This Indian chicken biryani is yogurt marinated chicken cooked under aromatic basmati rice flavored with spices and garam masala. It also includes golden fried onions and saffron or food color for that vibrant authentic look.
If you love Indian food, then you probably have been to an Indian restaurant, and you probably have ordered this classic dish Indian Biryani. And, there are plenty of versions to choose from. In fact, in India, Biryani is almost like a huge umbrella that has so many different variations and versions. To most people, this is confusing, but to us Indians this is fun.
Biryani is enormous in our home, and my kids love it. Also, this dish has a unique aroma, and no matter how little or far this aroma comes from, there is no mistaking it for anything else but biryani. And, you know an excellent Biryani by its smell. It's that ultimate flavor that defines this dish.
I also make Lamb Biryani a quick one-pot biryani which is much quicker than this and of course Instant Pot Chicken Biryani.
About this biryani
This biryani is very similar to the lamb biryani recipe we made. It's a dum biryani. That means we do not cook the meat separately and we partially cook the rice to about 70%. We add marinated meat at the bottom of the pan, top with the partially cooked rice, and cook the two together.
- The whole spices - A biryani is made with lots of whole spices.
You don't eat them of course. My kids don't like biting into these so instead of adding them directly to the pot. I add the whole spices in a muslin cloth to the rice water, and in powder form in the marinade. That way, I have all the flavor but not the itty bitty spices mixed in the rice. But you can certainly add them in. - Ghee - Traditionally, this dish is loaded with ghee. I do add but not as much. 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, if you want just deep fry the onions and drain them on a paper towel.
Simplifying dum biryani in three easy steps
My friends dare not attempt making biryanis. So, I came up with you this recipe with three easy steps - ha!
Am I kidding? NO! You still going to do everything you need to make this dish.
The three steps are just a method to simplify the process so it feels much easier rather than over-whelming. In truth, biryani is so easy you will wonder why you never did it ever before.
So the main three steps would be
- Marinate meat
- Prepare rice
- Layer and cook
Ingredients and substitutes
- Basmati Rice - Of course, a biryani calls for Basmati rice. 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 - 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.
- Saffron - I have given you individual spices used to make lamb biryani. But if you do not have these Indian spices on hand you can also use store-bought biryani masala spice mix that
- Onions - The quantity of onions in this dish is quite a lot. You can use brown onions, which have a slightly pungent flavor, but red onions are a sweeter variety. I like using half and half.
- Garam masala - If you do not have the whole spices for the rice, you can replace the whole spices with 1 tbsp of Garam Masala. Another great spice to have on hand. I make my own Garam Masala Spice Mix.
Step by step instructions (pin)
Step One - Marinate Chicken
- Place the chicken pieces in a marinade safe bowl - use glass or plastic not metal/ aluminum
Tip - metal like aluminum to corrode. It can discolor food and give it a bad taste. - Season the meat with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add the marinade spices, followed by the yogurt. Combine well.
- Cover and let marinate for three hours or overnight in the fridge.
Prepare
- Saute Onions - In a saute pan add 2 tbsp cooking oil or ghee, saute the sliced onions with a pinch of salt until caramelized and golden brown. The onions will take about 10 to 15 minutes. Set asideAlternatively, you can deep fry the onions in oil until they are golden brown. Drain on a paper towel.
- Herbs - Chop the herbs and divide them between the lamb and layers - set aside
- Saffron - Soak the saffron in the milk and let it steep for 10 minutes - set aside
- Rosewater - Have the rose water measured and ready to use. Set aside
Step Two - Partially cook rice
- Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 30 mins.
Tip - soaking will ensure the rice cooks evenly. It also makes rice, fluffy, light, and airy. - Simultaneously, place a large pot of water on the stove. Add the cheesecloth with spices. Let it simmer for 20 minutes - the color of the water will change because of the spices. After 20 minutes remove the muslin cloth.
- To the water, add salt, 1 tbsp oil, and 1 tbsp lemon juice - Add the rice, stir and let boil.
Tip - the oil will keep the rice separated and the lemon juice will keep the rice white - Cook rice for about 3 to 4 minutes until half cooked. (see rice test notes below). Drain and set aside.
Step Three - Layer and Cook
- Add half the chopped herbs and half the caramelized onions and oil to the chicken. Then, spread the chicken into a heavy bottom pan or Dutch oven in an even layer.
Tip - it is important that the meat is all in a single layer touching the bottom of the pan so it cooks evenly. - Next spread half the rice over the chicken. Sprinkle the remaining herbs and onions over the rice. Drizzle half the saffron milk and rose water.
- Top with the remaining rice. Sprinkle with remaining saffron milk/or food color, ghee, and rose water.
Seal the pot
- Cover the pot with a lid make sure it is sealed well. You want all the stem to stay in.
Tip - I use aluminum foil around the rim of the pan to ensure the dum (steam) stays in. - Cook the chicken Biryani-
- 5 minutes on medium-high - this will get the chicken juices to be released-
- 10 minutes on medium-low - this will ensure the juices cook off without too much gravy-
- 10 minutes on low - this will ensure the chicken will not burn on the bottom.
- When the cooking time is done. Don't open the pot just yet - let the residue heat tenderize the lamb some more for 15 minutes
Tip - by the aroma, you will know the lamb 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 juicy lamb biryani.
Frequently asked questions
Authentic biryani get its color from saffron, which adds not just color but flavor too. However, restaurants often use edible food dyes made especially for biryani, which gives it a very vibrant color. And yet, these artificial colors do not contribute any taste or flavor.
Saffron has a distinct flavor and color. However, it is quite expensive, and you have to use quite a bit if you want a lot of colors. You soak the saffron threads in milk then sprinkle over the rice layers.
Often restaurants will use yellow and red food color to get the color to give the biryani that extra color. And yet, when making biryani for the family I usually only use the saffron or omit any colors entirely. In fact, it does not contribute to the taste - just visual appeal.
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.
If you like biryani you may also like my
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Description
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (900 g) Boneless chicken thighs cleaned and cut to bite size pieces
- 2 cups (400 g) Basmati rice
- 2.5 cups (2.5 cups) Onions sliced thinly
- ½ cup Cilantro chopped
- ¼ cup Mint leaves Pudina
- 2 tbsp Ghee divided (or oil)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Whole Spices for Rice (see note FAQ for substitute)Â
- 6 Cloves
- 2 Green cardamoms
- 2 Black cardamons
- 3 Bay leaves
- 2 Cinnamon sticks
- 1 Mace javitri
- 1 Star anise
- 1 tsp Caraway seeds Shahi jeera
Yogurt Marinade
- 1 cups (240 ml) Yogurt
- 1 tbsp Ginger grated
- 1 tbsp Garlic minced
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- 2 tbsp Coriander powder
- 1 tbsp Cumin powder
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Sweet paprika
- ½ tbsp Chilly powder spicy or mild
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Pepper
Saffron milk
- 1 tsp Saffron
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Milk
Instructions
Step One - Marinate Chicken
- Place the chicken pieces in a marinade safe bowl - use glass or plastic not metal/ aluminumTip - metal like aluminum to corrode. It can discolor food and give it a bad taste.
- Season the meat with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add the marinade spices, followed by the yogurt. Combine well.
- Cover and let marinate for three hours or overnight in the fridge.
Prepare
- Saute Onions - In a saute pan add 2 tbsp cooking oil or ghee, saute the sliced onions with a pinch of salt until caramelized and golden brown. The onions will take about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside Alternatively, you can deep fry the onions in oil until they are golden brown. Drain on a paper towel.
- Herbs - Chop the herbs and divide them between the lamb and layers - set aside
- Saffron - Soak the saffron in the milk and let it steep for 10 minutes - set aside
- Rosewater - Have the rose water measured and ready to use. Set aside
Step Two - Partially cook rice
- Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 30 mins. Tip - soaking will ensure the rice cooks evenly. It also makes rice, fluffy, light, and airy.
- Simultaneously, place a large pot of water on the stove. Add the cheesecloth with spices. Let it simmer for 20 minutes - the color of the water will change because of the spices. After 20 minutes remove the muslin cloth.
- To the water, add salt, 1 tbsp oil, and 1 tbsp lemon juice - Add the rice, stir and let boil. Tip - the oil will keep the rice separated and the lemon juice will keep the rice white
- Cook rice for about 3 to 4 minutes until half cooked. (see rice test notes below). Drain and set aside.
Step Three - Layer and Cook
- Add half the chopped herbs and half the caramelized onions and oil to the chicken. Then, spread the chicken into a heavy bottom pan or Dutch oven in an even layer.Tip - it is important that the meat is all in a single layer touching the bottom of the pan so it cooks evenly.
- Next spread half the rice over the chicken. Sprinkle the remaining herbs and onions over the rice. Drizzle half the saffron milk and rose water.
- Top with the remaining rice. Sprinkle with remaining saffron milk/or food color, ghee, and rose water.
Seal the pot
- Cover the pot with a lid make sure it is sealed well. You want all the stem to stay in. Tip - I use aluminum foil around the rim of the pan to ensure the dum (steam) stays in.
- Cook the chicken Biryani- 5 minutes on medium-high - this will get the chicken juices to be released- 10 minutes on medium-low - this will ensure the juices cook off without too much gravy.- 10 minutes on low - this will ensure the chicken will not burn on the bottom.
- When the cooking time is done. Don't open the pot just yet - let the residue heat tenderize the lamb some more for 15 minutes Tip - by the aroma, you will know the lamb 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 juicy lamb biryani.
Recipe Notes
- Rice Test - How to cook rice just right for this lamb Biryani
Remember how I said above, cooking the rice just 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 halfway.
- Next, it will be a little softer and crumple into small pieces, this is halfway.
- If it is soft and gets mashed between your fingers, you passed half cooked.
- Drain the rice when it is half cooked and set aside.
- What pan works best for lamb biryani?
Now you don't need a special Indian pan to make biryani. In fact, you can make biryani in any wide heavy bottom pan like the red one I have in this picture below. The two most important thing to consider when choosing the pan is to make sure it's a wide and heavy bottom. Why?- Well, wide because you need the meat to be spread out in an even layer so it cooks are at the same time and quickly. Since we can't stir the meat here any meat on the top will take longer to cook.
- The heavy bottom is to prevent the meat from getting burned at the bottom. Since we initially cook the meat at high encouraging the meat to release its juices, the heavy bottom ensures it does not burn.
How to make cucumber raita?
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 cup cucumber diced.
- ½ tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
Nutrition Information
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
