This chicken biryani recipe features succulent, juicy pieces of chicken that are cooked in a yogurt marinade and then layered with crispy onions,
coriander, mint and basmati rice to give you a dish that the entire family will enjoy.
I’ve broken the process step by step and made a recipe video for this chicken biryani so that you can make this restaurant style biryani at home!
Biryani in India doesn’t just mean biryani. There are variations across the length and breadth of the country.
There is Hyderabadi biryani (which is what I’m sharing today) where
The biryani includes a lot of gravy or masala and cooks slowly with rice in a sealed pot. Then there is the Muslim wedding
biryani which actually has lesser masala, but packed with flavour mostly from whole spices;
You’ll find Kerala biryani, donne biryani from Karnataka, and many more varieties across India.
In every single form, Families enjoy biryani as a delicious one-pot meal.
Families enjoy biryani as a delicious one-pot meal and eaten together – like a celebration!
But I have to be a 100% honest with you. I had never made chicken biryani before I decided to share this recipe.
And I got convinced because so so many of you have requested for a legit/authentic biryani recipe that was also relatively easy.
And we are biryani lovers. Mostly mutton biryani, but this chicken biryani really changed our mind.
When I first tried it, I felt nervous because it looked difficult and daunting. and it looked like there were a gazillion steps.
So I took a deep breath and decided to break them down for you.
Ingredients for Chicken Biryani
Here’s everything that you’ll need to make biryani:
Chicken: I only like to use thighs and drumsticks for chicken biryani because they remain juicy and don’t overcook through the long cooking time.
For me, chicken breast is a big no no as it will dry out and will just be rubbery.
Yogurt: Greek yogurt, plain yogurt or homemade curd/dahi works well. Acts as a tenderiser and add some tanginess to the masala
Fried Onions: Also called birista, I’ve outlined the process to make fried onions at home below.
Tip: These days, packages fried onions are easily available and are more convenient option.
To store a large amount of fried onions, place them in an airtight container and freeze them for later
Tomato Puree: Used in the marinade for flavour and body
Ginger Garlic Paste: Simply ground ginger and garlic, I recommend making this at home, but if you are in a hurry, store bought works too
Whole Spices: Bay leaf, Cloves, Green Cardamom and Saffron (kesar for that distinct orange colour) – these form
the flavour base and give biryani that distinct fragrance that wafts up as soon as you open the pot
Ground Spices: Red Chilli Powder (sub with a mix of paprika and cayenne if living outside India), turmeric powder and garam masala powder.
Tip: For the best flavor and aroma, I would highly recommend making your own garam masala. Don’t worry, it’s pretty simple to make, and I even have a recipe to help you nail it.
I usually make whip up a jar once a month and this way it stays fresher and more aromatic every time I use it.
Herbs: Fresh mint and coriander leaves (cilantro) are essential to making biryani. They add freshness and bring the rice and chicken together
Fat & Dairy: Both oil and ghee. You can choose to only use ghee but in my opinion, it makes the biryani even richer.
But ghee is what was traditionally used to make biryani. You’ll also need a little milk to soak the saffron strands
Basmati Rice: This is a key ingredient in most biryani recipes, even the ones outside India like the Pakistani biryani and Afghani biryani. Please note that basmati rice is different from long grain rice.
A quick note – Basmati has long grains but also comes with a distinct fragrance and flavour. Look for aged basmati rice that has been aged for at least 1-2 years.
Fried Onions
Getting the fried onions right is crucial because they play a key role in the dish. Onions are cut into slices and then browned on medium flame in oil.
They don’t need to be extra crispy, but onions should be a deep golden brown without getting burnt.
You can also use store bought fried onions which are easily available in supermarkets these days.
Basmati Rice
While choosing rice for the biryani, make sure to buy ‘basmati rice’ and not long grain rice. While they may look similar at first, good quality basmati rice is fragrant,
and has grains that are thin and long as opposed to long grain rice which has fatter grains and almost no fragrance.
ook the basmati rice for exactly 5 minutes in boiling water.with whole spices and salt to get it to the right doneness, which is 70%.
Drain the rice well to get rid of any excess water. he rice continues to steam while we cook it with the chicken, and that’s where it picks up all the flavour
and perfume from the chicken, saffron, mint leaves and coriander.
How to marinate chicken for Biryani
This Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani gets a lot of its flavor from the marinade.
Use yogurt as a tenderizer along with fried onions, tomato puree, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and salt to flavor the chicken. It’s important to marinate
the chicken in a large bowl for at least two hours or overnight for the maximum flavor. Like I said before,
I prefer using only chicken thighs and legs for chicken biryani because these are the juiciest and do not become dry while the biryani cooks.
How to make Chicken Biryani
After marinating the chicken and preparing the rice and fried onions, start cooking the chicken.
Place the chicken in a Dutch oven or large pot for biryani and cook it for 7 minutes.
Don’t stir the chicken; just flip it once after 4 minutes.
After the chicken cooks partially, layer it with fried onions, mint, and coriander.
The onions add sweetness and richness while the herbs add a ton of flavor and freshness.
The final step is layering with 70% cooked basmati rice. Sprinkle saffron milk and ghee on top and cover tightly with a lid.
Originally, the pot was sealed with dough to prevent steam from escaping, but a tight lid works just as well.
It’s important to cook this on a low flame so that the heat distributes evenly and the bottom doesn’t get burnt.
And there you go! The whole thing takes approximately an hour so I call this a weekend project,
but after you’ve done it once, you’ll realize how easy and simple making biryani at home is!
The results of your labour will look like this, and trust me, there is nothing like the smell of chicken biryani wafting through the house to get everyone to the table!
Let’s just say – five attempts to make sure I provide you with instructions that you can actually follow with ease at home did not seem like work.
