Authentic Chicken Biryani

5 from 4 votes

With this tried-and-tested recipe, learn how to make the most flavorful restaurant-style chicken biryani with tender marinated chicken, fluffy rice, and topped with crispy fried onions.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani

Keyword: biryani, chicken biryani

Diet: Gluten-free, Nut-free

Method: Stovetop

Servings:

Author: Meeta Arora

Ingredients

1.1 pound Chicken Thighs bone-in and skinless, cut into small pieces (500 grams)

Marinade

1/2 cup Plain Yogurt thick full-fat
1 1/2 tablespoon Oil See notes*
4 cloves Garlic minced
2 teaspoon Ginger freshly grated
1/2 teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
1 teaspoon Coriander powder (Dhaniya powder)
2 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder mild, or use 1 teaspoon paprika and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, add more for spicier biryani
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoon Lime or Lemon juice

Fried Onions

2 Yellow Onions about 350 grams, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup Oil for frying

Saffron

2 tablespoon Warm Milk
10-12 strands Saffron (Kesar)

Parboiled Rice

1 1/2 cups Basmati Rice rinsed and soaked in water for 20 minutes
6 cups Water
1 tablespoon Salt
1 Bay leaf (Tej Patta)
4 Cloves (Laung)
4 Green Cardamom (Elaichi)
1 Star anaise
1/2 teaspoon Shahi jeera

Biryani

1/4 cup Mint leaves (Pudhina) fresh, chopped
1/2 cup Cilantro leaves (Corainder) chopped
1 tablespoon Ghee

For Serving

Instructions

Marinate Chicken

In a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pan, mix all ingredients under the marinade section. Then, add the chicken pieces and mix well. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight for up to 10 hours for best results. (Note: you can use the same pan or Dutch oven to layer and cook the biryani)

Fry Onions

Slice the onions thin and evenly. Separate the layers so they fry well.
Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and shallow fry for 12-15 minutes till they are golden brown, without burning them (or they will have a bitter flavor). Fry in batches if needed.
Remove the fried onions on a large plate lined with paper towel. Spread them out. Set aside.

Saffron

Soak saffron strands in warm milk. Set this aside for 10 minutes.

Parboiled Rice

Add water to a large pot and bring it to a rolling boil. Add salt, whole spices, and basmati rice (after draining the soaking water). Cook for 5 minutes, then drain the water immediately and spread the rice in a large plate or bowl. The rice will be about 70% done at this stage. Don't overcook the rice. Check by taking a grain between your fingers; it should break easily but is still not completely done at the center.

Layer and Cook Biryani

Place the pan or Dutch oven with the marinated chicken on medium-high heat (If you marinate chicken in a separate bowl, transfer it to a Dutch oven or deep pan). Cook the chicken for 8-10 minutes, stirring the chicken in between. Then, turn off the heat. The chicken is about 70% cooked by this time.
Spread half of the fried onions on top of the chicken. Then, spread half of the chopped mint and cilantro leaves.
Now, layer the parboiled rice on top evenly. Using a spatula, flat the surface. Now, drizzle the ghee over the rice. Then, drizzle the saffron milk all over the rice. Spread some more fried onions, mint leaves, and cilantro leaves on top.
Cover with a tight lid and cook on the lowest flame for 20 minutes. You can also wrap a kitchen towel on the lid to get that tight-fitting lid to keep the steam inside while cooking the biryani. This process is called "dum" which is basically cooking on low heat. (See notes)
Remove from heat and let the biryani rest for 5-10 minutes. When serving, dig deep to get all the layers with the yellow rice, white rice, and chicken in one scoop. Garnish with fried onions and cilantro leaves. Serve with raita and salad!

Video

Notes

Chicken: I recommend using chicken thighs for this recipe, as they don't dry out during cooking. You can also use chicken drumsticks.

Fried Onions: This is the most tedious part of the recipe. You can fry and store the onions ahead of time in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

You can substitute with store-bought onions or shallots if you like. Ensure that gluten-free ones are obtained and are not mixed with other ingredients before frying.

Oil for marinade: If you have fried onions before marinating the chicken, you can use the oil used to fry the onions in the marinade. That adds some extra flavor to the marinated chicken.

Basmati Rice: I like to use premium extra long-grain basmati rice to cook biryani. If you use other rice, the biryani will not be as fragrant.

Cooking Biryani: If you don't have a heavy-bottom pan, place a tawa or griddle below the pan with biryani. This helps to diffuse the heat and ensures the bottom layer of biryani is not overcooked or burnt. You will need to turn up the heat to medium.

Don't like whole spices in the final dish? If you don't want to have whole spices when serving the biryani, then you can add them to a spice pouch and then add them to the water to boil the rice.

Make it Spicier: This recipe is family-friendly and not very spicy. Increase the amount of red chili powder or add a couple of diced green chilies to the chicken masala to make it spicier.

Storing leftovers: You can store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. This biryani will also freeze well.

Nutrition