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Published: Jan 9, 2019 · Modified: Oct 17, 2021 by Saima · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases · This blog generates income via ads.

Easy Chicken Pulao (Instant Pot and Stovetop)

Name: Easy Chicken Pulao
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 boneless chicken breast (cut into strips); 2 cups white Basmati rice (washed and soaked in 2 cups water); 1 red onion (big, sliced); 2 tbsp ginger and garlic paste; 2 tbsp yogurt; 1 tsp red chilli flakes; 1 tsp garam masala; 1/4 cup cooking oil; 1 tsp salt (to taste)

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A delicious one-pot chicken pulao recipe that's super easy to make with just a few ingredients. The perfect weeknight meal! Instant pot and stovetop versions included.

chicken pulao on a white plate with a spoon

Out of ideas for weeknight dinners? Make this one-pot chicken pulao recipe. With just a few ingredients including the chicken and rice, it is ready in 40 minutes flat!

If you've been elsewhere on this blog, you know I'm all about making Indian cooking more approachable. 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 sister, the stylish chicken biryani, but where this simple and unassuming dish scores is the almost ridiculous ease with which it is made.

By the way, since biryani did get a mention here, do check out these biryani recipes on the blog if you're in the mood. Here they are -

Which brings us to a question that's very commonly asked:

What is the 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.

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. All you need is:

boneless chicken strips (breast or thigh meat)
rice (basmati is preferable)
onions
ginger-garlic paste
garam masala (an Indian spice blend that's found in most stores)
yogurt
chilli flakes

Plus cooking oil and salt, of course. That's it.

Instructions

Preparation

1. Wash and soak 2 cup basmati rice in 2 cups water for 15 minutes.

2. While the rice is soaking, slice the onions and mince the ginger and garlic.

Instant pot method

Step 1: Fry the onions.

Turn the instant pot to saute mode (normal) and fry the onions in the oil until reddish brown. Keep stirring frequently to prevent uneven browning.

Step 2: Add the rest of the ingredients except chicken and rice.

In goes the ginger-garlic paste, yogurt, chilli flakes, garam masala and salt. Saute for 4-5 minutes adding a few splashes of water to keep the masala from drying out.

Step 3: Add the chicken and half a cup water.

Saute the chicken in the masala for 3-4 minutes or until it becomes whitish in color.

Step 4: Add the rice and the water in which it was soaked (2 cups).

Mix everything well. Then cancel the saute mode and switch on the pressure cooking mode (manual in some models).

Step 5: Pressure cook.

Pressure cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. Once the timer beeps, release pressure after 5 minutes.

Stovetop method

Step 1: Fry the onions.

Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onions. Fry until reddish brown. Keep stirring frequently to prevent uneven browning.

Step 2: Add the rest of the ingredients except chicken and rice.

When the onions caramelize, add the ginger-garlic paste, yogurt, chilli flakes, garam masala and salt. Saute for 4-5 minutes adding a few splashes of water to keep the masala from drying out.

Step 3: Add the chicken and half a cup water.

Saute the chicken in the masala for 3-4 minutes or until it becomes whitish in color.

Step 4: Add the rice and the water in which it was soaked + a half cup extra water.

Mix everything well and cook on high until the liquid starts bubbling. Then lower the heat and leave the pulao to simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the water has been absorbed by the rice. Cover with a lid and let it rest for another 5-10 minutes.

Note: the extra half cup of water is added because a lot of water evaporates quickly in an open pan whereas in a pressure cooker the water remains inside as steam.

Delicious chicken pulao is ready to be served!

Who said Indian cooking is intimidating;)

One simple hack to make this recipe faster

Sometimes when I'm short of time and want to put dinner on the table asap, I use store-bought fried onions and ginger-garlic paste. These are available in any Indian grocery store or even supermarkets like Walmart.

Side dishes

Simple! Make a quick raita (whisked yoghurt with salt and dry roasted and ground cumin). 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.

More pulao recipes

Prawns pulao - A delicate and flavorful prawn and rice dish ready in 30 minutes.
Yakhni pulao - Long-grain Basmati rice teams up with the choicest cuts of bone-in meat and whole spices to make this authentic Awadhi pulao
Mushroom pulao - A flavourful pulao with white button mushrooms. Ideal for a quick one-pot lunch or dinner.
Chana pulao - Rice, chickpeas, fried onions, and spices come together in a protein-packed pulao. Another dead-simple recipe.
Kashmiri Pulao - A sweet pulao with fruit and nuts!