Behold! An actual chicken Biryani recipe with simple, smooth-to-observe commands (no curveballs!) and mouthwatering, traditional Pakistani and Indian flavor. This recipe includes tips on the way to get fluffy rice, soft hen, and the wonderful biryani taste. tested to perfection!

It took me sincerely no effort to carry you this biryani recipe. All I had to do turned into discover the pleasant biryani in Middle East, dissect it, hound negative information, carry out 10+ trials, use the standards in Salt Acid fats heat to similarly perfect it, survey my electronic mail listing for options, interpolate to figure out spice quantities.

In quick, I literally ate, slept, and breathed biryani till I should proudly post this most-liked, relatively asked recipe and do it justice. Phew. let’s try this.

Ramsha Baig

What is Biryani

Biryani is a problematic rice dish made with layers of curried meat and rice. Given its use of adornments and expensive finishes, it’s no marvel that Chicken Biryani has roots in Persian delicacies.

There are two main methods of making Chicken Biryani:

• Kachi (raw) biryani, made with raw meat and parboiled rice and cooked together, and
• Pakki (cooked) biryani, in which cooked meat and parboiled rice are steamed together. 

In Pakistan, pakki (or cooked) biryani is most common, with several prominent varieties such as Sindhi, Karachi-style, and Bombay biryani. This recipe is an amalgamation of these styles and is similar to what you’d find at a typical Pakistani or Indian restaurant or dinner party. You should also try my recipe of Instant pot Chicken Pulao

Notes on the Ingredients for Chicken Biryani

I’ve deliberately chosen the ingredients and portions to give this biryani a sturdy basis. That said, this recipe can take pretty a bit of substitutions and variations and still be extraordinary.

• Oil/Ghee: I’ve used oil for fluidity and ghee for taste.
• Onions: You can either thinly slice them (more traditional) or finely chop. If using a food processor to do this, pulse to chop so that it doesn’t blend into a paste.
• Bone-in, cut up, skinless chicken: I buy pre-cut up pieces of a whole chicken, but bone-in chicken thighs work too. You can also use boneless chicken, though it may require a shorter cooking time.
• Whole spices: A generous amount of whole spices are a distinct characteristic of Chicken Biryani. Whole spices are meant to be discarded while eating, but if you don’t want to bite into them, feel free place them in a spice/muslin bag.
• Garlic + Ginger: I’ve given their quantities in whole form and tablespoons. I use a mortar and pestle or a food processor to crush them.
• Tomatoes: Since biryani has lots of sour ingredients like yogurt, dried plums (alu Bukhara), and lemon, I’ve found keeping the tomatoes to a minimum gives it just the right amount of tang.
• Yogurt: Not only does a yogurt marinade make the chicken more tender and flavorful, but it also makes cooking the biryani much smoother. For a dairy-free option, try using coconut milk.
• Rice: I suggest using aged, long-grain basmati rice you can find at some grocery stores, any Indian/Pakistani specialty store, or online.
• Dried Plums (Alu Bukhara): I always cherish the helping of biryani with these sweet surprises. Alu Bukhara are often used in biryani to give a sweet, tangy taste. They’re usually available at South Asian grocery stores, but if you can’t find them, you can either substitute with dried prunes or omit.

• Oil/Ghee: I’ve used oil for fluidity and ghee for taste.
• Onions: You can either thinly slice them (more traditional) or finely chop. If using a food processor to do this, pulse to chop so that it doesn’t blend into a paste.
• Bone-in, cut up, skinless chicken: I buy pre-cut up pieces of a whole chicken, but bone-in chicken thighs work too. You can also use boneless chicken, though it may require a shorter cooking time.
• Whole spices: A generous amount of whole spices are a distinct characteristic of Chicken Biryani. Whole spices are meant to be discarded while eating, but if you don’t want to bite into them, feel free place them in a spice/muslin bag.
• Garlic + Ginger: I’ve given their quantities in whole form and tablespoons. I use a mortar and pestle or a food processor to crush them.
• Tomatoes: Since biryani has lots of sour ingredients like yogurt, dried plums (alu Bukhara), and lemon, I’ve found keeping the tomatoes to a minimum gives it just the right amount of tang.
• Yogurt: Not only does a yogurt marinade make the chicken more tender and flavorful, but it also makes cooking the biryani much smoother. For a dairy-free option, try using coconut milk.
• Rice: I suggest using aged, long-grain basmati rice you can find at some grocery stores, any Indian/Pakistani specialty store, or online.
• Dried Plums (Alu Bukhara): I always cherish the helping of biryani with these sweet surprises. Alu Bukhara are often used in biryani to give a sweet, tangy taste. They’re usually available at South Asian grocery stores, but if you can’t find them, you can either substitute with dried prunes or omit.

Pakistani Chicken Biryani Recipe:

I accept as true with this recipe is as smooth as an actual Chicken Biryani recipe can be – no superfluous or tedious steps that don’t contribute to big taste. You’ll find that whilst it takes time, maximum of it’s miles passive cooking time. And the quit result is quite rewarding and dazzling. those are 3 parts to making chicken biryani:

Step 1: Prepare the chicken curry.

Prepare the Chicken Biryani masala (or use store-bought) and marinate the chicken.

Cook the chicken curry. While it’s cooking over low heat, prepare the rice. 

Step 2: Parboil the rice.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and parboil the rice. Drain and set aside.

Step 3: Bring it all together for a final steam (‘dum‘).

Layer half of the rice, all of the chicken, and then the remaining rice on top. Add the finishing touches.

Allow steam to develop, then lower the heat and let the flavors meld.

Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani Masala

Pakistani Chicken Biryani is heavy on spice (and taste!), and is often made with biryani masala, or actually put, a medley of spices that come collectively to offer it a wonderful, masaledar (or spice-weighted down) flavor.

I endorse you use the Chicken Biryani masala recipe under (all you want is a good spice grinder and some extra entire spices). in case you’d decide on now not to, you may substitute your favorite keep-sold biryani masala. This recipe has been examined and works superb with Bombay Chicken Biryani Masala.

To make Chicken Biryani masala for this recipe, combine the following ingredients in a spice grinder and process until by and large smooth. Makes ~2 tbsp, which is the exact amount you’ll want for this recipe.

• 1 medium dried bay leaf (tez patta)
• 2 dried button red chili peppers (sukhi lal mirch)
• 1 small whole mace (javetri)
• 1 2-inch cinnamon stick (daarchini)
• 4-5 whole cloves (loung)
• 1 black cardamom (badi elaichi)
• 1 star anise (baadiyan)
• 3-4 green cardamom pods (elaichi)
• 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds or black cumin seeds (shahzeera)
• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns (kaali mirch)
• 1/4 tsp fennel (saunf)
• 1/4 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)1 medium dried bay leaf (tez patta)
• 2 dried button red chili peppers (sukhi lal mirch)
• 1 small whole mace (javetri)
• 1 2-inch cinnamon stick (daarchini)
• 4-5 whole cloves (loung)
• 1 black cardamom (badi elaichi)
• 1 star anise (baadiyan)
• 3-4 green cardamom pods (elaichi)
• 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds or black cumin seeds (shahzeera)
• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns (kaali mirch)
• 1/4 tsp fennel (saunf)
• 1/4 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)1 medium dried bay leaf (tez patta)
• 2 dried button red chili peppers (sukhi lal mirch)
• 1 small whole mace (javetri)
• 1 2-inch cinnamon stick (daarchini)
• 4-5 whole cloves (loung)
• 1 black cardamom (badi elaichi)
• 1 star anise (baadiyan)
• 3-4 green cardamom pods (elaichi)
• 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds or black cumin seeds (shahzeera)
• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns (kaali mirch)
• 1/4 tsp fennel (saunf)
• 1/4 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)1 medium dried bay leaf (tez patta)
• 2 dried button red chili peppers (sukhi lal mirch)
• 1 small whole mace (javetri)
• 1 2-inch cinnamon stick (daarchini)
• 4-5 whole cloves (loung)
• 1 black cardamom (badi elaichi)
• 1 star anise (baadiyan)
• 3-4 green cardamom pods (elaichi)
• 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds or black cumin seeds (shahzeera)
• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns (kaali mirch)
• 1/4 tsp fennel (saunf)
• 1/4 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)

How to Make the Chicken Tender and Flavorful

There are 3 components that make the chicken tender and deeply flavored:

1. Marinate the chicken in spices and yogurt. This infuses the chicken with noticeable flavor. Ideally, marinate overnight or for at least a couple hours, but I tested and found that it’s still very tasty if you marinate just before making the biryani.
2. Take the chicken out of the fridge before you start preparing the biryani. Allowing the chicken to come closer to room temperature helps it cook more evenly and stay tender.
3. Lastly, after sautéing the chicken in the hot oil, add water and allow the chicken to simmer gently, covered, over low heat.

How to boil the Rice to Ensure Fluffy Rice in Chicken Biryani

figuring out doneness can be perplexing, so I’ve simplified it by way of giving time parameters to take the guesswork out of boiling.

if you’re the usage of the advocated elderly, long-grain basmati rice, you’ll need to boil for five minutes. in case you’re using newly harvested basmati rice frequently discovered in American grocery stores, it’ll require a shorter boiling time (round four minutes).

For reference, right here’s how my rice acts minute-to-minute:

• At 3 minutes, the rice still has a raw middle.
• At 4 mins, the middle has mostly cooked, but the rice kernel is still hard.
• round 5 minutes, the rice begins to swell and the rice is just-cooked. In among 5 minutes and 5:30 seconds is whilst it’s best to stop boiling the rice.
• At 6 minutes, the rice is cooked, but starts offevolved to break effortlessly without getting smooth.
• In among 7-8 mins, the rice receives smooth once pressed between your fingers. that is a signal that it’s overcooked and is more likely to interrupt throughout the ‘dum’ stage.

Here’s How to Fix Overcooked or Undercooked Rice

If you overcook your rice:
-Lay the simply-boiled rice on a flat tray without delay after boiling to make certain it doesn’t clump collectively.
-Steam (dum) for a shorter time to keep away from breakage.
If you undercook your rice:
-Sprinkle ¼ cup of water on top of the rice throughout the steam.
-while overlaying the pot for steaming, use a moist kitchen material in place of dry to provide more moisture.

MORE TIPS TO AVOID MUSHY RICE

1. While the final chicken curry will have considerable amount of curry or ‘wet masala’, it shouldn’t be watery. As the recipe suggests, sauté out any excess moisture at the end and ensure that the oil has separated from the curry.
2. Once the steam (dum) stage is complete, do not stir. Use a rice paddle or small plastic plate to scoop it onto the serving platter.
3. Make sure you use the right kind of rice. Aged, long-grain basmati rice is naturally fluffier and perfect for Chicken Biryani. Another good option is Sella Basmati rice, which is steamed while still in its husk. This variety is sturdier and can withstand a bit of overboiling better than traditional basmati.
4. A bit of acid from lemon or vinegar is said to prevent the rice from sticking together.

What is the Perfect Rice to Meat Ratio for Chicken Biryani?

Determining the right ratio of rice to meat can be tricky. I figured the best way to break this down is with this table:

Amount of Chicken	Amount of Rice	Servings
2 ½ lb (1130 g)	3 ½ cups (700 g)	10-12
2.2 lb (1 kg – 1000g)	3 cups	8-10
1 ½ lb (680 g)	2 ¼ cups	6-8
1 ¼ lb (587 g)	1 ¾ cups (350 g)	4-6
1 lb (454 g)	1 ½ cups	4

Ratios for Chicken and Rice

Note that these are my preferred ratios. Feel free to increase the rice by 1/4 cup if you prefer more rice and less chicken.

How to Get the Authentic Flavor of Chicken Biryani

A whooping 52% of my e mail community found getting the flavor right to be the most hard a part of making biryani. right here’s what I’ve determined:

• A key aspect in getting the genuine flavor is to use a great deal more spice (entire and ground) than what you will for an ordinary curry. The chicken marinade and curry have to have intense flavor, in any other case it’s probably to mellow out whilst mixed with the rice.
• leading into this, there need to be plenty of curry or ‘wet masala‘ to the chicken.
• finally, the steaming (‘dum’) is pivotal in marrying the flavors to provide it the awesome biryani flavor and aroma. In Rizwan’s words, ‘biryani ka naam dum hai’ (biryani is all about the steaming).

Steaming (‘dum’) for Chicken Biryani

I’ve found Rizwan’s statement to be true. When steam permeates through the rice, spices, herbs, and chicken, it infuses the biryani with so much flavor that each bite is a treat.

What Pot to Use for Steaming/dum

Though you can use any pot or pan you’d like to prepare the chicken and parboil the rice, a Dutch oven or deep pot (at least 5 qt) will be helpful for the steaming (‘dum’) stage.

except you’re making large quantities, don’t worry about buying a special pot for biryani. I’ve attempted using a cheap dutch oven with a tava beneath and a forged iron dutch oven and each worked well. here are a few recommendations:

1. Heavy-bottomed or cast iron dutch ovens take longer to expand steam, but they are better at stopping the rice from sticking to the pot.
2. if your pot isn’t heavy bottomed, use a warmness diffuser, flat griddle, or tava under it to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.
3. Use a Dutch oven or pot with instantly edges. The goal during the steaming stage is to hold the steam inside, and deep, directly edged pots are better at preserving steam.

Layering the Chicken Biryani

I’ve kept the layering simple, but you could make it as festive as you’d like via adding sliced tomatoes, fried onions, or inexperienced chili peppers in between or on top of the chicken and rice.

How to Double This Recipe

I’ve tested this recipe several times with double the quantity. Here’s what’ll change:

• Increase sauté times.
• Use larger pans, especially for steaming.
• When adding water to cook the chicken (Step 4), instead of doubling and adding 1 full cup, reduce to 3/4 cup of water. The water should cover about 1/3 of the chicken. This makes it easier to sauté out the water after cooking the chicken.

How to Make This Chicken Biryani With Potatoes

Potatoes in biryani are a factor of rivalry, with responses ranging from “Is it even biryani if it doesn’t have potatoes?” to “With potatoes, it’s pulao.” (For extra potato recipes test out my series of 10 (Aloo) Potato Recipes.)

What to Serve With Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani is a stand-by myself dish, and a simple Cucumber Raita or Yogurt Chutney might be enough along it. if you’re serving it for visitors, kebabs like Aloo Ki Tikki (Potato desserts), Chapli Kabab, or Shami Kebab could paintings well. if you want to make the unfold problematic, a curry like this easy immediate Pot red meat Curry (Stew) or red meat Kofta Curry would be splendid along with naan. Vegetarian options like this Baingan Bharta or Zucchini Curry additionally work notable.