Easy Chicken Pulao Recipe This delicious one-pot dish is made with basmati rice, chicken, spices and herbs which are readily available in the pantry. This post includes both Instant Pot and Stovetop methods.
All though Chicken Pulao and Chicken Biryani may look similar the Chicken Biryani preparation is a much time-consuming process like cooking the meat separately and layering the rice with meat but Chicken Pulao is easy to prepare yet tastes delicious.
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Ingredients to make chicken pulao recipe
- Basmati rice- ½ kg (500grams) – 3 cups
- Slit green chillies – 5
- Ginger garlic paste – 11/2 tsp
- Chopped tomatoes – 1 big
- Red chilli powder – 1 Tsp
- Cumin powder – 1tsp
- Garam masala – ½ tsp
- Chopped onions - 2
- Bay leaves- 2
- Cloves- 4
- Cinnamon stick- ½ inch
- Cardamom pods- 2
- Star anise - 1
- Shahi Jeera – 1tsp
- Ghee- 4tbsp
- Coriander leaves
- Mint leaves
- Oil- 1tsp
- Salt to taste
For Chicken Marination:
- Chicken – ½ kg
- Ginger garlic paste- 11/2 tsp
- Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
- Red chilli powder -1tsp
- Salt to taste
Stovetop Method
Marinate the chicken pieces with the ingredients mentioned under marination.
Cover it with cling film and keep in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
Wash and soak the basmati rice in enough water for 20-30 minutes.
Heat a heavy bottom non-stick pan with ghee, oil and add shahi jeera along with cloves, cinnamon stick, star anise, bay leaves and cardamom pods.
Next add the sliced onions, green chillies and sauté them till onions change its colour.
Then add ginger garlic paste and fry till raw smell goes. Next, add chopped tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are mushed.
ADDING CHICKEN MARINATION
Add the marinated chicken pieces along with turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala, salt and sauté for few minutes on high flame.
Drain the water from the rice, and add to the chicken pieces. Mix well.
Then add 4 ½ cups of water and check seasoning. Add coriander leaves and mix well.
Cover the saucepan and cook on a low – medium flame for 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice and chicken is cooked. Here for me, it took exactly 20 minutes.
Once cooking time is done. switch off the flame. Keep the pan aside.
Leave the pan like that for some time without disturbing it.
Then fluff the chicken Pulao lightly with the spoon and transfer into a serving plate and enjoy tasty and delicious Easy chicken pulao with chicken curry or raita.
Stepwise instructions of making Chicken Pulao Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Pulao
In a mixing bowl, add cleaned chicken with the ingredients mentioned above for marination and mix well. Keep it aside for at least 10-15minutes in the fridge.
Wash and soak basmati rice in enough water for 15-20minutes. Once 20 minutes is done drain water from the rice and keep it aside.
Place the inner pot inside the Instant Pot. Switch on the sauté mode. Once the inner pot is hot, add oil and ghee.
Add shahi jeera, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, cardamom and bay leaf. Stir it.
Next, add chopped onions, slit green chillies and fry until onion turns into translucent.
Now add ginger garlic paste and sauté until raw smell goes out. Next, add chopped tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are mushed.
Add the marinated chicken pieces along with turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala, salt and sauté for 5to 8 minutes.
Then add the rice to the pot and gently mix the rice without breaking the grains.
Add 3 ½ cups water and give a quick mix.
Add coriander, mint leaves and mix well. Check the seasoning and add salt if needed.
Cancel the sauté mode. Close the lid and keep the valve in sealing mode. Select pressure cook mode and set to high pressure for 5 minutes.
Once the cooking is done, allow the pressure to release naturally.
Open the lid and gently fluff the rice with a spoon or fork.
How to serve this Pulao?
We usually enjoy this pulao with CHICKEN CURRY, CHICKEN GHEE ROAST and onion raita.
How to store Chicken Pulao?
Allow the rice to cool down completely. Store the rice in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can freeze the rice in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Thaw the rice in the fridge overnight before Reheating.
Notes
- Adjust spices according to your taste
- You can use normal rice instead of basmati rice
- To avoid burn, make sure there is enough liquid while cooking the rice.
- Deglaze the bottom of the pan after cooking the chicken.
- If you don’t have time you can skip the marination process.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Chicken Pulao Recipe (Instant pot and Stovetop methods )
Ingredients
- Basmati rice- ½ kg 500grams – 3 cups
- Slit green chillies – 5
- Ginger garlic paste – 11/2 tsp
- Chopped tomatoes – 1 big
- Red chilli powder – 1 Tsp
- Cumin powder – 1tsp
- Garam masala – ½ tsp
- Chopped onions - 2
- Bay leaves- 2
- Cloves- 4
- Cinnamon stick- ½ inch
- Cardamom pods- 2
- Star anise - 1
- Shah Jeera – 1tsp
- Mint leaves a handful
- Coriander leaves a handful
- Ghee- 4tbsp
- Oil- 1tsp
- Salt to taste
For Chicken Marination:
- Chicken – ½ kg
- Ginger garlic paste- 11/2 tsp
- Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
- Red chilli powder -1tsp
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Stovetop Method:
- Marinate the chicken pieces with the ingredients mentioned under marination.
- Cover it with cling film and keep in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
- Wash and soak the basmati rice in enough water for 20-30 minutes.
- Heat a heavy bottom non-stick pan with ghee, oil and add shah jeera along with cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and cardamom pods.
- Next add the sliced onions, green chillies and sauté them till onions change its colour.
- Then add ginger garlic paste and fry till raw smell goes. Next, add chopped tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are mushed.
- Add the marinated chicken pieces along with turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala, salt and sauté for few minutes on high flame.
- Drain the water from the rice, and add to the chicken pieces. Mix well.
- Then add 4 ½ cups of water and check to season. Add coriander leaves and mix well.
- Cover the saucepan and cook on a low – medium flame for 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice and chicken is cooked. Here for me, it took exactly 20 minutes.
- Once cooking time is done. switch off the flame. Keep the pan aside.
- Leave the pan like that for some time without disturbing it.
- Then fluff the chicken Pulao lightly with the spoon and transfer into a serving plate and enjoy tasty and delicious Easy chicken pulao with chicken curry or raita.
Instant Pot Method:
- In a mixing bowl, add cleaned chicken with the ingredients mentioned above for marination and mix well. Keep it aside for at least 10-15minutes in the fridge.
- Wash and soak basmati rice in enough water for 15-20minutes. Once 20 minutes is done drain water from the rice and keep it aside.
- Place the inner pot inside the Instant Pot. Switch on the sauté mode. Once the inner pot is hot, add oil and ghee.
- Add shahi jeera, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, cardamom and bay leaf. Stir it.
- Next, add chopped onions, slit green chillies and fry until onion turns into translucent.
- Now add ginger garlic paste and sauté until raw smell goes out. Next, add chopped tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are mushed.
- Add the marinated chicken pieces along with turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala, salt and sauté for 5 to 8 minutes.
- Then add the rice to the pot and gently mix the rice without breaking the grains.
- Add 3 ½ cups water and give a quick mix.
- Add coriander, mint leaves and mix well. Check the seasoning and add salt if needed.
- Cancel the sauté mode. Close the lid and keep the valve in sealing mode. Select pressure cook mode and set to high pressure for 5 minutes
- Once the cooking is done, allow the pressure to release naturally
- Open the lid and gently fluff the rice with a spoon or fork
Notes
- Adjust spices according to your taste
- You can use normal rice instead of basmati rice
- To avoid burn, make sure there is enough liquid while cooking the rice.
- Deglaze the bottom of the pan after cooking the chicken.
- If you don’t have time you can skip the marination process.
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I am sure my chicken loving friends can appreciate this better. Pictures look crisp.
That's one protein packed dish and a treat for chicken lovers..
Seems like a great pulao option for chicken lovers.
Looks super delicious..my kinda rice dish .. yummy share..
That looks amazing. The pulao recipe is so similar to the one I make regularly. Yum.
Chicken pulao looks so delicious. Such a nice and quick dish for chicken lovers
The chicken pulao has turned out great Pavani, nice pictures.
I am sure all chicken lovers would go crazy for this pulav. The pictures are very inviting. Lovely clicks.
A treat for chicken lovers. That plate looks very inviting.
I love chicken Pulao though I do not cook it at home as my hubby and daughter do not eat it.Looking at your pics I am tempted to make some just for me and my son.
Nice chicken pulav, it is a wholesome meal perfect for a weekend lunch or dinner