This one-pot chicken biryani is a quick version of the classic Indian biryani. A savory rice dish made with elegant basmati rice, Indian spices, and caramelized onions in a yogurt-based marinade, that keeps this chicken tender and juicy. The best part is this quick biryani takes only 30 minutes to make.
If you've eaten Chicken biryani at any Indian restaurant then you know it always keeps you wanting more. Biryani is a flavorful savory rice dish made with marinated chicken, yogurt, Indian spices, caramelized onions and fresh herbs over long-grain basmati rice. The process does require a few extra steps and precautions which often discourages people from making it at home. If you do want to make the traditional chicken biryani than I do have a detailed recipe with step by step pictures.
In our home, a biryani is always a big hit. Whether you make it with chicken, beef, lamb, mutton, fish or vegetables. But it's not always possible to make the traditional version but this one-pot chicken biryani is a breeze.
It's all those aromatic spices mixed with the yogurt and meat that works so wonderfully together.
About this Biryani
The easiest of all biryanis is a one-pot biryani, where you cook everything in one pot from start to finish. This is a meal on its own. You have your meat and your rice. What more can you ask?
The best part is, unlike traditional biryani, it takes less than 30 minutes to make this one-pot version which means you can make it any day of the week.
Personally, I like to have my biryani with a side of cucumber raita which is a yogurt salad made with cucumber, plain yogurt and seasoned with salt, pepper, and dash of sugar.
Ingredients and substitute
- Chicken - I like using thigh meat for curries. And you will see that almost all my curry recipes are boneless or bone-in chicken thigh. You can also use breast meat. Do not cook the breast for too long as it cooks faster. I suggest skipping the 5 minutes of cooking below before adding the rice.
- 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.Â
- Spices - I am using individual spices. If you do not have these you can use curry powder. It is easily available in any supermarket or Asian store. You can even make it yourself - you probably already have the spices in your pantry. See my recipe for homemade curry powder. 2 ½ tbsp would work great for this recipe.
- Garam masala – This is the Indian exotic spice blend that works well in many Indian dishes, even some sweet dishes. The combination has a mix of warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bay leaves, and a few others. You can also make this at home and here’s my recipe for you to try – Homemade Garam Masala Spice Mix.
- Yogurt - You can also use plain 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 or cook the sauce down if necessaryÂ
- Whole spices - These are the little-added extra that takes a recipe from good to excellent in terms of flavor. And yet, some people don't like the overwhelming heat in curries. So feel free to omit these.Â
Step by step instructions (Pin)
- Soak rice - Clean and wash the rice well. Then soak in water for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside
Tip - washing and soaking the rice makes it light and fluffy. But, you can also add prewashed rice directly t the pot - Saute - Heat oil in a heavy bottom saute pan. Add the whole spices and saute for 30 seconds over medium-low heat
Tips - this will infuse the oil with the spices. - Then add chopped onions and saute on medium-low until translucent. Lower the heat and let cook until lightly colored.
Tip - Biryani has a unique flavor of caramelized onions so you can let the onions cook low and slow so they dont' burn.
- Next, add the chicken pieces and saute for 3 to 4 minutes until no longer pink. Add the grated ginger and minced garlic. Followed by the spices – paprika, coriander, cumin, and garam masala.
Tip- if you dont' have these spices you can use curry powder. Read more in substitutes. - Season with salt and pepper. Cook another 2 minutes. Then add the yogurt, herbs, and lemon juice.
- Cook for 5 minutes until the chicken releases all its juices. Next, the rice and combine well.
- Gently add the stock or water. But, do not combine – just make sure all the rice is immersed in the liquid.
Tip - not stirring will give us uneven shades of the unmixed spices which result in dark and light-colored rice. This looks nicer for biryani - Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to an absolute low simmer and cover the pot.
Tip - Use a good cover for the pot, no steam must escape or the rice will burn at the bottom.
- Cook for 20 minutes. Turn the heat off and let rest another 10 minutes covered.
Tip - the rice will continue to cook in the resting time and it will absorb all the remaining moisture in the pan. This results in a light and fluffy, not soggy rice. - Fluff the rice with a fork. Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley before serving.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can. The chicken breast does cook faster than thighs or legs so add the chicken only two minutes before you add the rice. That way it will cook around the same time as the rice.
Garam masala is an Indian blend of warm spices like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, etc. You can make garam masala at home with spices you probably already have in your kitchen. So yes, if you don't have the whole spices you can even use ½ tsp garam masala powder.
Yes, you can definitely omit the chicken and use 2 cups chopped vegetables such as carrots and peas. U vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. I do have a one-pot vegetable rice pilaf that is absolutely delicious.
You can certainly add nuts and raisins if you want to make a festive biryani. I would suggest you saute the fruits and nuts in the beginning as I have done in my Rice Pilaf with dried fruits and nuts.
What side dish do you serve with this biryani?
Often a yogurt salad called raita (recipe below) and a vegetable dish is served alongside biryani. We love mushroom masala, aloo gobi, Indian spiced potatoes, spiced Indian eggplant called baingan bharta. You can check out all my Indian recipes here and here on my Indian blog East Indian recipe.
you may also like
- Chicken Dum biryani - Hyderabadi style
- Pressure cooker or instant pot chicken biryani
- Lamb dum biryani
- Quick and easy chicken curry
- 6 ingredients chicken curry
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Description
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) Basmati rice soaked (1 cup)
- 1 lb (450 g) Chicken thighs chopped into pieces
- 2 tbsp Cooking oil
- 1 cup Onions diced
- 1 tsp Ginger grated
- 1 tsp Garlic minced
- 1 tbsp Paprika powder
- 1 tsp Cumin powder
- 1 tbsp Coriander powder
- ½ tsp Garam masala powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Pepper
- ½ cup Yogurt plain
- ½ cup Cilantro chopped
- ¼ cup Mint leaves chopped
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 cup (250 ml) Chicken stock or water
Whole spices
- 1 Cinnamon stick 3-inch piece
- 2 Bay leaves
- 3 Black cardamoms
- 4 Green cardamoms
- 6 Cloves
- 5 Curry leaves
- 1 piece Mace optional
- 6 Peppercorns optional
Instructions
- Soak rice - Clean and wash the rice well. Then soak in water for 30 minutes. Drain and set asideTip - washing and soaking the rice makes it light and fluffy. But, you can also add prewashed rice directly t the pot
- Saute - Heat oil in a heavy bottom saute pan. Add the whole spices and saute for 30 seconds over medium-low heatTips - this will infuse the oil with the spices.
- Then add chopped onions and saute on medium-low until translucent. Lower the heat and let cook until lightly colored.Tip - Biryani has a unique flavor of caramelized onions so you can let the onions cook low and slow so they dont' burn.
- Next, add the chicken pieces and saute for 3 to 4 minutes until no longer pink. Add the grated ginger and minced garlic. Followed by the spices – paprika, coriander, cumin, and garam masala.Tip- if you dont' have these spices you can use curry powder. Read more in substitutes.
- Season with salt and pepper. Cook another 2 minutes. Then add the yogurt, herbs, and lemon juice.
- Cook for 5 minutes until the chicken releases all its juices. Next, the rice and combine well.
- Gently add the stock or water. But, do not combine – just make sure all the rice is immersed in the liquid.Tip - not stirring will give us uneven shades of the unmixed spices which result in dark and light-colored rice. This looks nicer for biryani
- Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to an absolute low simmer and cover the pot. Tips - Use a good cover for the pot, no steam must escape or the rice will burn at the bottom.
- Cook for 20 minutes. Turn the heat off and let rest another 10 minutes covered. Tip - the rice will continue to cook in the resting time and it will absorb all the remaining moisture in the pan. This results in a light and fluffy, not soggy rice.
- Fluff the rice with a fork. Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley before serving.
Recipe Notes
- Measure the quantity of rice using a cup and use the same cup to measure the water ratio later.
- Always soak the rice for a minimum of 30 minutes to a maximum of an hour, not more.
- If you make a pilaf lightly toast the rice in oil before you add water. The little oil that coats the rice will contribute to flaky rice that keeps them separate from each other.
- Use the right ratio of rice to water.
In the case of soaked long-grain rice such as this basmati 1 cup rice works best with 1 ½ cup water. If not soaked use 2 cups water for every 1 cup long grain rice (see FAQ below)
and If you don't know how much water read the package instruction as most rice manufacturers will give you a guide for their product. - If you use vegetables in the rice add ¼ cup more water for every 1 cup veggies. However, if you use frozen veggies do not add more water as frozen veggies tend to have excess moisture in them.
- Once the rice is lightly toasted - add the water and bring it to a boil.
- Then cover the pot and reduce the heat to an absolute simmer (low).
- Cook the rice covered for 20 minutes -
- After 20 minutes turn the heat off but do not open the pot - leave it for another 15 minutes
- After 15 minutes - open the pot and fluff the rice with a fork.
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
