Instant Pot Chicken Pulao (Quick & Easy)
Pulao, also spelled Pilau, is a delicately flavored rice dish popular in Pakistani and Indian cooking. This Instant Pot Chicken Pulao recipe requires 25 minutes of prep time and results in tender boneless (or bone-in) chicken and perfectly cooked rice.
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“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.”
Quratulain
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. (For a mutton version, check out my Mutton Pulao.) 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.
How to prevent soggy rice when making Instant Pot Pulao
Unlike Chana Pulao and Matar Pulao, Chicken Pulao has the added water content of chicken and a tomato. This makes it more likely for rice to become mushy.
After posting the original recipe, I noticed some people still had mushy rich, which meant that my rice may have been a bit more resilient to the extra water content. Recently, I tweaked the recipe and reduced the water content, which will hopefully allow this recipe to work for everyone.
Remember, IP rice should remain fluffy and moist, with each grain separated just like a traditional pulao. Here are a some tips to prevent soggy rice:
- Use aged, long-grain basmati 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 Royal Chef’s Secret brand.
- The recipe calls to soak the rice for 15 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- If you rinse your chicken, pat it dry with a paper towel before adding it in.
- Lastly, use a rice paddle or small plate to remove the rice promptly from the Instant Pot and place on the serving dish.
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 had many people report success with using bone-in chicken. As long as bone-in chicken pieces are small, the recipe works with bone-in chicken as well. If you’re using larger bone-in pieces, first pressure cook the chicken for 6 minutes before adding the rice. Be sure to sauté bone-in chicken a little longer to ensure no extra moisture will be released while cooking.
What to serve with Chicken Pulao
Chicken pulao is a wonderful one-pot meal that’s traditionally paired with raita or yogurt. Kachumber Salad or fresh, crunchy vegetables such as sliced onions, carrots, or cucumbers are ideal to add crunch and texture. I love making some Shami kabab, Chapli 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.
- You can also add cubed potatoes: Cube 1/2 of a medium russet potato into 1/2-inch cubes. Decrease the chicken to 10-11 oz and add the potatoes along with the chicken.
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
- Chana Pulao (Chickpea Pilaf)
For more ideas, check out my Instant Pot Pakistani Recipes Roundup!
Instant Pot Chicken Pulao
Watch the Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (285 g) 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 (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 (50 g) tomato, finely chopped
- 1-2 green chili peppers, whole or chopped
- 1 1/2 cups water, (See Note 2)
- 2 ¼ tsp kosher salt, divided (or to taste)
- small handful chopped cilantro and/or mint
Equipment
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash (See Note 1) the rice and soak it in water for 15 minutes. Then drain and set aside. 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 (~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. Sprinkle the cilantro/mint on top.
- Using a rice paddle or small plastic plate, gently transfer the rice on to a serving platter. Serve with raita or yogurt.
Notes
- Use aged, long-grain basmati 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 Royal Chef’s Secret brand.
- The recipe calls to soak the rice for 15 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.
- 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.
- 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 your tomato is watery, sauté it longer to remove any excess moisture.
- If you rinse your chicken, pat it dry with a paper towel before adding it in.
- Lastly, use a rice paddle or small plate to remove the rice promptly from the Instant Pot and place on the serving dish.
146 Comments on “Instant Pot Chicken Pulao (Quick & Easy)”
Hi, i used the toggle bar to double the recipe – does the pressure cooking time stay the same at six minutes, even if you double the recipe?
Yes, the pressure time stays the same! Be sure not to let it stay in the IP too long after it’s done cooking so the rice doesn’t get mushy at the bottom.
Thank you! I am not sure what I’m doing wrong but with this recipe, AND the butter chicken recipe, I got the burn warning. Even though I measured the exact amount of water that was indicated in your recipe. Any advice?
I’m sorry to hear that, Fatima. Grains tend to get mushy or burn in the IP. It could be a few things:
1. Any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot need to be deglazed.
2. Are you using a 6 qt? Different sizes can throw off recipes.
One alternative is to try cooking on low pressure for around 10-12 minutes and see if that helps.
THE BEST CHICKEN PULAO ON THE INTERNET, PERIODT.
Honored you think so. Thank you, Faiza!
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.
Thank you so much, Azka. And I’m happy you found TfT as well! Hope you get to try more recipes. 🙂
Hi Izzah, thank you for such a straightforward, easy recipe. Just wanted to ask, if I want to use bone-in chicken, what changes should be made to the cooking time?
Thanks & cheers!
Hello! You’d keep cooking time the same because the rice may get mushy with a longer cooking time. I’d suggest using smaller bone-in pieces and making sure they’re properly sautéd so they don’t release too much water.
If I use 2 cups of rice, how much water pls.
Quick note that you can toggle the serving bar to adjust the amount of ingredients!
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
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!! 🙂
If we substitute for brown rice would we have to change the cooking time?
Yes! I haven’t tried it in the IP, but a quick google search rendered 15 minutes!
So simple and so delicious. My toddler and baby enjoyed as well.
Thanks very much, Zainab!!
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.
No need to eliminate! Maybe you can reduce a bit. It’s spice-forward but mild heat-wise.
Super easy to make
Gently spiced
Loved the recipe! Thank you for sharing
How is Pulao different from biryani
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’.
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!
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.
I added one minute to offset any frozen-ness of the chicken and it turned out so well! Thanks!
Thanks for sharing that, Nimrah! So glad it worked out!