Instant Pot Chicken Biryani - Fragrant long grain Basmati Rice, cooked with yogurt marinated Chicken, warm Spices and Herbs.Delicious one Pot rice dish made within 30 minutes.A Short Cut instant pot version of Hyderabadi Biryani.
Here is a Vegetarian version of my Biryani - instant pot veg biryani.It's equally delicious.
Why make Instant Pot Chicken Biryani?
Making Biryani is not easy.It takes a lot of patience and experience to make the perfect biryani. It has too many variables which can go wrong.
- The Moisture has to be right- too much liquid and the biryani is like khichadi and too little liquid will result in a dry biryani.
- Right amount of Salt and Spices
- Perfectly Cooked Rice & Chicken- Both chicken and rice have different cooking times and that's why it's difficult to get the time of cooking right.
That is why making Chicken Biryani in Instant Pot is a much controlled way of getting the right result EVERY SINGLE TIME.
This recipe has been tested multiple times.In fact I took about 1 whole month to get the precise cooking time, ratios of rice to chicken to liquid.
If made exactly as per the recipe- the resultant biryani will be moist with separate (not overcooked) basmati rice, tender chicken and a medium spice level.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken Biryani
For the full list, scroll down to the recipe. Below I have explained some of the most important pillar ingredients, their types and replacements.
Chicken- Chicken on the bone, called curry cut or Biryani Cut. Chicken on the bone has more flavor and is the traditional choice for making Biryani.
As we cook the chicken twice, you should not use any other cut because it will end up getting over cooked.
You can use skinless or with skin chicken too.
Rice- Basmati rice is the best for this. The measurements and cooking time if for basmati rice.
If using any other rice, the amount of liquid and the pressure cooking time will change
Spices- This recipe calls for whole spices. They add the base flavour to the biryani.If you can't find some, then simply omit.
You can use biryani masala instead of all the spices but the taste will differ based on the brand.
Yogurt-Use thick yogurt or Greek Yogurt for this biryani. Thin or homemade yogurt might make the biryani too moist.
If you want to use homemade yogurt, I suggest you strain it for sometime to make it thick.
Dairy free yogurt /coconut yogurt or soy yogurt can be used too. Though the taste profile will change.
Ghee or Clarified Butter- You can use any ghee but homemade or organic ghee will give the best taste and fragrance. For a dairy free version, use any kind of oil.
How to make Instant Pot Chicken Biryani
Step 1- Marinate the chicken with Thick yogurt, ginger, garlic, turmeric, coriander powder, salt, Lime juice,Biryani Masala(if using), mint and coriander leaves.
Step 2- Soak the Basmati rice for 1 hour.
Step 3- Using the SAUTE function on the instant pot brown the onions in Ghee and whole spices.Reserve about 2 tablespoon of brown onions.
Step 4- Add Chicken along with the marination.Mix it well.Pressure Cook on high for 4 minutes and Quick Release the pressure.
To that add Soaked rice.Add the water mixed with salt on top of the rice and Pressure cook on HIGH for 7 minutes.Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes then Quick Release the pressure valve and open the Pot.
Open the Instant Pot,Top with Saffron milk, reserved onions and coriander leaves.Mix it all up and close the lid again for 10-15 minutes.
This is a precise recipe which has been repeatedly tested on the 6 qts instant pot.If followed exactly - it should give you a medium spiced Biryani which has separate but cooked rice grains and tender cooked chicken.
Things to remember while making Instant pot Biryani
Before you jump to the recipe, do remember to do the following-
- Measure out the ingredients PRECISELY.Especially the Rice,Chicken and the liquids- water & Yogurt.Make sure yogurt is thick.
- Make Sure you soak the rice.This is crucial for the cooking of rice.
- Chicken with Bones- This recipe is SPECIFICALLY for Chicken with bones.Any other kind of chicken- boneless or chicken breast will not have same cooking time.
- Use only Basmati rice. Other rice like brown rice, short grain rice will have very different cooking times.
- Follow the Instant Pot Cooking times exactly.
How to serve Chicken Biryani
Biryani is usually served with a raita- yogurt mixed with spices. You can also serve it with plain yogurt and a salad.
I would serve a Biryani along with special onion Biryani Raita and a simple cucumber salad.
Frankly, this is a dish on it's own and doesn’t need anything else but you could serve this with a panner curry like Paneer Butter Masala or a milder Methi Malai Paneer
Biryani is a great main dish for parties and picnics. I usually make double the biryani when I have guests over.
If you are making a north indian menu, you can serve this biryani with Boondi Raita instead.
Some people also like to serve Indian Spicy fried chicken along with the biryani. It's a nice contrast.
I use a 6 qts instant pot and I love it! If you are in India and are looking to understand how I use it here, you should read my post on instant pot in India.
Instant Pot Chicken Biryani -FAQs
- Can I use boneless chicken for this biryani?
No, This chicken recipe is designed keeping Chicken on bone on mind because it takes longer to cook. I am working on a recipe where you can use boneless chicken to make the biryani. - I don't have all the spices, can I still make the biryani?
Yes, absolutely. If you cant find a spice, omit it.Try and use the spice blends though- Garam Masala is a great substitute for Biryani Masala. - Can I Skip all the other spices and only use biryani masala?
Yes you could. But Whole spices add a lot of flavour to the biryani and the recipe is repeatable. - Can I make a vegetable biryani with this recipe
No,But here is a recipe for vegetable biryani. - Is Instant Pot suitable for Indian cooking?
Yes, Absolutely.Read more about Instant Pot Indian Cooking here. - Should I stir the pot before pressure cooking?
No, Just make sure rice is under the water surface.(Largely)But do not mix everything up.
Here are some more Instant Pot Chicken Curries for you
Instant Pot Chicken Vindaloo
Instant pot Mughlai Chicken Korma
Instant Pot Tamil Chicken
Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Here are some More Indian Instant Pot Rice Recipes
Instant Pot Veg Biryani
Instant Pot Jeera Rice
Instant Pot Ghee Rice
Instant Pot Basmati Rice
Also, read how to make Best Basmati Rice in instant pot & perfect Indian Sona Masoori rice in Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Chicken Biryani
Equipment
Ingredients
- 500 gms Chicken on the bone.
- 1.5 Cup Basmati Rice
- 1 Cup Water
- 2 Cup Sliced Onions about 350 gms
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
- 1 teaspoon Salt increase to 1.5 if you like it more salty.
Marination
- 1 tablespoon Ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon Garlic paste
- 1 Green Chilli - chopped omit this to make it less spicy
- ½ Cup Greek Yogurt(130 gms) or any thick yogurt
- 2 lime Juiced about 2 tablespoon of juice.
- ¼ Cup Coriander leaves Packed
- ¼ Cup Mint Leaves Packed
- 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder or paprika or omit to make it less spicy
- 1 tablespoon Coriander Powder
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Spices
- 4 Green Cardamom
- 2 inch Cinnamon Stick
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 4 peppercorn
- 4 Cloves
Optional Spices
- 1 teaspoon Biryani Masala or Garam Masala
- 1 Star Anise
- 1 Mace Javitri
- 1 pinch Saffron 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
Marination
- Mix the Chicken and all the ingredients listed under marination- ginger, garlic, lime, Yogurt, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, salt, mint & Coriander leaves.Also add Biryani Masala or Garam Masala if using.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Soaking
- Wash & Soak the Basmati rice for 1 hour.
Brown Onions
- Select the SAUTE function,Set the timer for 20 minutes.
- Once hot, add ghee.Let it melt.
- To this add the whole spices-green cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves, stone flower & star anise.Set it sizzle for 30 seconds.
- Add the sliced onions and keep moving them around till they are brown.This should take a total of 20-22 minutes.(This could vary according to the thickness of you onion slices)
- Reserve half the onions.
Cooking Chicken
- To half the remaining onions, add the chicken along with the marinade.Cancel the Saute function.
- Select PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL option.Set the time for 4 minutes on high pressure.Close the lid, set the pressure valve to SEALING position.
- Once 4 minutes is up, Quick Release the pressure and open the pot.
Cooking the Biryani
- Give the Chicken a mix.
- Mix 1 cup of water with 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Add the Soaked Rice and salted 1 Cup of water on top of the rice
- Select PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL option.Set the time for 7 minutes on high pressure.Close the lid, set the pressure valve to SEALING position.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then do a quick release(10NPR)
- Open the lid, garnish with rest of the onions,Saffron in milk, hand full fresh coriander & mint leaves.Mix it all up.
- Cover and let the biryani sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Measure out the ingredients precisely.Especially the Rice,Chicken and the liquids.
- Make sure you soak the rice.This is crucial for the cooking of rice.
- Use chicken with Bones- This recipe is specifically for Chicken with bones.Any other kind of chicken- boneless or chicken breast will not have same cooking time.I using frozen chicken, thaw completely before cooking.
- Use only Basmati rice.Other rice like brown rice,short grain rice will have very different cooking times.
- To reduce the spice levels- omit or reduce the amount of green chillies and red chilli powder.
Nutrition
Read about how to make indian food in Instant Pot in detail here
Part 1: Instant Pot for Indian Cooking
Part 2: Which Instant Pot Model to buy
Shernaz says
I have an 8 quart - any suggestions on how to alter the recipe for my instant pot?
chhavi says
Hey Shernaz..For an 8 quart, the minimum liquid requirement is higher, so my suggestion is to add 1/4 Cup more of water.
Esther says
Hi I have India gate basmati rice which only requires soaking for 20min. Should I follow rice soaking instructions or still soak for an hour? Thanks.
chhavi says
Hey Esther, just soak the rice before you start cooking the chicken..that should be enough..
Rashmi Singh says
Hi Chhavi,
Thanks for the well written recipe. It really works very well and is repeatable. No guesses involved 🙂
The first time I tried, I only had boneless thighs at home and you cannot be too picky in these times. I made 2 changes-
i) I skipped the initial step of cooking chicken for 4 min. Instead I sauted chicken for 2-2.5 minutes and then pressure cooked for 7 min. That worked well.
ii) I didn't have minute, so I added mint chutney to the marinade. It gave a nice flavor.
Thought I'd let you know. Your site is awesome!
Warmly,
Rashmi.
chhavi says
Hey Rashmi,
Thankyou for giving your feedback
I am sure your swaps will help others make changes in case they are short of ingredients too!
Sid says
Hi,I’m hoping to make this recipe tomorrow but need to make more than in the recipe..If I increase the amount of chicken to approx 2-2.5 lb then how many cups of rice would I need?and what would be the different cooking times?
chhavi says
Hey Sid,
You can double the recipe if you want..but you will have to look at how much your instant pot can accommodate.
Do not go over 2/3 mark.
Also, the pressure cooking time remains the same.
EV says
When you double the recipe using the Instant Pot, by how much do you increase the liquid?
chhavi says
You increase the liquid by double too
Andrew says
Is it possible to make this recipe non-dairy by replacing the ghee with vegetable oil and the yogurt with soy yogurt?
chhavi says
yes absolutely!
ramesh says
Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.
chhavi says
thats wonderfull..:D
Thomas says
Hello,
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I am currently cooking the recipe for the second time.
I have amended the recipe to boneless / skinless chicken. I found amended the cooking time of the chicken segment to 3 minutes worked well.
Since I'm using the recipe for a weeknight dinner, I amended the amount of chicken to 2 pounds to make it a one dish meal with just naan accompanning it.
(at some point I hope to figure out how to do this with boneless/skinless breast meat. I know there is a trade off in moisture and texture, but it is the prefered cut of hubby, if not really what he wished me to only use. Will share results with you when I attempt.)
Not sure if you or I missed the the addition of salt to the soaking rice step.
chhavi says
Oh thats great..Weekday cooking can be tedious and using boneless chicken helps!
Anne says
I'm so excited to find this recipe! How long should the chicken marinate? Just while the rice is soaking, or longer?
chhavi says
If you have the time, you can marinate the chicken for longer.I would do it overnight for best results.But if you are in a hurry, you can also let it marinate till you gather all ingredients, get to the stage where you have to add the chicken.