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Home » Easy Chicken Biryani

Easy Chicken Biryani

March 3, 2020

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This delicious Chicken Biryani recipe is easy to make and is ready for the table in 30 minutes!   Wonderfully aromatic and flavorful, it’s sure to be a hit at your dinner table!

chicken biryani recipe easy fast Indian rice

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.

chicken biryani recipe easy fast Indian rice

How to Properly Prepare and Cook 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.

How to Make Chicken Biryani

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.

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.

Easy Chicken Biryani prep 3

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.

chicken biryani recipe easy Indian fast curry raisins almonds rice basmati

Enjoy!

chicken biryani recipe easy fast Indian rice

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chicken biryani recipe easy fast Indian basmati rice curry raisins almonds

For more delicious Indian recipes be sure to try our:

  • Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
  • Chicken Tikka Masala
  • Mango Chutney
  • Tandoori Chicken
  • Masoor Dal
  • Indian Broccoli with Paneer
  • Egg Curry
  • Saag Gosht
  • Panch Phoron Roasted Potatoes
  • Tandoori Breaded Fried Mushrooms with Yogurt Sauce
  • Chicken Xacuti

 

chicken biryani recipe easy fast Indian rice

Easy Chicken Biryani

Kimberly Killebrew
This delicious Chicken Biryani recipe is easy to make and is ready for the table in less than 30 minutes.   Wonderfully aromatic and flavorful, it's sure to be a hit at your dinner table!
Print Recipe
5 from 10 votes
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Marinating Time 1 hr
Total Time 1 hr 30 mins
Course Entree, Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4
Calories 316 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts , cut into bite-sized pieces (or use thighs for more flavor)
  • ½ cup whole plain yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons quality curry powder
  • BEST Homemade Curry Powder (click link for recipe)
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion , chopped
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
  • 2-3 tablespoons raisins
  • 2 cups cooked basmati rice (parboiled, i.e. only three-fourths cooked, slightly "al dente")
  • Chopped cilantro and sliced almonds for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Combine the chicken in a bowl with the yogurt, curry powder, and cinnamon and let marinate for at least 1 hour but preferably at least 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.
  • Stir in the rice, cilantro and raisins. Pour the chicken broth over the mixture. Cover and simmer for 3-4 minutes until the rice is soft and the mixture is heated through. Add salt to taste. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 747mg | Potassium: 468mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 368IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 2mg
Keyword Chicken Biryani
Tried this recipe?Click HERE to rate it!

 

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Filed Under: Affiliate, All Recipes, By Country or Region, Chicken, Disclosure, Food, India, Main Dishes Tagged With: almonds, biryani, chicken, cilantro, India, raisins, rice

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40 Responses

  1. Barbara Wall says

    January 19, 2021 at 12:19 am

    I cooked this tonight (holy bat balls this is delicious) from my youngest 22yrs but I put a teaspoon of chilli powder in it as we love spicy food I have been informed by my family that I will have to cook this again Thanks

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      January 19, 2021 at 4:32 pm

      Thank you, Barbara, I’m so glad this was a family hit! :)

      Reply
  2. Naomi B says

    June 2, 2020 at 6:14 am

    Mid-preparation, I discovered that I was short on curry so I added some garam masala in its place. This dish was successfully received at our home. Wonderful recipe!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      June 2, 2020 at 8:59 am

      Thank you, Naomi, I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it, thank you!

      Reply
  3. Moriah says

    March 13, 2020 at 12:04 pm

    I always read the comments before trying new recipes, so I wanted to add mine here. Loved this recipe!! It’s a regular in our meal rotation and even my 3-year-old loves it.

    Here were my tweaks: I used less salt than called for. cooked regular basmati rice 1:1 Rice to water ratio in instant pot (4 min high pressure, 10 min natural release) then added to the skillet with a small amount of broth. Omitted raisins

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      March 14, 2020 at 9:55 am

      Fantastic, Moriah, I’m so glad it’s been a hit in your family, thanks for the feedback!

      Reply
  4. Catalina says

    March 6, 2020 at 12:49 pm

    Now I know what I will make for dinner tonight! Looks amazing!

    Reply
  5. Toni says

    March 6, 2020 at 10:05 am

    I love everything about it. Easy, delicious, and packed full of flavors!

    Reply
  6. Erin says

    March 6, 2020 at 4:45 am

    This Chicken Biryani looks incredibly delicious!

    Reply
  7. Vikki says

    March 5, 2020 at 9:30 pm

    This is so amazing! I love how flavorful this is

    Reply
  8. Dorothy Reinhold says

    March 5, 2020 at 6:37 pm

    I love making new and exciting dishes. This seems easy to make which is always a win!

    Reply
  9. Sara Welch says

    March 5, 2020 at 4:05 pm

    What a flavorful dish! This will pair perfectly with dinner tonight, indeed!

    Reply
  10. mmeb says

    October 12, 2017 at 8:49 am

    Hi

    Thank you for the recipe. Will try it out…What can I replace the raisins with?
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      October 12, 2017 at 12:03 pm

      You could substitute them with dried cranberries or cherries.

      Reply
  11. Tharu says

    July 5, 2017 at 9:48 am

    Looks very simple and easy. Gonna try it today for my family.
    Wil let u know the outcome.

    Reply
  12. Aaron Gershon says

    October 3, 2016 at 11:01 pm

    I made this four nights ago. My wife said it was the best meal I have ever cooked!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      October 5, 2016 at 8:12 am

      That’s terrific, Aaron, I’m so thrilled to hear that, thank you!

      Reply
  13. José says

    December 26, 2015 at 4:53 pm

    Kimberly, I have just remembered! It’s been a year since my last comment! When is the Full Chicken Biryani recipe coming? Please don’t forget! And Happy New Year!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      December 26, 2015 at 7:59 pm

      José, thank you so much for your patience and persistence! Thanks also for the reminder, I will try very hard to remember. Happy New Year!

      Reply
    • Amanda says

      March 5, 2020 at 6:12 pm

      Oh my this looks so amazing I cannot wait to make for the family!

      Reply
  14. tooba says

    February 14, 2015 at 1:43 am

    Hey!!!!!!!!!!! U said biryani under 30 minutes!!!!!!!! Why havent u included 1 to 4 hour marination somewhere????????? Like you mentioned in the recipie?????

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      February 14, 2015 at 8:22 am

      Hi tooba! The point is that it’s a quick dish to cook. Marinating is something it does on it’s own before the cooking process and is fuss free.

      Reply
  15. Yaswanti says

    January 4, 2015 at 12:22 pm

    Hi, I’ve just found your easy recipe using Uncle Ben for me to make chicken biryani as my youngest son & his girlfriend are visiting me next weekend their belated xmas & they wanted this curry so happy I’ve found your recipe & look forward to making/trying it out & serve with roti, mango chutney & tomato/red onion salad. Mmm can’t wait ;-)

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      January 4, 2015 at 3:16 pm

      Wonderful, Yaswanti! Your dinner plan sounds perfect and I’ve no doubt your family will be thrilled with the results!

      Reply
  16. José says

    December 13, 2014 at 5:32 pm

    Hi Kimberly, this looks great! But I am really curious about the full length version, which must be even better, even if it adds difficulty to its preparation. Looking forward to it!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      December 13, 2014 at 6:17 pm

      Hi José! Indian food is one of my favorite cuisines and yes, I still need to post a full-length biryani recipe. Thanks for the reminder and I hope to get to it sooner than later!

      Reply
  17. Anonymous says

    December 13, 2014 at 4:39 pm

    Thank you. I love chicken biryani and this seems cook-able for me. I’ll try it. But I have questions: do you mean cinnamon powder? and can I put some anises? Thanks again.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      December 13, 2014 at 6:20 pm

      Yes, cinnamon powder (ie, ground cinnamon). No, I wouldn’t recommend anise, it has a completely different flavor.

      Reply
  18. Anonymous says

    December 2, 2014 at 2:24 pm

    Uhm this has nothing to do with chicken biryani !!! It is like saying a Mc Donald Burger is a Filet Mignon ! WTF ! It is an insult to indian Cousine !

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      December 2, 2014 at 2:36 pm

      …Except that McDonald’s burgers don’t claim to be filet mignons and had you read this post you’d also know that this version of biryani doesn’t claim to be fully authentic. Furthermore, if you knew much about Indian cuisine you would know better than to say that it has “nothing to do with chicken biryani.” It actually has quite a lot to do with it – it’s merely a simplified version (note the title of the recipe).

      Reply
  19. kim says

    November 13, 2014 at 5:55 pm

    After two bites my husband declared this a keeper. Very easy and extremely tasty. The only thing that I added was 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne for a little bit of heat. I’m two for two with your blog and am now an official Facebook follower.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      November 13, 2014 at 6:11 pm

      YES!!! Thanks, Kim! I try to keep my recipe index organized and user-friendly, but there are some glitches and some recipes don’t always turn up in search results, so if you’re ever looking for something specific or something with any particular ingredients, let me know and I’ll make some recommendations. Thanks again and have a fabulous weekend! Best, Kimberly

      Reply
  20. Liesel says

    September 21, 2014 at 2:19 pm

    Thanks for this! Who would have thought one could make biryani on a weeknight?!? My Burmese mother-in-law just broke her wrist and I wanted to make a dish that she and my father-in-law could eat while she recovers. Long story short: I only had an hour to prepare this. What a lifesaver! Will be making it for my family later this week. I threw in a couple green cardamom pods, too, as I had them on hand. Thanks again — bookmarking your blog!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      September 21, 2014 at 3:23 pm

      I’m so thrilled to hear that, Liesel, and really appreciate your feedback, thank you!

      Reply
  21. Liz says

    May 16, 2014 at 9:11 am

    LOVE biryani and finally a recipe that doesn’t completely intimidate me! :) Making this!

    Reply
    • The Daring Gourmet says

      May 16, 2014 at 9:24 am

      Definitely ZERO intimidation factor here, Liz! Easy and delicious!

      Reply
  22. Michelle says

    May 14, 2014 at 5:43 am

    If I wanted to make this with regular basmati rice, would I cook it separately first and then add it, and how much? Thanks :)

    Reply
    • The Daring Gourmet says

      May 14, 2014 at 8:21 am

      Hi Michelle! Yes, you would parboil it separately and then add it. The Uncle Ben’s packets of parboiled rice are 8.5 ounces each and you need two for this recipe. So you’d need just over 2 cups of parboiled rice.

      Reply
  23. Lajoiedu Chant says

    May 13, 2014 at 4:25 pm

    Oh! Thank you!!!! :)

    Reply
    • The Daring Gourmet says

      May 13, 2014 at 4:41 pm

      You’re welcome, Lajoiedu! :) This isn’t the official recipe request you made as it’s a very simplified version. But I’ll get around to the authentic, “full-length” version at some point. I’m SO back-logged with recipe requests that I want to make, but at least I got this one out there!

      Reply

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kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Welcome!  I’m Kimberly and I share delicious originals, revitalized classics and authentic dishes from around the world.  Come travel the world through your taste buds!

Amazon Affiliate Disclosure:
The Daring Gourmet is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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