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!
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 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.
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.
Enjoy!
PIN ME!
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
Easy Chicken Biryani
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", see instructions below)
- 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.
- To parboil the rice: Thoroughly rinse the rice until the water draining from it is clear and no longer milky. Soak the rice in a bowl of water for 15-30 minutes. Fill a pot with salted water. Drain the rice and add it the pot. Bring it to a boil and cook for 4-6 minutes until the tips of the rice are clear. Pour the rice into a strainer and rinse with lukewarm water. Let the rice thoroughly drain while you continue with the next steps.
- 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
Sara Welch says
What a flavorful dish! This will pair perfectly with dinner tonight, indeed!
mmeb says
Hi
Thank you for the recipe. Will try it out…What can I replace the raisins with?
Thank you
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
You could substitute them with dried cranberries or cherries.
Tharu says
Looks very simple and easy. Gonna try it today for my family.
Wil let u know the outcome.
Aaron Gershon says
I made this four nights ago. My wife said it was the best meal I have ever cooked!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s terrific, Aaron, I’m so thrilled to hear that, thank you!
José says
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!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
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!
Amanda says
Oh my this looks so amazing I cannot wait to make for the family!
tooba says
Hey!!!!!!!!!!! U said biryani under 30 minutes!!!!!!!! Why havent u included 1 to 4 hour marination somewhere????????? Like you mentioned in the recipie?????
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
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.
Yaswanti says
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 ;-)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Yaswanti! Your dinner plan sounds perfect and I’ve no doubt your family will be thrilled with the results!
José says
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!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
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!
Anonymous says
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.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Yes, cinnamon powder (ie, ground cinnamon). No, I wouldn’t recommend anise, it has a completely different flavor.
Anonymous says
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 !
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
…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).
kim says
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.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
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
Liesel says
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!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so thrilled to hear that, Liesel, and really appreciate your feedback, thank you!
Liz says
LOVE biryani and finally a recipe that doesn’t completely intimidate me! :) Making this!
The Daring Gourmet says
Definitely ZERO intimidation factor here, Liz! Easy and delicious!
Michelle says
If I wanted to make this with regular basmati rice, would I cook it separately first and then add it, and how much? Thanks :)
The Daring Gourmet says
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.
Lajoiedu Chant says
Oh! Thank you!!!! :)
The Daring Gourmet says
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!