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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Nur says
Thank you so much. If I use huge chicken legs, would I have to cook longer ?
Archana says
Nur, not sure how big they are but I would say add another minute in the beginning when you cook just the chicken or allow 5 mins of NPR before opening IP to add rice.
Faridha says
Hi Archana, I tried your recipe today and it came out great and my kids enjoyed it too! The only difference was that after I added the rice layer I had to do manual mode for six minutes twice because after the first six minutes the rice hardly cooked and most of the water remained. I made sure I had it on seal and closed it properly. Has that ever happened to you? Also what would happen if I put it on rice mode instead for 20 min? Finally, have you tried this with lamb or goat meat and, if so, did you modify the cooking time?
Archana says
Hi Faridha, So happy to know that your kids enjoyed the biryani. When you did QR first time was there any pressure built? After I start the IP, if the stainless steel pin does not pop up in a few mins I gently push the lid down and the pin pops up if there is enough pressure. I have also opened the IP and secured the ring back in once for another recipe where the pressure was not getting built.
Faridha says
I don't think the pressure built up properly the first time so I will try out your tips. By the way have you tried this with red meat - curious how you would modify the recipe/cooking time? Thanks!
Archana says
Faridha, a few people have tried with lamb with the same cooking time and recipe and it has worked well for them. Let me know if you make it too!
Mehvash says
tried your recipe today! Family loved it! I did have excess water leftover from cooking chicken so i had decreased amount of water i put in with rice. It was a simple delicious recipe. I will be try the saag daal next. Thank for posting!
Archana says
Mehvash, Thank you for your feedback. When you marinate the chicken make sure it is dry and also use whole milk yogurt which should reduce extra liquids. But it was a good call that you removed the extra liquids. Do let me know how you like the Saag Daal.
Zara says
Hi if I'm making it with boned meat do I add water when I put it on manual for 4 minutes?
Archana says
Hi Zara, water contents from the marinade are enough to cook chicken on the bones. You do not need to add extra water.
Radha Bage says
Hi Archana, I am looking forward to cooking this biryani this weekend 🙂 I can never find bone-in, skinless chicken ..Its usually skinless and boneless
Archana says
Hi Radha! you are right. I buy the whole chicken legs or drumsticks and then de-skin them at home. I hope you enjoy the Biryani. Let me know!
AnuK says
This looks great! If I want to cut the recipe by half (for 3 people) can I just do half of all the recommended quantities and add 1.5 cups of water instead of 3 cups at the end? Thanks!
Archana says
Hi Anu! Yes you can do half of all the quantities just keep the same pressure cooking time. Time caramelize the onions will be less too.
AnuK says
Thank you so much! About to make it tonight - will let you know how it goes! 🙂
Archana says
Awesome! Can't wait to hear. ?
AnuK says
Turned out great! Followed the directions exactly and used your garam masala recipe too! 🙂
Archana says
That is awesome Anu! So glad you enjoyed this. There are a bunch of other recipes on my blog that use my garam masala. Hope you will try some. Thank you!
Protima Advani says
Hi, can I make this with boneless chicken thighs? What would be the setting and timing for cooking the chicken? How about boneless lamb? Thanks.
Archana says
Hi Protima! Just reduce the timing by a min for boneless chicken. Although, I have not cooked Biryani with lamb, several other readers have tried with same timings and has worked well for them. Please let me know how you like this!
Protima Advani says
Thanks. So to confirm when using chicken thighs, I should reduce manual time used for boned chicken, not saute time as used for chicken breasts? I will definitely give this a try.
Archana says
Protima, Follow the same steps that I have for chicken breasts. Let me know!!
Bushra says
Can we not make kache gosh ki biryani in instant pot . I mean layer marinated raw chicken on top with half cooked rice
Archana says
Hi Bushra! Although I have not made it, I am sure it will work in Instant Pot. It should be cooked as slow cooker option or cook on Lo Pressure mode.
Rashmi says
Amazing recipe! Just got my instant pot today and this is is first thing I made in it. 🙂 So glad, the biryani was flavorful and tasty. Much more convenient than the dum cooking when you want to fix up some biryani in a short time. Thank you so much for this!
Archana says
Hi Rashmi! Congratulations on your Instant Pot. I am so thrilled to hear that you chose my recipe as your first one. I agree that its so delicious and authentic tasting for such little efforts and time. I have a bunch of Instant Pot recipes that you might enjoy. Thank you for your feedback. It truly makes my day 🙂
Gayatri says
Hi Archana, love all your recipes and am trying out the chicken biryani today! If I use 4 lb bone in chicken do I increase the first cook time to 7 to 8 minutes?
Archana says
Hi Gayatri! Thank you, I am glad you are enjoying my recipes. Cook time remains same even if you have more chicken. You can follow the recipe exactly 🙂 Let me know how it comes out.
Gayatri says
Came out fragrant and delicious, thanks!!
Archana says
Oh YAY! Do try some of my other IP recipes. They are all easy and delicious.
Kristy Rhine says
Thanks for sharing this. I need some new Instantpot recipes!! Looks yummy. 🙂
Archana says
Hi Kristy! You are welcome. I hope you enjoy my Instant Pot recipes 🙂
Christine P says
this is the first thing I tried to make in my new IP. I got to say it tasted awesome! you were very detailed in explaining the process and the end result was great! yummy in my tummy! 🙂
Archana says
Hi Christine! Awesome!! I am so happy that you chose my Biryani recipe as your first Instant Pot recipe. Its all about the initial cooking experience and if it is positive and yummy you want to cook more!! I love how easy and delicious this recipe is in IP. You will enjoy my other recipes too 🙂 Thank you for your feedback, it truly made my day!
AAP says
I'm a skeptical newbie....this is was excellent...thank you!!
Archana says
Thats great! So happy you enjoyed this! There is also a butter chicken recipe that you will enjoy in IP!
Samantha F says
Hi Archana, I made this biryani when we had some friends over this weekend, it came out really good, everyone liked it! I feel the rice may have gotten a little softer than I would prefer in biryani...is there something I should change when I do make it next time? Thanks
Archana says
Hi Samantha! So glad you tried this recipe and enjoyed it. I wonder there was a lot of liquids in the marinade. Depending on the yogurt you use and the type of chicken it can release a lot of water. Few tips - 1. Pat dry your chicken before marinating. 2. Use full fat or greek yogurt
Samantha F says
oh ok.. thanks for the tips Archana! will try it again soon! 🙂 n also can i use brown rice instead of white rice and what would be the cooking time?
Archana says
Brown Rice Needs 22 mins of cook time.
Tas says
Hi, thank you for sharing your recipes! Have you tried this with goat meat? What will the timings be?
Archana says
Although I have not tried with goat meat, few of my readers have and tell me that it comes out delicious. Same timings. Let me know if you make it.
MT says
Hi - I have sona masoori rice. Have you tried cooking with that type of rice? Same quantity of water as basmati rice?
Archana says
I always use Basmati rice for Biryani. I think Sona masoori will also work well, except that it will not be long grained. You can follow the same time and water ratio. Please let me know how it comes out!
[email protected] says
Tried this recipe today and it was delicious! Thank you!!
Archana says
Awesome! This is my FAV IP recipe. So glad you tried and liked the flavors.
Lisa J says
Hi! Thanks for sharing this recipe. It was the 2nd dish I made in the IP. The consistency came out good, as well as the tenderness of the chicken breasts, however I felt like it lacked in flavor and spice. Any suggestions on how to add flavor in the back end? I probably marinated the chicken for 1.5 hours. Would you recommend a longer time? Thank you and look forward to your response.
Archana says
Hi Lisa! So glad you tried this recipe. To make it more flavorful and spicy you can add some more garam masala, red chili powder and jalapeños.You can also add some whole spices like 8-10 black pepper corn and 6-8 cloves in the chicken.
Saba says
I just tried this tonight and my husband and I couldn't eat it fast enough! It turned out perfect, just like our moms would make. Just divine! Also made me love my Instant Pot even more 😉 This recipe is going to be archived. Thanks so much for saving dinner!
Archana says
Hi Saba! Your comment made my day! Comments like these make all the time and efforts I put to perfect my recipes well worth it. Thank you Thank you!!
Saba says
Hi Archana! Question - on the newer Instant Pot Ultra 60, there’s no manual mode. Would you suggest using any of the other settings and adjusting the time? For example, there’s an “egg” setting with 5 minutes. The pressure is high by default. Can I use this (I usually make more, so the extra minute is probably fine).
Thanks!
Archana says
Hi Saba! On the newer Instant Pots, Manual option is replaced with Pressure Cook. So you can use that to set the pressure cook time. Let me know if you have any questions and how you like this biryani!
Saba says
Hi Archana! I've tried this recipe before, but that was on my old Instant Pot. On my new one, I just wasn't sure about which setting to use. I'm still getting used to it. In any case, in general, would you suggest high pressure setting (on pressure cook) for meat/poultry dishes and then low pressure setting for veggie dishes? I'm in learning mode and trying to get a better feel for it, since I haven't been using the Instant Pot that long.
P.S. I used the pressure cooking setting on high pressure for the chicken biryani, it turned out great again!
Archana says
Hi Saba, Thank you for your feedback. So on the new Instant Pots, Manual button is replaced with "pressure cook". And like you said high pressure works great for poultry/meal/beans etc. Low pressure for veggie dishes. And looks like are already making Biryani in the new pot!
Jasmine S. says
We made this over the weekend (first recipe in my new Instant Pot!) and it was amazing! So easy and delicious and we had it for lunch leftovers today. Served with some raita and it was perfect combination of spicy and cool. Thank you - we'll be making this again and again!
Archana says
Hi Jasmine!! Thank you!! You made my day. It means so much to get this feedback from a talented blogger like you. I am so glad you decided to make this and enjoyed the flavors. I think it's better than any restaurant version. Also, you might like my shrimp and veggie biryani recipes too! Enjoy your new Instantpot it is so much fun to cook in it!
rkarmali says
Turned out great!! Thanks so much!
Vidya Krishnan says
i have lost count of the number of times i have made this dish and it only seems better each time according to my boys!
Archana says
Awesome!! That makes me so happy!!
Archana says
Thank you Vidya!! Comments like this make the time I take to perfect the recipes worth it!!
Jeff says
What kind of red chili powder do you use? I haven't tried the recipe yet because I'm a little concerned about the amount of heat. I know I can just cut back, but wonder how hot the dish is, made as written. Thanks!
Archana says
Hi Jeff!! I use Kashmiri red chili powder which is mild. But the heat in Biryani is from the ginger and garam masala too. You can cut down on garam masala and red chili powder and add more in the end if needed.