Chicken Pulao (Instant Pot & Stovetop)

Chicken pulao recipe – One pot flavored chicken pilaf cooked with mild Indian spices. Pulao is a delicious dish made of basmati rice, meat or veggies, spices & herbs. This chicken pulao is super easy to make for a weeknight dinner. It is mildly spiced and not heavy like the Chicken biryani.

Traditionally a Biryani is made by layering marinated meat and partially cooked rice. The pot is then sealed and dum cooked to trap the flavors. Making a good chicken biryani takes a considerable amount of time to plan & cook.

This chicken pulao comes to my rescue most often when we crave for a flavorful chicken & rice dish. It is not only super quick to make but very flavorful and tastes delicious.

There are so many ways of making a chicken pulao. Some people use stock to cook the dish while in the south many people use coconut milk. But most times I make it with water alone.

This is a kids’ friendly recipe too as it requires only a few spices. Chicken pulao is best served with a yogurt Raita or a simple salan.

Methods of making chicken pulao

Chicken pulao can be made in a regular pot, traditional pressure cooker or instant pot. You can find all the 3 methods in this post.

More Chicken recipes,
Easy Chicken curry
Chicken korma
Easy Chicken fried rice
Chicken noodles

How to Make Chicken Pulao (Stepwise Photos)

Preparation

1. Wash and soak rice for about 20 minutes, if using normal rice soak for 30 minutes. Drain off the water and set aside.

2. Marinate chicken with turmeric, chili powder, salt, ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp oil and then yogurt. You can also add a tsp of good garam masala powder. This is optional. Yogurt makes the chicken tender. If using coconut milk for the recipe, skip using yogurt for marination.

3. Set this aside till we need.

4. Pour oil to a pressure cooker or pot. When it turns hot, add dry spices including fennel powder. Saute till the spices begin to sizzle.

5. Add onions and fry until lightly golden. You can lightly brown them as well.

6. Saute chicken on a medium flame.

7. Chicken should turn white in color and partially soft cooked for about 3 to 4 minutes. Otherwise chicken may turn hard after adding tomatoes.

8. Next add chopped tomatoes. Fry till the tomatoes turn mushy, soft and completely cooked.

9. Add chopped coriander and mint leaves. Stir and fry until the mixture begins to smell good.

10. Continue to cook till the moisture from tomatoes evaporate.

Make Chicken Pulao

11. Add stock or water or thin coconut milk. Also add salt. We have already added salt to marinate, take care not to add too much.

12. When it comes to a boil, add drained rice.

13. Stir well. If cooking in a pot, then cover and cook on a low heat until the rice is done.

14. If cooking in a pressure cooker, cover the lid and cook for 1 whistle on a medium heat.

15. When the pressure releases, remove the lid and leave it for about 5 minutes. Fluff up gently.

Serve chicken pulao with onion raita.

Pro Tips

1. Always wash rice at least thrice. This prevents the rice grains in the chicken pulao from turning mushy & sticky.

2. Next soak basmati rice for at least 20 mins. This helps the rice grains to expand well while cooking. So you can soak the rice and set aside until you are done with the other preparations.

3. Using whole spices is the key to this chicken pulao. However if you do not have then just replace them with any store bought chicken masala powder or garam masala. Follow the instructions on the pack for the quantity to use.

4. I prefer to use 1 to 2 tbsps of yogurt to marinate the chicken. This enhances the dish a lot and the chicken comes out very juicy & succulent without drying out. However you can skip this.

5. Mint leaves are a not to miss herb while making a chicken pulao as it takes the entire dish to a new level. if you do not have it then replace with cilantro or coriander leaves.

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