The MOST loved recipe on this site, this One Pot Chicken Pulao is weeknight friendly and also great for guests! Tips and tricks for perfect pulao, boneless chicken, and cooking rice in the post.
My forever go-to recipe for Pulao. Forever and ever love! Quickest fix ever! Thankyou Sarah!!
- Maham Ali
You know what's almost magical about this Chicken Pulao? It's that once you make this Chicken Pilau every time you think of it, it's beautiful aroma automatically floods your senses. Actually I kid, what's magical is the taste. I can't get enough and neither can the reviewers below!
Also if you are as big a fan of easy Pakistani chicken recipes as I am you've got to try this scrumptious Pakistani Chicken Ginger and this classic for a reason Chicken Biryani.
Why I make this pulao the MOST
- It is a ONE POT meal.
- It's ready in under 45 minutes
- Best pulao I have ever eaten
- It is SO SIMPLE (more on that below).
Setting yourself up for success: Ingredients matter
Onions: Cooking onions (yellow or red) are best. The sturdy white and sweet vidalia are not your friends here.
Chicken: Bone in is lovely for optimal flavour, but life happens and so I have explained how to sub for boneless a little later in the post.
TIP: if you are getting a small chicken cut from your butcher then "save" the bonier pieces like the neck in your freezer to make delicious stock!
Ginger and Garlic: I highly recommend homemade Ginger Paste and Garlic Paste. You can also grate equivalent amounts of fresh.
4 Tips for Perfect Pulao
1.) Wash and Soak your rice. When you wash your rice (rinse it a few times with water) you get rid of excess starch and when you soak it you give it a head start on fluffiness.
2.) Beautiful caramel onions. Onions are the flavor base of this pulao, don't be shy to build colour and if you feel like you went a little too far then add a splash of water and immediately stop the process!
3. Tender Chicken: Chicken is a funny protein. It cooks right away and then overcooks right away. Let it simmer in this beautiful masala bath so it pushes past the point of chewy (especially for chicken breasts).
Tip Four: Pay attention when cooking the rice and follow the instructions to make sure your rice is just right. Lots on that below.
How to Make the BEST One Pot Pilau
- Step 1: Combine all spices into a large bowl and combine thoroughly with mixture
- Step 2: Form into ball shape with your hands
- Step 3: Press into patties
- Step 4: Cook in oven for x minutes at 400 degrees
- Step 5: Remove and add to serving plate
- Step 6: Assemble and serve!
Making Pulao Ahead
I get asked often if you can make this chicken pulao (or chicken pilau) ahead for dawats/ dinner parties. Yes folks, it is dinner party good. And yes, you absolutely can make it a day in advance. Here are two ways to do that:
- Cook the chicken all the way through then put aside to cool and refrigerate overnight. Warm the chicken through the next day and cook the rice fresh. Ain't nothing like that fresh fluffy rice.
- Make the whole pulao and then gently heat in a covered dish in a preheated oven (325 degrees) until it's warmed through.
Can I use boneless chicken for this Pulao?
This is where I am supposed to wax eloquent about the rich flavours of bone in meat, but friends let me tell you - if there was ever a pulao you would relish even with white meat it is this one. I make it often enough with white meat chicken and you could certainly use dark meat as well.
Does the flavor change? Of course. Bone in chicken results in a pulao with more richness and depth, but trust me the boneless version is quite tasty! Boneless thigh is forgiving, but boneless breast requires a little doing because it can dry out.
If you are using boneless breast then add a splash of water when you cover the chicken to cook (half a cup) and simmer for 20 minutes. If the chicken is tender then add the rice, otherwise wait till it is. You want tender, tender, not just cooked.
Why does my rice come out … (insert adjective)
Why does my rice come out mushy?
In a nutshell it is overcooked which is because there was either too much water or too long a cooking time. Once your rice is overcooked it is hard to 'fix'.
However here are two simple tips for avoiding overcooked rice. Desi totka alert ok?
1) Make sure the water in the pot is only so much that when you put your index finger in it only reaches the first of the lines inside your fingers. This is a tip my SIL whose an incredible cook passed on to me and I swear by it. From there on boil it till your water level falls below the rice and steam and cook the rest of the way.
2) If you feel that the water is still more than you'd like then you have two choices, crank the heat HIGH to evaporate it faster without sacrificing any of the flavour in the water or simply skim some off the top. I won't tell if you wont. If you decide to crank the water up just watch the pot carefully ok?
Why does my rice not look fluffy?
9 times out of 10 it is because you did not presoak your rice. The 30 minute lazing in a water bath really helps the rice tenderize and cook better. If you skip it the texture of the grain will not be the safe.
You didn't fluff it. Strange but true. If you don't open your pot and gently fluff the rice after the chicken pilau is done you run the risk of it (pardon the unattractive word) congealing.
What do I serve with Chicken Pulao?
Well since you asked (or I imagined that you did) if you served this chicken pulao with a simple green raita or even this sabzi one (be still my beating heart), a garlic chutney or achari michein, and shami kabab or kachay keemay ke kabab we would be besties for life. Let's be besties ok?
If you make this recipe do take a few seconds to rate it! I would love to see your recreations so tag me on instagram @flourandspiceblog !
The BEST One-Pot Chicken Pulao
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups Basmati Rice, washed and soaked.
Pulao Masala
- 1.5-2 lb chicken (bone in, mixed pieces, see notes)
- 3 onions diced
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1.5 tbsp ginger paste
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp whole black pepper
- ½ tbsp cumin seeds
- 1-inch piece cinnamon
- 3 black cardamoms
- 5-6 whole red chillies
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 piece of nutmeg, break/chop into a rough quarters (optional)
- 2 pieces javetri/mace (optional)
- 4-5 whole green chillies
Instructions
- Wash your rice in a few changes of water until it runs clear then soak while you start your pulao.
- Heat a very generous lug of oil in a pot big enough to cook your pulao in
- Add the onions and cook on medium heat till amber
- Now add the chicken and saute until the pieces are all white
- Add all the remaining pulao masala ingredients except the green chillies
- Mix well, saute on medium high heat for two minutes
- Let the masala come to a boil, then simmer on low until the chicken is done. The chicken releases it's own liquid so you shouldn't need to add any unless the masala seems like it will stick/burn.
- When the masala is ready the oil will have risen to the top and the chicken will be tender. This can take anywhere between 25-30 minutes depending on your chicken.
- Once the chicken is done add the rice, green chillies, and 3.5 cups of water to the pot along with 1.5 tsp salt
- Mix well and taste, it should be just a little salty.
- Bring the pulao to a boil and cook partially covered until almost all the water has evaporated then close the lid completely for 5-8 minutes until the remaining moisture has absorbed and the rice is done.
- Gently fluff the rice from the sides and serve with your chutney/raita/achar of choice
Video
Notes
- mace and nutmeg are entirely optional, but I do love the rich notes they add. If you don't have them handy don't worry. If you only have the powders then ¼ tsp of each is good. Taste the masala and add more if you wish before adding the rice
- There is a total of 3.5 tsp of salt in this recipe. I use table salt and in Canada it is far less salty than that in other parts of the world. Please start with less and adjust according to your tastebuds!
- Instructions for cooking boneless chicken in post
Update: this post was updated in October of 2022 to better explain the steps and add a video. If you are wondering if this is the same Hyderabadi Chicken Pulao recipe you've made before that looked as below then you're in the right place!
Hina Shazli says
I am a South Indian and a dakkani Hyderabadi. That means I love my rice and biryani. But I’m yet to try any other rice-chicken dish and it will def be this one! Looks yum. Thank you for all your lovely recipes, Sarah! ❤️
Sarah Mir says
Hina! those are some seriously flavorful culinary roots! hope you try and like this recipe!
Sonia says
Ahhh. I love this!! It turned out phenomenal. I was a bit confused about the ginger abs garlic too but then I read your comments. Perfect.
Sarah Mir says
Yay!!! great to hear you were happy with it!!! thank you!
Mariam says
I tried it this week. Very easy to follow recipe.
Sarah Mir says
Thanks mariam! Anything you would suggest for it?
Ambreen says
Delicious and easy to follow, I will be adding it to my weekly rotation! Thank you Sarah 😊
Sarah Mir says
I can't even tell you how wonderful that is to hear!
Karthiga says
Should all the spices be added whole? No grinding?
Sarah Mir says
Yup! no grinding! happy cooking!
Zakira says
Thank you for posting this!! Made it yesterday for the first time in a while because I was craving some and it turned out delicious 😋
Sarah Mir says
I am SO glad to hear that!!! Thank you for your review!
Zainab says
I love this recipe. It is my go-to dish for gatherings and everyone always loves it.
Sarah Mir says
That's great to hear, thank you for your review!
Alexandra Wishart says
Hello Sarah-
I just wanted to quickly thank you for this recipe. I am a Ukrainian married to a Pakistani man and I have been slowly trying to learn how to make Pakistani food. I have been hesitant because my mother in law is such a wonderful cook but I made this recipe 2 nights ago and Asif said it was just like auntie made it. My karahi is still not good enough but this and my Chanay are MIL approved thanks to you! Your blog is a major inspiration for me to try stuff out even if I am still nervous to mess it up!
Sarah Mir says
Alexandra! That is FANTASTIC to hear! Just saw this wonderful comment in my spam folder, apologies for not acknowledging it sooner!
Shazia says
Salaam, I noticed you didn't add saunf anymore to this recipe as before , is there any reason? Also just wondered as there is no cloves used in this pulao , is it because you don't like to use in pulao ? Just curious ! Thanks, regards Shazia
shifa says
can we use ground cinnamon instead of whole cinnamon? and if so, how much would we add for this recipe :)?
Sarah Mir says
Hey Shifa - I would either put the tiniest pinch possible or skip it!
Mehwish Fatima says
This was literally a last minute addition to a dawat and I made it in the instant pot. A great great recipe! 💯
Sarah Mir says
Fantastic! I am SO glad to hear it worked!
Amna says
It turned out great. It was my first time making pilao - I added 1 top red chilli powder as well.
Sarah Mir says
Wonderful! I am SO glad it worked and I love the additional mirchi!
Maheen says
This was beyond delicious!! I recently started cooking and your recipes have been a life saver for me. Each and everything I've tried is brilliant.
A few days ago I had a craving for pulao. Scared of trying the rice-water combination, I gave this recipe a shot. It turned out SO good! I received a heapload of compliments.
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes
Sarah Mir says
maheen! This is the BESTEST to read! I am so happy you enjoyed this pulao and the other recipes you've been trying!
Eraj says
I had typed out a msg to you to ask what happened to the hyderabadi pulao recipe you used to have up here 😆 then (thankfully) it occurred to me to read all the notes in the end haha. A 5 star recipe!! The family loved it, and I am never going back to making a separate yakhni for chicken again!
Sarah Mir says
I do occasionally second guess the name change! Apologies for any confusion that caused! Thank you for leaving a review and rating!
cakerecipesideas says
This recipe was amazing. i tried it and it turned out so yummy. keep it up.
Sarah Mir says
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!