Chicken biryani with golden and white rice and chicken drumsticks in a dark serving pot.
THE RIZQ FOODSDERA GHAZI KHAN
Recipes

Chicken Biryani recipe

Fragrant basmati rice is layered with warmly spiced chicken, browned onions, herbs, and a bright touch of lemon.

An original home-cooking guide from our recipe collection; not an orderable restaurant product. Timings are approximate and may vary with your equipment.

Serves: 4Prep: 35 minCook: 65 min

Ingredients

  • 300 g basmati rice
  • 600 g bone-in chicken pieces or boneless chicken thighs cut into large pieces
  • 180 g plain yogurt
  • 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil or ghee
  • 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
  • 4 green cardamom pods
  • 1 small cinnamon stick
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons chopped mint
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Salt, to taste
  • Water, as needed

Method

  1. Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear, then soak it in fresh water for 20 minutes and drain.
  2. Season the chicken with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, coriander, cumin, turmeric, garam masala, chili powder, lemon juice, and salt; set aside while preparing the onions.
  3. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and fry the sliced onions, stirring often, until deep golden; remove about one-third for layering.
  4. Add the cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaf to the pot, stir for 30 seconds, then add the chicken and its marinade; cook for 6 minutes, turning the pieces.
  5. Stir in the tomatoes and half the cilantro and mint. Cover and simmer gently for 20–25 minutes, until the chicken is nearly cooked and the sauce is thick; add a splash of water if it catches.
  6. Meanwhile, boil a large pot of salted water. Add the drained rice and cook for 5–6 minutes, until the grains are elongated but still firm; drain well.
  7. Spread the rice over the chicken. Top with the reserved onions and remaining herbs, cover tightly, and cook over the lowest heat for 20–25 minutes, until the rice is tender and the chicken reaches 74°C internally.
  8. Turn off the heat and let the pot stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Gently fluff and serve, keeping the rice and chicken layered or mixing lightly at the table.

Kitchen notes

  • If the pot base is thin, set it on a heat diffuser during the final low-heat cooking.
  • Check the thickest chicken pieces with a food thermometer; they must reach 74°C.
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