Skip to content
Foxaru
Chicken Biryani – plated and served
DinnerLunchIndian

Chicken Biryani

Layered saffron rice with marinated chicken, steamed in a sealed pot.

No ratings yet
Preparation
40 min
Cook/bake time
50 min
Total
2 hr 30 min
Difficulty
Advanced
Calories
771 kcal
Servings
6
Prep
40 min
Cooking & baking
50 min
Resting
1 hr

Only 1 hr 30 min of that is hands-on – the rest takes care of itself.

Layered saffron rice with marinated chicken, steamed in a sealed pot. Rice and meat are parcooked separately and then layered so that the aromas rise during steaming without everything turning to mush. The feast of Indian cuisine that instantly makes any table special.

Why this works

Rice absorbs about twice its weight in water during cooking. If it is already fully cooked when it goes into the pot, it has nothing left to absorb and falls apart into mush when steamed. Half-cooked leaves capacity for the liquid from the meat and marinade, which rises as steam during dum cooking. Therefore, half the cooking time is not an inaccuracy, but a calculation of quantities.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Marinate chicken

    Mix yogurt with garlic, ginger, Garam Masala, turmeric, chili powder, and salt, and thoroughly coat the chicken with it. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour, preferably overnight. The yogurt tenderizes the meat and later forms the sauce at the bottom of the pot together with the released juices.

  2. Fry onions

    Fry the fine onion rings in plenty of oil over medium heat for fifteen minutes until they are deep golden brown and crispy, and let them drain on paper towels. Take them out as soon as they are light brown, because they continue to cook. These birista are included in every layer and provide the typical sweetness.

  3. Parcook rice

    Wash the basmati rice until the water runs clear, and soak it for thirty minutes. Then boil it in plenty of salted water with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaves for only five to six minutes until it is soft on the outside but still clearly hard in the center. Drain it immediately, it will finish cooking while steaming.

  4. Braise chicken

    Heat two tablespoons of ghee in a wide, heavy pot and add the marinated chicken along with the marinade. Let it braise over medium heat for fifteen minutes until the meat is almost cooked and a thick sauce has formed. Then distribute it evenly as the bottom layer in the pot.

  5. Layer and steam

    Layer the half-cooked rice on top of the chicken and distribute fried onions, mint, cilantro, the saffron milk, and the remaining ghee over it. Seal the pot very tightly, if necessary with aluminum foil under the lid, and steam everything over the lowest heat for 25 minutes. Let it rest for ten minutes and then gently lift it from bottom to top.

Our best tips

  • The rice really only needs to be half cooked. Fully cooked rice will inevitably turn to mush when steamed.
  • The pot must close absolutely tightly. Escaping steam is the most common reason for dry biryani.
  • Do not stir at the end, but carefully lift from bottom to top so that the layers remain visible.

Tasty variations

Vegetable Biryani

Replace chicken with cauliflower, carrots, peas, and potatoes, marinade and process remain the same.

In the oven

Instead of on the stove, steam in a closed roasting pan at 180 °C for 30 minutes, this is more even.

Nutrition facts

Per serving (1 portion)
Calories771 kcal
Protein37 g
Carbohydrates75 g
– of which sugar6 g
Fat35 g
Fiber4 g

Where the 771 kcal come from

per serving
Calculated from the ingredients – how we do it

We add up reference values for every ingredient and divide by the number of servings. These assumptions are baked in:

  • Reference values per 100 g – for the raw ingredient, exactly as listed.
  • Tinned goods count at drained weight, bone-in meat at purchase weight: you eat about 70 per cent of a chicken thigh and leave the rest.
  • Water evaporates as you cook. The energy stays in the pot, the weight does not – so the figure is per serving, not per 100 g of finished dish.
  • Anything listed without a quantity – “salt and pepper” – is not counted.

A guide value, not a lab measurement: no two onions weigh the same, and fat content varies from pack to pack.

How we calculate nutrition →

Frequently asked questions

Why is my biryani mushy?

The rice was parcooked too much or there was too much liquid in the pot. Five to six minutes of cooking time is really sufficient.

Can I leave out saffron?

You lose little in taste, but a lot visually. As an emergency solution, a pinch of turmeric in warm milk, that gives at least the yellow streaks.

Can biryani be prepared in advance?

Chicken and fried onions yes, a day before. Rice and steaming should happen fresh, otherwise the texture suffers.

Comments & ratings(0)

Sign in to rate and comment on this recipe.

    You might also like