This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.

This delicious Chicken Biryani recipe is easy to make and is ready for the table in 30 minutes. Wonderfully fragrant and flavorful, it’s sure to be a hit and become part of your Indian dinner rotation!

Biryani is a super popular dish across the globe and that’s no surprise. With its heavenly aroma and its mouth-watering flavor combinations, biryani is downright delicious. Today I’m sharing a quick and easy Chicken Biryani recipe that we’re confident you’re going to love.

This chicken biryani recipe is perfect for anyone wanting to capture the flavor of a traditional biryani without having to pull out the lengthy list of spices typically needed for the job. And that’s not to say that this biryani suffers in flavor. No way. Rest assured, it’s packed with flavor and everyone from novice to experienced chef is sure to enjoy it!

Be sure to allow the chicken to marinate, which can be done up to a day ahead. The rice can likewise be cooked well in advance. Then when it comes time to cook you’ll have a hot and ready meal in less than 30 minutes.

What Kind of Rice Do I Need to Make Chicken Biryani?

There are many, many different kinds of Biryani, all specific to various regions, each with their own ingredient and cooking method variations. Turkey, Iran and South Asia all have their own variations and India alone has at least a dozen different versions of Biryani. But whether it’s made with chicken, mutton, fish or vegetables, and whatever other ingredients may or may not be included, every biryani has one ingredient in common: Rice. And the most commonly used rice for biryani is basmati rice.

Basmati rice is unique from other types of rice. With its attractively long and slender grains, it’s delicious flavor, wonderfully fragrant aroma (basmati is from the Sanskrit word meaning “fragrant”) and its perfect texture, basmati rice remains one of the most preferred kinds of rice among chefs worldwide.

Basmati rice is lighter and fluffier than regular rice and doesn’t stick together and it’s this latter characteristic in particular that is essential to achieving the perfect biryani.

How to Prepare the Basmati Rice

Any sources for traditional biryani will emphasize the importance of cooking the rice just right. This isn’t difficult to achieve, you just have to know how to do it. In order for biryani to have the right texture, basmati rice has to be thoroughly washed and then soaked for at least 20-30 minutes before cooking it. And then it must be parboiled, meaning it’s cooked only three-fourths of the way so that it’s still slightly “al dente”. The rest of its brief cooking time takes place with the meat.

With the right rice in hand all you need to make chicken biryani is some chicken, yogurt, onions, garlic, ginger, curry powder, cinnamon, raisins, almonds, chicken broth and cilantro. And with those ingredients you’ll get a vibrantly flavorful and wholesome meal that your whole family will enjoy.

Chicken Biryani Recipe

Let’s get started!

Combine the chicken in a bowl with the yogurt, curry powder, and cinnamon and let marinate for at least 1 hour but preferably for 4 hours.

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the onions until golden, 7-8 minutes.

Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the chicken and all of the marinade along with the salt. Stir to combine, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the cooked rice, cilantro and raisins. Pour the chicken stock over the mixture. Bring to simmer. Cover and simmer 3-4 minutes until the mixture is heated through. Add salt to taste.

For something refreshing, serve this with our Cucumber Raita and a Mango Lassi for dessert!

Enjoy!

For more delicious Indian recipes be sure to try our: