Instant Pot Brown Rice Chicken Biryani

This Brown Rice Chicken Biryani is a healthier version of my popular Chicken Biryani. It is cooked with brown basmati rice, chicken breasts, fresh herbs, and warm aromatic spices. Served with cooling raita this my favorite feel-good comfort food!

After posting my Instant Pot Chicken Biryani recipe I received so many questions on how to make this with brown rice. My initial thinking was that it is not going to work out with the flavors and moreover the textures with the chicken and Rice cooking together.

Then I started experimenting with brown rice. More I started cooking with it, I figured out that soaking it can drastically change the cooking time, especially with Instant Pot. After a few tries, I was able to come up with this recipe that has tender cooked chicken with perfectly cooked brown rice. 

I would have never thought of making Biryani with brown rice if not for you guys, so THANK YOU!! This delicious biryani is now on repeat in my kitchen.

Here is the recipe with my expert tips and all it needs is some extra prep time or a little bit of planning.

Tips

Here are my PRO tips for the best Brown Rice Chicken Biryani:

• Soak the brown rice for 3 hours in warm water.
• Pat dry the chicken before marinating to avoid access liquids. Marinate chicken breasts for at least 2-3 hours. Chicken can also be marinated overnight or up to 12 hours
• Use plain full-fat yogurt for the marinade.
• Use fresh garam masala. Homemade garam masala works the best!
• Make sure all of the rice is under the liquids before closing the Instant Pot.
• It is normal for the top layer of the rice to look a bit undercooked. Simply fluff the top layer and then gently mix the biryani with a silicone spatula.
• This recipe makes medium spicy Biryani. For extra spicy add jalapeno. OR add another teaspoon of garam masala to the chicken.
• Lastly, although, Sauté function on the Instant Pot works great for true one-pot cooking, you can also caramelize the onions using a stovetop in a non-stick pan. OR you can also air fry the onions. This will speed up the process and also will prevent the stainless steel insert from getting scorched which may lead to “BURN” notice on the newer Instant Pot’s.
• Allow natural pressure release so the rice continues to cook and the chicken breasts cook tender and juicy
  Chicken drumsticks or chicken thighs can also be used in this recipe with same pressure cook time

"BURN" ERROR

I see "BURN" on the Instant Pot, HELP!!

Instant Pot is a smart pressure cooker and will show "BURN" if there are not enough liquids for it to come to pressure (Especially true for newer models). This happens for a few reasons:

1. The recipe does not have enough thin liquids
2. You forgot to add the liquids
3. The sealing ring is loose or not secure
4. You forgot to put the sealing ring on the lid
5. The bottom of the Instant Pot got burnt during saute process.

How to avoid the BURN:

1. Make sure your recipe has enough thin liquids
2. Make sure that the liquids have not evaporated by the time you close the lid
3. Make sure the sealing ring is on and properly secure. If your sealing ring has become loose, place it in the freeze for an hour.
4. Lastly, deglaze the pot. In this recipe after the onions are sautéed the bottom of the pot may get browned. So it is important to remove this browning which is called deglazing the pot. Turn the saute mode off and either using some of the marinated chicken or 2 tablespoons of water scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spatula. This will remove any browned bits from sautéing of the onions. This is an important step especially for Biryani recipes and will help the Instant Pot come to pressure and also prevent “BURN” signal.

Instructions

Step by step Recipe for Instant Pot Brown Rice Chicken Biryani:

step 1: Rinse and drain the brown basmati rice thoroughly 2 times. Add 2 cups of warm water and soak the rice for 3 hours. Make Marinade by mixing garam masala, ginger, garlic, red chili powder, turmeric, mint leaves, half of the chopped cilantro, lemon juice, yogurt, and salt. Add chicken and coat evenly with the marinade. Keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours (photos 1 - 2).

step 2: After about 2-½ hours, turn Instant Pot to Saute(Hi) mode and add 1 tablespoon of ghee. Add thinly sliced onions, cook stirring frequently for 10 to 12 mins or until the onions are golden brown and caramelized. Take out half of the onion and keep it aside for garnishing the biryani (photos 3 - 4).

step 3: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of ghee to the IP with half of the caramelized onions already in the pot. For extra spicy Biryani add sliced jalapeno. Add bay leaves and marinated chicken. Mix well and deglaze the pot with the liquids from the marinade. The deglazing step is important and will help take out the browning of the pot from sautéing the onions (photos 5 - 6).

step 4: Drain the rice and gently pour it over the chicken. Spread the rice evenly over the chicken. Add 1-½ teaspoon of salt. Add 1 cup of water. Using a spatula, evenly spread the rice under water and gently push all the rice from the sides of the pot under the liquids. Close Instant Pot and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Set to Manual mode for 10 mins. Allow Natural Pressure Release. Open the Instant Pot and gently fluff the top layer of the rice, if it looks slightly uncooked, simply close the instant pot and leave the Instant Pot on the keep warm mode for another 10 minutes (photos 7 - 8).

step 5: Garnish with the remaining caramelized onions, saffron and cilantro.

Serving

Serve with yogurt-based raita, boiled egg, and a fresh lime wedge! I love serving Mango Lassi or homemade lemonade with this Biryani. It also can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. To reheat simply microwave.

Spicy foods always leave me craving for something sweet and here are my go to desserts that pair well with Biryani:

• Mango Popsicles
• EASY Kalakand
• Fig Halwa
• Lauki Ka Halwa
• Gajar Halwa

FAQ

Can I use lamb instead of chicken?

Yes! Marinade the lamb using the same ingredients as the chicken. Here are 2 options to adjust cook time for Lamb Biryani:

1. Pressure Cook the marinated lamb for 20-25 mins on meat/stew setting. Then add the soaked brown rice and follow the remaining recipe.
2. Pressure Cook the marinated lamb for 15 mins on meat/stew setting. Then add unsoaked brown rice, with extra ½ cup of water and cook for 20 mins with natural pressure release.

What is the best brown rice for this recipe?

• You can use any variety - brown basmati, brown jasmine or short grain brown rice such as Sona Masoori
• Some of my readers have also made this recipe using the instant cook brown rice which does not need to be soaked. Simply adjust the cook time to 6 minutes followed by natural pressure release

Here is the youtube video that shows how easy it is to make this brown rice chicken biryani:

Love one-pot Indian meals? Here are more Instant Pot Biryani recipes that we have on repeat!

• Easy and Authentic Instant Pot Chicken Biryani
• Weeknight favorite Vegetable & Paneer Biryani
• Instant Pot Shrimp Biryani in 30 minutes 
• Instant Pot Fish Biryani 
• Chickpea Biryani with vegan options

Enjoy brown rice? Check out this recipe that explains how to cook Instant Pot brown rice 2 ways!

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Recipe

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Brown Rice Chicken Biryani - Instant Pot

A healthier version of the classic Chicken Biryani made with brown basmati rice, chicken breasts and aromatic spices.

Prep Time3 hrs

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time3 hrs 40 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 6

Calories: 483kcal

Author: Archana Mundhe

Ingredients

Marinade

• ▢ 2 teaspoons garam masala
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ginger grated
• ▢ 1 tablespoon garlic grated
• ▢ 1 tablespoon kashmiri red chili powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ▢ ¼ cup mint leaves
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped cilantro divided
• ▢ 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ ¾ cup plain yogurt
• ▢ 2 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 2 pounds chicken breasts cut each breast into 2 pieces

Remaining Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups brown basmati rice
• ▢ 1 jalapeno sliced into 8 wedges optional for extra spicy **
• ▢ 2 tablespoons ghee divided
• ▢ 1 large onions thinly sliced
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon saffron mixed in 1 tablespoon warm milk
• ▢ 4 boiled and shelled eggs optional

Instructions

• Rinse and drain the brown basmati rice thoroughly 2 times. Add 2 cups of warm water and soak the rice for 3 hours.
• Make Marinade by mixing garam masala, ginger, garlic, red chili powder, turmeric, mint leaves, half of the chopped cilantro, lemon juice, yogurt and salt. Add chicken and coat evenly with the marinade. Keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours
• After about 2-½ hours, turn Instant Pot to Saute(Hi) mode and add half of the ghee. Add thinly sliced onions, cook stirring frequently for 10 to 12 mins or until the onions are golden brown and caramelized. Take out half of the onion and keep it aside for garnishing the biryani.
• Add remaining to the Instant Pot with half of the caramelized onions already in the pot. For extra spicy Biryani add sliced jalapeno. Add bay leaves and marinated chicken. Mix well and deglaze the pot with the liquids from the marinade. The deglazing step is important and will help take out the browning of the pot from sautéing the onions. Note: If you have an air fryer you can use it or perfect golden fried onions.
• Drain the rice and gently pour over the chicken. Spread the rice evenly over the chicken. Add 1½ teaspoon of salt. Add 1 cup of water.
• Using a spatula, evenly spread the rice under water and gently push all the rice from the sides of the pot under the liquids.
• Close Instant Pot and turn pressure valve to sealing. Set to Manual mode for 10 mins.
• Allow Natural Pressure Release. Once the pin drops, open the Instant Pot and gently fluff the top layer of the rice, if it looks slightly uncooked, simply close the instant pot and leave the Instant Pot on the keep warm mode for another 10 minutes.
• Gently fluff and mix the rice with the chicken on the bottom of the pan.
• Garnish with the remaining caramelized onions, saffron and cilantro.
• Serve with Raita (Onions and tomatoes mixed in yogurt), hard boiled egg and lemon wedges.

Video

Notes

** This recipe makes medium spicy Biryani. For extra spicy add jalapeno. OR add another teaspoon of garam masala to the chicken.

You can replace chicken breasts with bone-in chicken pieces, chicken thighs, or drumsticks for the same cook time. 

Nutrition

Calories: 483kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 1574mg | Potassium: 807mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 595IU | Vitamin C: 6.4mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1.9mg

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Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in Nov 2017, but was updated in Oct 2019 with new photos and information.