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CHICKEN BIRYANI
Chicken Biryani is a delicious savory rice dish that is loaded with spicy marinated
chicken, caramelized onions, and flavorful saffron rice. For my Biryani, I simplify
the order of operations, while retaining the traditional layered approach to
assembling it.
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Chicken Biryani is a delciious savory rice dish loaded with spicy marinated
chicken, caramelized onions, and flavorful saffron rice.

Whether you’re talking Arroz con Pollo, Hainanese Chicken Rice, or Oyako Donburi;
chicken and rice is a classic pairing that has permeated culinary culture around
the world. It makes sense that earlier in human history, this staple seed would be
combined with a domesticated source of protein, but the fact that this combination
has endured as a popular favorite today, speaks to its unassailable deliciousness.

Although widely associated with Indian cuisine, Chicken Biryani is a dish that has
spread across a wide swath of South Asia, reaching as far west as Iraq, and as far
east as Indonesia. The vast geographical area Biryani calls home has resulted in a
huge variety of preparations and ingredients.

Pulao (a.k.a. Pilaf), a similar rice dish can be found in the same areas. While
there’s some debate as to the difference between Biryani and Pulao, the latter
tends to have less meat and veggies relative to the rice, which means it’s usually
served as a side rather than an entree. The second big difference is that Biryani
is usually layered and steamed, which creates a wonderful variation in flavor,
texture and color when it’s all mixed together at the end.

This Chicken Biryani isn't hard to make and yet it's decadently flavorful with
spiced chicken and caramelized onions cooked in saffron rice.

The bottom layer of rice absorbs all the juices of the chicken as it cooks, giving
it a tender texture and rich flavor, while the top layer of rice turns out white
and fluffy. Buried in the Biryani, you’ll find whole cuts of succulent chicken that
are bursting with flavor from the potent array of spices, herbs and aromatics it’s
marinated in.

For my version, I’ve simplified the preparation a bit by marinating the chicken in
a spicy mixture of garam masala, garlic, ginger, chili peppers, cilantro and
garlic. When fried, the spices and aromatics on the exterior of the chicken
caramelize into an insanely flavorful crust. I like to cook the onions separately,
as it allows you to fully caramelize them into an sweet umami-packed layer that
contrasts the spicy savory chicken. For the rice, a quick par-boil with cardamom,
bay leaves and cumin infuses some flavor, while ensuring the rice is tender enough
steam after the Biryani is assembled.

I like to serve my Chicken Biryani with a cooling raita made with yogurt, mint,
cilantro and a pinch of salt, but this is also good with a variety of different
chutneys. I know it’s a lot of carbs, but I also love serving biryani with a basket
of fresh pillowy naan, my friend Bee over at Rasa Malaysia has a fantastic Fail-
Proof Naan recipe that I’m a fan of.

Chicken Biryani
INDIANENTREE
33
discussions
Yield: 5 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
PRINT
NUTRITION
METRIC
–
US IMPERIAL
INGREDIENTS
for chicken
1 tablespoonvegetable oil10 gramsgarlic (grated)10 gramsginger (grated)1serrano
chili peppers (to taste, minced)5 gramsmint (finely chopped)10 gramscilantro
(finely chopped1 tablespoongaram masala1/2 teaspoonground cinnamon1 teaspoonsalt900
gramsbone-in skin-on chicken thighs
for rice
6 cupswater2 1/2 teaspoonssalt5pods green cardamom (smashed)1 teaspooncumin
seeds1bay leaf360 gramsbasmati rice (~2 cups)
for onions
2 tablespoonghee2medium onions (sliced thin)
for Biryani
1 cupreserved boiling liquid (from rice)1/2 teaspoonsaffron threadscilantro (for
garnish)

STEPS
To marinate the chicken for the biryani, combine the vegetable oil, garlic, ginger,
chili peppers, mint, cilantro, garam masala, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl and
stir together. Add the chicken pieces and toss together making sure the chicken is
thoroughly coated in the marinade. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 1
hour or up to overnight.
In a pot wide enough to hold the chicken in a single layer, add the ghee and onions
and saute the onions until they are well caramelized (15-20 minutes). Transfer the
caramelized onions to a bowl and set aside.
Caramelized onions add a pleasant sweetness to contrast the spicy chicken in the
Biryani.

While the onions caramelize, prepare the rice by washing in a strainer under cold
running water until the water runs clear.
It's important to wash your rice thouroughly to rid it of any excess starch so your
Biryani turns out fluffy.
To par-boil the rice, add the water, salt, cardamom, cumin and bay leaf to a pot
and bring to a boil. Add the rice and boil for 7 minutes. Drain the rice, reserving
1 cup of the liquid.
Parboiling the rice with spices not only ensures the rice is cooked through, it
infuses your biryani with tons of flavor.

In the pot you caramelized the onions in, add the chicken in a single layer, skin-
side down. Fry until golden brown on one side (about 5 minutes). Flip the chicken
over and fry the other side until golden brown. Transfer the chicken back to the
bowl you marinated it in.
Browning the chicken for the Biryani brings out the flavors of the spices and
aromatics in the marinade.
To assemble the biryani, add the saffron to the rice and toss to distribute evenly.
Add half the rice mixture to the bottom of the pot you browned the chicken in.
Top the rice with the chicken in a single layer.
The browned chicken gets layeed on the rice.
Top the chicken with an even layer of caramelized onions.
A layer of caramelized onions goes on top of the chicken for the Biryani.
Finish putting together the Biryani by adding the rest of the rice in an even
layer. Add 1 cup of reserved liquid from boiling the rice. Cover the pot with a lid
and put the pot on the stove over medium heat and set the timer for 20 minutes.
When you can see steam escaping from under the lid, turn down the heat to low and
continue cooking until the timer goes off and then turn off the heat.

The Biryani is finished off with a layer of saffron rice.

Without opening the lid, set the timer for another 10 minutes to steam the biryani.

Mix the Chicken Biryani together and then transfer to a serving platter. Garnish
with fresh cilantro and serve.

QUESTIONS or COMMENTS?

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17162 19TraciLauraeatfrysmithAJ SMahendran
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NEERA
I tried indian chicken Biryani, it is yummy. thank u so much chef for sharing
recipe.

4 Reply1 YEAR AGO

MARC MATSUMOTO
Hi Neera, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to let me
know!

-1 Reply1 YEAR AGO

SHARKY
Don’t transfer cooked chicken back to the bowl you marinated the chicken in like he
says in Step 5 without cleaning the bowl first. That’ll get you sick.

-6 Reply1 YEAR AGO

MARC MATSUMOTO
Hi Sharky, the chicken gets cooked again with the rice, so there is no danger in
using the same bowl. Of course if it makes you feel better, you can wash out the
bowl, but you’re going to end up with raw chicken juices in the bowl anyway as the
chicken is not fully cooked at this stage.

23 Reply1 YEAR AGO

ABHINAV
I love this recipe. I tried this recipe at home. And my family members also love
this recipe. Such a wonderful and yummy biryani ever.

-1 Reply1 YEAR AGO

MARC MATSUMOTO
Hi Abhinav, I’m so glad to hear you and your family enjoyed this. Thank you for
stopping by to let me know!
-2 Reply1 YEAR AGO
ANITA GOMEZ
Hello

I love how simple this recipe is and have made it 3x however somehow the rice is
mushy everytime ive tried this. Pls help what am i doing wrong!!!

0 Reply1 YEAR AGO

MARC MATSUMOTO
Hi Anita, I’m sorry to hear it hasn’t worked out. There are a couple of
possibilities. The first is that I noticed you’re in the UK. All the volumetric
measurements (cups) are US cups, so 1 cup = 237ml. If that’s not the issue, then
please check the type of rice you’re using. The recipe is written for regular
basmati rice. If you are using a “quick cook” type of rice, it will not work. I
hope that helps.

-1 Reply1 YEAR AGO

JESSICA PU
Is it possible to use ground cardamom instead of whole, smashed cardamom for par-
boiling the rice? Can jasmine rice be substituted? Thanks!

-6 Reply11 MONTHS AGO

MARC MATSUMOTO
Hi Jessica, yep ground cardamom will work, but it’s quite a bit more potent than
the whole kind, so you won’t want to add a ton. As for the rice, I think jasmine
should work, but I’ve never tried it so no guarantees.

0 Reply11 MONTHS AGO

MERCEDES
Excellent recipe. Family and friends loved it. To measurements of the ingredients
and the cooking process and time was perfect. you have a nice recipe thanks.

3 Reply10 MONTHS AGO

NICOLE T
I don’t love the taste of saffron but the color is so lovely. Would it be okay if
not totally authentic to use turmeric in its place to color and flavor the rice??

-1 Reply9 MONTHS AGO

MARC MATSUMOTO
Hi Nicole, yep that should work fine. Just be careful not to add too much as
turmeric can be bitter.

1 Reply9 MONTHS AGO

LORENE
I just finished making your kimchi fried rice recipe and really enjoyed it. Plus
the recipe was so easy. Now looking at this biryani recipe it’s the first time I’ve
seen a recipe for it that doesn’t look entirely complicated, like, I could actually
manage to make this!

0 Reply9 MONTHS AGO

MARC MATSUMOTO
Hi Lorene, thanks for noticing! So much of traditional cooking is based on myth so
I try and find areas to make cooking more efficient without sacrificing taste. 😃 I
hope you enjoy this!

0 Reply9 MONTHS AGO

SUSAN D.
I am so glad I came across this recipe, absolutely delicious! The little that was
left over for the next day tasted even better! Thank you for the inspiration, I am
truly hooked!

0 Reply7 MONTHS AGO

MARC MATSUMOTO
Hi Susan, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! I’m doing another one of my Indian
favorites (Chicken Jalfrezi) on 10/25, so I hope you’ll stop by to check it out😀

-1 Reply7 MONTHS AGO

JYOTHSNA
Hii,
I tried this biriyani in pressure cooker and came out well. I didnt had mint but
still it was yummy.. thank you for the recipe

0 Reply7 MONTHS AGO

MARC MATSUMOTO
Hi Jyothsna, I’ve never thought of trying to do it in a pressure cooker, but I’m
glad to hear it worked out!

0 Reply7 MONTHS AGO

MAHENDRAN
How many whistle?

0 Reply5 MONTHS AGO

SHASWATI PATRA
I am an Indian and I love biryani. I know the recipe of biryani.your chicken
biryani contains all the things that it needs.
Thanks for sharing this recipe.. 🙂 😊

0 Reply6 MONTHS AGO

ANNA
This was incredible! Best thing I’ve ever made. My husband said he thought he was
at a restaurant. Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe!

1 Reply5 MONTHS AGO

MARC MATSUMOTO
Hi Anna, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! We have a lot of other great recipes
on here so I hope you’ll try some of them out😉

0 Reply5 MONTHS AGO

JAMIE
Would love to try this, but I don’t know the equivalent U.S. measurements for
grams. Why is this recipe in both grams and tsp./Tbsp?

0 Reply5 MONTHS AGO

MARC MATSUMOTO
Hi Jamie, volumetric measurements (cups, teaspoons, milliliters, etc) for liquids.
Weight measurements (grams, pounds, etc) are for measuring anything that can’t (or
shouldn’t be measured with volume). Please use the “US Imperial” button in the
recipe card to convert the measurements into US measurements.

0 Reply5 MONTHS AGO

AJ S
Looking forward to trying this! What if you can’t fit the chicken in a single layer
in your widest pot?

0 Reply5 MONTHS AGO

MARC MATSUMOTO
Hi AJ, when you put it on your rice, it’s okay if it doesn’t fit in a single layer,
however you’re going to want to brown them in a single layer, so I’d recommend
browning them in batches. Once you’ve browned the chicken, you can then layer the
chicken staggered (so that one edge is overlapping the one behind it), so you can
get them all to fit. I hope you enjoy it!

0 Reply5 MONTHS AGO

EATFRYSMITH
what is the purpose of serrano chili? Where do I find serrano chili?

0 Reply4 MONTHS AGO

MARC MATSUMOTO
Hi eatfrysmith, it’s to add heat, I suggested Serrano’s because they’re more potent
than Jalapeños and are widely available in the US, but if you live somewhere else
and they are not available, you can use any spicy chili pepper.

0 Reply4 MONTHS AGO

LAURA
I added star anise to the rice water and baked in the oven instead of cooking on
the stove top and this dish was so flavorful and unique. Absolutely delicious!

0 Reply2 MONTHS AGO

MARC MATSUMOTO
Hi Laura, I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it! Adding Star Anise is a great idea, I’m
going to have to try that next time I make this!

0 Reply2 MONTHS AGO

TRACI
I made this tonight and it was everything I had hoped it would be! Even my non-
Indian food loving husband enjoyed this dish (and went back for seconds). I am
looking forward to eating the leftovers tomorrow for lunch. Thanks for a great,
easy recipe!!

0 Reply1 MONTH AGO

MARC MATSUMOTO
You’re welcome Traci, I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by to
let me know😀

-1 Reply1 MONTH AGO

LET'S DO THIS!
Hi! I'm Marc, and I'm here to help you elevate everyday meals by teaching you the
basics, while giving the confidence and inspiration to have fun in the kitchen!

Marc Matsumoto
Private Chef, TV host, & food consultant
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