Quick and Easy Chicken Biryani

Diced chicken and prepared ginger paste help put this easy Chicken Biryani recipe on the dinner table in no time flat! 

Other than Thai food, there’s no cuisine I find myself craving more often than Indian.

I’d love to make it three nights per week (the other four reserved for Thai food, of course), but I don’t always have the time to make a complicated dish when I’m already 100% hangry.

For those nights, I love making this Indian Potato Chickpea Stew (on the table in 30 minutes), this Creamy Cashew Chicken Curry (another half-hour miracle dish), and today’s recipe, a simple Chicken Biryani recipe (just 45 minutes start-to-finish).

In this easy biryani recipe, chicken is diced into small pieces before hitting the pan, which cuts down cooking time.

While I love using fresh ginger root whenever possible, I don’t always have a good chunk of it on hand. Dried or powdered ginger does a poor job of replicating the spicy and fragrant taste of fresh ginger, so I like to keep a tube of prepared ginger paste in the door of my refrigerator.

You can also use prepared ginger in the mango chutney recipe I shared earlier this week! 

This Biryani tastes completely freaking amazing with a dollop of mango chutney thrown on top.

Here’s the Recipe!

Quick and Easy Chicken Biryani

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Diced chicken and prepared ginger paste help put this easy chicken biryani on the dinner table in no time flat!

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon ghee (or vegetable oil)
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 3 tablespoons prepared ginger paste
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
• 2 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth*
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup sliced unsalted almonds
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet or frying pan. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chicken pieces and let them cook, undisturbed, for 3-5 minutes until golden brown.
2. Turn the chicken pieces and add the onion, jalapeno, ginger, salt, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and salt. Saute for 3 minutes, or until the onions have softened.
3. Add the garlic, tomatoes, and raisins to the pan. Stir well, then add the rice and broth. Allow the liquid to come to a boil, then cover the pan and turn the heat down to medium-low. Let the rice steam for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and fluff the rice with a fork. Re-cover the pan, and allow the rice to continue to steam for another 10 minutes.
4. Garnish with cilantro leaves and almond slices. Serve the Biryani straight out of the pan, accompanied by lime wedges for squeezing.

Notes

*Or use 1 (14-ounce) can broth + 1/2 cup water

Nutrition Information

Yield 4 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 567Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 153mgSodium 973mgCarbohydrates 42gFiber 5gSugar 16gProtein 61g

Nutrition information has been auto-calculated for your convenience.