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    Home » Seafood

    Instant Pot Fish Biryani

    Published: May 30, 2019 · Modified: Mar 20, 2022 by Archana · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 53 Comments

    2864 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    One-pot Fish Biryani with aromatic long-grain basmati rice cooked over perfectly spiced fish marinated in warm spices, topped with caramelized onions and cilantro.

    Fish Biryani with lemon slices, raita and garnish on the side
    Jump to:
    • Instant Pot Biryani
    • Basmati Rice
    • Best fish
    • Dill
    • Tips
    • Instructions
    • Serving
    • Recipe
    • Recipe

    I am a huge fan of tasty one-pot meals. Starting with my popular Chicken Biryani, comforting Lentils and Vegetable Khichdi, hearty Chicken Enchilada Quinoa, and Coconut Curry Noodle Soup all easily made for weeknight meals using smart pressure cookers. All of this without compromising the taste and authentic flavors.

    Instant Pot Biryani

    Here are a few reason why I love making Fish Biryani in the Instant Pot:

    • Makes a true one-pot meal as you can start with caramelizing onions on saute mode, then saute dill and finish up by layering fish and rice over in the same pot
    • Perfectly cooked rice with each grain separate and fluffy
    • Tender and moist fish without the fear of over or undercooking
    • Keeps warm until you are ready to serve and I always serve it right out of the Instant Pot. No need to wash a separate serving dish
    • The biggest advantage of all - no fishy smell in your kitchen

    Basmati Rice

    What is the best rice for making Biryani?

    I recommend using extra long-grain white basmati rice for making Biryani dishes. I have been using Kohinoor extra long-grain basmati rice which when cooked makes fluffy long-grain rice with each grain being separate. Some other brands that I like are Royal, Tilda and Daawat - just make sure to buy the extra long-grain variety for making Biryani and Pulao. Most Indian grocery stores will carry these brands and usually is the best place to buy basmati rice.

    Best fish

    What is the best Fish for Biryani?

    • Bone-in fish steaks hold up really well in Biryani dishes. I like to use salmon, halibut, or kingfish steaks. Ask the fishmonger for 1 to 1.5 inch thick steaks that are about the same size.
    • If you do not like bone-in fish, use thick fish fillet of salmon, halibut, or kingfish. Firm white fish will work well without overcooking or breaking apart.
    • Frozen fish will also work well for this recipe. Follow the same cook times. The fish will mostly thaw during marination.

    Dill

    What flavors does Dill add?

    Lemony sweet flavors of fresh dill complement seafood dishes and add rich flavors to this Biryani. Dill has many nutritional benefits - it is a good source of vitamin A, calcium, minerals and is packed with dietary fiber. Fresh dill is widely used in India and my favorite recipes using dill are Garlic Dill Lentils and Dill Dhokli. Although I highly recommend adding dill, you can also skip it if you do not have it.

    Fresh Dill chopped on a cutting board
    fresh dill

    Tips

    How to make perfect Biryani every single time?

    • Rinse the rice 2 times and then soak for 20 minutes. Drain the water after 20 minutes. This will remove some of the starch from the rice and will make the rice fluffy with longer grains after cooking.
    • Pat dry the fish after washing. This will reduce excess liquids in the Biryani.
    • Marinate fish for at least 20 minutes so the flavors get into the fish.
    • To make the Biryani less spicy, simply reduce the red chili powder and garam masala by half.
    • For a dairy-free version substitute ghee with cooking oil and skip the yogurt.
    • Deglaze the Instant Pot insert after caramelizing the onions. You can use 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to remove all the browning. That will avoid the dreaded BURN during the pressure cooking cycle. Tip - Onions can be either be caramelized in a non-stick pan ahead of time or air fried.
    • After the Biryani is done pressure cooking, gently fluff the top layer of the rice with a fork or silicone spatula. Take the inner pot out and allow it to cool on a hot plate before serving on plates.
    • When serving it's best to use a silicone spatula to take most of the rice layer out first by gently reaching from the sides of the pot. Then carefully take out the bottom layer of the Biryani with the fish and serve over rice.
    • Be gentle when handling the hot rice, if you carefully take it out, the grains will not break and you will see long-grain rice just like my Biryani pictures 🙂
    Spices and herbs for marinating fish
    Ingredients used for marinating fish

    Instructions

    Here is how to make fish biryani step by step:

    • Make the marinade by mixing ginger, garlic, red chili powder, ground coriander, turmeric, garam masala, fenugreek leaves, salt, mint leaves, cilantro, lemon juice, and yogurt. Evenly coat both sides of the fish with the marinade. Keep in the refrigerator while preparing the rest of the ingredients (steps 1 - 2).
    steps showing fish marination
    • Rinse and soak basmati rice for 20 minutes. Drain and reserve (steps 3 - 4).
    steps showing how to soak rice
    • Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode and heat 2 tablespoons of ghee. Add thinly sliced onions and cook stirring frequently for 8 to 10 minutes or until the onions are caramelized. Take out half of the onion and keep aside for garnishing the Biryani (steps 5 - 6).
    steps showing caramelizing onions
    • Next, add 2 tablespoons of ghee to the Instant Pot with half of the caramelized onions already in the pot. Then, add dill and mix well deglazing the pot. Afterward, add marinated fish and jalapeño (if using). Next, add rice, 1.5 teaspoon salt, and water. Gently push all the rice under the liquids with a spatula (steps 7 - 10).
    steps showing how to make fish biryani in Instant Pot
    • Close the Instant Pot and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Set Instant Pot to Manual/Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 5 minutes. Follow with Quick release. Garnish with the remaining caramelized onions and cilantro.
    fish biryani in the Instant Pot

    Serving

    Serve hot Biryani with Raita and lemon wedges.

    Fish Biryani with lemon slices and raita on the side

    Love the warm comforting flavors of this hearty meal? Try some of my other popular Biryani recipes:

    • Chicken Biryani
    • Vegetable & Paneer Biryani
    • Shrimp Biryani
    • Brown Rice Chicken Biryani
    • Chickpea Biryani
    • Cauliflower Rice Chicken Biryani

    Recipe

    Recipe

    Tried this recipe? We love your feedback.Please click on the stars in the recipe card below
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    4.74 from 56 votes

    Instant Pot Fish Biryani

    One pot Fish Biryani with aromatic long-grain basmati rice cooked over perfectly spiced fish marinated in warm spices, garnished with caramelized onions.
    Prep Time30 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time1 hr
    Course: dinner, Entree
    Cuisine: Indian
    Servings: 5
    Calories: 553kcal
    Author: Archana Mundhe

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

    Ingredients

    Marinade:

    • 1 tablespoon ginger grated
    • 1 tablespoon garlic pressed
    • 1 tablespoon kashmiri red chili powder
    • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
    • 1 to 2 teaspoon garam masala
    • ½ teaspoon turmeric
    • 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
    • 10-12 mint leaves roughly chopped
    • 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • ¼ cup plain yogurt

    Remaining Ingredients:

    • 2 pounds bone-in halibut or Salmon cut into 1 inch steaks
    • 2 cups Basmati rice
    • 1 large onion thinly sliced
    • ¼ cup ghee divided
    • 1 cup chopped fresh dill leaves
    • ½ jalapeno sliced into 4 wedges optional
    • 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 2 cups water
    • ¼ cup cilantro chopped for garnish

    Raita

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

    Instructions

    • Make Marinade by mixing ginger, garlic, red chili powder, ground coriander, garam masala, turmeric, fenugreek leaves, salt, mint leaves, cilantro, lemon juice and yogurt. Add fish and coat evenly with the marinade. Keep in the refrigerator while preparing rest of the ingredients.
    • Rinse and soak basmati rice for 20 mins. Drain and reserve.
    • Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode and heat 2 tablespoons of ghee. Add thinly sliced onions and cook stirring frequently for 8 to 10 mins or until the onions are caramelized. Take out half of the onion and keep it aside for garnishing the biryani.
    • Add 2 tablespoons of ghee to the Instant Pot with half of the caramelized onions already in the pot. Add dill and mix well deglazing the pot. Add marinated fish and jalapeño (if using). Add rice, 1.5 teaspoon salt and water. Gently push all the rice under the liquids with a spatula.
    • Close the Instant Pot and turn pressure valve to sealing. Set Instant Pot to Manual/Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 5 mins. Follow with Quick release.
    • Garnish with the remaining caramelized onions and cilantro. Serve with Raita (Onions and tomatoes mixed in yogurt), and lime 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

    • If you have an air fryer you can use it for perfectly golden fried onions. This is a good alternative to caramelizing them in the Instant Pot.
    • This recipe makes medium spicy Biryani. For extra spicy add more spicy green chili, red chili powder, and garam masala 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 553kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 1801mg | Potassium: 1055mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1505IU | Vitamin C: 15.6mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 2.2mg
    Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @ministry_of_curry or tag #ministryofcurry

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    Author: Archana

    Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live in New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
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    1. Elsa says

      May 31, 2019 at 7:11 am

      Hi,

      Is only 5 min required to cook both the rice and fish? Will rice be done in 5 min pressure cook?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        May 31, 2019 at 10:12 pm

        Yes! It’s white basmati rice that is soaked for 20 Mins

        Reply
    2. caroline says

      June 01, 2019 at 11:27 am

      Is 1 cup of dill a lot? Can I cut it down?
      Can I used Trader Joe’s fried onions instead of frying them in the instant pot to avoid the burn.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        June 01, 2019 at 11:52 am

        1 cup full is not a lot, it cools down like spinach. But you can def cut it down to your taste. And yes you can def use Trader Joe’s fried onions

        Reply
        • Caroline says

          June 01, 2019 at 11:41 pm

          I made this tonight and it turned out great. Even though I made a trip to Trader Joe’s, I totally forgot to get the onions. So, I ended up sautéing the onions on the stovetop and then adding to the instant pot.

          Reply
          • Archana says

            June 03, 2019 at 10:02 am

            Thank you for your feedback! I am so glad you enjoyed it

            Reply
          • Pooja says

            November 11, 2020 at 4:10 pm

            So easy, and delicious !!! Perfect blend of spices with fluffy rice and the fish was cooked so well. I used cod fillets which were not as thick so I used the low pressure cook setting. My toddler loved it too ! And enough left over to freeze for another dinner sorted 🙂5 stars

            Reply
        • caroline kurian says

          June 03, 2019 at 9:59 am

          I made this over the weekend. It came out great. I used salmon. I totally forgot to pick up the fried onions from Trader Joe's when I went there. I ended up sauteeing fresh onions on the stovetop. I have got the burn message from sauteeing onions in the instant pot before, so I don't mind the extra step. Thanks for this awesome recipe.

          Reply
    3. Priya says

      June 01, 2019 at 5:41 pm

      Archana how would tilapia fillets hold up for this recipe?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        June 01, 2019 at 8:28 pm

        Hmm I think they should be ok. I have not tried with Tilapia

        Reply
        • Inutile says

          March 15, 2020 at 8:57 am

          I did it with Tilapia. Amazing !!! Thanks

          Reply
          • Archana says

            March 15, 2020 at 9:02 am

            Thank you for the feedback!

            Reply
    4. chhavi says

      July 23, 2019 at 8:26 am

      Hey Archana,
      I really like your recipes! I am doing a round up on rice recipes for buzzfeed.
      I would like your permission to use your photographs and link to your posts.

      Do let me know if that's okay

      Regards
      Chhavi

      Reply
      • Archana says

        July 23, 2019 at 8:31 am

        Hi Chhavi, sure! Do share the link with me when the round up is ready

        Reply
    5. Salimeh Khaleeli says

      November 05, 2019 at 12:45 pm

      So I am making this right now, and I love the smell. I absolutely love how easy your recipes are. I generally am not a fan of cooking, but you have made it easy and yummy.
      Thank you5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        November 05, 2019 at 2:23 pm

        You are most welcome! Thank you for your lovely feedback!!

        Reply
    6. Amanda Reed says

      December 20, 2019 at 3:40 pm

      Super simple and delicious recipe.
      I used tilapia and it turned out very good. A firmer fish would have been even be better. It was the same with the jasmine rice I used. Very good, but long grain basmati would've been even better. I'm excited to add this to my recipe box!!
      Can't wait to try even more of your recipes!5 stars

      Reply
    7. Sumitha Panicker says

      December 29, 2019 at 6:43 pm

      Made it for lunch today - came out awesome - everyone loved it - Used exact measurements as recommended - will comes out perfect- Sumi.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        December 31, 2019 at 12:08 am

        Thank you for the feedback!

        Reply
    8. Pheba says

      February 07, 2020 at 9:26 pm

      Great receipe4 stars

      Reply
    9. NP says

      April 03, 2020 at 6:37 am

      Hi Archana - this recipe looks amazing but I'm old school & don't have an Instant Pot! How long do you recommend if I want to do a traditional half stove/half oven cook?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 04, 2020 at 3:20 pm

        I would add more water along with the rice and cook covered on stovetop until the rice is fully cooked on low heat for 30 minutes

        Reply
    10. Sristi Roy says

      May 06, 2020 at 6:46 pm

      Hello!
      We could not get any bone in salmon steak and got fillet skin on instead. will that work?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        May 06, 2020 at 7:57 pm

        yes that will work too!

        Reply
    11. Zee says

      May 11, 2020 at 7:35 pm

      Well, I don't have dill or mint! And def not running out to the store to get those either. What are my chances of getting a decent dish if I substitute with cilantro? I have whole bunch of dry herbs (fenugreek/parsley/oregano etc)

      Reply
      • Archana says

        May 12, 2020 at 9:07 am

        You can skip both and you will have a yummy biryani. Add more fresh cilantro if you like.

        Reply
    12. Haliza says

      May 31, 2020 at 3:45 pm

      Great recipe. Very simple to do and husband said feels refreshing- I think it’s the dill.
      I’ve reduced chili to 1 tsp and no jalapeño as kids can’t do spicy yet.
      Really easy in the instant pot and it rice cane out nice and fluffy.
      Thank you!5 stars

      Reply
    13. Harry says

      June 05, 2020 at 3:13 pm

      Hi Archana,

      Do I have to set it to low pressure or high for this recipe?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        June 05, 2020 at 3:27 pm

        High pressure if you are using thick steaks as called in the recipe. If you are using thin or boneless fish you can also cook on low pressure

        Reply
    14. Sam says

      August 03, 2020 at 10:08 am

      Thx for this recipe. If we want to use brown sona masoori rice for this, how much water and how long to pressure cook ? Usually brown rice takes longer. Will that overcook the fish ?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        August 04, 2020 at 4:17 pm

        I would not recommend brown rice for this recipe as it will over cook fish.

        Reply
    15. Kartik says

      August 24, 2020 at 1:08 am

      I have made this twice and the recipe and instructions are perfect. If I could only suggest using a Biryani spice mix instead of Garam masala. The latter is a bit harsh while the former contains classic ingredients missing in the recipe: cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, whic give a nice flavor to biryani.5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        August 26, 2020 at 1:07 pm

        Mu Garam masala recipe has cinnamon and cardamom in it. And you can sauté bay leaves along with the fish. I am glad you enjoyed the recipe and also agree that Biryani masala will work great!

        Reply
    16. indu says

      November 03, 2020 at 8:55 pm

      Fast, easy & yummy. A winner.5 stars

      Reply
    17. Sherrin says

      November 09, 2020 at 8:59 pm

      Simple recipe. Just that was hard to get dill herb.
      And I tried on stove top, so the base got burnt but it was still yummy.
      Thank you for such simple recipe.4 stars

      Reply
    18. Cheryl says

      November 15, 2020 at 6:58 am

      This was such a lovely recipe Archana.
      I made some tweaks to it like adding potatoes and sauteeing some tomatoes because I can’t think of biryani without potatoes and it turned out delicious. Thank you for this treasure. It is exactly what I have been looking for in a long time. Just one question the chopped dill is just supposed to layer the base of the pot for the fish to lie on? Or are you tossing it about for a bit before putting on the fish?5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        November 17, 2020 at 10:55 am

        Yes I do toss it a bit.

        Reply
    19. Ns says

      December 12, 2020 at 1:52 am

      Do I follow the same timings if I use Sona masoori rice instead?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        December 13, 2020 at 10:03 pm

        yes!

        Reply
    20. Sarah khan says

      December 13, 2020 at 9:35 am

      Great recipe. Have made this a few times. If I omit the rice and just want to cook up the fish with potatoes in the spices do I need to adjust the marinade? Will the flavors be too overpowering because there isn't any rice?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        December 13, 2020 at 10:01 pm

        You can reduce some of the spices. Also you wont need as much water for potatoes.

        Reply
    Newer Comments »

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    Hi, I'm Archana: a former software engineer, now a full-time blogger. I am a mother of two boys who share my love for food and cooking. Words I love to hear are, “Mom, what’s for dinner?” The same words I say to my mom every time we speak. I live in the greater New York City Area with my husband and sons.

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