This Hyderabadi chicken biryani is the most delicious and aromatic Indian dish ever, with juicy chicken in layers of fluffy rice, fragrant spices and fried onions. It has the perfect balance of flavors, so you get to experience and enjoy every ingredient. I share with you two easy ways to make biryani while still retaining the authentic taste.
About Biryani
One of the crown jewels of Indian cuisine, is Biryani, a classic dish that is part of the Mughlai culinary tradition, with its origin in old Persia and a rich fusion with Indian flavors and techniques. It is prepared with layers of fluffy basmati rice and exquisitely spiced meat or chicken.
Hyderabad, the city of my childhood, is famous for its biryani, and by far the most favored among the other regional versions. It is not overloaded with spices and uses techniques that allow every ingredient to shine.
There are two versions of Hyderabadi biryani.
- Pakki biryani - cooked meat or chicken is layered with parboiled rice and steamed together.
- Kacchi biryani - raw marinated meat or chicken is placed in a single layer in the bottom of a cooking pot and topped with partially cooked rice and steamed together. This is the easier method.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- One Step: You don't have to cook the chicken separately before layering it with the rice.
- Easy Cooking Methods for Fluffy Rice: (1) Rice cooker method is the most reliable for beginners. (2) Helpful tips for traditional method from my cultural experience.
Ingredient Notes
- Basmati Rice: I use the highest quality aged long grain basmati rice from a popular brand, such as Royal Chef's Secret. Look for the best variety in any brand at your Indian grocery store, which is usually the most expensive.
- Chicken with bone: I choose whole chicken with bone as it is the most flavorful. Chicken leg quarters or thighs will work too. But avoid chicken breast as it will be too dry. For boneless option, use chicken thigh meat.
- Yogurt: Just plain regular yogurt that is neither too thick nor too runny. Avoid Greek yogurt. To make it dairy free, try coconut yogurt.
- Spices: Homemade biryani masala recipe is below recipe card. For a ready-made option, try Shaan Sindhi biryani masala, but adjust the added salt and chili powder.
- Herbs: Fresh cilantro and mint will give the best results. But frozen cilantro and dried mint can also work for the marinade.
- Ginger and Garlic: Grate or grind these fresh for best results.
- Saffron: High quality saffron adds great flavor. Read more here Saffron Tea.
- Onions: Thinly slice the onions. I use my mandolin slicer. To fry them quick and crisp, sprinkle some flour on the onions before frying. Gluten-free flour alternatives are corn starch or rice flour plus corn starch.
- Ghee: Drizzle the rice with ghee to take your biryani up a notch.
Top Tips
- Frying Onions: Use fresh oil. Don't let them turn soggy or dark brown. Drain on paper towels.
- Raw Soaked Rice: This layer of rice will absorb all the juices from the marinade while cooking.
- Cooking Pot: If cooking on stove, use a wide thick-bottomed pot. Very deep and tall pots are not suitable.
- Traditional Rice Cooking Method: For this method, soaking rice prior to cooking will make the grains stronger, as we do for our lamb biryani recipe.
- Fluffy Rice: If you take a fistful of biryani and throw it on a plate, the rice should scatter like pearls and not clump together. With this recipe you will get that perfection every single time!
- Rice to Chicken Ratio: Rule of thumb is to use equal amounts of rice and chicken by weight. Example: one pound rice for one pound chicken. If you want more chicken, use 1½ to 2 times the quantity of rice.
- Juicy and Flavorful Chicken: Marinate the chicken for a long time to infuse the flavors. Cook it until well done, juicy and falling off the bone.
- Spices and Aromatics: Don't skimp on the spices, fried onions, oil, salt and seasonings. You need that for robust flavor.
- Elegant Presentation: The final dish should have rice grains in a variety of colors from the absorption of spices, juices and saffron.
How to Serve
We often serve biryani at festive occasions. It is considered a complete meal with a side dish such as baghare baingan (eggplants in rich sauce), mirchi ka salan (chili peppers in creamy sauce) or Hyderabadi tomato egg curry and a yogurt salad called raita.
For a more elaborate menu, add a dessert - kheer (rice pudding) or falooda (great for summer).
Full Recipe Video
★ DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE COMMENT AND GIVE IT A STAR RATING BELOW!
Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani
Full tutorial video above. Chicken Biryani is an aromatic and mouth watering Indian dish with juicy chicken in layers of fluffy rice, fragrant spices and fried onions. It is easier than most recipes while retaining the authentic taste. Cook like a native but with more ease! Two methods below.
Course :Main Course
Cuisine :Indian
Servings: 12 Cups
Calories: 287kcal
Ingredients
Fried Onions
- ¾ lb onions yellow, thinly sliced
- 1½ cups cooking oil high smoke point, peanut oil
Chicken Marination
- 1½ lb chicken with bone, cut and clean, avoid chicken breast
- ⅔ cup yogurt plain
- 1½ tablespoons ginger garlic paste or grated ginger and garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust per taste
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric ground
- 1 chili pepper jalapeno, serrano or cayenne, adjust per taste
Spices for Marinade
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 black cardamom
- 5 green cardamom
- 5 cloves
- 1 bay leaves large, tej patta
- 1 teaspoon shah Jeera Note 8
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Biryani Rice
- 2 cups basmati rice long grain
- 1 teaspoon salt 1¼ tablespoons salt if using cooking pot method
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil leftover from fried onions
- ¼ cup cilantro fresh, chopped
- 2 tablespoons mint fresh, chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon saffron ground and dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water
- 2 tablespoons ghee recommended
Whole Spices for Rice (Note 4)
- 1 black cardamom
- 3 green cardamom
- 4 cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cinnamon stick
Equipment
- Rice Cooker
- Wide Cooking Pot 5 quart, 10 inch diameter, oven proof
Instructions
Fry Onions
- Heat oil at medium high in a wide frying pan. If you place your palm about 3 inches over the surface of oil, you should feel the heat. Or use a candy/fry thermometer to check temperature.
- Fry onions in batches. Do not crowd the pan. Fry until crisp light golden brown. Set aside.
Marinate Chicken
- In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken with all the marinade ingredients and ⅓ of fried onions. For yogurt, start with ½ cup and increase as needed to ¾ cup. The mixture should be thick and not runny.
- In a spice grinder, process spices for marinade until fine powder. Add to chicken marinade and mix. Marinate for about 3 to 5 hours.
Cook Rice (Two Methods, Choose one)
- Rinse rice 4 to 5 times in lots of water until it is clear. Drain well. Soak ⅓ cup basmati rice in water for one hour. Save the rest for next step.
- Rice Cooker Method: In a rice cooker, take 2½ cups of water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1½ tablespoons cooking oil and whole spices. Bring it to a rolling boil, add remaining 1⅔ cups basmati rice and stir. Cook rice just until all the water is absorbed. In my rice cooker this process takes about 15 to 20 minutes.It is important to NOT let the rice steam until it is fully done. When all the water is absorbed well, transfer cooked rice immediately over the chicken in the assembling step below.
- Cooking Pot Method (watch at 7:55 minutes in full video above): In a large cooking pot, boil 6 cups of water with 1¼ tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon cooking oil and whole spices. Add the rice and cook at medium high to high heat until the grains are soft but al dente like pasta, about 4 to 5 minutes, gently stirring in between. Drain rice in a colander and set aside.
Assemble Rice and Chicken Layers
- Scoop out and discard any watery liquid collected on the surface of the marinade. Transfer chicken with marinade to a wide, oven proof cooking pot (10 inch diameter). Tip: Chicken should be lightly coated with marinade. Too much marinade can make rice soggy.
- Top the marinated chicken with cilantro, mint, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ tablespoon cooking oil and most of the remaining fried onions.
- Drain the soaked basmati rice very well and spread it over the fried onion layer. This raw soaked rice will get cooked with the juices from chicken.
- Next, layer all the cooked rice. Top with remaining lemon juice, saffron water, fried onions and ghee. Tip: If you prefer, pick out the whole spices from cooked rice before steaming.
- Place one sheet of parchment paper, followed by two sheets of aluminum foil over the cooking pot. Place the lid tight for a good seal.
Steam (Two Methods, Choose One)
- Oven Method: Bake biryani in a preheated oven at 350ºF for one hour, until steam builds up well.
- Stove-Top Method: Heat the biryani at medium high for about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook for one hour until steam builds up well.
Serve
- Remove from oven or stove. Let it cool five minutes and gently mix rice and chicken. Using a spatula, mound the biryani on a serving plate, making sure to present the rice in various colors - white, yellow, orange and brown. Place some chicken pieces on the top. Scatter fried onions, herbs and extra saffron rice on top.
- Serve it with mirchi ka salan and raita.
Notes
- Rice cooker: Use minimal water to cook rice. Test 1¼ to 1½ cups water per cup of basmati rice and check.
- Frying onions: If you are unable to deep-fry onions then shallow-fry them until crisp golden brown like in this Persian noodle soup recipe and adjust oil used.
- Optimal amount of salt and oil is very important. If everything else is perfect and you don't use right amount of salt, that alone can ruin the taste of biryani. I use a minimum of 2 tablespoons of oil per cup of raw rice, as there are additional ingredients - chicken, onions, etc.
- Whole spices can also be cooked wrapped in a muslin cloth (like boquet garni) or in a metal mesh cooking infuser. If using whole spices for marinade, then double the amount of spices. Ground spices are more intense.
- Meal Prep: Combine chicken with marinade and fry onions a day before.
- Storage and Freezing: Leftovers can be stored in refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or frozen for later.
- Scale Recipe: Click on number of servings and slide. Adjust the cooking pot size.
- Shajeera: These are referred to as black cumin or black caraway seeds in Indian stores. The labeling is not consistent. Ask your Indian grocer for "shahjeera".
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 408mg | Potassium: 280mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 170IU | Vitamin C: 4.7mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1.1mg
Did you make this recipe?I would love to know about it. Tag me @thedeliciouscrescent.
More Indian Recipes
- Haleem (one pot dish)
- Egg Paratha (omelette layered paratha)
- Chicken Curry (with coconut sauce)
Troubleshooting
Here are fixes for common issues while making biryani. Comment below for any other troubleshooting questions.
How to prevent rice sticking or getting burnt in the bottom?
If cooking on stove top, place the cooking pot over a flat griddle or heat diffuser. This will help prevent the rice getting burnt in the bottom.
How to fix dry biryani?
Use chicken on bone. Cook with enough yogurt and juices but don't overcook the meat. Use optimal amount of water for the rice. And if rice is undercooked before steaming, then sprinkle some water all over before placing the lid.
How to fix wet biryani?
Scoop out juices collected over marinated chicken and discard. Do not use too much yogurt. And do not overcook rice, but if it get's overcooked then spread it on a large plate and aerate a bit before layering.
Biryani Masala
Grind all the spices below into a fine powder and store in airtight container. One fourth of this blend will be enough for the biryani recipe in this post. To make it more spicy, use extra spice blend.
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 4 black cardamom
- 20 green cardamom
- 1 teaspoon cloves
- 4 large bay leaves
- 4 teaspoons black cumin seeds (shahjeera)
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon mace (optional)
This post was first published on The Delicious Crescent in May 2016 and has been updated for your benefit.
TAYLER says
I made this chicken biryani for dinner last night and it was fabulous! Everyone loved it- even the kids!
justine says
Added a bit of heat this time and still so good, saves well too.
NGB says
This was the perfect warming, comforting dish. Thank you!
Elisa says
This Easy Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani recipe, looks delicious!!! will try it soon. Thanks for sharing :)
Anonymous says
My go to recipe now!!
Ubaid says
The biryani no doubt look amazing.
Thanks for sharing it.
Can you use Sella rice instead basmati?
Roxana Begum says
Yes, you can. The cooking time will vary.
Anonymous says
Wonderful and easy recipe! Made it several times. Thank you.
Faiza says
Hi how much time do I need to cook the chicken if it is 3 lbs instead of 1 1/2 lb? Same 1 hr or should ai leave it in tbe oven for more than that
Roxana Begum says
Should be same.
Sapna says
Hi, thanks for the recipe, I made it last year and for my first try, it turned out great. I could have swore somewhere that the recipe stated a little bit of rose water could be added but I can no longer find that. Can you tell me if rose water can be added, how much should be added for 2 cups of rice and when it should be added? Also, if I wanted to add hard boiled eggs using the baking method when should I add those? Thanks again so much!
Roxana Begum says
Thanks Sapna. The recipe with rose water could have been chicken korma, although there are biryani recipes that use it, about 1 - 2 teaspoons. This recipe requires cooking raw chicken, which needs time. Since we use the dum (steaming) method, it would not be good to open the dish in between to add eggs. Also the eggs should be steamed with some masala, in which case they can only be added when the pot is initially placed in the oven. Pretty much everything should be added before steaming, except garnish. In biryani recipes with pre-cooked chicken, eggs are added along, and steamed for 30 to 40 minutes.
yuvi says
its delicious tasty briyani ,thank you for sharing.
Belinda says
Hi amazing recepi, just tried it and amazing results was thinking how the chicken would turn out... but owww thank you the only oil I used was some ghee on top of the rice and that was it.
Thumps up
Dale Lynn says
Hello,
Is there an option to make this dish ahead of time?
Roxana Begum says
There are make ahead tips in the blog post.
Robert says
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe with so much explanations
Roxana Begum says
Thanks for your lovely feedback.
Lenka says
Delicious! I cooked it tonight for the family and it was a huge success! I just need to buy a better dish that can go in the oven. Thanks so much! Will definitely be cooking it again!
Rachael says
Excellent recipe! It turned out really delicious. The one challenge I had was with cooking the rice using the stovetop method, since I don’t have a rice cooker. I wasn’t sure where and when to put the whole spices in the rice. Adding that step to the instructions will be very helpful.
Roxana Begum says
Thanks Rachael for the feedback. It would be the same on stovetop. But I will link to another biryani recipe in the notes, where I use the stovetop method.
Suzanne says
Hi. I am keen to try this but am a little confused with the rice cooker bit. In my rice cooker, I add rice and water, close the lid and the magic happens how do I get it or to a boil before adding the spices? Are you suggesting using boiling water in the rice cooker?
Thanks.
Roxana Begum says
Please check the video. In that you can see the water is boiled and then rice is added, that is the preferred way. If you are unable to do that, then make it as you usually do but use the cooked rice as soon as all the water is absorbed - this is in the video too.
Daisy says
Wonderful recipe. Thanks a lot for sharing!
mrbasrai edinburgh says
It is one of the perfect receipe.It is delicous biriyani receipe .Thank You for the receipe
Suha says
An absolutely perfect recipe!! Finger licking delicious and I’m in heaven after receiving all the compliments from my guests. The aroma of all the spices is delightful and nothing is overpowering. Thank you very much Roxana for a very detailed recipe and covering all the missteps which might occur.
Roxana Begum says
Thanks for the lovely and helpful feedback.
Doug K says
Tried this today because I love Biryani!!! Have never cooked Indian cuisine before, just eaten at restaurants. This was great, and tasted very close to the Biryani I know. I would add a bit more salt to everything, and I used 3 Thai chilis(small) in the marinade, and would definitely add more chili next time. Other than that, Bravo to you and this recipe!!!
Century Foods says
Thanks for such a delicious looking and amazing biryani recipe. Very helpful as i love eating biryani. Thanks again for the content.
Bethany says
I'm excited to try this! I'm wondering if you mean 1.5 Tbsp of oil with the onions - surely 1.5 cups is a bit much? Also I read elsewhere that Shahjeera is caraway seed - can you confirm whether they're the same? Thanks so much for posting!
Roxana Begum says
That is an approximate measure of the amount of oil absorbed following all tips. But the oil needed to fry the onions is listed in the ingredients. In the notes I mention that shahjeera labeling is not consistent. Ask for "shahjeera" at Indian grocery stores.
GD says
Thanks Roxana for this recipe!! I have made it a few times and it is my family's favourite. I love the spice mix marination. Such a good way of getting the spices flavour without using oil. It comes out yummy and the spices are never overpowering.
I make it in a heavy bottom cast iron dish and have burnt the chicken a bit a few times, so need to mind the gas heat better.
The only change I make is reducing the amount of onions as that can make the biryani a bit oily.
Gary says
Any tips/is it possible to make dairy free? Can you sub out the yogurt in the marinade for something else?
Roxana Begum says
I haven't myself tried it but perhaps you could use coconut yogurt. You can skip ghee or use oil, although some people on dairy free diets are still able to use it.