Instant Pot Chicken Biryani

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 caramelized 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 cooling raita and a 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!

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 caramelized onions, aromatic saffron, and fresh cilantro or mint.

Origins

It is said that Biryani is originally a Persian dish that 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 tightly with raw dough so the flavors and steam do 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

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 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 chicken biryani.

I love biryani with chicken that is cooked tender and moist while the rice is fluffy with each grain separated. There are 2 ways to cook biryani depending on the cut of chicken you have.

1. 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.
2. Using small bone-in chicken pieces or boneless thighs – Skip the initial 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.

Tips

• 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 the sautéing of the onions. This will help the Instant Pot come to pressure and also prevent the “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 a stovetop in a non-stick pan.  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.

Instructions

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 bit 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 impromptu gathering with friends. And spicy Indian food always leaves you craving for something sweet. Here are some of my go-to desserts:

• Carrot Halwa
• Instant Pot Rice Kheer
• Pineapple Sheera
• Date Truffles

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 include this recipe in the cookbook. I hope you will enjoy 75+ modern recipes with authentic Indian flavors in my best-selling book.

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Instant Pot Chicken Biryani

A one-pot dish made with long grain basmati rice, chicken, fresh spices and herbs that is cooked over low heat for the most delectable flavors

Prep Time40 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time1 hr 20 mins

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 8

Calories: 503kcal

Author: Archana Mundhe

Ingredients

Marinade

• ▢ 2 teaspoons garam masala Add 3 tsp for spicier Biryani
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ginger grated
• ▢ 1 tablespoon garlic minced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ▢ ¼ cup mint leaves
• ▢ ¼ cup cilantro chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢ ¾ cup plain yogurt
• ▢ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ▢ 2 pounds whole bone in chicken skinless cut into 12 pieces (If using chicken thighs cut into 2 inch pieces)

Other Ingredients

• ▢ 4 tablespoons ghee divided
• ▢ 2 large yellow onions thinly sliced
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 3 cups extra long grain Basmati rice
• ▢ 2 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 3 cups water
• ▢ 1 teaspoon saffron mixed in 1 tablespoon warm milk
• ▢ 6 eggs hard boiled and shelled, optional
• ▢ 1 jalapeno sliced into 8 wedges optional for extra spicy **

Raita

• ▢ 2 cups plain yogurt
• ▢ 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
• ▢ 2 tomatoes diced
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped

Instructions

• 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 minutes.
• Turn the Instant Pot to Saute(Hi). After the ‘hot’ sign displays, add half of the ghee and add thinly sliced onions. Cook stirring frequently for 10 minutes or until the onions are golden brown and caramelized. Take out half of the onion and keep aside for garnishing the biryani. 
• Add the remaining 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 the pressure valve to sealing. Select Manual/Pressure Cook(Hi) 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 it over the chicken. Add salt from the other ingredients list. Add water and gently push all the rice under the liquids. Do not stir. Close the Instant Pot and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Select Manual/Pressure Cook(Hi) 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 silicone 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.

Raita

• To make the raita, whisk the yogurt in a medium bowl. Add onions, tomatoes, salt, and mix well. Garnish with cilantro. 

Video

Notes

1. Deglaze the pot using some of the marinated chicken to remove any browned bits from the sautéing of the onions. This will help the Instant Pot come to pressure and also prevent the “BURN” signal. 
2. Deglaze the pot, once again just before adding the rice. 
3. Make sure all of the rice is under the liquids before closing the Instant Pot. 
4. 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. 
5. ** This recipe makes medium spicy Biryani. For extra spicy add jalapeno. OR add another teaspoon of garam masala to the chicken.
6. Tip – Although Sauté (more) function on the Instant Pot works great for true one-pot cooking, you can also caramelize the onions, stovetop in a non-stick pan.  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.
7. Using small bone-in chicken pieces or boneless thighs – Skip the initial 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

Nutrition

Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 1249mg | Potassium: 328mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 520IU | Vitamin C: 5.7mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 1.6mg

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