Instant Pot Chicken Biryani Recipe
This Instant Pot chicken biryani recipe is easy to make and can be ready for the table in less than half an hour. Wonderfully spiced with aromatics and basmati rice, this is the kind of dish that makes a crowd of friends happy.
Biryani is an Indian classic rice dish that you can never get enough of. It’s a rice dish cooked with curry spices and yogurt, with or without meat, over a layer of aromatic long-grain basmati rice.
Today, I bring you another version of our family’s favorite biryani. And, this time, it’s made in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. It’s the easiest of all biryani recipes because it’s a one-pot recipe!!
Why make this biryani?
- Probably the easiest of all biryanis is a one-pot biryani, where you cook your protein and starch in one pan.
- This instant pot or pressure cooker biryani is quicker and easier because of the pressure cooking. So, when you are craving a good biryani but don’t have time, this is a great option.
- You can serve a biryani with sliced boiled eggs, toasted cashews or almonds, raisins, and chopped cilantro.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Chicken – I like using chicken thighs for curries. And you will see that almost all my curry recipes are boneless or bone-in chicken thighs. You can also use breast meat. However, do not cook the breast for too long, as it cooks faster.
- Ginger and garlic – Onion, ginger, and garlic are an absolute must when making curry. Hence, you will rarely find a recipe that does not have these. So make sure you buy fresh ginger and garlic for your Indian curries. They will make a huge difference. You can also make a ginger garlic paste.
- Spices – I use individual spices, including turmeric, coriander, red chili powder, and cumin powder. If you do not have these, you can also use 2 1/2 tbsp of store-bought or homemade curry powder or biryani masala. It is readily available in any supermarket or Asian store.
- Garam masala – This is the Indian spice blend that works well in many Indian dishes, even some sweet dishes. It’s made with cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, and other spices. You can also use homemade Garam Masala or store-bought.
- Yogurt – I like Greek yogurt because it’s thick and makes the rice less soggy. And yet, you can easily add a tad less water using regular yogurt.
Step-by-step: Instant Pot chicken biryani recipe
- 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. - Soak rice – Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 30 mins.
Pro tip – Soaking will ensure the rice cooks evenly. It also makes the rice fluffy, light, and airy.
Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
- Turn the Instant Pot on sauté mode. Add oil and whole spices; sauté for 30 seconds.
- Onions – Then, add the onions and cook until they are caramelized. You will need to stir the onions often so they don’t burn. Cook until the onions have reduced to 1/3 of their original volume. They should be tender and caramelized – for about 5 minutes.
Pro tip – Turn the Instant Pot off for a few minutes if the heat is too high and continue to cook on residual heat.
- Chicken – Then, add the marinated chicken to the onions. Sear the chicken on all sides, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Then, add 1/4 cup of water and deglaze the pan for 2 minutes, stirring in any onions and spices that may have stuck to the bottom.
- Now, add the chopped herbs – cilantro and mint. Spread the chicken evenly in the pot.
- Rice – Then, spread the soaked, drained rice over the chicken. Add salt to the water – stir well. Gently pour water over the chicken and rice. Do not stir, but make sure all the rice is submerged.
Pro tip – We pour the water gently and do not stir; this will give our rice a marbled color that resembles biryani when finished.
- Pressure cook: Close the Instant Pot lid and seal the vent. Pressure cook on high for 6 minutes. Follow with quick-release – this will prevent the rice from overcooking.
- Open the Instant Pot. Fluff the rice and add more fresh herbs like cilantro before serving.
Stovetop pressure cooker biryani
- Heat the pressure cooker on medium heat. Add oil and whole spice – saute for 30 seconds.
- Onions – Then, add the onions and cook until they are caramelized, stirring, often adjusting the heat as necessary. Cook until the onions have reduced to 1/3 of their original volume. They should be soft and caramelized – for about 5 minutes.
- Then, add the marinated chicken to the onions. Sear the chicken on all sides, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of water and deglaze any onions and spices that may have stuck to the bottom of the pan for 2 minutes.
- Now, add the chopped herbs – cilantro and mint. Spread the chicken evenly in the pressure cooker.
- Rice – Then, spread the soaked, drained rice over the chicken. Add salt to the water – stir well. Gently pour water over the chicken and rice. Do not stir, but make sure all the rice is submerged.
Pro tip – We pour the water gently and do not stir; this will give our rice a marbled color that resembles biryani when finished. - Pressure cook – Close the pressure cooker and use the vent/whistle. Pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. Manually release pressure from the vent.
- Open the pressure cooker. Fluff the rice and add more fresh cilantro before serving.
- Chicken Biryani stovetop
- Easy Chicken Biryani – Dum Biryani
- Lamb Biryani
- One-pot chicken biryani
- Skillet prawn pilaf biryani,
Frequently asked questions
Can I use chicken breast for this chicken biryani?
Yes, you can. The chicken breast cooks faster than the thighs or legs, so add the chicken only two minutes before you add the rice. That way, it will cook at around the same time as the rice.
Can I double the recipe for this chicken biryani?
Absolutely. Just make sure you are still within the recommended quantity settings for your Instant Pot.
Can I use a natural release for this Instant Pot chicken biryani?
The natural cooks the chicken and rice a little longer, which may make the rice too soft. I highly recommend doing a quick release.
What do you serve with biryani?
Often, a yogurt salad and a vegetable dish are served alongside Chicken Biryani. We love mushroom masala, aloo gobi, Indian Spiced Potatoes, and spiced Indian eggplant. You can check out all my Indian recipes here and here.
Instant Pot Chicken Biryani
This Instant Pot chicken biryani recipe is easy to make and can be ready for the table in less than half an hour. Wonderfully spiced with aromatics and basmati rice, this is the kind of dish that makes a crowd of friends happy.
Video
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups (300 g) Basmati rice washed and soaked 30 minutes
- 2 tbsp Ghee or oil
- 2 cups (300 g) Onions 2 large sliced thinly
- ¼ cup Mint leaves chopped
- ¼ cup Cilantro leaves chopped
- 1½ cups (350 ml) Water or chicken stock
Chicken marination
- 2 lbs (1 kg) Boneless chicken thighs trimmed, and cut to bite-size pieces
- 1 tsp Kosher salt or to taste
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- 4 tbsp (60 g) Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Garlic finely minced
- 1 tbsp Ginger grated
- 1 tbsp Cumin powder
- 2 tbsp Coriander Powder
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- 2 tsp Sweet paprika hot or sweet
Whole Spices (optional)
- 4 Cloves
- 2 Green cardamoms
- 1 Black cardamom
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 Cinnamon sticks
- 1 Star anise
Method
- 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.
- Soak rice – Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 30 mins.Pro tip – Soaking will ensure the rice cooks evenly. It also makes rice fluffy, light, and airy.
Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
- Turn the instant pot on saute mode. Add oil and whole spices – saute for 30 seconds.
- Onions – Then, add the onions and cook until they are caramelized. You will need to stir the onions often so they don't burn. Cook until the onions have reduced to 1/3 of their original volume. They should be soft and caramelized. about 5 minutes.Pro tip – If the heat is too high, Turn the Instant Pot off for a few minutes and continue to cook on residue heat.
- Chicken – Then, add the marinated chicken to the onions. Sear the chicken on all sides, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Then, add 1/4 cup water and deglaze any onions and spices that may have gotten stuck in the bottom of the pan for 2 minutes.
- Now, add the chopped herbs – cilantro and mint. Spread the chicken evenly in the pot.
- Rice – Then, spread the soaked, drained rice over the chicken. Add salt to the water – stir well. Gently pour water over the chicken and rice. Do not stir, but make sure all the rice is submerged.Pro tip – We pour the water gently and do not stir. This will give our rice a marbled color that resembles biryani when it is finished.
- Pressure cook – Close the instant pot – seal the vent. Pressure cook on high – 6 minutes. Follow with quick release – this will prevent the rice from overcooking.
- Open the Instant Pot. Fluff the rice and add more fresh herbs like cilantro before serving.
Stovetop Pressure Cooker
- Heat the pressure cooker on medium. Add oil and whole spice – saute for 30 seconds.
- Onions – Then, add the onions and cook until they are caramelized, stirring often and adjusting the heat as necessary. Cook until the onions have reduced to 1/3 of their original volume. They should be soft and caramelized in about 5 minutes.
- Then, add the marinated chicken to the onions. Sear the chicken on all sides, stirring frequently – 3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water and deglaze any onions and spices that may have gotten stuck on the bottom of the pan for 2 minutes.
- Now, add the chopped herbs – cilantro and mint. Spread the chicken evenly in the pressure cooker.
- Rice – Then, spread the soaked, drained rice over the chicken. Add salt to the water and stir well. Gently pour the water over the chicken and rice. Do not stir, but make sure all the rice is submerged.Pro tip – We pour the water gently and do not stir; this will give our rice a marbled color that resembles biryani when finished.
- Pressure cook – Close the pressure cooker and use the vent/whistle. Pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. Manually release pressure from the vent.
- Open pressure cooker. Fluff the rice – add more fresh cilantro before serving.
Notes
- Marinate the chicken for as long as possible but no more than 12 hours.
- Traditionally, chicken with bones is used, but you can also use boneless chicken. Having said that, chicken thighs and legs will be more flavorful than chicken breast.
- Saffron adds a nice flavor to the biryani but it is not an absolute must ingredient to a biryani.
- Biryani is made with long-grain basmati rice, which 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. My kids don’t like biting into them, 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 to 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 some, 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 have a caramel taste. I still get the onions to caramelize by slowly cooking in little oil rather than deep frying them. 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 cucumber raita?
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 cup cucumber diced.
- ½ tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
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Hi Veena, I’m keen to try this recipe with bone-in chicken thighs. As they’re much larger than cut pieces, do I need to increase the cook time? I’m using an electric pressure cooker. Thanks in advance, Helen from Arrowtown, New Zealand
Hey Helen. Chicken with bones takes a little longer to cook, and the bones give out excess moisture.
So first, partially cook the chicken halfway before you add the rice
Also reduce the liquid by a few tablespoons so the dish is not too soggy.
Keep the cooking time the same.
Let me know how it goes.
This is the first chicken Biryani recipe where I’m not intimidated not to try it. My fiancé is Indian (Hyderabad) but lives in New Zealand. He cooks Indian. I cook Italian. When I was there e had chicken Biryani at least once a week!! His is awesome and done in a pressure cooker. I’m anxious to try your method so when I go visit again I can impress him. So, therefore, Thx for the pressure cooker method also. Thx so much for the very clear step by step instructions. Can’t wait to try it.
Thank you, Angie. I use to make this in a pressure cooker always before I got my Instant Pot.
I am happy you found the recipe useful. Love to know how it was if you try it. Thanks
I’ve never made a biryani but this looks delicious. Love the idea of a dish with everything in together. Definitely making this one soon!
Thank you, Amanda. Yes, you will love this one. It’s a one pot meal with chicken and rice.