Biryani is a celebration of all that is great about Indian food – the heady aromas, the vibrant colours, the fluffy rice and those addictive curry flavours. Make this Chicken Biryani with your protein of choice – or try a vegetable biryani!
Biryani recipe
One of the most requested recipes is finally here! Another RecipeTin Family effort, it took us seven attempts to get this biryani right.
Seven attempts means seven heated arguments about who would take the leftover biryani because somebody in the RecipeTin family, at any point in time, usually declares themselves to be on a diet to address blog-related weight gain concerns.
And it was worth it. (Belly and all.) Biryani, we can’t get enough of you!
What is Biryani and why do I love it so much?
Essentially, it’s your favourite chicken curry (or vegetable or other protein of choice) buried under a mound of delicately spiced fluffy rice, all made in one pot. The rice is steamed over a low heat so it absorbs the flavours of the curry bubbling away underneath.
So in a nutshell, it’s every curry loving-carb monsters’ dream come true. It’s got my name written all over it!
About this Biryani
You’ll find variations of Biryani all across the Indian subcontinent, from Pakistan to Bangladesh, Afghanistan to India. There are 2 main types – one where the protein and/or vegetables are cooked mixed throughout the rice, and the other version known as Hyderabad-style biryani in India where meat and rice are layered and cook in a sealed pot over fire. The latter is the style of biryani I’m sharing today.
There’s a wonderful Afghani restaurant in my area called Sahar (Newport, Sydney) which serves a Biryani that’s a huge favourite among locals. Hands down, the best ethnic restaurant I know in the upper northern beaches.
How to make Biryani
Chicken marinated in a spiced yoghurt is placed in a large pot, then layered with fried onions (cheeky easy sub below!), fresh coriander/cilantro, then par boiled lightly spiced rice.
The crowning glory is to finish it off with a drizzle of saffron infused water to give it the signature patches of bright yellow rice, as well as ghee (or melted butter) for buttery richness.
The pot is then covered and cooked over a low heat for about 25 minutes during which time the rice absorbs the aromas and flavours of the curry underneath, whilst still being beautifully fluffy.
That moment when you lift the lid and are greeted with this sight…
…. that moment is only second to this: when you dig deep into the pot, ensuring you get some of every layer, and the full force of the aroma from the curry buried deep under the rice hits you, and it takes every single bit of will power to gravitate that spoon towards a bowl instead of attempting to shove that entire giant scoop in your mouth….
OK wait. Did you almost lose control too?
I’m almost done. Bear with me – just want to show you a few more things before handing over the recipe!
Biryani spices
There’s subtle flavourings used for the rice, and a load more used for the curry sauce.
There’s a lengthy list but there’s nothing exotic here, you can find all these spices at everyday supermarkets here in Australia. Some recipes call for Asafoetida which is an Indian spice that requires a trip to an Indian grocer. We tried it with and without, and I swear we could not taste a difference. So we don’t use it. 🙂
Cheeky substitute for fried onions
Thin slices of onion fried until sweet and a bit crispy, this is used as one of the layers in the Biryani as well as a garnish for serving.
If you aren’t a fan of deep frying or are a beginner cook, my cheeky alternative is using store bought fried onion (Asian or Indian stores) or Asian Fried Shallots (pictured below) which are sold at everyday supermarkets. They add the same oniony flavour with the added bonus of extra crunch!
The roots of this recipe
Another recipe ticked off the Recipe Request list, another RecipeTin family effort!!
As always, we love to look to the pros to build a starting point for recipe inspiration. We ate biryani at our favourite specialty restaurants in Sydney, Pakistani chain Student Biryani in Auburn, and the Indian restaurant Paradise Biryani House in North Strathfield.
To learn the techniques, we looked at a few books (love the local library!), dozens of internet pages and Youtube videos from home cooks in India.
Yes the ingredients list is long – but you’ll find everything at the supermarket. And while there are a number of steps to make Biryani, it is actually quite a straightforward recipe. (Video is helpful too!)
And even if yours doesn’t turn out perfect, don’t be put off because even less than perfect biryani is still delicious (we happily scoffed the first few test batches despite the flaws!). – Nagi x
More great curries of the world!
Dal (Indian lentil curry)
Browse the Curry Collection
And serve on the side …
Give this Everyday Cabbage Salad an Indian spin by sauteing garlic and cumin seeds in oil before mixing up with other Dressing ingredients
No Yeast Easy Soft Flatbread. Perfect to use as naan!
Watch how to make it
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Chicken Biryani
Ingredients
- 750g (1.5 lb) chicken thighs , skin on, bone in, halved along bone (Note 1)
Marinade:
- 2/3 cup (150 ml) yoghurt , plain
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or other plain oil)
- 6 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cayenne (adjust spiciness to taste)
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 2 tsp garam marsala (Note 2)
- 2 tsp coriander
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 2 tbsp paprika , sweet / ordinary (not smoked)
- 1 3/4 tsp salt
Par Boiled Rice:
- 2 tbsp salt
- 10 cloves
- 5 dried bay leaves
- 1 star anise
- 6 green cardamon pods
- 2 1/4 cups (450g) uncooked basmati rice (Note 3)
Crispy Onions (Note 4):
- 2 medium onions (yellow, brown) , halved and finely sliced
- 1 cup (250 ml) oil , for frying
Saffron:
- 1 tsp saffron threads (loosely packed) (Note 5)
- 2 tbsp warm water
Biryani:
- 1 cup coriander / cilantro , chopped
- 1/4 cup (60g) ghee or unsalted butter , melted (Note 6)
Garnish:
- Crispy onions (above)
- Chopped coriander / cilantro
- Yoghurt (Note 7)
Instructions
- Mix Marinade in a large pot (about 26cm / 11″ diameter). Add chicken and coat well. Marinade 20 minutes to overnight.
Par Boiled Rice:
- Bring 3 litres / 3 quarts water to the boil, add salt and spices.
- Add rice, bring back up to the boil then cook for 4 minutes, or until rice is just cooked still a bit firm in the middle. Rice will taste salty at this stage, disappears in next stage of cooking.
- Drain immediately. Set aside. (Note 10 re: leaving whole spices in)
Crispy Onions:
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Cook onion, in batches, for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown. Don’t burn – they become bitter.
- Remove onto paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining onion.
Saffron:
- Place in a bowl, leave for 10 minutes+.
Biryani:
- Place pot with chicken in it onto a stove over medium heat. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove lid. Cook for 5 minutes, turning chicken twice.
- Remove from heat.
- Turn chicken so skin side is down – it should cover most of the base of the pot.
- Scatter over half the onion then half the coriander.
- Top with all the rice. Gently pat down and flatten surface.
- Drizzle saffron across rice surface in random pattern, then drizzle over ghee.
- Place lid on. Return to stove over medium heat.
- As soon as you see steam, turn down to low then cook for 25 minutes.
- Remove from stove, rest with lid on for 10 minutes.
To Serve:
- Aim to serve it so you get nice patches of yellow rice, white rice, the curry stained rice + chicken (rather than all mixed up). To do this, use a large spoon and dig deep into the pot, and try to scoop up as much as you can in one scoop.
- Turn out into bowl – or onto platter. Garnish with remaining onion and coriander with yoghurt on the side (see Note 7 for Minted Yoghurt)
Recipe Notes:
* Scaling recipe (click on servings and scale) – must scale pot size up/down
* Salt – yes you really need 2 tbsp salt to par boil the rice. The rice will taste salty at this stage but the salt comes out of the rice during the second stage of cooking. Trust me, you need that much salt in the water!
* Spiciness is mainly from cayenne, a bit from garam masala. So adjust to taste.
* Fresh spices – use fresh spices, not ones that have been sitting around in your pantry for years!
* Whole spices – the whole spices are typically left in the rice. They soften when cooked so to me it’s not a big deal, I’ve never found it off-putting. If you’re really concerned, either pick them out just before layering in the pot or wrap the spices in a small muslin or cheesecloth. 11. Storage – Leftovers keep well for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat in microwave. As rice is not quite as moist with leftovers, best to serve with yoghurt (even plain is fine). Even freezing should be fine, haven’t tried it but rice and curry both freeze great so I see no reason why this wouldn’t freeze well. Make Ahead – These are the things that can be done ahead: Par Boil the rice up up to 24 hours ahead of using. Marinate the chicken and cook it per recipe up to the point before rice covers it up to 2 days ahead. OR leave the marinated chicken in the freezer for up to 48 hours. Make saffron water and onion. Then on the day of, assemble the biryani layers and cook per recipe!
Life of Dozer
This is how he spent most of today. (And yesterday. And the day before.)
Hi Nagy! Thanks for the recipe, it is really clear and detailled, I will try it for sure. Shall I follow the same steps if I make it with shrimps? Cheers from France! 🙂
Hi Tiyah, unfortunately this wont work as written with prawns as they will overcook – N x
Notes, Thank you! 🙂
I’m making this as we speak. Excited!! Love love Dozer!!
Love to know what you think!
It was absolutely delicious! I added a teaspoon of Kashmiri chilli powder. I love the whole spices in the rice, they give it such amazing depth of flavour! Yum yum yum!
I’m wondering if this could be cooked using cauliflower mash instead of rice?
Hi Ed, the recipe as written will not work with cauliflower sorry! – N x
WOW! Just amazing!! I made this last night and my boyfriend had three big servings and I had two. This biryani really hit the spot! It was delicious. There was a complexity of flavors that complemented each other so well. I have tried a couple of your recipes and they are just phenomenal whenever I make them. Everyone goes for seconds and licks their bowls clean! Before your blog, my cooking was not great. After discovering your blog, it has improved exponentially. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes and talent.
You’re so welcome Taran! Thanks for the great feedback, I truly enjoy hearing what people think of my recipes – N x
Mouth watering
It’s so delicious!!
Great recipe! The instructions were very clear, and I especially appreciated the video. The only question I have is about the crispy fried onions. I love crispy fried onions, and I took the time to make them. But once they are cooked between the layers of chicken and rice, they turn out not so crisp. That was disappointing.. Does it make sense to save it all to use as a topping?
You can save for the topping Sylvia, any moisture in the rice will soften them unfortunately – N x
Hi Nagi
Can I use Kashmiri chilli in this recipe?
Hi Nagi!
Love your recipes and Dozer. I want to add potatoes to the dish. Any idea how I would incorporate them into the biryani?
Sure can Helen!
Hey Nagi, Your biryani looks yummy. I am definitely gonna try this recipe at home.
Thanks so much Jessica, would love to know what you think once you’ve tried it!
Thank you Nagi, this is very, very yummy. Have made lots of your recipes but I think this is the best so far. Thanks again.
Wow..Its looks soo yummy and drooling!! Will try it definitely.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it Mary – N x
My goodness Nagi! What a celebration of flavour! The whole family loved this and went back for more, and more. As I have made a whole bunch of your beautiful recipes before, I found that I actually already had most of the ingredients for this dish! Winner! I bet it would be amazing also made with lamb. I would give this more than 5 stars if I could.
Thanks so much Miranda, that’s lovely to hear ❤️
I can’t seem to find which rice you suggest and the amount?
Found it!
That is Yummy and delicious biryani. Gonna try this recipe. Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe.
You’re so welcome Jessica!
I made this with 5 pounds of Chicken. 1.5 pounds would never be enough for 8 people. It turned out great. 5 pound equals about 10 pieces of chicken. 2 pieces per person.
Perfect Kim!
At the request of my granddaughter, I’m making this tomorrow, triple the recipe. If I bake it, what temperature and for how long?
Thanks!
Hi Nagi,
This is the first time I have ever written to anyone ……
I have been making wonderful meals from your site… but last one I made for a crowd and quadrupled your Biryani recipe and it was a loved by All! every one took a little doggy bag home and I still hear about the wonderful biryani! Ofcourse being an indian they thought it was something passed on to me ;)! So thank you for your great effort to make variety of delicious recipes.!! AL.
I was eyeing this recipe for my housewarming lunch this Saturday and your comment really convinced me to try this recipe out!
Hi Nagi,
I have been making wonderful meals from your site… but last one I made for a crowd and quadrupled your Biryani recipe and it was a loved by All! every one took a little doggy bag home and I still hear about the wonderful biryani! Ofcourse being an indian they thought it was something passed on to me ;)! So thank you for your great effort to make variety of delicious recipes.!! AL.
I made this exactly as written except decreased the cayenne because I am a wimp. My family groaned in delight at the flavor and begged me not to lose the recipe! Next time, I’ll add a bit more of the cayenne back – at least 1/4 tsp. Thanks so much! I’ve been enjoying many of your recipes lately.
Thanks for this recipe. It turned out beautifully. Cooked mine in the oven, though.
I’ve tried making this recipe twice and both times the chicken seems to burn and stick to the bottom of my Dutch oven – any thoughts as to what I’m doing wrong? Thanks!
Made this twice- delicious. Had trouble finding chicken thighs with skin and bone in. Made it with plain chicken thighs just decreased cooking time. Love love this dish
That’s awesome Nola, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!