your advise on cooking it on the stove top! I ended up cooking it in my Dutch oven for 20 minutes because the 2 chicken breasts were quite large,and it came out perfectly. Thank you again for your help and for this wonderful recipe.
Aneesha says
Hi Emily, you're most welcome! I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, hope you try more!
Jennifer says
My husband loves this dish and I was looking for an instapot recipe that was easy and delicious, what a hit! I felt like such a chef! Thanks for giving us a new favorite to add to the list
Aneesha says
Hi Jennifer, that's so sweet! I'm glad you and your husband enjoyed it so much, it's a favorite in my home too 🙂 Thank you!
Jude says
This recipe was so so incredible and I've recommended it to several friends! Thank you for sharing. I'll be sharing more of your recipes soon.
Aneesha says
Hi Jude, thank you so much for loving and sharing this recipe. I'm very glad you enjoyed it. Thanks again!
Marissa says
This recipe sounds easy and delicious! However, what do you do with the halved pepper? I see it in the list of ingredients and, after reading the recipe three times, I don't see where to add it into the pot. Is that included in the "add all the spices"? I can't wait to try this!
Aneesha says
Hi Marissa, thanks for pointing that out, I just fixed that. I add that with the sliced onions. If you see the video or image '6', you'll see that step. I'd love to hear how you like it! Enjoy!
Marissa says
Thank you so much! I am making this tonight!
Aneesha says
Hi Marissa, you're most welcome! I'd love to hear how you liked it, hope you love it!
Marissa says
Oh my goodness, this was delicious! Thank you for the delightful recipe and all of the wonderful information you give along with it! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Aneesha says
Hi Marissa, I am so glad you enjoyed it!! It's one of our favorites. Try the chicken tikka masala next! Thanks for sharing your experience. If you get a chance, I'd appreciate if you could rate the recipe 🙂 Thanks!
Meenal Jethi says
Is The chicken to be pressure cooked for 8 minutes on hugh pressure or low pressure?
Aneesha says
Hi Meenal, it's high pressure. Hope you enjoy it!
Trey says
Hi Aneesha. Thank you for the Instant Pot Chicken Saag recipe. Wow! It was delicious with layers of flavor. My only variation was that I couldn’t find whole cumin seeds in my local supermarket and I therefore substituted ground cumin seeds. As I suspect the whole cumin seeds will provide a more intense flavor to the recipe, I will have them on hand when I make this dish again.
Aneesha says
Hi Trey,
Thank you! I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe. Cumin seeds add another level of flavor to this dish, so if you cannot find them, you can substitute that with an additional 1/4 tsp ground cumin. Thanks again!