This Quick and Easy Chicken Biryani recipe uses diced chicken and prepared ginger paste to put this delicious and satisfying dish 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).
What is Chicken Biryani?
Chicken Biryani is a delicious chicken curry dish cooked with rice. There are various versions of Biryani, some vegetarian, and some with various meats, including chicken, beef, lamb, goat, shrimp or fish. This is a very popular dish in India, but is also made in various forms across the Indian subcontinent, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Wikipedia notes that Biryani is the most online ordered dish in India!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ghee – or vegetable oil
- 1 ½ 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 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 large tomatoes – chopped
- ½ cup golden raisins
- 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
- 2 ¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth*
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- ¼ cup sliced unsalted almonds
- 1 lime – cut into wedges
How to Make Chicken Biryani
Assemble the ingredients, for the exact amounts see the recipe card below.
In this quick biryani recipe, chicken breasts are diced into small pieces before hitting the pan, which cuts down cooking time. Using chicken breasts instead of thighs makes this an easy to eat, boneless chicken biryani!
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.
Turn the chicken pieces and add the onion, jalapeno, ginger, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and salt. Sauté for 3 minutes, or until the onions have softened.
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. Cook the rice 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.
Garnish with cilantro leaves and almond slices.
Serve the Biryani straight out of the pan, accompanied by lime wedges for squeezing.
Recipe Tips
Since rice is a main ingredient, using basmati rice is key to a high quality biryani.
I love using fresh ginger root whenever possible, but 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.
This simple biryani tastes completely freaking amazing with a dollop of mango chutney thrown on top.
You can also serve this with homemade Indian Naan Bread.
Quick and Easy Chicken Biryani Recipe
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 cups low-sodium chicken broth*
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup sliced unsalted almonds
- 1 lime - cut into wedges
Instructions
- 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.
- Turn the chicken pieces and add the onion, jalapeno, ginger, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and salt. Sauté for 3 minutes, or until the onions have softened.
- 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.
- Garnish with cilantro leaves and almond slices. Serve the Biryani straight out of the pan, accompanied by lime wedges for squeezing.
VIDEO
NOTES
Old photo for fun.
Simple and easy I will try at home
How much fresh ginger should I use?
Hi Dorothy, typically, you can use the same amount of minced fresh ginger instead of ginger paste, but you might want to start with a little less since fresh ginger can be stronger than the paste. I suggest you start with 2 Tablespoons and work up to 3 if needed for your desired taste. – Linda
Hi there
I only have brown rice but would love to make this recipe
Would brown rice work?
Hi Aliza, yes, brown rice will work. – Linda
Hi Linda,
I tried your recipe yesterday and it was quick and delicious! I added some spices like a cinnamon stick, cardamoms, star anise and cloves to add more flavor to my chicken and shrimps biryani. I also made yogurt cucumber with dill which goes well with it. I will slice my jalapeno into halves next time instead of chopping as it was very spicy but we love your recipe and thanks for sharing,
Hi Wai Ling, glad you loved it! – Linda
This was a Fantastic quick dinner that delivered a wonderful aromatic dinner – I fried the onions until till they were golden – the only variation I made – soooo good, the whole family loved it. Well done – great recipe
Thank you Louise, glad your family loved it!
– Linda
Best recipe
This recipe is awesome! I might recommend a raita or tzaziki sauce with it. It was really really good. Would definitely make it again!
Fast Indian recipes are the best! It makes me feel better/ healthier than ordering the Indian take-out that has been a staple in my house the last couple of weeks…