Instant Pot Chicken Biryani is one of my favorite dishes and one of the most requested meals at my house. This one-pot 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 stovetop chicken biryani. Paired with cooling raita and a squeeze of fresh lime makes for a hearty and delicious meal.
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Family Treasured Recipe
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 of making it is long and complex. I am excited to share this modern version of my family's treasured recipe that transforms Chicken Biryani into a quick, accessible dish using an Instant Pot.
Jump to:
- Family Treasured Recipe
- What is Biryani?
- Origins of Biryani
- Easy Chicken Biryani recipe using the Instant Pot
- How To Cook Different Chicken Cuts
- How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Biryani (5- Steps)
- What to serve with Chicken Biryani
- How to store leftover Biryani
- Tips for making Biryani in the Instant Pot
- Biryani Variations
- More Instant Pot Biryani Recipes You'll Love
- The Famous Instant Pot Chicken Biryani
- FAQ
- Recipe
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 of Biryani
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.
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.
How To Cook Different Chicken Cuts
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.
- 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 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.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Biryani (5- Steps)
Here are step-by-step instructions with photos. Please check the printable recipe card at the end of this pot for the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions.
1: Marinate the Chicken
Marinate the chicken in ground spices, mint leaves, cilantro, lemon juice, yogurt, and salt. Marinate for atelast minutes. You can also marinate ahead of time, for up to 12 hours in the refrigerator (photos 1 - 4).
2: Soak the Rice
Soak the rice for 20 minutes. It helps make the 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).
3: Caramelize the onions and deglaze
As the rice soaks, 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).
4: Partially Cook the Chicken
Bone-in chicken legs or drumsticks need a longer time to pressure cook than 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).
5: Layer over Rice and Pressure Cook
Drain the rice and layer over the partially cooked chicken. Add water and make sure all the rice is under the liquids (photos 13 - 14).
Garnish with the caramelized onions, saffron milk, cilantro, and mint. Layer over with hard-boiled eggs (photos 15 - 16).
What to serve with Chicken Biryani
I love chicken Biryani served with a simple raita and a squeeze of fresh lime! If you have guests, pair it will the delicious creamy tomato soup or butternut squash soup! I often make this one-pot meal when I am having an impromptu gathering with friends. And spicy Indian food always leaves you craving something sweet. Here are some of my go-to make-ahead Indian desserts - Carrot Halwa, Pineapple Sheera, and Jalebi!! You can also pair biryani with simple vegetarian curries like Palak Paneer, Mushroom Masala, or these pretty Stuffed Tomatoes!
How to store leftover Biryani
Biryani makes for amazing leftovers! In fact, I think it tastes best the next day! Simply refrigerate it in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. To reheat simply microwave individual portions. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Tips for making Biryani in the Instant Pot
- Pat dry the chicken before marinating to avoid excess 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 marinated chicken to remove any browned bits from the sautéing of the onions. This will help the Instant Pot build pressure and also prevent the "BURN" signal. Alternatively, you can also air fry the onions.
- 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, the 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 a "BURN" notice on the newer Instant Pots.
Biryani 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 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, and marinated tender chicken cooked over long grain basmati rice.
More Instant Pot Biryani Recipes You'll Love
- Vegetable Biryani
- Shrimp Biryani
- Chickpea Biryani with vegan options
- Brown Rice Biryani
- Low Carb Riced Cauliflower Chicken Biryani
- Fish Biryani
- Egg Biryani
The Famous Instant Pot Chicken 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.
FAQ
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 stovetop 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 the top layer only and close the lid for an additional 5 minutes on the keep warm mode.
You can definitely 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 an 8-QT you can double the recipe with the 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 it's fluffy and long. With this method, a 1:1 rice-to-water ratio works well, as the biryani has marinated chicken that releases plenty of liquid. Always allow the rice to cool a bit after pressure cooking and then gently fluff it up with a fork or silicone spatula
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Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Biryani
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 teaspoons garam masala Add 3 teaspoon 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 the 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. Note: You can also air fry the onions
- 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
- 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.
- 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 a "BURN" notice on the newer Instant Pots.
- 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
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Danika Fonseca says
I tried this today and it was SO tasty! I used to make a more labor-intensive biryani recipe and I was afraid I wouldn't get the same flavor with this quick instapot version but boy was I wrong! I am surprised by how good this came out. I garnished mine with raisins, cashews and crispy onions as I usually do, and this is now going to be my go-to recipe. Thank you! <3
Archana says
Thank you, Danika! I agree you get the same flavors with lesser effort. It really all about good quality ingredients and spices.
Jenny Moser says
Hi, for the krinkle cake do you take the baking sheet away and when?
Thanks for your kind attention.
Archana says
Hi Jenny! I make the Crinkle cake in the glass baking pan and also use it to serve from.
Kevin Gomes says
Hello I am new to your site , I am old school and I have a pressure cooker not a instant pot , can all your recipes using the instant pot be achieved using the old style pressure cooker or are there time differences ?
So far your food looks amazing .
Archana says
Hi Kevin! Thank you for reaching out. I am sure with some trial you can adapt the recipes to the traditional pressure cooker. 3 minutes of Instant Pot pressure cooking time is usually equivalent to 1 whistle on the traditional pressure cooker. With the Instant Pot, there is no steam released during the pressure cooking cycle so the cooking time is usually much shorter. Also, I have several stovetop recipes on the blog and also some of the Instant Pot recipes also have stove top instructions. Hope this helps. Happy Cooking!
Sal says
Hi. Can this be made in regular size instant pot?
Archana says
This can be make in a 6QT (which I think is what you may have) and also in 8 QT Instant Pot
Jyoti says
Hi, if I want to add a few potatoes to this, should I do this just before adding the soaked rice? I’m making this today, I’ve got the chicken marinating.
Archana says
yes! Add it before laying the rice
Jyoti says
OMG This is the easiest chicken biryani I have ever made. The rice took on the flavours beautifully. I like mine with potatoes so I added these after the 4 min cook time on the chicken was up just before the rice was is added. Air frying the onions is genius! If I marinate the chicken the day before and air fry the onions in advance, I’ll be done and dusted in 35minutes! Biriyani has always meant spending at least 2 or 3 hours in the kitchen and loads of washing up. I am grateful to you for sharing this little gem of a recipe.
Archana says
Thank you Jyoti for such a wonderful feedback. I am glad you went ahead with adding potatoes before rice and I agree that air frying onions before hand saves a lot of time!
Regina Gornall says
I had just received my instant pot the night before, and your cook book, I asked my husband who is a lover of Indian cuisine, what do you want first. He didnt even hesitate and said chicken biryani. I said well if I can figure out this pot, I will make it. I was so nervous cooking this for the first time and in a pot I didnt know, but it was super easy. Your directions made everything so simple. and the Instant pot really is a blessing, and will cook many more meals for our family. My husband loved your chicken biryani so much he requested it to be on the weekly menu.
Archana says
Thank you, Regina! I am SO glad you enjoyed cooking with the Instant Pot. It makes Indian cooking so easy and fast. The initial pages of the cookbook have a lot of tips too!
Mekhala says
Here, in this recipe, you have mentioned to take 3cups of rice and 3 cups of water. In your recipe book, all the ingredients quantities are nearly same, except that in the book it says 2 cups of rice and 4 cups water. So which recipe to follow?
Archana says
Its 1:1 rice to water ratio for cooking. The extra water is only to soak the rice.
Mira says
Can I use chicken breast? Would there be any changes to time? Thank you!
Archana says
Yes, you can use chicken breasts. You can skip the initial 4 minutes of pressure cooking just the chicken. Instead, simply saute the marinated chicken for a couple of minutes and then layer over the rice and water. Then pressure cook for 6 minutes followed by 5 minutes of natural pressure release. Make sure to marinate chicken breast for at least 2 hours.
HemaP says
After adding rice into pot, how much time should I pressure cook?
Archana says
Pressure cook for 6 minutes as detailed in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Manikya says
I made this last week. It was so delicious. Easy to follow recipe. I’m looking forward to try your other recipes as well. Thank you so much!!!
Archana says
You are most welcome!
Rubia says
This was my first attempt at biryani and the flavors were delicious! However my rice came out mushy, any advice on how to avoid that next time? Thank you
Archana says
Rice texture depends on the variety and age of Basmati rice. I like Kohinoor extra long grain basmati rice. Next time you can reduce the soaking time to 10 mins.
Paul says
Greetings. Under Biryani Variations your mention "Calcutta Biryani with potatoes from eastern India". I want to add potatoes to this recipe. Any suggestion on quantity, when to add them and any change in cooking time? Thanks for the recipe!
Archana says
Layer them over the chicken just before adding the rice. Make 1-inch cubes.
Hannah M says
I absolutely love this recipe! One issue I’ve been having though is that every time I cook the chicken, I get the burn notice. This leads to varying results. Even if I don’t cook the onions beforehand in the pot. Do you have any advice? Should I add water to the marinaded chicken?
Archana says
Hi Hannah, You can def add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to the marinated chicken. Depending on the cut of chicken sometimes pressure cooking releases a lot of liquids which is good enough for the Instant Pot to come to pressure. I think adding water will help.
Laura says
I lived in Chittagong for 10 months (20 years ago now) and fell in love with the people and the food of Bangladesh. I have made this dish twice now and both times it was amazing. Like a homecoming that I was able to share with my children, who have come to love Indian food, too! Thank you for such great recipes.
Archana says
I am so glad that you and the children loved this recipe. It is our family favorite recipe or a few generations.
Aishwarya K says
Hi Archana, I made your instant pot Chicken biryani for a big crowd for a potluck. It was a huge hit and everyone just loved it. Nobody wanted to believe that it was made in the instant pot
Archana says
Thank you Aishwarya!
Juliana v K says
Amazing recipe and I'm glad I didn't need to make a dough along the top of the pot like a stovetop biryani. It's a lot of rice, though -- is there a way to decrease the amount but not make it too soft & liquidy?
Archana says
You can use 2 cups of rice with 2 cups of water.
Sarah says
Hi! Could I make this with chicken breast? How would that work?
Could I also add potatoes? If so, when would I add it and how long would I cook it for?
Thank you!
Archana says
For chicken breasts skip the initial 4 minutes of pressure cooking and instead Saute the marinated chicken for 2 to 3 minutes.Then layer the potatoes and drained rice. Pressure cook for 6 minutes.
Amita Butt says
Can I substitute chicken for cuts of baby lamb?
Archana says
yes!
Lohaz says
Let me tell you, I was very very skeptical about this recipe as it was a biriyani with no tomatoes or whole spices in the recipe!! Man was I astonished. It came out PERFECTLY!!! I had so many failed attempts for instant pot biriyani that I had completely given up and always took the long route when it came to Biriyani. You saved so many people by sharing this recipe. Tons of love to you. Could you help us ladies out by sharing the air fryer timings for crispy onions as well ??
Archana says
I am happy you followed the recipe as is for the best flavors. Here is the recipe for Crispy Onions - https://ministryofcurry.com/crispy-onions/