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Chicken biryani

This chicken biryani recipe will help you make the best biryani at home. It's an easy rice dish with succulent chicken in well-balanced spices.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 6
Calories: 723 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Pakistani

Ingredients

  • 1.8 pounds boneless chicken cut into small pieces.
  • 12 ounces new potatoes cut into big cubes.
  • 2 brown onions chopped.
  • 1 inch ginger finely grated/ minced.
  • 4 cloves garlic minced.
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin.
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander.
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kashmiri chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper.
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder.
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt.
  • 7 green cardamom.
  • 10 cloves.
  • 15 whole black peppercorns.
  • 2 bay leaves.
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick.
  • 1 cup cooking oil.
  • 1 cup + 3 tablespoons tomatoes chopped.
  • ½ cup yogurt lightly beaten.
  • 2 ½ cups basmati rice washed and soaked in water.
  • 5-6 cups boiling water.
  • A handful of fresh coriander optional.

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Wash and rinse the rice about 3-4 times until the water looks clear. And soak the rice in clear water. Set aside.
  2. In a large cooking pot, heat the oil and fry the onions until lightly brown. 
  3. Add in the ginger and garlic, give it a stir and fry for a few minutes until it smells fragrant.
  4. Then put all the spices in. The cumin, coriander, chili powder, paprika, black pepper, turmeric, salt, cardamoms, cloves, whole black peppercorns, cinnamon, and bay leaves. Continue to cook for about 2-3 minutes until the spices give an aroma.
  5. Put the chicken in and stir until all the pieces are covered with spices. Let it fry until the poultry turns opaque in color.
  6. Then add the tomatoes to the chicken mixture and give it a good stir. Put the lid on and let it cook at low heat. Leave it to cook for about 20 minutes. Keep checking and stirring every now and again to make sure the chicken doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. 
  7. In the meantime, boil the water in the other pot. When it reaches boiling point, add in the rice and let it cook for about 7 minutes or until the rice is half cooked. 
  8. Add the potatoes in, stir well and continue cooking with the lid on for another 10 minutes then put the yogurt in. Let it cook for about 5 minutes more.
  9. When the oil slightly separates from the sauce, and you have about 1-1 ½ cups of gravy left, turn the heat off.
  10. Using a colander, drain the half-cooked rice and pour it over the chicken biryani sauce. Spread it evenly to cover all the chicken masala (chicken curry sauce). Put the lid on. Then cook the biryani rice at low-medium heat until the steam comes out.

Notes

  • Chicken releases more water when it’s cooked. So you may have to cook the masala sauce at medium-high heat to make sure the liquid evaporates quickly. But do take care and keep checking so that it won’t get too dry either.
  • Line the pot lid with a tea towel before you put it on the pot for steaming. It helps absorb the steam water so that it won’t drip or fall onto the rice. 

Nutrition Information

Serving 1g Calories 723kcal (36%) Carbohydrates 59g (20%) Protein 51g (102%) Fat 32g (49%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Polyunsaturated Fat 24g Cholesterol 126mg (42%) Sodium 814mg (34%) Fiber 7g (28%) Sugar 12g (24%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 723

% Daily Value*

Serving 1g
Calories 723kcal 36%
Carbohydrates 59g 20%
Protein 51g 102%
Fat 32g 49%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Polyunsaturated Fat 24g 141%
Cholesterol 126mg 42%
Sodium 814mg 34%
Fiber 7g 28%
Sugar 12g 24%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.