Chicken Biryani
Biryani is a celebration in one pot: spiced chicken in yogurt at the bottom, long saffron-streaked basmati on top and crisp fried onions in between. We cook the chicken almost all the way through before layering, which is simpler and more reliable than the classic raw-meat method. An overnight marinade gives the most fragrant result, but an hour will still work.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 1 h 10 min
- Rest
- 1 h
- Total
- 2 h 45 min
- Servings
- 6
- Level
- Challenging
- Per serving
- 630 kcal
Ingredients
For the marinade
For the rice
To assemble
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What to use instead
Butter can replace ghee, and 1 tsp sweet paprika plus a pinch of cayenne can stand in for Kashmiri chili.
Makes: 6 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Marinate the chicken
Cut the chicken into 4 cm pieces and mix with all the marinade ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.
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Step 2: Soak the rice
30 minutes before cooking, rinse the basmati 4–5 times until the water runs clear and cover with cold water. Separately, steep the saffron in the warm milk.
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Step 3: Fry the onions
Slice the onions into thin half-moons. Fry in the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring, until evenly deep golden brown. Spread on paper towels; they’ll crisp as they cool. Keep the oil.
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Step 4: Cook the chicken
Leave 2 tbsp oil in the pot and add the chicken with all its marinade. Cook over medium heat for 12–15 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens and the chicken is nearly cooked through. Stir in half the fried onions and level the surface.
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Step 5: Par-cook the rice
Bring the 2.5 litres of water to a boil with the salt, bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Add the drained rice and boil for 5–6 minutes: the grains should bend but still have a firm white core. Drain, spices and all.
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Step 6: Layer it up
Spread the rice evenly over the chicken without pressing it down. Scatter over the remaining onions and the torn cilantro and mint, then drizzle with the saffron milk and melted ghee.
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Step 7: Steam it dum-style
Seal the pot tightly with foil and put the lid on. Steam over the lowest heat for 20–25 minutes. It’s ready when the rice is tender and fluffy and the thickest piece of chicken reads at least 74 °C (165 °F).
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Step 8: Serve in layers
Let the biryani rest for 5 minutes. Scoop with a large spoon from the edge right down to the bottom, so every portion has both rice and chicken.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Don’t stir the saffron milk into the rice: those uneven patches of white, gold and orange are what make biryani look like biryani.
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Swap
Butter can replace ghee, and 1 tsp sweet paprika plus a pinch of cayenne can stand in for Kashmiri chili.
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Variation
Instead of the hob, put the sealed pot in the oven at 160 °C (325 °F) for 25 minutes for even gentler heat.
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Storage
Keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat covered over low heat, sprinkling the rice with a few spoonfuls of water.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 6 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 630 kcal | 3,780 kcal |
| Protein | 32 g | 192 g |
| Fat | 28 g | 168 g |
| Carbohydrates | 60 g | 360 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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