Chicken Biryani
Pakistani-Indian chicken biryani — fragrant layered rice with marinated chicken, fried onions, saffron. The festival rice dish. Less elaborate than full biryani but still distinctive.
Prep Time
23 min
Cook Time
63 min
Servings
2
Calories
582 cal
🛠 Interactive Recipe Tools — Use them right here on this page
Smart Servings Scaler
- Chicken250 g
- Rice¾ cups
- Cumin Seeds½
- Coriander Powder½
- Garam Masala½
- Onion½ medium
- Yogurt¼ cup
- Ginger½ tsp
- Garlic1 ½ cloves
All quantities scaled automatically from 2 servings.
Ingredients
Makes 2 servings · Use the Servings Scaler above to adjust
- Chicken250 g
- Rice0.75 cups
- Cumin Seeds0.5
- Coriander Powder0.5
- Garam Masala0.5
- Onion0.5 medium
- Yogurt0.25 cup
- Ginger0.5 tsp
- Garlic1.5 cloves
Instructions
- 1
Marinate 1.5 lb chicken thighs overnight: 1 cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste, 2 teaspoons red chili powder, 2 teaspoons coriander powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1.5 teaspoons salt.
- 2
Soak 2 cups basmati rice 30 min. Boil with whole spices and salt 5-6 min (70% cooked). Drain.
- 3
Cook chicken masala: deep-fry 2 sliced onions until golden (reserve half for layering). Add chicken to remaining onions with masala. Cook 25-30 minutes until tender.
- 4
Soak pinch of saffron in 3 tablespoons warm milk.
- 5
Layer in heavy pot: half chicken, half rice, half fried onions, half mint-cilantro, half saffron milk. Repeat. Drizzle with ghee.
- 6
Cover tightly (foil under lid). Dum cook on lowest heat 25 min. Rest 10 min. Fluff gently. Serve with raita.
Watch how to make Chicken Biryani
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💡 Expert Tips
- 1.Marinate overnight.
- 2.70% cooked rice.
- 3.Fried onions deeply golden.
- 4.Dum cook in sealed pot.
🔬 Why It Works
Chicken biryani succeeds with the layered dum technique — rice and chicken cooked together in sealed pot, with flavor transferring through layers via aromatic steam. Saffron, fried onions, fresh herbs distributed through layers create flavor pockets.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 2 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 2 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
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