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 biryani.
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Family Treasured Recipe
Biryani is one of India's most beloved dishes; rich in flavor and tradition, but often time-consuming to make. Growing up, my mom's Stovetop Chicken Biryani was a special treat, and I knew I had to find a way to bring that same magic to busy weeknights.
After a few trials, I cracked the Instant Pot version that is quick, easy, and full of authentic flavor.
Since then, I've had so much fun creating more one-pot biryanis you'll love: From fragrant Vegetable Biryani, Shrimp Biryani to hearty Chickpea Biryani (with vegan options!), Brown Rice Biryani, Fish Biryani, and Egg Biryani there's something for everyone, and all made effortlessly in the Instant Pot!
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.
How To Cook Different Chicken Cuts
I love biryani with chicken cooked tender and moist, while the rice is fluffy with each grain separated. There are 2 ways to cook biryani, depending on your chicken cut.
- 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 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
Here are step-by-step instructions with photos. Please check the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions.
1: Marinate the Chicken - Coat the chicken with ground spices, mint, cilantro, lemon juice, yogurt, and salt. For extra flavor and easy meal prep, you can marinate it ahead of time and refrigerate for up to 12 hours (photos 1-4).
2: Soak the Rice - Soak the rice for 20 minutes to ensure it cooks up light, fluffy, and with long, separate grains. I recommend using extra-long grain basmati rice for the best results-Kohinoor and Royal are two of my go-to brands, easily found at most Indian grocery stores (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 it over the partially cooked chicken. Add water and make sure all the rice is under the liquids (photos 13 - 14).
Once the Instant Pot has finished, open the lid and garnish the biryani with caramelized onions, saffron milk, fresh cilantro, and mint. Add the hard-boiled eggs on top (see photos 15-16). Let the rice cool slightly, then gently fluff it with a fork or silicone spatula. Serve with a side of raita and a squeeze of fresh lime!
Tips for making Biryani in the Instant Pot
- Marinate the Chicken Well: Pat dry the chicken to avoid excess moisture, then marinate for at least 20 minutes using plain full-fat yogurt. Use fresh garam masala for the best flavor-homemade is ideal.
- Caramelize and Deglaze Properly: If you're sautéing onions in the Instant Pot, be sure to deglaze the pot thoroughly after caramelizing. Turn off the pot and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to loosen any browned bits-there should be no residue left at the bottom. This prevents the dreaded "BURN" message and helps the pot come to pressure. Also, make sure the sealing ring is secured properly before pressure cooking. To avoid issues altogether, you can caramelize the onions on the stovetop in a non-stick pan. It's faster and helps keep the Instant Pot insert clean and scorch-free.
- Layer and Cook Thoughtfully: Make sure all of the rice is fully submerged in liquid before closing the Instant Pot. After cooking, the top layer of rice may appear slightly undercooked; fluff it gently and mix using a silicone spatula.
- Scaling the Recipe - You can safely halve the recipe without changing the pressure cook time. To double it, use an 8-QT Instant Pot-doubling in a 6-QT is not recommended. Cooking time stays the same either way.
★ Tried this recipe? I'd love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment and let me know, or snap a quick pic and upload it-I love seeing your creations. If you're on Instagram, tag @ministry_of_curry so I can check it out. Your feedback means so much to me and makes all the time I spend perfecting each recipe totally worth it. Thank you!
Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Biryani (Better Than Restaurant!)
Equipment
Recipe Video
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 teaspoons garam masala Add 3 teaspoon for spicier Biryani
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 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.
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/