The Best Chicken Biryani (Step by step video recipe) (2024)

This chicken biryani recipe features succulent, juicy pieces of chicken that are cooked in a yogurt marinade and then layered with crispy onions, coriander, mint and basmati rice to give you a dish that the entire family will enjoy. I've broken the process step by step and made a recipe video for this chicken biryani so that you can make this restaurant style biryani at home!

Biryani inIndiadoesn't just mean biryani. There arevariationsacross the length and breadth of the country. There is Hyderabadi biryani (which is what I'm sharing today) where the biryani has a lot of gravy or masala and is cooked slowly with rice in a sealedpot. Then there is the Muslim wedding biryani which actually has lesser masala, but packed with flavour mostly from wholespices; the Kerala biryani, donne biryani from Karnataka and so many more.

In every single form, biryani is delicious and is almost like a onepotmeal that's enjoyed by families and eaten together - like a celebration!

But I have to be a 100% honest with you. I had never made chicken biryani before I decided to share this recipe. And I got convinced because so so many of you have requested for a legit/authentic biryani recipe that was also relatively easy.

And we are biryani lovers. Mostlymutton biryani, but this chicken biryani really changed our mind.

The first time I attempted it, I was nervous, because it seemed so difficult and daunting and it looked like there were a gazillion steps. So I took a deep breath and decided to break them down for you.

Ingredientsfor Chicken Biryani

Here's everything that you'll need to make biryani:

Chicken:I only like touse thighs and drumsticks for chicken biryanibecause they remain juicy and don't overcook through the long cooking time. For me,chicken breastis a big no no as it will dry out and will just be rubbery.

Yogurt: Greekyogurt,plain yogurtor homemade curd/dahi works well. Acts as a tenderiser and add some tanginess to the masala

Fried Onions:Also called birista, I've outlined the process to makefried onionsat home below.

Tip: These days, packagesfried onionsare easily available and are more convenient option. To store a large amount offried onions, place them in an airtight container and freeze them for later

Tomato Puree:Used in the marinade for flavour and body

Ginger Garlic Paste: Simply groundgingerandgarlic, I recommend making this at home, but if you are in a hurry, store bought works too

WholeSpices:Bay leaf,Cloves,Green CardamomandSaffron(kesar for that distinct orange colour) - these form the flavour base and give biryani that distinct fragrance that wafts up as soon as you open thepot

GroundSpices:Red Chilli Powder(sub with a mix of paprika and cayenne if living outsideIndia),turmericpowder and garam masala powder.

Tip: For the best flavor and aroma, I would highly recommend making your own garam masala. Don't worry, it's pretty simple to make, and I even have a recipe to help you nail it. I usually make whip up a jar once a month and this way it stays fresher and more aromatic every time I use it.

Herbs:Fresh mint andcoriander leaves(cilantro) are essential to making biryani. They add freshness and bring the rice and chicken together

Fat & Dairy:Both oil and ghee. You can choose to only use ghee but in my opinion, it makes the biryani even richer. But ghee is what was traditionally used to make biryani. You'll also need a little milk to soak thesaffronstrands

Basmati Rice:This is a keyingredientin most biryani recipes, even the ones outsideIndialike the Pakistani biryani and Afghani biryani. Please note thatbasmati riceis different from longgrainrice. A quick note - Basmati haslong grainsbut also comes with a distinct fragrance and flavour. Look foragedbasmati ricethat has been aged for at least 1-2 years.

Fried Onions

Fried onionsare a keyingredienthere, and it’s important to get this right. Onions are cut into slices and then browned on medium flame in oil. They don't need to be extra crispy, but onions should be a deep golden brown without getting burnt. You can also usestore boughtfried onionswhich are easily available in supermarkets these days.

Basmati Rice

While choosing rice for the biryani, make sure to buy 'basmati rice' and not longgrainrice. While they may look similar at first, good qualitybasmati riceis fragrant, and hasgrainsthat are thin and long as opposed to longgrainrice which has fattergrainsand almost no fragrance.

Thebasmati riceis cooked for exactly 5 minutes in boiling water with wholespicesand salt to get it to the right doneness - which is 70%.Drainthe rice well to get rid of any excess water. The rice will continue to steam when we finally cook it along with the chicken and that's where it picks all the flavour and perfume from the chicken,saffron,mint leavesandcoriander.

Also see: How to cook Basmati 3 ways

How to marinate chicken for Biryani

This Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani gets a lot of itsflavorfrom the marinade. We are usingyogurtas a tenderiser,fried onions(birista), tomato puree,red chili powder,turmericpowder,corianderpowder, garam masala and salt toflavorthe chicken. It's important to marinate the chicken in alarge bowlfor at least two hours or overnight for the maximumflavor. Like I said before, I prefer using only chicken thighs and legs for chicken biryani because these are the juiciest and do not become dry while the biryani cooks.

How to make Chicken Biryani

Once you have your chicken marinated, rice andfried onionsready, start by cooking the marinated chicken. To cook the chicken, place it in thedutch ovenor a largepotthat you plan to use for cooking the biryani, and cook them for 7 minutes. There is no need tostirthe chicken, only flip it once around the 4 minute mark.

Once the chicken is partially cooked, the next step is tolayerit with thefried onions, mint andcoriander. The onions add sweetness and richness while the herbs add a ton offlavorand freshness.

The final step is layering with 70% cookedbasmati rice.Sprinklesaffronmilk and ghee on top and cover tightly with alid. Originally, thepotwas sealed with dough to prevent steam from escaping, but a tightlidworks just as well. It's important to cook this on a low flame so that the heat distributes evenly and the bottom doesn't get burnt.

And there you go! The whole thing takes approximately an hour so I call this a weekend project, but after you've done it once, you'll realize how easy and simple making biryani at home is! The results of your labour will look like this, and trust me, there is nothing like the smell of chicken biryani wafting through the house to get everyone to the table!

Let's just say - five attempts to make sure I provide you with instructions that you can actually follow with ease at home did not seem like work.

Watch the Recipe Video

More Indian Recipes for Meat Lovers:

• Chicken Shawarma
• Indian Mutton Curry
• One Pot Mutton (Lamb) Kofta Curry
• Chicken Kori Rotti | Mangalorean Chicken Curry
• Kerala Mutton Stew (Ishtu) with Coconut
• Spicy King Fish Curry with Coconut and Tamarind