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Instant Pot Chicken Biryani
4.9 from 369 votes

Instant Pot Chicken Biryani

The Instant Pot Chicken Biryani combines marinated chicken pieces with basmati rice and whole spices, cooked together in ghee with caramelized onions and saffron-infused milk. The layering and pressure cooking method creates a tender, aromatic dish with balanced textures from soft chicken and fluffy rice, enhanced by nuts and raisins sautéed in ghee for richness and contrast.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 4
Calories: 453 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 lb chicken boneless cut into 1.5" inch pieces
  • 1 cup basmati rice washed and soaked for 20 minutes
  • 2 tablespoon ghee
  • 10 cashews
  • 12 raisins
  • 1 onion thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoon milk warm
  • 10 trands saffron aka Kesar
  • 1 cup water
For marination
  • 1/2 cup PLAIN yogurt I used full-fat
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon ginger paste
  • 1/2 tablespoon garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder ground, aka Haldi powder
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoon mint chopped, leaves
  • 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped, leaves
Whole Spices
  • 1 tick cassia cinnamon aka Dalchini
  • 2 bay leaf Tej Patta
  • 5 green cardamom aka Elaichi
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds aka Jeera
  • 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 4 cloves aka Laung

Instructions

Marinate the chicken:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Add chicken in a bowl with all the marinate ingredients. Mix well and refrigerate it for 30 minutes (or up to 8 hours).
Preparing the biryani:
  1. Add the milk to a small bowl and warm it in the microwave. Add the saffron strands to it. Keep aside.
  2. Start the instant pot on sauté mode and heat it. Add ghee, and then the cashews, raisins and saute them for about a minute until they are lightly golden. Take out and reserve for later.
  3. Add in the sliced onions. Cook them for about 10-12 minutes until onions caramelize. Stir frequently, so they don't stick to the bottom. Take out half of the caramelized onions.
  4. Add the whole spices and saute for 30 seconds. Add the marinated chicken. Mix well and saute for about 3 minutes minutes. Make sure to deglaze the pot well. Then spread the chicken evenly on the base of the pot.
  5. Spread the rice evenly over the chicken. Spread the saffron soaked in milk on top of the rice. Then add the 1 cup of water to the pot. Close the lid with vent in sealing position.
  6. Change the instant pot setting to manual or pressure cook mode at high pressure for 4 minutes. When the instant pot beeps, do a 10 minute NPR. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release the pressure manually.
  7. Garnish with the reserved caramelized onions, cashews and raisins. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves. Serve chicken biryani with raita.

Notes

  • Use boneless chicken thighs, breasts, or legs; if using legs, sauté then pressure cook for 4 minutes before adding rice.
  • Adjust the spice level by increasing or decreasing chili and garam masala according to your taste.
  • To prevent the Instant Pot from burning the rice, deglaze the pot thoroughly after sautéing the chicken; alternatively, sauté onions separately on the stove if needed.
  • For stovetop pressure cookers, cook on high flame for 3 whistles and let pressure release naturally.

Nutrition Information

Calories 453kcal (23%) Carbohydrates 50g (17%) Protein 31g (62%) Fat 14g (22%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 97mg (32%) Sodium 752mg (31%) Potassium 736mg (16%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 371IU (7%) Vitamin C 9mg (10%) Calcium 112mg (11%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 453

% Daily Value*

Calories 453kcal 23%
Carbohydrates 50g 17%
Protein 31g 62%
Fat 14g 22%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 97mg 32%
Sodium 752mg 31%
Potassium 736mg 16%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 371IU 7%
Vitamin C 9mg 10%
Calcium 112mg 11%
Iron 2mg 11%

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