Chicken pulao is a fragrant one-pot dish with tender chicken, Basmati rice, caramelized onions, ginger, garlic, and whole spices. It is an easy no-fuss recipe, perfect for a cozy family dinner! Both stovetop and instant pot recipes included.
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About Chicken Pulao
Out of ideas for weeknight dinners? Make this one-pot chicken and rice dish and serve it with boondi raita. With just a few ingredients and an approachable method, this recipe is a no-brainer in my home when it comes to easy chicken dinners.
If you've been elsewhere on this blog, you know I'm all about making Indian cooking less overwhelming. I love sharing easy, beginner-friendly Indian recipes that are big on taste. This chicken dinner is right in line with that philosophy. It doesn't have the flamboyance of its sisters, the stylish chicken biryani, and keema biryani, but where this simple and unassuming dish scores is the almost ridiculous ease with which it is made.
If you're looking for a fancier version of pulao that you can proudly present while entertaining, try this yakhni pulao made with mutton.
More Rice Dinners: Schezwan chicken fried rice, chickpea pulao, egg dum biryani, and lemon rice.
Difference Between Chicken Pulao and Chicken Biryani
The major difference between pulao and biryani lies in the technique of cooking. For making any kind of biryani (chicken or lamb), the meat and rice are cooked separately, then brought together in another pot. Pulao, however, is made by cooking the meat and rice together in one pot.
Another difference between the two is the number of ingredients used. In addition to the ingredients in pulao, biryani has more spices (powdered and whole), saffron or food colour, and sometimes, even nuts.
Needless to say, biryani is a more involved recipe. Pulao, in comparison, is made easily.
A Note About the Equipment
Use a broad cooking pot for making pulao since the rice expands quite a bit. Pulao or biryani cooked in a small or narrow pot does not fluff up because the grains get squished and get no room to bloom!
For this reason, do not cook more than 2 cups rice in a 6-quart instant pot if you choose to make chicken pulao in the instant pot.
The Ratio of Rice to Water
Instant Pot: 1 cup of rice needs 1 + ¼ cup water. However, as you increase the cups of rice, you should increase the cups of waters in whole numbers only and keep the ¼ cup constant. For example, in this recipe, I used 2 cups rice and 2 + ¼ cups water. If we were making 3 cups rice, we would add 3 + ¼ cups water.
Stovetop: Keep the above rule in mind, but add ¼ cup water extra to account for the loss through evaporation. I find that the rice grains do not get a chance to soften with the amount of water lost through an open pan.
Ingredients
There is no long list of ingredients here, so you don't have to worry about assembling a gazillion things before you start cooking.
Boneless chicken: You can use breast or thigh meat depending upon your preference. And if you are so inclined, even chicken on the bone.
Tip: If using bone-in meat, remember that it will take longer to cook, so increase the cooking time of the chicken by at least 10 minutes and cover the pot if you want tender chicken.
Rice: Long grain Basmati rice is a good option for Indian pulao and biryani dishes, as it looks great, fluffs up well, and smells good.
Red onions: The rich brown colour of the pulao comes from caramelizing red onions, so don't skimp on them.
Ginger-garlic paste: A must for most Indian recipes, you can make your own easily at home. See below.
Whole spices: Cumin, black cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns, and chilli flakes are what give the pulao its punch.
And of course, cooking oil and salt.
Instructions
Preparation
1. Slice the onion finely.
2. Make the ginger-garlic paste. Put equal quantities of peeled ginger and garlic in a blender with a few tablespoons water and blend to get a smooth and thick paste. Use as required by the recipe and store the extra paste in a glass bottle in the fridge for later use.
3. Cut the chicken intocubes.
4. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and soak it in 2 ½ cups water if you plan to make it on the stovetop and 2 ¼ cups if you plan to use the instant pot.
Stovetop Method
1. Heat the oil in a pan and add all the whole spices. Allow them to sizzle for a few seconds.
2. Add the onions and cook on medium heat until the onions acquire a deep caramel colour. Keep stirring the onions for even browning.
3. Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Add a few splashes of water to prevent the masala from drying out and the onions from getting darker than they already are.
4. Add the chicken and salt cook for 12-15 minutes on medium heat until the chicken is tender. Add water as required during the cooking process and stir frequently.
5. Add the soaked rice along with the water in which it was soaked. Cook with the lid off on medium heat until most of the liquid is absorbed. At this stage, the rice will be 80% cooked. To soften it further, cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and turn the heat down to low. Let the pot simmer for 10 minutes more on low heat so that the rice and chicken can get fully cooked in the steam that's created inside the pot.
Note: The above process is called the 'dum' technique where you allow the food to get cooked in its own juices with no escaping steam, so that the flavors get locked in.
6. Turn off the heat, but don't remove the pot from the hob just yet. Let the pot rest for a few minutes more, then remove the lid and fluff the pulao. Delicious chicken pulao is ready to be served!
Who said Indian cooking is intimidating;)
Instant Pot Method
1. Turn the instant pot to sauté mode (normal) and add the whole spices. Allow them to sizzle for a few seconds in the hot oil.
2. Add the sliced onions and fry them until they turn reddish-brown. Keep stirring frequently to prevent uneven browning.
3. Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 4-5 minutes adding a few splashes of water to keep the masala from drying out.
4. Add the chicken and salt and cook for 12-15 minutes on medium heat until the chicken is tender. Add water as required during the cooking process and stir frequently.
5. Add the rice and the water in which it was soaked. Deglaze the pot and mix everything well. Then cancel the sauté mode and switch on the pressure cooking mode (manual in some models).
6. Pressure cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Once the timer beeps, release pressure after 10 minutes. Open the pot and serve the pulao with raita.
Variations
This is a basic bare-bones kind of recipe for chicken pulao. If you want to jazz up the flavours a bit, try experimenting with these ingredients:
1. Tomatoes: A small chopped tomato, added when you are cooking the chicken gives a slightly tangy flavour to the pulao. Highly recommended!
2. Yogurt: Instead of tomatoes, you can also add ¼ cup whisked yogurt or dahi to the chicken while it's cooking. Tenderizes the meat and adds to the flavors.
3. Curry powder: Yes, curry powder! Traditionally, powdered spices are not used in a pulao recipe, but I have found that a level teaspoon of curry powder, when added to the chicken makes for a more vibrant-looking pulao and adds to the taste.
Tip: If adding curry powder, go easy on the red chilli flakes as some varieties of curry powder have red chilli added to them. I find Madras curry powder a good option here.
Side Dishes
- Make a quick onion raita or boondi raita (spiced yogurt dip). Raita goes very well with pulao and biryani both.
- Or have it with a fresh salad of your choice. Anything goes: sliced cucumber, onions and tomatoes.
- And if you want a really happening dish to go with your pulao, make this mirchi ka salan (curried jalapeño peppers).
Top Tips
1. Use a broad and big pot to cook the pulao.
2. Stick to the rice and water ratio as explained above for fluffy, perfectly cooked rice.
3. The colour of your pulao will depend on how you caramelize your onions. If you don't caramelize them fully, the pulao will be a light golden in colour.
4. If you are short of time and want to put dinner on the table asap, you can use store-bought fried onions too, easily available in any Indian grocery or even Walmart.
Tried this recipe? Do consider giving it a star rating and a comment below. And if you’re on Instagram, feel free to tag me so I can see your creation. I'd love to hear from you! Thank you:)
📖 Recipe
Easy Chicken Pulao
Equipment
- Broad cooking pot OR 6-quart Instant Pot
Ingredients
- ½ cup cooking oil neutral
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 black cardamom
- 5 cloves
- 2 bay leaves small
- ½ teaspoon peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon red chilli flakes
- 1 red onion big, sliced fine
- 4 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 14.1 oz boneless chicken breast or thigh meat, cut into cubes or strips
- 2 teaspoon sea salt to taste
- 2 cups Basmati rice
- 2 ½ cups water 2 ¼ if using instant pot
Instructions
Preparation
- Slice the onion finely.
- Make the ginger-garlic paste. See note #2 below.
- Cut the chicken into cubes.
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and soak it in 2 ½ cups water if you plan to make it on the stovetop and 2 ¼ cups if you plan to use the instant pot.
Stovetop Method
- Heat the oil in a pot and add the whole spices. Let them sizzle for a few seconds in the hot oil.
- Add the sliced onions. Fry on medium heat until reddish brown. Keep stirring frequently to prevent uneven browning.
- When the onions caramelize, add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for 4-5 minutes, adding a few splashes of water to keep the masala from drying out.
- Add the chicken and cook it for 12-15 minutes on medium heat until the chicken is tender. Add water as required during the cooking process and stir frequently.
- Add the rice and the water in which it was soaked. Mix well and cook with the lid off on medium heat until most of the liquid is absorbed. At this stage, the rice will be 80% cooked. To soften it further, cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and turn the heat down to low. Let the pot simmer for 10 minutes more on low heat so that the rice and chicken can get fully cooked in the steam that's created inside the pot.
- Turn off the heat, but don't remove the pot from the hob just yet. Let the pot rest for a few minutes more, then remove the lid and fluff the pulao. Serve hot.
Instant Pot Method
- Turn the instant pot to sauté mode (normal), add oil and add the whole spices. Let them sizzle for a few seconds in the hot oil.
- Add the onions and fry them until reddish-brown. Keep stirring frequently to prevent uneven browning.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 4-5 minutes adding a few splashes of water to keep the masala from drying out.
- Add the chicken and salt and cook for 12-15 minutes on medium heat until the chicken is tender. Add water as required during the cooking process and stir frequently.
- Add the rice and the water in which it was soaked. Deglaze the pot and mix everything well. Then cancel the sauté mode and switch on the pressure cooking mode.
- Pressure cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Once the timer beeps, release pressure after 10 minutes. Open the pot and serve the pulao.
Cyndi says
I assume the “yogurt” is plain yogurt. Would Greek yogurt work, to add a little more protein? I have never eaten or cooked Indian food , but this looks so good and my hubby loves anything with chicken and rice!
Saima says
Yes, Cyndi, yogurt is plain yogurt but in this recipe it really doesn't matter. You can use Greek yogurt too. Hope your husband enjoys the pulao!