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Trust us, you NEED this easy Chicken Pulao recipe! It calls for just one pot, 35 minutes, and a few yummy ingredients. Before you know it, you’ll have an incredibly flavorful, Indian-inspired dinner that is just downright comforting. Your family will ask for this easy and oh so good recipe over and over again.
Let’s start!
Table of Contents
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What You Need To Make Chicken Pulao
Ingredients For the Chicken:
- 1 pound chicken (I used thighs, but you can use chicken breasts)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1⁄2-inch piece ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon red chilli powder (I like this one)
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1⁄4 cup yogurt
- Salt, to taste (I use 1/4 teaspoon)
Ingredients For the Pulao:
- 4 tablespoon ghee
- Spices: 5 cardamom pods, 1 1⁄2 tsp cumin, 2 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick, 7 cloves, 2 star anise
- 1 1⁄2 large onion, diced or sliced
- 3 green chili, sliced (optional)
- 3 cups basmati rice, rinsed well
- 5 cups vegetable broth, or water
- fresh cilantro, chopped
- fresh mint, chopped
- Salt, to taste (I use 1 1⁄2 teaspoon)
How To Make Chicken Pulao
- In a large bowl, add garlic, ginger, red chili powder, garam masala, salt, and yogurt. Mix until well-combined. Add chicken and mix until it is coated in the marinade. Allow the mixture to marinate for at least 30 minutes for best results.
- Heat a large pot on medium-high heat. Once hot, add ghee. Then add onion and green chilies. Saute until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the spices – cardamom, cumin, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, and star anise. Saute until fragrant.
- Add in the marinated chicken and fry until cooked through, about 4-8 minutes depending on the size of your chicken. Mix in lemon juice, cilantro, and mint, then stir to combine.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Then add salt and the rinsed basmati rice. Reduce the heat to a simmer, then cover and cook until rice has absorbed all the broth, about 16 to 18 minutes.
- Fluff up the rice, then top with some more ghee, yogurt, and/or chopped cilantro (optional). ENJOY!
Tips to Make the Best Chicken Pulao
- Make sure your rice is thoroughly rinsed (I like to rinse mine 3-4 times). If the rice is not rinsed well, you may end up with mushy rice.
- Do not omit the yogurt in the marinade. The yogurt keeps the chicken tender and juicy. If you’re dairy-free, you can substitute with nut milk yogurt (like this one) or coconut yogurt (like this one).
Chicken Pulao Nutrition Facts
This chicken pulao recipe yields 6 servings. Each serving contains:
- Calories: 590 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Sodium: 560mg
- Protein: 24g
- Fiber: 4g
Looking for More Easy Indian-Inspired Recipes?
- How to Make Paneer Tikka in the Oven
- Easy 5-Minute Samosa Chaat
- Indian Veggie Samosa Recipe
- Easy Chicken Curry (GF, DF)
- How To Make Masoor Dal Tadka (Indian Red Lentil Dal)
- Kerala Beef Curry ( Authentic Kerala Style Recipe )
- How to Make Butter Naan (Authentic Indian Flat bread)
- 1-Pot Vegan Cauliflower Curry (GF, DF, VG)
- Indian Masala Chai Spiced Overnight Oats
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If you make this Chicken Pulao recipe, please drop a comment below! I’d LOVE to know what you think! Or take a picture and share it on Instagram by tagging @dwellbymichelle so I can repost it on my stories!
How to Make Chicken Pulao Recipe
Trust us, you NEED this easy Chicken Pulao recipe! It calls for just one pot, 35 minutes, and a few yummy ingredients. Before you know it, you'll have an incredibly flavorful, Indian-inspired dinner that is just downright comforting. Your family will ask for this easy and oh so good recipe over and over again.
Ingredients
Ingredients For the Chicken
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- ½ inch ginger , minced
- 1 tbsp red chilli powder (I like this one)
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ¼ cup yogurt
- salt, to taste (I use 1/4 teaspoon)
Ingredients For the Pulao:
- 4 tbsp ghee
- 5 cardamom pods
- 1 ½ tsp cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 7 cloves
- 2 star anise
- 1 ½ large onion , diced or sliced
- 3 cups basmati rice
- 5 cups vegetable broth , sub water
- fresh cilantro , chopped
- fresh mint , chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- salt , to taste (I use 1 1⁄2 tsp)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add garlic, ginger, red chili powder, garam masala, salt, and yogurt. Mix until well-combined. Add chicken and mix until it is coated in the marinade. Allow the mixture to marinate for at least 30 minutes for best results.
- Add in the marinated chicken and fry until cooked through, about 4-8 minutes depending on the size of your chicken. Mix in lemon juice, cilantro, and mint, then stir to combine.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Then add salt and the rinsed basmati rice. Reduce the heat to a simmer, then cover and cook until rice has absorbed all the broth, about 16 to 18 minutes.
- Fluff up the rice, then top with some more ghee, yogurt, and/or chopped cilantro (optional). ENJOY!
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My brother made this for lunch yesterday and it turned out great. we didnt have cilantro so we put in parsley instead.
Fabulous recipe! Made this for a potluck and everyone loved it. I’ll be making this again for the family!