Chicken Biryani

Name: Chicken Biryani
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Cuisine: Indian, Asian
Ingredients: 750g (1.5 lb) chicken thighs (, skin on, bone in, halved along bone (Note 1)); 2/3 cup (150 ml) yoghurt (, plain); 1/2 cup (125 ml) water; 2 tbsp vegetable oil ((or other plain oil)); 6 garlic cloves (, minced); 2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger; 1/8 tsp ground turmeric; 1/4 tsp cinnamon; 1/2 tsp cayenne ((adjust spiciness to taste)); 1/2 tsp ground cardamom; 2 tsp garam marsala ((Note 2)); 2 tsp coriander; 1 tbsp cumin; 2 tbsp paprika (, sweet / ordinary (not smoked)); 1 3/4 tsp salt; 2 tbsp salt; 10 cloves; 5 dried bay leaves; 1 star anise; 6 green cardamon pods; 2 1/4 cups (450g) uncooked basmati rice ((Note 3)); 2 medium onions (yellow, brown) (, halved and finely sliced); 1 cup (250 ml) oil (, for frying); 1 tsp saffron threads ((loosely packed) (Note 5)); 2 tbsp warm water; 1 cup coriander / cilantro (, chopped); 1/4 cup (60g) ghee or unsalted butter (, melted (Note 6)); Crispy onions ((above)); Chopped coriander / cilantro; Yoghurt ((Note 7))

Instructions

Prep:20minCook:1h

Recipe video above. Curried chicken cooked in a pot buried under a mount of fragrant, fluffy rice. Biryani is a celebration of all that we love about Indian food! Make this with other proteins or vegetables - see notes. There's a load of spices in this - and it's worth it! (Plus you'll find everything at every day supermarkets). Spiciness: moderate low.

Updated at: Wed, 09 Sep 2026 08:52:36 GMT