How to Make the Best Chicken Biryani
This authentic chicken biryani recipe with step-by-step instructions is here to turn your kitchen into a biryani haven. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a beginner, this guide will help you create the best chicken biryani that’s perfect for dinner parties, family meals, or satisfying your craving for something special.
Why This is the Best Chicken Biryani Recipe
- Authentic yet Easy: Traditional flavors meet simple instructions, making this an easy chicken biryani recipe for beginners.
- Perfect for All Occasions: Whether you’re hosting a dinner party or whipping up a weeknight meal, this restaurant-style biryani recipe is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
- Customizable: From Hyderabadi chicken biryani to low-spice chicken biryani for kids, you can tweak this recipe to suit your preferences.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Making the Chicken Gravy
Step 1
Heat ghee and oil in a pan. Add whole spices and fry for a few seconds. Add sliced onions and fry until golden brown. Stir in minced garlic, ginger, and green chilies, cooking for a few more seconds.
Step 2
Add chicken pieces and cook until they’re no longer pink. Sprinkle in the dry spices and mix well. Add tomatoes, cover the pan, and cook for a minute. Remove the tomato skins and stir until the tomatoes dissolve.
Step 3
Pour in 1 cup boiling water and let the gravy reduce slightly.
Step 4
Mix a few tablespoons of gravy with yogurt, then add it back to the pan. Add mint and coriander leaves, cook for another minute, and set aside.
2. Cooking the Rice
Step 1
Rinse basmati rice until the water runs clear. Soak for 20 minutes, then drain.
Step 2
Boil water in a large pan and add cumin seeds, fennel seeds, ghee (optional), salt, and whole spices. Add the rice and cook for 7 minutes until almost done. Drain and set aside.
3. Assembling the Biryani
Step 1
Spread the chicken gravy at the bottom of a large pot. Layer the cooked rice evenly on top.
Step 2
Drizzle with saffron water (or food coloring) and the reserved oil from the gravy. Garnish with mint and coriander leaves. Cover the pot with a tight lid and cook on low heat for 5 minutes.
Serve this dish with your favorite salad or even plain yogurt.
FAQs
The secret lies in layering. Always place the chicken and gravy at the bottom and the rice on top. Sealing the pot during the final cook helps infuse the rice with all the delicious flavors.
Start with chicken and gravy, then layer the rice, followed by garnishes like saffron water, fried onions, or mint leaves. Repeat the layers if needed.
Yes! This recipe doesn’t require marination, making it a quick and easy chicken biryani in under an hour without compromising on flavor.
Serve and Enjoy!
Pair your best chicken biryani with raita, a crisp salad, or tangy achar for the ultimate meal. This is the kind of dish that will make you the hero of every dinner party—or just a happy eater at home.
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Best Chicken Biryani Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chicken Gravy
- 800 grams chicken cut into quarters and skinless
- 3 tablespoons ghee
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3 green cardamom pods
Whole Spices
- 2- inch cinnamon stick
- 1 black cardamom pod
- 1 star anise
- 2 whole cloves
Dry Powder Spices
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
Vegetables
- 2 onions sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 whole green chilies
- 2 medium seedless tomatoes quartered
- ½ cup chopped mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
Other Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons beaten yogurt
- 1 cup boiling water
For the Rice
- 1½ cups basmati rice
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds sonf
- ½ tablespoon ghee optional
- ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1- inch cinnamon stick
- 2 green cardamom pods
- Enough water to cover the rice by 4 inches
Instructions
Making the Chicken Gravy
- In a hot pan, add the ghee and oil, then add the dry spices and fry on medium-low heat for a few seconds.
- Add the sliced onions and fry until light brown. Then add the minced garlic, ginger, and green chilies. Fry for a few more seconds.
- Add the chicken and cook until it is no longer pink, which should take about three minutes. Now, add the dry spices and mix well on medium-low heat.
- Add the tomatoes and cover the pan. After a minute, uncover the pan and mix for a few seconds. Use kitchen tongs to remove the tomato skins. Continue mixing until the tomatoes dissolve.
- Pour in 1 cup of boiling water and cook until the gravy reduces slightly. Take a few tablespoons of the gravy and mix it with the yogurt, then pour the yogurt mixture back into the gravy. Mix for two to three minutes on medium heat.
- Add the chopped mint and coriander leaves, mixing for another minute, then turn off the heat. After 15 minutes, you will notice some oil surfacing on the gravy; remove it with a spoon and set it aside for later use.
Making the Rice
- Wash the rice until the water runs clear, then soak the rice for 20 minutes and drain it.
- In a large pan, pour enough water to cover the rice. When the water comes to a boil, add the optional ghee, salt, and rice spices. Once the water boils again, add the washed, soaked, and drained rice. Cook for 7 minutes.
- Drain the rice and set aside.
- Assembling the Biryani Layers
- Add the chicken and gravy to the bottom of a large pan, then evenly distribute the rice over it.
- Sprinkle food coloring or a saffron water mixture over the rice, followed by the reserved oil from the chicken gravy. Add a few mint leaves and coriander leaves for garnish.
- Serve the biryani with yogurt, salad, or achar.
