Quite possibly the most well-known rice dish from India, biryani can be found throughout the country, though there are subtle variations from region to region. But one thing is consistent: the process to make it is long and complex. My family’s treasured recipe transforms biryani into a quick, accessible dish. This meal is made of fragrant basmati rice, tender spiced chicken, and carmelized onions, and it can be cooked in less than an hour while maintaining the same authentic flavor and texture of traditional versions.
Chicken Biryani is one of my most favorite dishes and definitely one of the most requested meals at my house. We often pair it with a cooling raita and squeeze of fresh lime for a hearty meal.
There are many variations of this recipe that originate in several states of India. My favorite, of course, is the one made by my mom that I grew up eating. Warm, deep spiced Chicken Biryani, with freshly ground spices, caramelized onions, marinated tender chicken cooked over long grain basmati rice!
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For many years now we have enjoyed my mom’s best Chicken Dum Biryani. Cooked in homemade ghee, homemade garam masala, fresh herbs and basmati rice, this Biryani is everyone’s favorite.
What is Biryani?
Biryani is a rice dish with vegetables, chicken or fish marinated in yogurt and warm spices such as turmeric, red chili powder and garam masala. It is traditionally slow cooked by layering the marinated meat or vegetables over the rice and is topped with caramalized onions, aromatic saffron and fresh cilantro or mint.
Origins of Biryani
It is said that Biryani is originally a Persian dish which eventually made its way to south Asia. Since then there have been many regional variations of this majestic dish based on the cooking methods.
- Dum Biryani – Layers of meat and partially cooked rice are added to a heavy bottomed pot which is sealed tighly with raw dough so the flavors and steam does not escape. It is then slow cooked for hours. This is also how my mom made her Biryani on the stovetop.
- Kacchi Biryani – Raw meat is cooked by layering over rice and then slow cooked.
- Pukka Biryani – Partially cooked meat and rice are layered and cooked.
Variations of Biryani
As biryani became popular in south asia, several regional variations of this dish came along. Starting with the Kacchi style Hyderabadi Dum Biryani, the Malabar Pukka Biryani from the coastal India, the Calcutta Biryani with potatoes from eastern India, spicy Chettinad Biryani from the southern states and the flavorful, tangy Sindhi Biryani from Sindh, Pakistan. Many more variations and recipes but one thing that is common is that they are all incredibly tasty!
My version of EASY Chicken Biryani recipe using the Instant Pot
Given how much we enjoy Chicken Biryani, I had to try mom’s recipe in the Instant Pot. After a few attempts I was able to simplify it so much that it can be easily prepared for a weeknight meal using the Instant Pot. This is my humble attempt to make mom’s incredible chicen biryani.
I love biryani with chicken that is cooked tender and moist while the rice is fluffy with each grain seperated. There are 2 ways to cook biryani depending on the cut of chicken you are have.
- Using bone-in, skinless chicken legs – I first partially cook the chicken by pressure cooking it for 4 minutes. Then layer over soaked and drained rice and pressure cook both chicken and rice for 6 minutes.
- Using small bone-in chicken pieces or boneless thighs – Skip the intial 4 minutes of pressure cooking and instead saute the marinated chicken for 2 to 3 minutes. Then layer the soaked and drained rice and pressure cook for 6 minutes.
PRO Tips for perfect Chicken Biryani :
- Pat dry the chicken before marinating to avoid access liquids.
- Marinate the chicken for at least 20 minutes.
- Use plain full fat yogurt for the marinade.
- Use fresh garam masala. Homemade garam masala works the best!
- Deglaze the pot using some of the marinated chicken to remove any browned bits from sautéing of the onions. This will help the Instant Pot come to pressure and also prevent “BURN” signal.
- Deglaze the pot, once again just before adding the rice.
- 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 stove top in a non-stick pan. This will speed up the process and also will prevent the stainless steel insert getting scorched which may lead to “BURN” notice on the newer Instant Pot’s.
How to make the best Instant Pot Chicken Biryani
Here are my step by step instructions:
- Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes. You can also marinate ahead of time, for up to 12 hours in the refrigerator (photos 1 – 4).
- Soak the rice for 20 minutes, which makes rice fluffy and light with long separate grains. I would recommend extra long grain basmati rice for making chicken biryani. Some of my favorite brands are Kohinoor and Royal, both available in Indian groceries (photos 5 – 6).
- As the rice soaks, you can start to caramelize the onions. Caramelizing in the Instant Pot may cause the bottom of the pot to get scorched. Remember to deglaze the pot well with the liquids from the marinated chicken. Pressing cancel during deglazing also prevents further overheating (photos 7 – 10).
- Bone-in chicken legs or drumsticks need longer time to pressure cook than the basmati rice. To achieve this, we first pressure cook the chicken for 4 minutes. For boneless thighs, just sautéing for 2 to 3 minutes cooks the chicken partially and then they can further cook along with the layered rice (photos 11 – 12).
- Drain the rice, completely after soaking for 20 minutes. Then layer the rice on the partially cooked chicken. Add water (which should be 1:1 ratio with rice) and make sure all the rice is under the liquids (photos 13 – 14).
- After pressure cooking the rice, if the top layer looks a but undercooked, simply fluff the top layer with a fork. Use a silicone spatula to gently mix the rice and the chicken pieces at the bottom of the pot. Garnish with the caramelized onions, saffron mixed with milk, cilantro and mint. Layer over with hard boiled eggs (photos 15 – 16).
Looking for an easy and healthy appetizer to serve with this biryani? We love to pair it with this easy creamy tomato bisque recipe.
I often make this one pot meal when I am having an impromtu gathering with friends. And spicy Indian food always leaves you craving for something sweet. Here are some of my go-to desserts:
Loved the warm flavors of Biryani? You may want to try my other Instant Pot Biryani recipes:
- Vegetable Biryani
- Shrimp Biryani
- Chickpea Biryani with vegan options
- Healthy Brown Rice Biryani
- Low Carb Riced Cauliflower Chicken Biryani
- Fish Biryani
- Egg Biryani
Thank you to all who have tried this recipe. It has become so popular that when I published The Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook, I was requested that I also incude this recipe inthe cookbook. I hope you will enjoy 75+ modern recipes with authentic Indian flavors in my best-selling book.
Frequently asked questions
1. Deglaze the pot really well using 1 to 2 tablespoons of water after caramelizing the onions. During deglazing turn off the Instant Pot which will allow the pot to cool down and prevent the liquids from evaporating. After deglazing there should be no browning at the bottom of the pot
2. Make sure that the sealing ring is secured properly
3. If all else fails caramelize the onions on the stove top using a non stick pan
I like to use Kohinoor extra long grain rice
Make sure that the rice is completely submerged under liquids before starting the pressure cooking cycle. If the rice looks slightly undercooked when the cooking cycle is complete, gently fluff teh top layer only and close the lid for an additional 5 minutes on keep warm.
You can definetely half the recipe, the pressure cook time will be the same. I would not recommend doubling this recipe in a 6-QT Instant Pot. But if you have a 8-QT you can double the recipe with same pressure cook time.
For biryani dishes, it is best to soak the extra long grain basmati rice for 20 minutes. This removes some of the starch and also helps the rice cook so that its fluffy and long. With this method, a 1:1 rice-to-water ratio works well, as the biryani has marinated chicken that release plenty of liquid. Always allow the rice to cool a bit after pressure cooking and then gently fluff up with a fork or silicone spatula
★ Have you tried this recipe? We love your feedback, Please click on the stars in the recipe card below to rate.
- 2 teaspoon garam masala Add 3 tsp for spicier Biryani
- 1 tablespoon ginger grated
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon red chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ cup mint leaves
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 0.75 cup plain yogurt
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 pounds whole bone in chicken skinless cut into 12 pieces (If using chicken thighs cut into 2 inch pieces)
- 3 cups Extra long grain Basmati rice
- 3 tablespoons ghee divided
- 2 large yellow onions thinly sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon saffron mixed in 1 tbsp warm milk
- 6 boiled and shelled eggs optional
- 1 jalapeno sliced into 8 wedges optional for extra spicy **
- 2 cup plain yogurt
- 1 medium yellow onions finely diced
- 2 tomatoes diced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped
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 at least 30 minutes.
- While the chicken is marinating, wash and soak the basmati rice in water. Keep aside for 20 mins.
Turn the Instant Pot to Saute(Hi). After the ‘hot’ sign displays, add 2 tbsp of ghee and add thinly sliced onions. Cook stirring frequently for 10 mins or until the onions are golden brown and caramelized. Take out half of the onion and keep aside for garnishing the biryani.
Add 1 tbsp of ghee 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 half of the marinated chicken and the liquid from the marinade. Press Cancel. Mix well, deglazing the pot with a spatula to take out all the browning of the pot from sautéing the onions. This is an important step that will prevent the possible “BURN” signal during pressure cooking. Once all the browning on the pot is completely removed, stir in the remaining chicken.
a) For Chicken on bone – Close the Instant Pot and turn pressure valve to sealing. Select Manual/Pressure Cook and adjust the time to 4 minutes. Follow with Quick release. Mix the chicken well, once again scraping the bottom of the pot removing any food stuck to the bottom.
- or
b) For boneless Chicken thighs – Cook on Saute mode for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pot to make sure there is no food sticking to the bottom.
Drain the rice and gently pour over the chicken. Add 2 tsp of salt. Add 3 cups of water. Close the Instant Pot and turn pressure valve to sealing. Select Manual/Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 6 minutes. Follow with Quick release.
Open the Instant Pot. If the top layer of the rice looks uncooked, simply fluff the top layer of the rice. Then mix the rice with the chicken on the bottom of the pan. Using a silicon spatula to gently mix will also prevent the rice grains from breaking.
Garnish with the remaining caramelized onions, saffron mixed with milk and cilantro. Serve with Raita , hard boiled egg and lemon wedges.
To make the raita, whisk the yogurt in a medium bowl. Add onions, tomatoes, salt and mix well. Garnish with cilantro.
Recipe Video
- Deglaze the pot using some of the marinated chicken to remove any browned bits from sautéing of the onions.. This will help the Instant Pot come to pressure and also prevent “BURN” signal.
- Deglaze the pot, once again just before adding the rice.
- 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.
- Tip – Although, Sauté (more) function on the Instant Pot works great for true one pot cooking, you can also caramelize the onions, stove top in a non-stick pan. This will speed up the process and also will prevent the stainless steel insert getting scorched which may lead to “BURN” notice on the newer Instant Pot’s.
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Karnika says
I’d like to make this for a lunch party I’m having- apart from raita what would be good to serve on the side?
Archana says
How about a nice soup? Creamy Tomato Bisque? French onion Soup? Or a nice salad? Spicy mango salad. All recipes on ministryofcurry.com
Shashank says
My first attempt was flavorful and excellent; thanks for a well-presented recipe.
https://recipeallkitchen.blogspot.com
Archana says
Thank you for the feedback!
Amanda says
This was insanely delicious! I am going to decline to disclose how much I ate. Thank you so much for sharing, this will be going in the rotation.
Archana says
Thank you Amanda!
Radhika says
I typically like using chicken breast rather than thigh meat. Would you change the recipe for breast meat?
Archana says
yes! Cook for along with rice. I have the details in the recipe just before the pro tips 🙂
MeowBoops says
I had everything in my house except for the yogurt. I made it anyway. I sauteed the onions separately on the stove. I also added 1/2 cup of water to cook the 6 chicken legs w/bone I marinated (due to lack of yogurt). I cooked them on manual for 4 mins as per instructions. I followed the rest of the instructions/measurements. I accidentally left rice to NPR after cook time for about 1.5 minutes. Still turned out wonderful. I’m surprised how well the rice turned out since I’ve tried cooking jasmine rice only in the IP and did not care for how it turned out (scorched a little for me). This recipe is a keeper and I can’t wait to make it again with yogurt! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Archana says
Thank you for your detailed review. I am so glad this is going on your repeat menu.
Michael Turner says
This turned out really well. I’ve never made a bryiani in a pressure cooker before but was really pleased with the result. The rice was lovely and the chicken very tender.
Archana says
Thank you! I would love a 5-star for that 🙂
Daydreamer says
Fantastic recipe…thank you so much for sharing it with us… it was easy to follow and the biryani turned out really well.
Archana says
Thank you for the feedback 🙂
Denise says
Wow this is soooooo tasty. I’ve been looking for a good biryani recipe for some time and this is it. I halved it as I’m cooking for just 1 but it was super easy to do. This is now bookmarked and I’ll be making it again!
Archana says
Thank you Denise!
Wai Chan says
Used this recipe yesterday. Turned out fabulous.
Tweaked recipe a little. Used only 21/2 c Basmati
Rice. Reduced cooking time 4 min for bone in
chicken legs and 5 min for rice. Added raisins and cashews after release. Now I wonder if I should
have added the raisins just before the rice.
Thank you for this great recipe.
Archana says
Thank you for the feedback!
Joly says
This recipe was delicious! The only thing I noted was that parts of the rice felt over cooked (mushy). I’m not if that happened bc I soaked the rice too long or maybe 3 cups of water at the last step was too much? Overall, your recipe was easy to follow & the flavors were great!
Archana says
Thank you for the feedback. Make sure you spread the rice evenly submerged under water.
Meeta Roy says
I made this recipe tonight and it was FANTASTIC! ❤️
Archana says
Thank you for the feedback and 5-star rating!
Anu says
I have made biryani using this recipe a few times now. If you are a purist, Biryani in a ‘pressure cooker’ just doesn’t right. But this recipe works beautifully. The thing I have had to be careful with is the amount of water. It needs adjustment based on how much is generated after the first time the chicken gets done. I have used as less as 1&1/2 cups for this same recipe and it has worked well. Nice job putting the recipe together, thanks!
Archana says
I am so glad you enjoyed the Biryani!
Mariel Fiat says
Did everything except cooiking it in one pot or using basmati, although my favorite rice. Coked chicken and rice apart half way and then put all in the oven. Basmati is hard to find where I am right now, so used a local rice; however, the final product came out perfect! Delicious! Accompanied it with roasted brussel sprouts and red peppers.
Archana says
Love your variation and accompaniments. Thank you for the lovely feedback
Amanda says
This was the best recipe I have ever made in my Instant Pot (and I have used it very frequently for years!) My family loved it! I can’t wait to make it again. Thanks so much.
Archana says
Thank you! Thank you!!
Vinu says
Can I make using 3lbs chicken and 5 cups basmati rice in 6 at instant pot?
Archana says
I think that will be too much. The rice will turn out mushy on the bottom. Do it in 2 batches.
Dipti Khanna says
Made this biryani last night and it came out delicious! The only thing that I did differently was that there was a lot of liquid from the boneless chicken once it cooked, so I ended up adding only 1.5 cups of water to cover the rice and put it on manual for 6 mins followed by 5 mins of NPR and then a quick release. Thank you for sharing your recipe, my family loved it.
Lana P says
Hi Archana,
Love your site! Can I omit the mint or use more cilantro in its stead? Would it affect the dish much?
Also, do you know if this recipe could be made with brown rice? If so, what changes need to be made to the cooking time and/or method?
Archana says
yes you can omit mint. Here is my brown rice biryani recipe – https://ministryofcurry.com/brown-rice-chicken-biryani-instant-pot/
Priya says
Could I use dairy free yogurt? Like cashew or coconut yogurt?
Archana says
yes!
Rita says
Thanks for the delicious recipe. There was only one problem, i cooked the chicken in a separate pot and then added to IP and covered it with rice and then added water and closed it to pressure cook for 6 minutes. Before the pressure could build, it had BURN on display so i cancelled and released the steam to open. Then i closed it again for a little while and it was cooked but why does it have Burn display? I didnt even cook chicken in the pot just for that reason.
Archana says
oh no! Do you have Instant Pot Ultra? I have heard they are super sensitive. Next time, just leave the Instant pot closed for 10 mins and it will cook it anyway.
Reen says
Hello, do you not recommend using bone in chicken thighs with skin on?
Archana says
I have always taken the skin out for Indian foods. For biryani the skin won’t crisp so another reason to take it out as it will be just mush. But feel free to leave it on if you like it will be delicious either ways 🙂
Ed says
Can I make this recipe with brown rice?
Archana says
Here is my brown rice biryani recipe – https://ministryofcurry.com/brown-rice-chicken-biryani-instant-pot/
Nina says
Hi,
What can I replace the yogurt with?
We have a dairy allergy in the house.
Thanks!
Archana says
Hi Nina, You can add extra tablespoon of lemon juice instead fo yogurt or use dairy free yogurt.
Chris says
This recipe looks amazing gonna make it for dinner tomorrow. I was wondering if I can marinade it overnight? Also I have boneless chicken thighs should I cut them in half or leave them whole?
Archana says
I might be a little late to reply bit, yes Whole thighs and you can marinate overnight.