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There’s nothing quite like a proper chicken biryani. Fluffy saffron rice, juicy marinated chicken and crispy caramelized onions, all layered and steamed together until the flavours marry beautifully. This is my go-to biryani recipe second helpings are a must!
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Matt said: “This is quite simply the best chicken biryani recipe I have tried. Previously I’ve found the chicken has always been tough, but the ‘dum’ method described here, combined with long marination, just knocks the dish out of the park. Many thanks!” See comment
Nicky’s Notes
Some recipes are a case of throwing it all in a pan for an easy dinner (one pot chicken and pasta is brilliant on those busy week nights), but sometimes it’s almost meditative to take some time and put together a food creation that’s made with love and care.
This biryani is one of those dishes (and yes, we do dirty a few dishes along the way…).
Made of several layers, it goes into the dutch oven like this:
- Marinated chicken
- Fresh herbs
- Fragrantly spiced rice
- A little saffron-infused milk
- A good drizzle of melted ghee
- Some beautifully browned fried onions
- And last but not least, a handful of toasted almonds.
Table of Contents
- Nicky’s Notes
- Why This Recipe Works
- What is the Dum Method?
- 📋 Ingredients
- How to make biryani
- Recipe Pro Tip
- Why use chicken thighs?
- Why are you adding salt to the rice?
- What to serve it with
- 📺 Watch how to make it
- Chicken Biryani Recipe Recipe
- 🍲 More fantastic Indian inspired recipes
- 🌶️ Is chicken biryani spicy?
Why This Recipe Works
✅ Balanced, bold spice blend that doesn’t overpower
✅ Saffron milk adds aroma and that gorgeous colour
✅ Parboiled rice finishes cooking perfectly during dum
✅ Crispy onions add sweetness and crunch
✅ Easily scaled up for guests or meal prep
What is the Dum Method?
This is a Hyderabadi biryani – using the dum method of cooking – which involves letting the ingredients in the dish ‘breathe’ in its own aroma to make it more flavourful. In this case the flavourful chicken at the bottom of the dish cooks and releases steam and aromas into the rice.
📋 Ingredients
There are a lot of ingredients that go into a biryani, so I’m not going to list them all here (check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for that). I do use a lot of spices, which makes the chicken marinade intensely flavourful.
Best cut of chicken for biryani
Throughout all of my testing I’ve found that boneless chicken thighs that the best for biryani. Chicken thighs can take the direct heat from sitting at the bottom of the pan without drying out.
I prefer to use boneless and skinless chicken thighs, but you could use bone-in thighs if you prefer. Just cook the whole dish for about 5 minutes longer if you do.
Note on Asafoetida
One of the spices I do want to mention though is Asafoetida (<–affiliate link), also known as hing. This is a spice used in some Indian dishes. It adds a deeper savoury flavour, like onion or garlic to a dish. You only need a little – I use 1/4 tsp (too much is overpowering). If you can’t get hold of any, or if you’re unlikely to use it for anything else, then don’t worry, it can be left out. There are plenty of spices already in the dish to give it a fantastic flavour.
How to make biryani
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post***
- First, we marinate the chicken thighs in spices, natural plain yogurt, oil, ginger, garlic, tomato puree (paste) chopped chillies, salt and lemon juice, simply add them all to a large bowl, mix them together and marinate for at least 2 hours for the best flavour.
- Next we parboil the basmati rice in plenty of salted water and a few aromatics. Then drain it.
- In a heavy based large pot fry your onions slowly and evenly in a single layer. Stir often, use medium heat, and don’t overcrowd the pan. You want deep golden-brown crispness – not burnt!
- Add the marinated chicken to a large cast-iron pan with a splash of water and cook for a few minutes to heat up the sauce and lightly seal the chicken.
- Sprinkle on chopped coriander (cilantro) and mint.
- Mix together a little saffron and milk and leave for a minute or two.
- Add the par-cooked rice to the pan on top of the chicken and drizzle over the saffron/milk mixture plus some melted ghee.
- Top the rice with the fried onions and toasted flaked onions.
- Wait until steams starts to rise from the pan, then place a lid on, lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes.
Turn off the heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Then sprinkle on some freshly chopped coriander (cilantro).
Recipe Pro Tip
Get your layering right — it makes all the difference! Start with that beautifully marinated chicken, then scatter over fresh coriander, followed by the fluffy rice. Drizzle on saffron-infused milk, a bit of melted ghee, and finish with golden fried onions and toasted almonds. Each layer adds its own burst of flavor and texture — and when you dig in, it’s a proper party in every spoonfull.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItWhen you scoop it out (be sure to scoop it right from the bottom to get all the layers) you should find the outside of the chicken that was touching the base of the pan is a tiny bit crisp. The interior should still be juicy though. Personally I think that slight crispness adds even more flavour.
Why use chicken thighs?
Chicken thighs can take the direct heat from sitting at the bottom of the pan without drying out.
I prefer to use boneless and skinless chicken thighs, but you could use bone-in thighs if you prefer. Just cook the whole dish for about 5 minutes longer if you do.
Why are you adding salt to the rice?
A fair amount of the salt is drained off with the water from cooking the rice. The remaining salt really enhances the flavour of the whole dish. That salty taste mellows during the cooking with the chicken and disperses to flavour the rest of the ingredients.
What to serve it with
This chicken biryani is a meal all by itself but il like to serve it with some naan, plain yoghurt and a garnish of fresh coriander (cilantro) and a pinch of chilli flakes.
- Fluffy Garlic Naan bread or Homemade Chapati
- Crispy Chicken Pakora
- Simple cooling Raita
- Some sweet chilli sauce
- A simple homemade tomato & onion salad < my go-to side for extra freshness
📺 Watch how to make it
Want to see it step-by-step? Watch the full video just above the recipe card. I walk you through marinating, layering and the dum method – so you can cook along with confidence.
Chicken Biryani Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken and Marinade:
- 575 g (1 1/4 lbs) chicken thigh fillets chopped in half
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) natural yoghurt full-fat
- 2 tbsp oil (neutral oil such as avocado oil)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 2 tbsp tomato puree paste for US
- ¼ tsp asafoetida *(affiliate link) see note below
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp ground fenugreek
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 cardamom pods
- 2 tsp mild chilli powder go for medium or hot if you like it really spicy
- 2 mild green chillies roughly chopped
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Par-boiled rice:
- 1.5 litres (6 1/4 cups) water
- 2 tsp salt
- 5 cloves
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 cardamom pods
- 450 g (2 ¼ cups) white basmati rice
Crispy fried onions:
- 4 tbsp oil (neutral oil such as avocado oil)
- 2 onions peeled and sliced
Also:
- 3 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp freshly chopped coriander cilantro
- 1 tbsp freshly chopped mint leaves
- 1 tsp saffron threads
- 3 tbsp milk
- 3 tbsp ghee melted (or use unsalted butter)
- 2 tbsp toasted flaked almonds
To Serve:
- natural yogurt
- freshly chopped coriander cilantro
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a bowl with all of the marinade ingredients.575 g (1 1/4 lbs) chicken thigh fillets, 180 ml (3/4 cup) natural yoghurt, 2 tbsp oil, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp minced ginger, 2 tbsp tomato puree, 1/4 tsp asafoetida, ½ tsp turmeric, 2 tsp garam masala, ½ tsp ground fenugreek, 2 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp cumin, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, 3 cardamom pods, 2 tsp mild chilli powder, 2 mild green chillies, 1 ¼ tsp salt, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Stir together to coat, then cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
- For the rice, heat the water in a saucepan along with the salt, cloves, cumin seeds, bay leaves, and cardamom pods until boiling.1.5 litres (6 1/4 cups) water, 2 tsp salt, 5 cloves, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 3 bay leaves, 2 cardamom pods
- Add the rice, stir once, bring back to the boil and simmer (no lid) for 5 minutes.450 g (2 ¼ cups) white basmati rice
- Drain the rice in a sieve.
- Now make the fried onions. Heat the 4 tbsp oil over a medium heat in a large cast iron pan.4 tbsp oil
- Add the sliced onions, and cook for around 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until dark brown. Be careful not to burn them, as they will taste bitter. Note – we're going to be using the same cast iron pan to cook the biryani, so if you're worried the onions are catching on the pan (which may effect the taste of the biryani), you can fry them in a separate frying pan if you prefer.2 onions
- Scoop the onions out of the pan using a slotted spoon and place in a bowl for later.
- Now take the marinated chicken out of the refrigerator and add to the pan with the oil from the onions. Stir in 3 tbsp of water.3 tbsp water
- Cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring a couple of times, to just very lightly seal the chicken.
- Now place the 3 tbsp of chopped coriander (cilantro) and 1 tbsp of chopped mint on top of the chicken.3 tbsp freshly chopped coriander, 1 tbsp freshly chopped mint leaves
- Next spoon the rice on top of the chicken and flatten it out slightly.
- Mix together the saffron and milk and let it sit for a minute, then drizzle the mixture over the rice, followed by the melted ghee.1 tsp saffron threads, 3 tbsp milk, 3 tbsp ghee
- Spoon on the fried onions and toasted almonds.2 tbsp toasted flaked almonds
- Place a lid on the pan, but allow just a tiny gap.
- As soon as you see steam coming from the gap, place the lid on fully and turn the heat down to low and cook for 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Top with a little more fresh coriander if desired and serve with natural yogurt.natural yogurt, freshly chopped coriander
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This chicken biryani recipe was first posted in Nov 2020. Updated in Sept 2025 with additional information. Updated since with improvements and for housekeeping reasons.
🍲 More fantastic Indian inspired recipes
🌶️ Is chicken biryani spicy?
Chicken biryani has a lovely warmth to it, but it doesn’t have to blow your head off! The spices bring depth and flavour — think aromatic rather than fiery. That said, you can easily dial the heat up or down depending on your preference. I keep mine family-friendly with just enough kick to keep it interesting, but you can always add extra chilli if you like it hot!
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
Made this today, turned out perfect. I served this with plain poppadoms and a selection of pickles and it was highly rated by all.
Delicious! Lots of ingredients and a bit time consuming BUT well worth it! Even better next day when flavours have matured further! Have to confess I did overcook (burn) some of the onion and yes it was a little bitter – will know next time! 👍
Great recipe, the chicken was so tender and tasty. I did cheat, as I used Nagi Maehashi’s (Recipe Tin Eats) short cut and used pre-made Fried Onions bought from Asda.
Another great weekend dish and perfect for Friday night as all the prep was done earlier in the day.
Thanks Nicky
Brings me back to my teenage years when I lived with my best friend family home. Being a white dude they treated me better than my own family. Yum yum
In the Indian restaurant they serve a vegetable curry with the biryani, do you have a recipe for this curry? Thank you.
Hi Paul,
We normally serve ours with some mango chutney and raita, which I believe is a traditional way of serving a dum style Biryani. If you wanted to you could whip up a chickpea & sweet potato curry to go alongside it https://www.kitchensanctuary.com/chickpea-and-sweet-potato-curry/.
Thanks
Chris