This authentic style chicken biryani recipe features layers of yogurt-marinated chicken, spiced rice, and fried onions. Covered with a dough “lid,” and baked long and slow, it offers a blend of flavors for a filling, truly incredible dish far better than anything you’ll find at a restaurant! 

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A metal pot of chicken biryani.

Table of Contents

What is Chicken Biryani? 

Biryani is a rice dish popular in South Asia and is one of the most popular dishes in all of India. You can find many variations, but they all combine layers of cooked rice and meat or vegetables with a unique blend of aromatics and spices. As you may have guessed, biryani chicken, sometimes referred to as chicken biryani, uses chicken that is coated in a spiced yogurt marinade. 

I’ve always loved the bold flavors of the dish. However, my appreciation for this recipe grew even further after I had the opportunity to learn how to make it from the head chef of one of the most popular restaurants in India. Naturally, I had to run my chicken biryani recipe by him, and he gave it his seal of approval. So, you know it’s going to be good! 

Don’t be intimidated by the steps. While it is a fairly lengthy process to prepare this dish, the instructions are simple and straightforward. 

How to Make an Authentic Chicken Biryani Recipe 

See the recipe card below for the complete ingredients list and instructions. 

1. Prepare the Chicken Spice Mixture

This step is key to infusing the dish with the incredible sweet, woody, fruity, and floral flavors it’s known for having. 

Seeds and spices toasting in a pan over a stove.
1. Toast. Add bay leaf, star anise, cinnamon, green cardamom, and black cardamom to a stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Toasting and shaking continuously until the spices are fragrant. They’ll usually start to crackle and jump a bit! Then, transfer them to a plate. 

2. Add the remaining spices. Repeat the process, toasting cloves, fennel seeds, black peppercorn, coriander seeds, caraway seeds, and mace until fragrant. Transfer the spices to the same plate. 
Spices being ground up in a bowl by hand.
3. Process. Once cool, transfer the large spices to a grinder or food processor (I like to use a mortar and pestle). Process until the spices are ground into pieces roughly the size of black peppercorns. 

4. Combine. Add the smaller whole spices, and grind until a fine powder forms. 

Note: As you see in the video below, I sometimes toast all the spices and grind them at once to cut down on prep time.

2. Prepare the Chicken

A man adding spices to a mixing bowl with yogurt.
5. Combine. Add plain yogurt, ginger garlic paste, Kashmiri chili powder, the biryani spice mix, salt, turmeric, and green chilies to a medium mixing bowl, and stir to combine.
A man marinading chicken breasts in a yogurt sauce.
6. Massage. Add bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks, and massage them into the yogurt mixture, covering each piece completely. 

7. Marinate. Cover the bowl, and marinate for at least two hours or ideally up to overnight. 

3. Make the Rice

A man rinsing rice in a glass pot.
8. Rinse. Add aged Basmati rice to a medium mixing bowl, and rinse it several times until the water is mostly clear. 

9. Soak. Submerge the rice in water, and let it soak for 30 minutes. Then, drain and set it aside. 
A pot of cooked long grain rice.
10. Boil. Bring a large Dutch oven or steel pot full of water to a boil. Then, add vegetable oil, spices, and salt. Cover and boil for five minutes to infuse the water with the whole spices. Then, add the soaked rice, stir, and boil until the rice is about 75% done. It should be soft on the outside with a harder, uncooked center. 

11. Drain. Drain the rice in a fine mesh sieve, and discard the whole spices. 

4. Fry the Onions

Note: You can save time and use store-bought fried onions, but I personally think they’re so much better homemade. Plus, it doesn’t take long to do! 

A man laying crispy fried onions on a baking sheet.
12. Cook. Add vegetable oil and onions to a cold medium-sized stainless steel skillet. Heat the skillet, and cook until the onions are golden brown and softened. 

13. Drain. Transfer the onions to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the onion oil.
Season with salt and set aside.  

5. Prepare the Dough

Don’t stress about this step. We won’t actually eat the dough. 

A man making kneading dough.
14. Combine. Mix flour and water in a bowl until a rough dough forms. 

15. Shape. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until it’s smooth and pliable. Then, gather it into a ball, and roll it out until it’s ¼ inch thick round, or just a few inches larger than the top of your dish. 

6. Assemble

A male chef placing marinaded chicken in a pot.
16. Add the chicken. Place a large biryani pot over medium-high heat, and add vegetable oil. Once shimmering, add the chicken skin side down. Make sure to include all the marinade! Season with salt, and cook until the yogurt mixture reduces by half. Remove the pot from the heat and place it on a sheet tray. 
A man layering herbs and veggies in a pot of chicken biryani.
17. Layer. Sprinkle half the fried onions evenly over the chicken. Then, add mint leaves and cilantro. 
A man mixing a small bowl of yellow saffron milk.
18. Steep the saffron. Microwave milk just until warmed through. Then, use a pestle to crush saffron in a small bowl, and pour the hot milk on top. Set aside to steep.  
Rice ladled in a metal pot.
19. Add the rice. Spread the rice over the herbs in a single layer. Make sure it reaches the edges of the pot! Sprinkle the remaining onions, mint, and cilantro leaves on top. Then, drizzle the saffron milk over the top before adding ghee. 
A man holding a pot of chicken biryani with crust top.
20. Bake. Drape the dough over the dish, and seal the edges tightly. Brush ghee over the top, and bake until the dough is golden brown.

7. Make the Raita

A male chef holding a bread bowl of chicken biryani with a white yogurt sauce.
21. Soak. While the chicken biryani recipe bakes, add onions to a small mixing bowl, and submerge them in cold water. Soak for about 15 minutes. Then, drain and pat the onions dry. 

22. Combine. Add dahi, onions, green chilies, cilantro, and salt to a small bowl, and stir to combine. 

23. Serve. Brush the top of the chicken biryani dish with more ghee, break open the dough, and spoon out the rice and chicken. Serve warm with raita on top! 
A man scooping chicken biryani out of a metal pot.

Nick’s Tips for Success

  • Marinate overnight. The yogurt breaks down the meat beautifully, creating flavorful, tender chicken.
  • Toast the spices carefully. Be careful not to burn them! It happens fast and only takes a few minutes. So, keep a close eye on them, and let your nose tell you when they’re done. Burnt spices will taste bitter and can ruin your beautiful chicken biryani recipe. 
  • Fry onions slowly. I always start them in a cold pot and oil to allow them to soften and caramelize without burning.
  • Seal the dough well. Make sure to pinch all the edges and make sure there are no cracks. This creates a dum, which traps the steam, allowing the dish to cook completely and soak in all the spices. 
  • Layer evenly. The secret to the best chicken biryani is layering all the ingredients so they meld together, and you get a little bit of everything in each bite. Spread each ingredient in a single layer all the way to the edges of the pot.  
5 from 2 votes

Chicken Biryani Recipe

Learn how to make a chicken biryani recipe with layers of marinated chicken, fried onions, herbs, rice, saffron milk, and raita!
Servings: 8 servings
A pot of chicken biryani with the dough top leaning against the side.
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Marinate Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
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Equipment

  • 1 Small Stainless Steel Skillet
  • 1 Spice Grinder or Food Processor
  • 3 Medium Mixing Bowls
  • 1 Medium Stainless Steel Skillet
  • 1 Rolling Pin
  • 1 Large Biryani Pot
  • 2 Small Mixing Bowls

Ingredients 

For the Chicken Biryani Spice Mix

  • 1 Indian bay leaf
  • 2 star anise
  • 5 (2 inch or 5 centimeters) Indian cinnamon
  • 15 green cardamom pod
  • 2 black cardamom pod
  • 1 tablespoon (5 gram) whole clove
  • 2 teaspoon (5 gram) fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon (2-3 gram) black peppercorn
  • ¼ cup (22 gram) whole coriander seeds
  • 1 tablespoon (7 gram) caraway seeds
  • 1 piece mace
  • ½ teaspoon (3 gram) nutmeg

For the Chicken

  • 1 cup (290 gram) plain unsweetened yogurt
  • 2 tablespoon (38 gram) ginger garlic paste
  • 1 tablespoon (15 gram) Kashmiri chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon (15 gram) biryani spice mixture
  • 2 teaspoon (12 gram) kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon (1.5 gram) turmeric
  • 2 green chili, slit down the center
  • 2 pound (32 ounce) bone-in skin-on chicken thigh and drumstick

For the Rice

  • 1 ½ cup (300 gram) aged basmati rice
  • 1 teaspoon (5 gram) vegetable oil
  • 1 Indian bay leaf
  • 1 (3 inch or 7.5 centimeter) piece Indian cinnamon
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 4 green cardamom pod
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 black cardamom pod
  • 2 teaspoon (12 gram) kosher salt

For the Fried Onions

  • ½ cup (64 gram) vegetable oil
  • 1 (200 gram) medium yellow onion, thinly sliced into half moons
  • kosher salt, to taste

For the Dough

  • 1 ½ cup (195 gram) all purpose flour
  • ½ cup (120 milliliter) water, plus more if needed

For Assembly

  • kosher salt, to taste
  • ¼ cup (60 milliliter) whole milk
  • ½ teaspoon (¼ gram) saffron threads
  • 3 tablespoon (45 gram) ghee
  • 3 tablespoon (5 gram) fresh mint , chopped
  • 3 tablespoon (5 gram) fresh cilantro, chopped

For the Raita

  • 1 (100 gram) small sweet onion, finely chopped
  • 1 cup (240 gram) Dahi or plain unsweetened yogurt
  • 2 green Thai bird’s eye chili, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon (5 gram) fresh cilantro, chopped
  • kosher salt, to taste

Instructions 

For the Chicken Spice Mixture

  • In a small stainless steel skillet over medium heat, add the bay leaf, star anise, cinnamon, green cardamom, and black cardamom to the pan. Continuously shake and stir the spices and toast them for one to two minutes, or until fragrant.
    1 Indian bay leaf, 2 star anise, 5 Indian cinnamon, 15 green cardamom pod, 2 black cardamom pod
  • Transfer the spices to a plate.
  • Add the cloves, fennel seed, black peppercorns, coriander seed, caraway seeds, and mace to the same pan and repeat the process. Toast the whole spices for one to two minutes, or until fragrant.
    1 tablespoon whole clove, 2 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon black peppercorn, ¼ cup whole coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon caraway seeds, 1 piece mace
  • Transfer the spices to the same plate.
  • Once the whole spices have cooled, transfer the larger spices to a spice grinder or food processor. Process until the spices are ground into roughly the same size as a black peppercorn.
  • Add the smaller whole spices to the grinder with the larger spices, as well as the nutmeg, and grind until they are all a fine powder. Set aside.
    ½ teaspoon nutmeg

For the Chicken

  • Add the yogurt, ginger garlic paste, kashmiri chili powder, biryani spice mix, salt, turmeric, and green chilies to a medium mixing bowl, and stir to combine. Add the chicken, and massage the chicken into the yogurt until each piece is covered in the yogurt marinade.
    1 cup plain unsweetened yogurt, 2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste, 1 tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder, 1 tablespoon biryani spice mixture, 2 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric, 2 green chili, 2 pound bone-in skin-on chicken thigh and drumstick
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, but preferably overnight.

For the Rice

  • Add the rice to a medium mixing bowl and rinse until the water is mostly clear.
    1 ½ cup aged basmati rice
  • Cover the rice with water and let it soak for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  • Bring six cups (1.4 Liter) of water to a boil in a large Dutch oven or large steel pot.
  • Add the oil, whole spices, and salt. Cover and boil for five minutes to infuse the water with the whole spices.
    1 teaspoon vegetable oil, 1 Indian bay leaf, 1 piece Indian cinnamon, 6 whole cloves, 4 green cardamom pod, 1 star anise, 1 black cardamom pod, 2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Add the soaked rice and stir. Boil the rice for five to seven minutes, or until the rice is 75% done. It should be soft on the outside, but still have an uncooked center.
  • Drain the rice into a fine mesh sieve and discard whole spices.

For the Fried Onions

  • In a medium stainless steel skillet, add the oil and the onions. Starting the onions in cold oil will help them soften, without browning too quickly.
    ½ cup vegetable oil, 1 medium yellow onion
  • Cook for about ten minutes, or until the onions are golden brown and softened.
  • Line a plate with paper towels.
  • Using a fork or tongs, remove the onions from the pan and transfer to the pre-lined plate. Reserve the onion oil and season the onions with salt. Set aside until assembly.
    kosher salt

For the Dough

  • Right before you assemble the biryani, make the dough.
  • In a medium bowl, mix the flour and water until a rough dough forms.
    1 ½ cup all purpose flour, ½ cup water
  • On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough until it is smooth and pliable, about five minutes.
  • Gather into a ball and roll out to a 1/4-inch-thick (6.5 millimeter) round that’s a few inches larger than the top of your dish.

For Assembly and Serving

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
  • Place a large biryani pot over medium-high heat and add one tablespoon of vegetable oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chicken, skin side down.
  • Season with salt, then cook for 30-45 minutes, or until the gravy has reduced by half. It should be the consistency of thin yogurt, and any oil should separate from the liquid and rise to the top.
    kosher salt
  • Remove from the heat and place the pot on a sheet tray.
  • Add half of the fried onions, and half of the mint and cilantro. Be sure the chicken is in one even layer.
  • Place the milk for the saffron milk in a heat proof bowl and microwave for 45 seconds, or until warmed through.
    ¼ cup whole milk
  • Crush the saffron with a pestle in a small bowl, then pour the hot milk over top. Let it steep for five minutes.
    ½ teaspoon saffron threads
  • Add the par cooked rice, making sure the rice is in one even layer. Then top with the remaining onions, mint and cilantro leaves. Drizzle the saffron milk over top, then top with ghee.
    3 tablespoon fresh mint, 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, 3 tablespoon ghee
  • Drape the dough over the top of the dish, pressing to seal it around the edge. Brush gently with ghee.
  • Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown.
  • Remove the dish from the oven and brush the top of the dough with ghee.
  • Break open the dough and spoon out the rice and chicken. Serve immediately with raita.

For the Raita

  • While the biryani is in the oven, make the raita.
  • Add the onions to a small mixing bowl and cover with cold water. Let the onions soak for 15 minutes, then drain them and pat them dry.
    1 small sweet onion
  • In a small mixing bowl, add the dahi, onions, green chilies, cilantro, and salt. Stir to combine, and serve immediately.
    3 tablespoon fresh cilantro, 1 cup Dahi or plain unsweetened yogurt, 2 green Thai bird’s eye chili, kosher salt

Video

YouTube video

Notes

Storage: This dish is best served right away, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three to four days. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 410kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 81mg, Sodium: 1264mg, Potassium: 608mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 468IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 176mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between chicken curry and chicken biryani?

The two dishes differ in the ingredients and methods used. For instance, chicken curry is a gravy-based dish that involves cooking chicken in a rich yogurt sauce, often served over rice. 

Biryani, on the other hand, is a rice dish that combines layers of rice, chicken, spices, and fried onions. It is then steamed in a pot, allowing the rice to absorb all the flavors. 

What should I serve with a homemade chicken biryani recipe? 

I often serve this recipe on its own as a complete meal. However, it’s also great with sides like naan, carrot salad, or paneer. 

How long does chicken biryani last? 

This dish is best served right away, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three to four days. 

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Nick DiGiovanni

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5 from 2 votes

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Recipe Rating




3 Comments

  1. Hassaan U. says:

    5 stars
    The recipe is presented well, tastes very nice. I think layering would help aswell as adding lemon to the marinade. I would make also add diced tomatoes to the marinade so it has a deeper flavour. Overall I would try again.

  2. Neeraj N says:

    The dish was very nice but one correction its not raita sauce its just raita. Btw the food was awesome.

  3. Evangeline Selvinson says:

    5 stars
    This biryani recipe is top-tier. I’ve been lucky enough to taste it under pretty amazing circumstances. Every bite of this biryani was a flavor bomb but none of that aggressive heat. If you’re looking to experience Indian flavors at their finest, this is where you start.
    🙏🏽♥️