An aromatic chicken and rice dish flavoured with a combination of spices and herbs, yoghurt, peas and shallots. All made in one-pot, marinade the chicken the night before to get a head start on this simple yet delicious dish.
Chicken Biryani is a tasty, spiced rice dish from Asia, often found on the menu in Indian restaurants. This is a no-fuss, shortcut version that the family will love. Spiced basmati rice is layered over tender chicken pieces and topped with fresh herbs, yoghurt and mango chutney.
If you enjoy this recipe, I think you would like my Oven Baked Lamb Curry or Yellow Dahl. Both of these meals are packed full of flavour and can be served mild or hot.
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Ingredient notes:
- Chicken thighs: I like using the thighs as it's more traditional and they tend to have more flavour than chicken breast. However, breasts can of course be used instead.
- Basmati rice: Don't skip this and use another kind of rice. Basmati is the number one ingredient to get right here. It's not Biryani without this fluffy tasty long grain rice in the mix.
- Crispy fried onions: You should be able to find these in your local supermarket or Asian supermarket. They are tasty, deep-fried shallots with a sweet flavour. I have also made my own fried onions with diced white onions, fried until golden in a few tablespoons of vegetable oil. It works well, however, take care and cook over a low heat. To ensure the sweet onion flavour comes through, you have to avoid burning them.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
Dice the chicken thighs into 2cm chunks and place in a large bowl.
Add the remaining marinade ingredients and mix well to coat the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Wash the basmati rice 3 times in water, drain and set aside.
Melt the butter in a cast iron casserole dish or large saucepan over a high heat. Add the garlic and chicken and fry for 3 minutes or until lightly browned.
Make your chicken stock by mixing the stock cube, salt and boiling water together.
Scatter the rice in a layer over the chicken (don't mix).
Add the coriander, mint, frozen peas and crispy onions over the rice then gently pour in the stock, still taking care not to mix the ingredients.
Cover and cook for 20 minutes on a low heat until all of the liquid has evaporated.
Remove from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice up with a fork and mix everything together.
Serve the biryani with natural yoghurt, mango chutney and fresh herbs.
Recipe FAQs:
Biryani is from the Persian word for Birian, which means 'fried before cooking' and Birinj, the Persian word for rice. This dish then made its way to India, likely originating in West Asia.
Yes, this dish is gluten-free, but as always, please read the labels of all of your ingredients to ensure they don't contain gluten.
Storage:
Leftovers can be in the fridge up to 4 days or you can freeze them (up to 3 months). Reheat in the microwave.
Top tips:
If you find the rice is undercooked, just add a little more water.
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Chicken Biryani
An aromatic chicken and rice dish flavoured with a combination of spices and herbs, yoghurt, peas and shallots.
Ingredients
Marinated chicken
- 500g boneless chicken thighs
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- ⅓ cup plain yoghurt
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 2 tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- Salt and pepper
Rice
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 3 cups boiling water
- Handful fresh coriander, chopped
- Handful fresh mint, chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 3 Tbsp crispy fried onions
To serve
- Natural yoghurt
- Mango chutney
- Fresh mint
Instructions
- Dice the chicken thighs into 2cm chunks and place in a large bowl. Add the remaining marinade ingredients and mix well to coat the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Wash the basmati rice 3 times in water, drain and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a cast iron casserole dish or large saucepan over a high heat. Add the garlic and chicken and fry for 3 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Make your chicken stock by mixing the stock cube, salt and boiling water together.
- Scatter the rice in a layer over the chicken (don’t mix). Add the coriander, mint, frozen peas and crispy onions over the rice then gently pour in the stock, still taking care not to mix the ingredients.
- Cover and cook for 20 minutes on a low heat until all of the liquid has evaporated.
- Remove from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice up with a fork and mix everything together.
- Serve the biryani with natural yoghurt, mango chutney and fresh herbs.
Notes
Crispy Fried Shallots are found in most Asian Supermarkets, but you can leave them out if you can't find them.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 399Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 139mgSodium: 1143mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 4gSugar: 8gProtein: 33g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
Margaret tillott says
Omg what a beautiful dinner,everything was perfect,chicken was juicy,rice was fluffy did add a teaspoon of chilli flakes,as we like chill hits.definitely a winner grace,thank you 5 star *****
VJ cooks says
Thank you for the lovely feedback! Grace is a superstar 🙂
Josie says
Hi, I want to make this and freeze it for a couple more weeks.
What ingredients if any should I leave out until I serve it?
Thank you
VJ cooks says
I would probably add the fresh herbs once defrosted. When freezing rice it's really important to do it as soon as possible one cooked, then cooled completely.