This is a famous traditional food of the region of Asia. Chicken biryani is all about aromatic flavor, tender, juicy chicken with fluffy rice is just mindblowing in taste. It’s a love for me and my family, and we prefer the homemade one more. I am sharing the easiest homemade delicious chicken biryani recipe. I hope you will try this recipe at home. I promise the recipe is easy, and you are going to love it.
What Is Chicken Biriyani?
Chicken Biryani is a popular and flavorful dish made with marinated chicken, aromatic rice, and a mix of spices. The rice is usually cooked with fragrant spices, and the chicken is cooked with various herbs and spices. Then, the rice and chicken are combined and layered with fried onions and your preferred garnishing items.
Chicken Biryani is one of the favorite dishes in South Asia. Especially, the easy cooking process and rich taste give it a magical fame among Asian families. Whether it’s a family gathering, celebration, or just a weekend treat, Chicken Biryani is always a hit.
How to Make Chicken Biriyani?
To make this easiest Chicken Biryani recipe, first, you need to blend all the spices. To do so, blend ginger, garlic, green chilies, raisins, cashew nuts, onion, yogurt, and salt. Marinate chicken in this mixture for 30 minutes. Fry thinly sliced onions until golden, then add the marinated chicken along with biryani masala and red chili powder.
Cook the chicken on low heat. Meanwhile, boil water with spices and cook soaked basmati rice for 5 minutes, then drain. Layer the cooked rice on top of the chicken, adding fried onions, milk, ghee, and food color. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Stir gently, and your easy, homemade, delicious Chicken Biryani is ready!
Keep reading to learn the step-by-step process with the proper portions.
Chicken Biriyani Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 kg chicken (cut into pieces)
- 1-inch ginger
- 4 garlic cloves
- 5 green chilies
- 8-9 golden raisins
- 6 cashew nuts
- 1 small onion
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ¼ cup cooking oil
- 1½ cups onions (thinly sliced)
- 2 tablespoons biryani masala
- ½ tablespoon red chili powder
- 2 cups basmati rice (soaked for 30 minutes)
- 8-10 whole black peppercorns
- 4 cardamom pods
- 2 small cinnamon sticks
- 4 cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon kewra water
- 1 tablespoon rose water
- ½ cup hot milk
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 tablespoon food color (optional)
Direction
- Take a blender and add 1 inch of ginger, 4 garlic cloves, 5 green chilies, 8-9 golden raisins, 6 cashew nuts, 1 small onion, ½ cup plain yogurt, and 1 tablespoon of salt. Blend until smooth.
- In a large bowl, add 1 kg of chicken and the blended spice mixture. Mix well to coat the chicken evenly. Cover the bowl with a lid or a plastic wrapper and marinate for at least 30 minutes or more.
- Heat ¼ cup of cooking oil in a pan over high heat. Add 1½ cups of thinly sliced onions and fry until they turn golden brown. Reserve a portion of the fried onions for garnishing.
- Add the marinated chicken to the pan with the remaining fried onions. Add 2 tablespoons of biryani masala and ½ tablespoon of red chili powder. Sauté for 5 minutes. Then, cover and cook on low flame for around 25 minutes.
- In a separate pot, boil water and add 8-10 whole black peppercorns, 4 cardamom pods, 2 small cinnamon sticks, 4 cloves, and 2 bay leaves. Add 2 cups of soaked basmati rice and cook on high heat for 5 minutes. Drain the rice and set aside.
- Remove the lid from the chicken and stir well. Add 1 tablespoon of kewra water and 1 tablespoon of rose water, and reduce the gravy slightly.
- Add the cooked rice on top of the chicken mixture. Sprinkle the reserved fried onions over the rice. Add ½ cup of hot milk, 1 tablespoon of ghee, and 1 tablespoon of food color (optional). Now, cover again and cook on the lowest heat for sharp 20 minutes.
- Gently stir the biryani to mix the rice and chicken. Serve hot and enjoy.
What to Serve with Chicken Biryani
Chicken Biryani pairs well with various side dishes. A refreshing cucumber and tomato salad adds a crisp contrast to the rich biryani, enhancing its taste incredibly. You can also serve it with raita, a yogurt-based dip mixed with herbs and spices, which helps to balance the heat of your biryani. So choose your favorite and enjoy!
Chef’s Tips
- Marinating the chicken well is the key step to achieving a great Chicken Biryani. Try not to skip this part. If you cannot eat curd, you can use coconut milk instead while marinating the chicken.
- While making the rice, try to reduce the starch as much as you can. This will prevent the rice from getting mushy. Soaking also helps to make the rice fluffy, so remember to do these two steps.
- Remember to use the right amount of water. Too much or too little can make the rice mushy or dry. The amount of water I used worked well for me, so follow carefully.
- While cooking, follow the heat levels accordingly. It’s important to get the best results.
- To store, cool the Biryani completely and place it in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Before serving, simply microwave it.