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August 16, 2019

Instant Pot Chicken Pulao (Quick & Easy) + Video

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Pulao, or pilaf, is a delicately flavored rice dish popular in Pakistani and Indian cooking. This Instant Pot Chicken Pulao recipe requires just 25 minutes of prep time and results in tender boneless (or bone-in) chicken and perfectly cooked rice.

Instant Pot Chicken Pulao in a bowl garnished with cilantro.

What is Chicken Pulao?

Pulao may not be as famous as biryani, but it holds significance just the same. I remember whenever my mom made it, I’d stand over the stove sneaking just one bite before dinner, and then another, and another. Meat, rice, and aromatic whole spices all woven together so beautifully to create a magnificent composition. It’s utterly satisfying.

This Instant Pot Chicken Pulao is a weeknight version of the more elaborate yakhni pulao, in which meat is slowly simmered to create a stock (yakhni) which is used to cook the rice. That’s not to say you’re missing out on the flavors of classic pulao. The techniques here are still the same – deeply brown onions, seared meat, and rice perfumed with whole spices.

Instant Pot Chicken Pulao in a bowl garnished with cilantro.

Using Bone-in or Boneless Chicken for Pulao

For this recipe, I use chicken thighs or chicken tenders – the little strips of meat attached to the underside of the chicken breast. If you don’t have them, you can also use chicken breast.

I’ve also tried this with bone-in chicken. As long as bone-in chicken pieces are small, the recipe works with bone-in chicken as well! Be sure to sauté bone-in chicken a little longer to ensure no extra moisture will be released while cooking.

How to prevent soggy rice when making Instant Pot Pulao

I’ve tested many times to ensure that the rice remains fluffy and moist, with each grain separated just like a traditional pulao. Here are my tips to prevent soggy rice:

  1. Use the right kind of rice. While I can’t be sure all rice will cook to perfection with this method (you may have to do a little trial and error), most aged, long-grain basmati rice will work wonderfully in this recipe. I use this Royal Chef’s Secret brand.
  2. The recipe calls to soak the rice for 25 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. If that’s not how long you normally soak it, try soaking the rice for a shorter period of time.
  3. After cooking the rice, allow it to naturally release pressure as directed in the recipe. You’ll notice that it’ll get even less moist as time goes on.
  4. All the ingredients are measured specifically to prevent soggy rice. Use a small tomato as directed in the recipe so the moisture doesn’t cause sogginess. If you prefer pulao without a tomato, feel free to omit it.
  5. Before adding the chicken, be sure to pat it dry with a paper towel.
  6. Lastly, remove the rice promptly from the Instant Pot and place on your serving dish.
Close up of a platter of Instant Pot Chicken Pulao.

What to serve with Chicken Pulao

Chicken pulao is a wonderful one-pot meal that’s traditionally paired with raita or yogurt. I love making some Shami kabab or Aloo ki Tikki as a side when serving pulao.

More tips on making chicken pulao in the Instant Pot:

  • This recipe moves quickly once the onions have browned. Before you begin cooking, have all ingredients (especially the spices) prepped and ready to go.
  • As always with South Asian recipes, be sure to pick out and discard the whole spices while you eat. If you don’t want to bite into the whole spices at all, place them in a spice bag or cheesecloth bundle. I don’t recommend grinding them because they may become overpowering.
  • Triple wash the basmati rice to remove starches and encourage the grains to separate once cooked.
Instant Pot Chicken Pulao in a bowl garnished with cilantro.

I hope you get a chance to try this recipe! If you do, let me know in the comments below! If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I love hearing from you!

More Instant Pot recipes you’ll love:

  • Instant Pot Shami Kebab (with stovetop instructions)
  • Instant Pot Maash ki Dal
  • Instant Pot Kadhi
  • Instant Pot Nihari
  • Instant Pot Butter Chicken
  • Instant Pot Chana Pulao (Chickpea Pilaf)

For more ideas, check out my Instant Pot Pakistani Recipes Roundup!

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Instant Pot Chicken Pulao

Izzah Cheema
This quick and easy Instant Pot Chicken Pulao recipe requires just 25 minutes of prep time and results in tender boneless chicken and perfectly cooked rice.
4.96 from 24 votes
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Prep Time 25 mins
Cook Time 6 mins
Natural Pressure Release 15 mins
Total Time 46 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian, Pakistani
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups (285 grams) aged, long grain basmati rice
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil such as grapeseed or avocado
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
  • 2 small (or 1 large) bay leaves
  • 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
  • 1 2-inch piece cinnamon stick
  • 1 small black cardamom optional
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • ½ tsp coriander seeds crushed
  • 4 cloves garlic crushed
  • 3/4 inch piece ginger crushed
  • 1 lb boneless chicken (I prefer thighs or tenders but you may use breast) cubed into 1” pieces
  • 1 small (50g) tomato finely chopped
  • 1-2 green chili peppers whole or chopped (optional)
  • 1 3/4 cups water
  • 2 ¼ tsp kosher salt divided (or to taste)
  • small handful chopped cilantro and/or mint

Instructions
 

  • Thoroughly wash the rice and soak it in water for 15-25 minutes*. Then drain. I usually start pulao preparation while the rice is soaking.
  • Select the high Sauté setting on the Instant Pot. Once hot, add the oil, ghee, and thinly sliced onion. Sauté, stirring often, until the onions are golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Deglaze the pan with a tablespoon of water. The color of the onions will determine the color of the rice so you want to get them even and golden brown.
  • Add the whole spices, garlic, and ginger and sauté for another minute or until the raw smell disappears. Add the chicken** and ¼ tsp of the salt and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes until the color of the chicken changes. Add the tomato and green chili pepper and sauté until the tomato softens, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the rice, remaining salt, and water and stir to combine. Scrape the sides of the pot and gently press down the rice to make everything is submerged in the water.
  • Cancel the Sauté setting, secure the lid, and set the Pressure Release to Sealing. Pressure-cook on high setting for 6 minutes. Let naturally release for 15 minutes. Then manually release any remaining pressure by moving the Pressure Release to Venting. Fluff with a fork. Sprinkle the cilantro/mint over the top and serve with raita or yogurt.

Video

Notes

*Triple wash the basmati rice to remove starches and encourage the grains to separate once cooked.  If your rice generally takes less soaking, soak only for 15 minutes. See post for notes on how to prevent mushy rice.  
**Before adding the chicken, be sure to pat it dry with a paper towel.
Recipe adapted from my Instant Pot Chana Pulao.

Nutrition

Calories: 579kcalCarbohydrates: 77gProtein: 29gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 1423mgPotassium: 441mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 58IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Instant Pot Chicken Pulao
Did you try this recipe?Please let me know in the comments below. If you’re on Instagram, I’d love for you to tag me so I can see your creations.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Azka says

    January 24, 2021 at 8:14 pm

    5 stars
    I am just so happy I have found your blog and recipes – I am finally learning authentic, yummy recipes at the age of 28! I made this recipe and I was so nervous that the rice would turn mushy but it was fantastic. I reduced the water by a couple of tablespoons as my rice soaked for a little over 30 mins so I adjusted accordingly and it was GREAT. so easy! can’t wait to make it again.

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      January 24, 2021 at 9:29 pm

      Thank you so much, Azka. And I’m happy you found TfT as well! Hope you get to try more recipes. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Raegurl says

    December 31, 2020 at 10:25 am

    If I use 2 cups of rice, how much water pls.

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      January 4, 2021 at 1:09 pm

      Quick note that you can toggle the serving bar to adjust the amount of ingredients!

      Reply
  3. Quratulain says

    December 4, 2020 at 11:49 am

    5 stars
    Hi Izzah, I tried this today for dinner and it turned out amazing! This isn’t the first of your recipes I’ve tried and as always, it didn’t fail. We got an instant pot as a wedding gift recently and I’ve been following your blog to make the best use of it – it’s honestly made cooking in the pot so easy! Just wanted to say thank you for all your (super easy!) recipes. Keep up the excellent work! x

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      December 4, 2020 at 12:04 pm

      So awesome to hear that, Quratulain! So nice of you to say. Thanks for trying my recipes and for taking the time to share such a kind review! And congratulations on your wedding!! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Zara says

    December 2, 2020 at 9:41 pm

    If we substitute for brown rice would we have to change the cooking time?

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      December 2, 2020 at 9:59 pm

      Yes! I haven’t tried it in the IP, but a quick google search rendered 15 minutes!

      Reply
  5. Zainab says

    November 6, 2020 at 3:04 pm

    5 stars
    So simple and so delicious. My toddler and baby enjoyed as well.

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      November 9, 2020 at 12:37 pm

      Thanks very much, Zainab!!

      Reply
  6. Kiran says

    October 30, 2020 at 4:42 pm

    If I wanted to make this toddler friendly, would I eliminate the green chili?
    How would you adjust the spices for a toddler that’s developing taste for spice but not there yet.

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      November 1, 2020 at 3:42 pm

      No need to eliminate! Maybe you can reduce a bit. It’s spice-forward but mild heat-wise.

      Reply
  7. Ann says

    October 18, 2020 at 3:24 pm

    5 stars
    Super easy to make
    Gently spiced
    Loved the recipe! Thank you for sharing

    How is Pulao different from biryani

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      October 20, 2020 at 3:31 pm

      You’re welcome and thank YOU for coming back to review! Pulao is a gently spiced pilaf whereas biryani is a layered of rice and curry and finishes cooking together. It’s heavier on spice and ‘masala’.

      Reply
  8. nimrah says

    September 26, 2020 at 11:54 am

    Hi Salaam Izzah! I recently had a friend teach me how to cook qorma and tried to follow her instructions, which was fine but your site is where i went to actually cook it. Great job and thank you for doing this.

    Question: Can we use semi frozen chicken breast and how would that affect cooking time etc? Thanks!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      September 27, 2020 at 2:23 pm

      Thank you, Nimrah! I haven’t tried it with semi-frozen but I believe you can do it, just increase cooking time. It may make the rice mushy because of the extra moisture in the chicken + increased cooking time.

      Reply
      • Nimrah R Bakhsh says

        September 28, 2020 at 3:36 pm

        I added one minute to offset any frozen-ness of the chicken and it turned out so well! Thanks!

        Reply
        • teaforturmeric says

          September 28, 2020 at 8:10 pm

          Thanks for sharing that, Nimrah! So glad it worked out!

          Reply
  9. Radhika says

    August 28, 2020 at 7:12 am

    5 stars
    simple and delicious, love it <3

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      August 28, 2020 at 10:27 am

      Thank you, Radhika!!

      Reply
  10. Marriam says

    July 29, 2020 at 7:27 am

    Salam! i’m planning to make this for Eid, Can I marinate the chicken beforehand for a deeper flavour or is it unnecessary? Do you have any suggestions? Excited to try this!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      July 30, 2020 at 7:08 pm

      You could certainly do that though I’ve made sure the dish is plenty flavorful without it! I’d try salt, ginger, and garlic but be sure to use less for the overall recipe.

      Reply
      • Marriam says

        August 4, 2020 at 9:20 am

        5 stars
        I ended up not marinating and making recipe as is. Turned out so delicious! So easy to make, Thank you so much!

        Reply
        • teaforturmeric says

          August 4, 2020 at 9:07 pm

          That’s awesome. Thanks for coming back and sharing the review!

          Reply
  11. Sahar says

    July 3, 2020 at 1:09 pm

    5 stars
    This is an awesome recipe! I make this for my husband every two weeks and he loves it!! !

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      July 8, 2020 at 11:34 pm

      So nice to hear that, Sahar. Thanks for the review!

      Reply
  12. Sanaa says

    June 28, 2020 at 7:51 am

    This was delicious!! Thank you so much!

    Reply
  13. Maheen says

    June 13, 2020 at 9:18 pm

    5 stars
    My first ever instant pot recipe. Loved it so much. Thank you!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      June 18, 2020 at 10:00 pm

      You’re very welcome, Maheen! So glad you had a success on your first try!!

      Reply
  14. Sana says

    May 9, 2020 at 7:49 am

    5 stars
    Followed this recipe exactly and it came out amazing! Loved it. Your recipes are excellent.

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      May 10, 2020 at 1:27 pm

      So great to hear that! Thank you for your nice review, Sana!!

      Reply
  15. sm says

    May 4, 2020 at 10:42 pm

    5 stars
    I just want to thank you for this amazing recipe! I’m a terrible cook and this turned out amazing! I was wondering if I wanted to make mutter pulao or goat pulao would you change anything? Thanks again and please post more recipes! I tried your raitha also and that was good too!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      May 5, 2020 at 10:51 am

      You’re very welcome!! Try IP Chana Pulao (https://www.teaforturmeric.com/instant-pot-chana-pulao/)! Goat would have to be cooked prior to making alongside the rice!

      Reply
    • Sm says

      May 6, 2020 at 3:36 am

      5 stars
      Thank you so much! I will definitely try it.

      Reply
  16. Bethany says

    April 13, 2020 at 3:28 am

    5 stars
    This recipe is amazing…the best taste ever! I have one question though…if I want to add potatoes to the dish how would I do that? Would I cook the potatoe first..or add them before pressure cook time and the pressure cook will cook the potatoe? Thank you for the great recipes you have put out!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      April 13, 2020 at 9:31 pm

      Thank you so much, Bethany!! What a great idea. It should work within the same pressure cook times. Just add them after the chicken and pressure cook as normal.

      Reply
  17. Naba Saeed says

    March 14, 2020 at 5:28 pm

    5 stars
    Izza this has become one of my go to favourite recipes! So easy and fast to make, and so utterly delicious! Since baby number 2, i’m always looking for recipes that are time efficient and that me and the family fall in love with! This recipe tops the list! At one point i was making this at least once a week because we just couldnt get enough! Until i found more of your recipes to add to our rotation 😉 thank youuuu!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      March 14, 2020 at 6:21 pm

      Aww thanks so much, Naba!!! So happy to hear that 🙂

      Reply
  18. Colleen says

    February 19, 2020 at 8:27 pm

    4 stars
    Hello,
    The flavors of this dish were great but my rice came out really sticky and mushy. I used basmati rice and soaked exactly 25 minutes. The only change I made to the recipe was I used 1/2 of a medium onion and 1.5lbs diced chicken. Despite the increased chicken, all ingredients were covered by the water for pressure cooking. Do you have recommendations on how to cook the rice to al dente? Do I change the cooking time or the amount of liquid?
    Thanks for the tips!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      February 20, 2020 at 10:01 pm

      Colleen, glad you liked the flavors and sorry it came out mushy. It may just be the type of basmati rice. In that case, you may try decreasing the amount of water by 1/4 cup. Also, the extra half-pound of chicken has its own moisture so that may contribute to it turning out mushy.

      Reply
    • Isra says

      April 18, 2020 at 3:27 pm

      If they came out mushy make sure the water from the tomato and chicken has fully evaporated and oil has released prior to adding rice and water.

      Reply
      • teaforturmeric says

        April 18, 2020 at 5:16 pm

        Yes! Thank you so much, Isra!

        Reply
  19. Shermin says

    January 30, 2020 at 2:35 pm

    The recipe asks for 1 3/4 cups of water. Does that mean 1.75 cups or just .75 cup of water? Also, the same with 2 1/4 tsp of salt. Are you saying .50 tsp of salt and then it is split in two different times in the recipe?

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      January 31, 2020 at 8:13 pm

      I mean 1.75 cups and 2.25 tsp salt. I divide the salt to give the chicken more flavor as it cooks!

      Reply
  20. Zeba says

    December 13, 2019 at 10:33 pm

    Salaam Izzah and thank you for your recipes and the obvious effort and care you put into perfecting and sharing them. I’ve made this recipe once before and absolutely loved it but will have family visiting over the holidays and wanted to cook a larger quantity. So my question is, if I double the recipe would I need to adjust the pressure cook time?

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      December 15, 2019 at 9:52 am

      W.S. Zeba. I’m so glad you liked it! No, you will keep the same pressure time, rice, & liquid quantities. The only thing that comes to mind is the black cardamom – I’d stick to 1 instead of 2 because sometimes it can be overpowering.

      Reply
      • Zeba says

        December 28, 2019 at 1:29 pm

        Thank you. Made this last night and it was a huge hit! Would’ve taken a picture but the public was starving. I did end up using one regular sized and one teeny tiny black cardamom (you know the one that always settles down in the bottom of the storage jar ????) just because I love my ilaichis and it turned out well.

        Reply
        • teaforturmeric says

          December 28, 2019 at 2:18 pm

          So glad to hear that, Zeba! Thank you for sharing 🙂

          Reply
          • Amna says

            March 21, 2020 at 11:49 pm

            Salam Izzah. I am also looking to double the recipe. I need to double the rice and chicken. I am slightly confused by your comment above as it says not to double the rice or water?

          • teaforturmeric says

            March 24, 2020 at 11:08 am

            W.S. Amna, Sorry for the confusion. You can go ahead and double the recipe. I just suggested decreasing the black cardamom so it’s not overpowering. Hope that helps!

  21. Sadia says

    August 29, 2019 at 10:21 pm

    5 stars
    Salam! Thank you so much for this awesome recipe! Made it today and turned out great! Hubby also complimented it which is relieving ????loll and made your Raita to go with it which is probably the first time I’ve made decent Raita!! ????????????I don’t even use my stovetop anymore for dinner lol after getting into this instant pot train I can’t stop ???? I do have a question tho…some of my rice came out kind of sticky and bunched up…I was wondering what may have caused that…? The only thing I can think of is that I ended up soaking the rice for quite a bit more than 25 mins…ended up being maybe an hr ???? would that make a difference?
    Overall tho a great recipe and I’ve already memorized it lol
    Thank you!!!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      September 3, 2019 at 12:10 pm

      Hi Sadia! Thank you! I’m sorry to hear about some of the rice turning out sticky. Yes, you’re right. The soak time will definitely affect it as well as the brand/type of rice used.

      Reply
  22. Yulia says

    August 23, 2019 at 8:03 pm

    5 stars
    Great results, again!
    Just had this for dinner.
    Thank you

    Reply
  23. fatema says

    August 21, 2019 at 6:19 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe was so easy to follow and the end result was perfect!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      August 22, 2019 at 11:00 am

      So glad to hear that, Fatema. Thanks for reporting back!

      Reply
  24. Zainab says

    August 16, 2019 at 3:13 pm

    Hi I have a questions, can this be made with whole bone in chicken and if so does anything need to be adjusted aside for the amount of spices cuz of the size of the chicken?

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      August 16, 2019 at 7:58 pm

      Zainab, I have heard back from several people that they used bone-in chicken and it did fully cook. I will try it and update the recipe when I do!

      Reply
  25. Hena says

    August 16, 2019 at 2:28 pm

    You be you, I was drawn to your blog some time ago due to your story and style of writing (and also knowing you’re based nearby in Texas). As long as you fully bring yourself, I think the SEO stuff will take care of itself!!

    And to mirror another comment, I really appreciate you taking the time to add notes and help us cater your recipes to specific tastes, as desi food is hardly perfected with step by step directions.

    The pulao looks great, my mom has an Instant Pot and I’m so asking her to make this for me 🙂

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      August 16, 2019 at 8:00 pm

      Thank you, Hena! That is so nice and encouraging to hear. I hope you guys enjoy it!

      Reply
  26. Asma says

    August 16, 2019 at 10:46 am

    Salam Izzah. I have a question for you regarding the IP chicken pulao. So my mom never uses tomatoes in her pulao (only in her biryani). What is the reason for the tomato and will it be okay to leave it out? Thanks so much for sharing your time and recipes!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      August 16, 2019 at 10:49 am

      W.S Asma! You’re right – tomatoes aren’t essential for pulao. I tried the recipe with and without the tomato and simply preferred it with the tomato. You can certainly leave it out and it won’t affect the overall recipe.

      Reply
      • Asma says

        August 16, 2019 at 9:21 pm

        Thank you! I will report back once I make it. Thanks so much for sharing!!!????????

        Reply
  27. Foodie says

    August 16, 2019 at 10:27 am

    Your writing is always a treat to read. Your words are beautiful and eloquent. And I always get excited when I see a notification of a new blog post from you!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      August 16, 2019 at 10:33 am

      Aww thank you, Anni!!

      Reply
    • Sadia Niazi says

      November 11, 2020 at 6:49 pm

      Assalam O Alaikum Izzah, If I double the recipe, then the should the timing for pressure cook be same 6 min or double the timing 12 min? I’ve tried with this amount and all is gone! Thinking of making more so will have leftover the next day.

      Reply
      • SB says

        January 1, 2021 at 8:31 am

        The pressure cooking time will stay the same but all the other ingredients double. Izzah mentioned elsewhere that you might want to do just 1 or 1.5 of the black cardamom.

        Reply
        • teaforturmeric says

          January 4, 2021 at 1:09 pm

          Thank you so much!

          Reply
  28. fatema says

    August 16, 2019 at 10:25 am

    I was thrilled to get a notification email that you have a new post on your blog. I am a longtime fan of your writing and recipes, I especially appreciate the time you put into testing recipes from scratch. My children love pilau and I have always struggled to mimic the taste of readymade spice mixes which I despise using because of the high sodium and additives. Thank you for this, I will be sure to update once I’ve tried it out. Your photos of this dish have me drooling lol

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      August 16, 2019 at 10:33 am

      That means the world to me, Fatema! I am honored to give you the best and I am sure you will love this recipe! Thank you so much. <3

      Reply
      • fatema says

        August 21, 2019 at 6:18 pm

        I’m back to say I just made this and it’s absolutely delicious! Thanks again.

        Reply

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Hi! I’m Izzah, and I look forward to brightening your day with good food and good vibes. Here you'll find tested & perfected South Asian recipes that are easy-to-follow yet authentic in taste!

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