This is probably the easiest chicken biryani recipe you will ever make. Chicken marinated and cooked in a yogurt gravy, over partially cooked basmati rice makes this biryani easy peasy. It takes about 40 minutes to prep and 40 minutes to cook.
Table of Content
Biryanis are a part of Indian cuisine, but they’re also a global favorite. It is also a very impressive dish often served at celebrations. Often you will find a sprinkle of raisins and toasted almonds, as well as boiled egg halves on top to give it that celebratory finish.
What is biryani?
Biryanis are a quintessentially Indian dish, which is rich in spices and rich in taste. They can be served during special occasions or for a quick and filling lunch.
Biryani is rice cooked together with meat that is marinated in yogurt and Indian spices. There are many ways to cook biryani and I have shared quite a few recipes with you. They are all different and yet equally delicious. Some are based on different regions and cultures.
Why make this recipe?
- If you love Indian food, then this is one recipe you definitely want to try.
- This biryani is one of the easiest and most authentic recipes you will find.
- It is a little healthier than the traditional recipe because we do not use deep-fried onions and must have less oil or ghee. Of course, feel free to deep fry onions and also add more ghee.
- Biryani is a meal on its own! You have your fork-tender meat and starch all in the same pot. So, often you will find the only thing served alongside is a bowl of raita (flavored yogurt)and cucumber salad.
- The recipe is easier than you think. In fact, you can make this chicken biryani in three easy steps:
- Marinate and cook the chicken - 30 + 20 mins
- Soak and partially cook the rice - 30 + 10 mins
- Layer and cook - 20 + 20 mins
Ingredients and substitutes
- Basmati Rice - Of course, biryani calls for basmati rice because of its elegant long grains. Basmati rice plays a huge part in contributing flavor. Nowadays, you will get basmati rice in all grocery stores. It's a staple in our home and I use it for all my rice dishes.
- Chicken - Traditionally, biryani is made with bone-in chicken. I use boneless chicken thighs. Chicken thighs take longer to cook as compared to breast, and yet, stays much juicier too. So, I highly recommend boneless chicken thigh.
- Onions - fried onions give the biryani that sweet caramelized flavor. I have used sauteed red and brown onions until they are almost caramelized to bring out the same flavor and keep it healthier.
- Ginger, garlic - you must use fresh garlic cloves and fresh ginger. In India, we make a big batch of ginger garlic paste because we use it often but grated or minced works as long as it is fresh.
- Spices - I have given you individual spices used to make biryani which I think is the best in flavor. It has the perfect balance of red chili powder, coriander, cumin, and a few other spices. Having said that, if you do not have these Indian spices on hand you can also use 3 tbsps of store-bought biryani masala spice mix.
- Whole spices - we use whole spices to add flavor but also because these can be removed before eating. Most Indians do know that whole cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cloves, or peppercorns, are not to be eaten. But, you can take them out while you are dishing it out too.
- Saffron - Adds a wonderful authentic aroma to the dish. But you can also omit it or use edible food colors. The biryani will still be delicious. Read more about colors below.
- Garam masala - Easily found in most supermarkets but you can also make your own Garam Masala Spice Mix.
Chicken biryani recipe - cooked
Prep
- Caramelized onions - In a saute pan, add 2 tablespoon cooking oil and 1 cup of sliced onions. Saute with a pinch of salt until caramelized and golden brown. The onions will take about 10 to 15 minutes on low heat. Set aside.
Alternatively, you can deep fry the onions in oil until they are golden brown. Drain on a paper towel. - Saffron - Soak the saffron in ¼ cup and let it steep for 10 minutes - and set aside.
Chicken
- Marinate chicken - Add all the marinade ingredients to a bowl and combine well. Then, add the chicken pieces and combine well. Cover and let marinate for 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge.
Pro tip - Always use a marinade safe bowl such as glass or plastic, not metal. Metals like aluminum can react with the acid in the recipe causing it to discolor food and give it a bad taste.
Rice
- Partially cook rice - Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 30 mins. Drain. Then place a large pot of water on the stove and add the whole spices. Let it come to a boil. Add the salt and rice, stir and let boil. Cook the rice for about 3 to 4 minutes until 70% cooked (see rice test notes below). Drain and set aside.
Pro tip - Soaking will ensure the rice cooks evenly. It also makes rice, fluffy, light, and airy. We want the rice cooked only 70% as it will continue to cook with the steam over the chicken later.
Cook chicken
- Cook the chicken - To a heavy bottom pan or Dutch oven add the remaining oil and saute the remaining onions until lightly golden. Then, add the marinated chicken and cook on medium-high heat until the chicken is no longer pink. Add the cilantro. Cover and cook on medium to low for 8 to 10 minutes. Open and cook another 5 minutes for the excess liquid to evaporate.
Pro tip - Fresh chicken will have less liquid in the pan while frozen chicken tends to have more liquid. We do not want a pool of juice at the bottom of our biryani. So, cook off excess liquid by turning the heat up for 5 minutes.
Cook biryani
- Layer the biryani - Once the chicken is ready, top it with half the drained partially cooked rice. Sprinkle some chopped herbs (cilantro and mint) and caramelized onions. Top with the remaining rice, herbs, and caramelized onions.
Pro tip - Make sure to drain the rice well as excess liquid will make a soggy biryani.
- Seal and cook - Cover the pot with a lid make sure it is sealed well. You want all the steam to stay in. Cook on low for 20 minutes.
Pro tip - If necessary, use aluminum foil around the rim of the pan to ensure the steam stays in.
- Rest before serving - When the cooking time is done, don't open the pot just yet. Let the residue heat continue to steam for another 10 minutes.
Pro tip - By the aroma, you will know the chicken biryani is cooked. Don't be tempted to open it immediately. This resting time will make sure the steam stays in giving you a moist light and fluffy juicy biryani.
Tips for success
- Marinate the chicken for as long as you can but no more than 12 hours. Traditionally bone-in chicken is used but you can use boneless too. Having said that, chicken thighs and legs will be more flavorful than chicken breast.
- Saffron is a huge deal and adds a nice flavor to the biryani but it is also very expensive. While it does make a big difference it is not an absolute must ingredient in a biryani.
- Biryani is made with long grain basmati rice, this can be easily found in most supermarkets these days or in Indian shops. You can buy basmati rice specially for biryani which is aged well and gives the biryani a wonderful aroma.
- The whole spices - A biryani is made with lots of whole spices. You don't eat them of course. You can add the whole spices in a muslin cloth to the rice water, and in powder form in the marinade. That way, you can take the muslin cloth and not have the itty bitty spices mixed in the rice. I like to leave them in.
- Ghee - Traditionally, this dish is made with ghee but today we are using oil. A good biryani is about good meat, good flavors, and good quality rice. Once you have those three taken care of, the lack of saturated fat does not seem all that bad.
- Deep-fried onions - Traditionally onions for biryani are known to be deep-fried and add a caramel taste. I still get the onions to caramelize but by slow cooking in little oil rather than deep frying. The slow-cooked golden onions in this dish add a wonderful taste and aroma. I think you will enjoy it. But, you can deep fry the onions and drain them on a paper towel.
How to make raita for biryani
Biryani is often served with raita which is flavored yogurt. This is the basic raita but you can make this in many variations too. For example - add chopped cucumbers and cilantro or boondi raita made with added deep-fried chickpea flour balls.
- 1 cup yogurt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- and ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning. If the yogurt is not sour add ¼ teaspoon lemon juice.
Serve alongside any rice pilaf or biryani
More biryani or rice recipes
- Hyderabad Dum chicken biryani
- Lamb Biryani or Mutton biryani - goat meat biryani
- Instant pot or pressure cooker chicken biryani
- One-pot chicken biryani
- Shrimp rice pilaf biryani, Turmeric Prawn Rice
- Rice Pilaf, or Chicken with Rice Pilaf
- Coconut Turmeric Rice, Turmeric Rice with Chicken and Peas
- How to cook basmati rice,
- Rice Pilaf with Dried Fruit and Nuts,
- See all rice recipes
Frequently asked questions
How long will this chicken biryani keep?
This chicken biryani will keep for 4 to 5 days in the fridge. It can be frozen for up to a month. To reheat biryani in a microwave, place it in a microwave-safe bowl, and top it with a wet paper towel and high heat. The steam created by the paper towel will revive the rice just like freshly made.
How to cook rice for biryani?
Cooking the rice right plays a huge part in how good your final biryani will turn out. So here's a little guide.
- At about 3 minutes into boiling, you will start to check the rice.
- If you press a grain of rice between two fingers, first it will still be hard and break into small pieces -that's still not there.
- Next, it will be a little softer and crumble into small pieces, this is it
- If it is soft and gets mashed between your fingers, you passed 70%
Drain the rice when it is 70% cooked and set aside.
What side dish do you serve with this Indian chicken biryani?
Often a yogurt salad and a vegetable dish are served alongside Chicken Biryani. We love mushroom masala, aloo gobi, Indian Spiced Potatoes, spiced Indian eggplant. You can check out all my Indian recipes here and here on my new Indian blog East Indian recipe.
Can I use edible food color instead of saffron for this biryani?
Often restaurants will use yellow and red food colors to get the color to give the biryani that extra color. And yet, when making biryani for the family I usually only use saffron or omit any colors entirely. In fact, it does not contribute to the taste - just visual appeal.
What pot is best for chicken biryani?
Now you don't need a special Indian pan to make biryani. You can use a heavy-bottom pan or Dutch oven.
The two most important things to consider when choosing the pan is to make sure it's a wide and heavy bottom. Why?
- Wide because you need the meat to be spread out in an even layer so it cooks evenly.
- The heavy bottom is to prevent the meat from getting burned at the bottom.
Printable Recipe
Chicken Biryani Recipe
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save Grow Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 360kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 8 servings
Description
This is probably the easiest chicken biryani recipe you will ever make. Chicken marinated and cooked in a yogurt gravy, over partially cooked basmati rice makes this biryani easy peasy. It takes about 40 minutes to prep and 40 minutes to cook.
Video
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (900 g) Boneless chicken thighs (cleaned and cut to bite size pieces)
- 2 cups (400 g) Basmati rice
- 1½ cups (2.5 cups) Onions (thinly sliced)
- ½ cup Cilantro (chopped)
- ¼ cup Mint leaves (chopped)
- 4 tablespoon Oil (divided)
Whole Spices for Rice
- 6 Cloves
- 2 Green cardamoms
- 2 Black cardamons
- 3 Bay leaves
- 2 Cinnamon sticks
- 1 Mace ((javitri))
- 1 Star anise
- 1 teaspoon Caraway seeds ((Shahi jeera))
Yogurt Marinade
- 1 cups (240 ml) Yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Ginger (grated)
- 1 tablespoon Garlic (minced )
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala
- 2 tablespoon Coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon Cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Sweet paprika
- ½ tablespoon Chilly powder (spicy or mild)
- 2 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
Saffron milk
- 1 teaspoon Saffron ((or food colors) )
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Water
Instructions
- Marinate Chicken - Add all the marinade ingredients to a bowl and combine well. Then, add the chicken pieces and combine well. Cover and let marinate for 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge.Pro tip - Always use a marinade safe bowl such as glass or plastic, not metal. Metals like aluminum can react with the acid in the recipe causing it to discolor food and give it a bad taste.
- Caramelized Onions - In a saute pan, add 2 tablespoon cooking oil and 1 cup of sliced onions. Saute with a pinch of salt until caramelized and golden brown. The onions will take about 10 to 15 minutes on low heat. Set aside. Alternatively, you can deep fry the onions in oil until they are golden brown. Drain on a paper towel.
- Saffron - Soak the saffron in ¼ cup and let it steep for 10 minutes - set aside.
- Partially cook Rice - Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 30 mins. Drain. Then, place a large pot of water on the stove and add the whole spices. Let it come to a boil. Add the salt and rice, stir and let boil. Cook the rice for about 3 to 4 minutes until 70% cooked (see rice test notes below). Drain and set aside.Pro tip - Soaking will ensure the rice cooks evenly. It also makes rice, fluffy, light, and airy. We want the rice cooked only 70% as it will continue to cook with the steam over the chicken later.
- Cook the chicken - To a heavy bottom pan or Dutch oven add the remaining oil and saute the remaining onions until lightly golden. Then, add the marinated chicken and cook until the chicken is no longer pink. Add the cilantro. Cover and cook on medium to low for 8 to 10 minutes. Open and cook another 5 minutes for the excess liquid to evaporate.Pro tip - Fresh chicken will have less liquid in the pan while frozen chicken tends to have more liquid. We do not want a pool of juice at the bottom of our biryani so cook off excess liquid by turning the heat up for 5 minutes.
- Layer the biryani - Once the chicken is ready, top it with half the drained partially cooked rice. Sprinkle some chopped herbs (cilantro and mint) and caramelized onions. Top with the remaining rice, herbs, and caramelized onions. Pro tip - Make sure to drain the rice well as excess liquid will make a soggy biryani.
- Seal and cook - Cover the pot with a lid make sure it is sealed well. You want all the steam to stay in. Cook on low for 20 mintues. Pro tip - If necessary, use aluminum foil around the rim of the pan to ensure the steam stays in.
- Rest before serving - When the cooking time is done. Don't open the pot just yet. Let the residue heat continue to steam for another 10 minutes.Pro tip - By the aroma, you will know the chicken biryani is cooked. Don't be tempted to open it immediately. This resting time will make sure the steam stays in giving you a moist light and fluffy juicy biryani.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Marinate the chicken for as long as you can but no more than 12 hours. Traditionally bone-in chicken is used but you can use boneless too. Having said that, chicken thighs and legs will be more flavorful than chicken breast.
- Saffron is a huge deal and adds a nice flavor to the biryani but it is also very expensive. While it does make a big difference it is not an absolute must ingredient in a biryani.
- Biryani is made with long grain basmati rice, this can be easily found in most supermarkets these days or in Indian shops. You can buy basmati rice specially for biryani which is aged well and gives the biryani a wonderful aroma.
- The whole spices - A biryani is made with lots of whole spices. You don't eat them of course. You can add the whole spices in a muslin cloth to the rice water, and in powder form in the marinade. That way, you can take the muslin cloth and not have the itty bitty spices mixed in the rice. I like to leave them in.
- Ghee - Traditionally, this dish is made with ghee but today we are using oil. A good biryani is about good meat, good flavors, and good quality rice. Once you have those three taken care of, the lack of saturated fat does not seem all that bad.
- Deep-fried onions - Traditionally onions for biryani are known to be deep-fried and add a caramel taste. I still get the onions to caramelize but by slow cooking in little oil rather than deep frying. The slow-cooked golden onions in this dish add a wonderful taste and aroma. I think you will enjoy it. But, you can deep fry the onions and drain them on a paper towel.
Rice Test - How to cook rice just right for this Biryani
Cooking the rice right plays a huge part in how good your final biryani will turn out. So here's a little guide.- At about 3 minutes into boiling, you will start to check the rice.
- If you press a grain of rice between two fingers, first it will still be hard and break into small pieces -that's still not there.
- Next, it will be a little softer and crumple into small pieces, this is it
- If it is soft and gets mashed between your fingers, you passed 70%
- Drain the rice when it is 70% cooked and set aside.
How to make cucumber raita?
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 cup cucumber diced.
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Nutrition Information
Calories: 360- kcalCarbohydrates: 10.9- gProtein: 28.8- gFat: 24.1- gSaturated Fat: 6.4- gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6.6- gMonounsaturated Fat: 0- gTrans Fat: 0- gCholesterol: 112- mgSodium: 505- mgPotassium: 0- mgFiber: 3.5- gSugar: 2.4- gVitamin A: 0- IUVitamin C: 0- mgCalcium: 0- mgIron: 0- mg
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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Katie Crenshaw
This recipe is DELICIOUS! I love that it is healthier than traditional recipes. It is perfect for a tasty weeknight meal.
Marisa
Hubs and I love having an International night several times a month. We like experimenting with different cuisines. We saw this chicken Biryani recipe and simply had to try it. We had all of the ingredients and my heavens together they made a spectacular dish. In fact, Hubs went back for seconds. We'll certainly be making this recipe again.
Veena Azmanov
So happy you enjoyed this recipe, Marisa. Thank you for the lovely feedback.
Gunjan
My brother lives to make biryani at home and this recipe was easy and delicious.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Gunjan
Erin
I've never had this dish but I would love to give it a try soon! I just need to go shopping first. It sounds so very flavorful!