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Home > All Recipes > Chicken Recipes

Best Chicken Biryani Recipe

Modified: Aug 5, 2026 by Judith E. Coates · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

When the lid is lifted, be prepared to be delighted! This recipe is highly versatile, and most of the ingredients can be substituted with another food, or just add what you like
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White bowl filled with a mix of green herbs, spices, chicken pieces and yellow rice.

Straying from French Cuisine, pardon our wander; just mixing it up a bit!

Best chicken biryani recipe with a mix of the diverse and rich culinary heritage of the royal kitchens of the Mughal Empire (1526-1857) and the Persian pilaf. It is especially popular throughout the Indian subcontinent, but is eaten throughout the whole world.

Continue your wander from French cuisine with these recipes: Special Royal Curry Dish, Best Curry Recipe, or Curried Ground Beef and Peas.

White bowl filled with a mix of green herbs, spices, chicken pieces and yellow rice.
Jump to:
  • Why We Love & You Will Too: Best Chicken Biryani
  • Best Chicken Biryani Recipe Substitutions
  • What To Serve With This Chicken Biryani Recipe
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

Why We Love & You Will Too: Best Chicken Biryani

This dish is a tasty blend of aromatic spices of crushed cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, turmeric powder, curry paste, fresh coriander, and bay leaf.

This medley of flavors is cooked with tender chicken pieces, sliced onion, sweet raisins, and fragrant rice.

When the lid is lifted, be prepared to be delighted!

Best Chicken Biryani Recipe Substitutions

Biryani is a highly versatile recipe, and most of the ingredients can be substituted with another food or just add what you like:

  • Swap out the chicken with king prawns and topped with warmed lobster, or lamb, goat, beef, or eggs and potatoes.
  • Add vegetables: garlic, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, chili peppers.
  • Change up the spices or simply add: saffron, mint, ginger, chili powder, cloves, cum

What To Serve With This Chicken Biryani Recipe

  • A refreshing side salad like Cucumber Salad or a Classic Carrot Salad.
  • A smooth cool scoop of yogurt sweetened with a little honey.
  • Sliced fruit: bananas, mango, pineapple.

📖 Recipe

Prep Like a Pro
Before you start cooking, chop, measure, and prep every ingredient, and gather your tools.
This simple habit reduces stress, prevents overcooking, and instantly improves your meals. Mise en Place - "Everything in its place."

White bowl filled with a mix of green herbs, spices, chicken pieces and yellow rice.

Best Chicken Biryani Recipe

Judith Coates
When the lid is lifted, be prepared to be delighted! This recipe is highly versatile, and most of the ingredients can be substituted with another food, or just add what you like
Print Recipe Pin
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course dinner
Cuisine Asian
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1½ cup basmati rice
  • 1 oz unsalted butter
  • 1 large onion finely sliced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 cardamom pods crushed
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts cut into chunks
  • 4 tablespoon curry paste of choice*
  • 3 oz raisins
  • 30 oz chicken stock heated
  • 1 oz fresh coriander chopped
  • 2 tablespoon almonds flaked, toasted almonds (prepare these in advance and set aside)
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Instructions
 

  • Soak the rice in warm water for about 10 minutes, then wash in cold water until the water runs clear.
  • While the rice is soaking toast the almond flakes in a small pan on medium/low heat (no oil) for 1-2 minutes until slightly browned then slide them onto a plate to cool.
  • Slice the onion, crush the cardamon pods, cut chicken, chop coriander, toast flaked almonds, and measure the remaining ingredients so they are ready when called for in the recipe.
  • Pour the chicken stock into a sauce pan to heat it up, don't boil it.
  • Heat 25 gm unsalted butter in a sauté pan with a dash of oil to prevent it from burning, and cook the onion with the bay leaf, cardamom pods and cinnamon for 10 minutes over medium heat.
  • Sprinkle the turmeric into the pan, then add the chicken and the curry paste. Cook until aromatic.
  • Drain the rice then stir the rice into the pan, add the raisins, then pour in the heated chicken stock.
  • Place a tight-fitting lid on the pan and bring to a rapid boil, then turn the heat down to low, and cook the rice for 10 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat and leave for 10 minutes.
  • Stir well, and add half of the chopped coriander.
  • Serve garnished with the rest of the coriander and the toasted almonds.

Notes

* You can make your own curry paste, if you wish, but there are many pre-prepared pastes available that will save you a lot of hassle. Choose the paste to your taste - Madras, korma, Jalfrezi, etc.
Storage:
  • If there is some left over, you can keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days, and then re-heat it thoroughly.
  • Freeze up to 3 months.

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Nutrition

Calories: 640kcalCarbohydrates: 87gProtein: 37gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 451mgPotassium: 1045mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 3063IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 100mgIron: 3mg
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