This Pakistani Chicken Biryani is an aromatic rice dish layered with perfectly seasoned chicken curry and lots of fragrant herbs and biryani spices, for the best explosion of flavors in every bite.
Nothing hits the spot like a good plate of Chicken Biryani.
Biryani is maybe the most festive, flavorful, and indulgent dish in Pakistani cuisine.
Traditionally, Biryani is reserved for special occasions. No wedding or festive gathering is complete without Biryani!
It is a rice dish made with lots of spices. There are several regional variations of this dish in Pakistan and India. But they are all made with rice, different meats (or vegetables), and a lot of spices that make Biryani the special dish that it is.
Making Chicken Biryani takes time, and it is so worth it in the end.
We suggest you save a dish for a weekend or special occasions.
What is Chicken Biryani?
Chicken Biryani is a rice dish made with layers of aromatic rice and seasoned meat and potato curry.
First, we cook the rice and meat separately. Then they are combined together on “dum” or low heat for all the flavors to meld and come through.
Rice
Rice is the basis of this dish. The rice must be cooked just right. A good biryani is when the rice grains are cooked properly, but still separated, not soft or mushy.
Make sure to use long-grain-aged Basmati rice. We love using Royal Basmati Rice.
Meat
In this recipe, we’re using chicken. You can either use a full chicken cut into about 15 pieces, or about 1 lb boneless chicken, a mix of dark and/or white meat, based on preference.
Fried Onions
For this Chicken Biryani, you need about 1 cup of fried onions. You could make this on your own, but most Indian / Pakistani stores have packaged fried onions, making this dish a lot easier.
Try to find a brand that doesn’t use flour to coat the fried onions for best results, like the Nawabi brand we found on Amazon.
Biryani Spices
This Chicken Biryani has a long list of spices! But an authentic Biryani has a lot of spices, that are balanced just right to get those aromatic flavors.
We also recommend using Biryani essence (if you can find it). It is a concentrated liquid that really adds traditional flavors to the Biryani.
How to make Chicken Biryani?
Chicken Biryani takes time to make. It is best reserved for a weekend, or special occasion, rather than a weeknight dinner.
Mom breaks it down into three steps to make it easier.
#1: Make the Chicken Biryani Masala
First, we make chicken biryani masala, or the chicken curry that will flavor this dish.
Marinate the chicken with ginger-garlic paste, and the ground spices (cumin, turmeric, coriander, garam masala, and red chilli). Set aside for at least 30 minutes.
When ready to cook chicken, to a pot, add the oil, and whole spices and cook until fragrant.
Cook the potatoes, add the fried onions, then the marinated chicken.
Then, cook the chicken fully, for 30-45 minutes on low heat, stirring every now and then to make sure it doesn’t stick to the pot.
#2: Make the aromatic rice
Start by soaking the rice for about 30 minutes.
Once ready to cook, to a large pot add the water, whole spices, and green chili to the water.
Once the water comes to a boil, add the soaked rice and cook on medium heat for 10-15 mins until rice is almost cooked (al dente).
Getting the rice right in this recipe is important. Mom would say “ek dana kaccha,” loosely translated to when it is almost cooked. The best way to describe it would be like when cooking pasta al dente.
Strain rice, then lay it on a large tray or plate to cool a little so that the rice grains remain separate, and not turn soft.
#3: Assemble it
Finally, we assemble the Chicken Biryani.
In a large pot, add half the rice, in a single layer.
Add the biryani masala (cooked chicken), split green chilis, mint leaves and 1 tsp of biryani essence (if using).
Layer with the rest of the rice.
Biryani is a really vibrant dish. To get the orange color, add one drop of orange or yellow color to about 2 tbsp of water. Mix together, and add to the top of the pot.
#4: “Dum” or Slow Cook the Biryani
This is the step that really brings the Chicken Biryani together, as the rice and chicken soak in all the flavors.
Once you assemble the Chicken Biryani, leave it on really low heat for 30 minutes to an hour, right before you’re ready to serve.
There are three options for this step:
Option 1: Stove top – Cook on the lowest heat for 30 mins to an hour.
Option 2: Oven – If you have a pot, that is oven proof, cook at 300ºF for 30 minutes in the oven.
Option 3: Instant Pot – If you have an Instant Pot, you can also use the inner pot to layer the rice, and then leave the rice for 30 minutes, on Slow Cook.
How to serve Chicken Biryani?
Once you’re ready to serve, garnish the Biryani with green chilli and/or mint leaves.
Chicken Biryani is a full meal on it’s own. You can serve Biryani with a side of Mint Raita, a simple Kachumber Salad and some sweet rice, or Zarda.
If you are serving Chicken Biryani for a special dinner, it can be paired with classic Pakistani appetizers. Here are some of our favorite Pakistani appetizers:
- Keema Samosa – Beef Samosa
- Potato chops: Indian Style Meat and Potato Croquettes
- Shami Kabab: Pakistani Ground beef and Chickpea Kabab
And of course, no special meal is complete without dessert. Here are some of our favorite Pakistani desserts that are the perfect complement to a spicy, delicious Chicken Biryani:
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Chicken Biryani
Ingredients
Biryani Masala
- 1 full chicken, cut into pieces or 1 lb boneless chicken
- 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 2 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 1 tbsp red chili powder
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 2 tbsp garam masala
- 1 cup yogurt
- 2-3 medium potatoes cut into 8 pieces each
- 1 cup fried onions
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 4-8 green chili depending on the spice level
- 4 cloves
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 7 black pepper, whole
- 3 black cardamom
- 1 bay leaf
Rice
- 4 cloves
- 7 Black pepper
- 3 Black cardamom
- 1 tbsp whole cumin seeds (black or white)
- 1 Bay leaf
- 2 cups basmati rice soaked for 30 mins to 1 hr
Assembly
- 1 tsp biryani essence optional
- yellow/orange color optional
- 2-3 green chilis cut lengthwise
- mint leaves optional
Instructions
Biryani Masala
- In a large bowl, add the chicken, ginger-garlic paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, red chilli powder, and turmeric, and 1 cup yogurt. Set aside for 30 mins to a few hours
- When ready to cook chicken, to a pot, on low heat, add 1/2 cup of oil, and whole spices (4 cloves, 7 black pepper, 2-inch cinnamon stick, 3 black cardamom, 3 bay leaf) and cook until fragrant.
- Then, set the heat to medium-high and add the potatoes. Cook until the potatoes are about half way cooked.
- Remove the potatoes (they will cook fully in the last step).
- Add the fried onions and cook for a few minutes until softened.
- Then, add the marinated chicken and add crushed tomatoes.
- Cook on high for a few mins.
- Cook for 30-45 minutes on low heat, stirring to make sure it doesn’t stick to the pot. Cook until chicken is cooked and the oil floats to the top.
- Then add back the potatoes and cook for a few minutes.
- Set the mixture aside.
Rice
- Soak 2 cups of rice for about 20-30 minutes.
- Once ready to cook, to a large pot add 8 cups of water, and the whole spices (4 cloves, 7 black pepper, 2 inch cinnamon stick, 1 tbsp cumin black or white, bay leaf, salt to taste, and green chilli if using.
- Once the water comes to a boil, add the soaked rice and cook on medium heat for 10-15 mins until rice is almost cooked (al dente).
- Strain rice, then lay on a large tray or plate to cool a little so that the rice grains remain separate, and not turn mushy.
Assembly and "Dum" / Slow Cook
- In a large pot, add half the rice, in a single layer.
- Add the biryani masala (cooked chicken), split green chilis, mint leaves and 1 tsp of biryani essence (if using).
- Layer with the rest of the rice.
- Add one drop of orange or yellow color to about 2 tbsp of water. Mix together, and add to the top of the pot.
- Cook on low heat for 30 mins to an hour. If you have a pot, that is oven proof, cook at 300ºF for 30 minutes in the oven.
- To serve, garnish with green chilli and/or mint leaves.