Instant Pot Chicken Biryani Recipe | Easiest Pressure Cooker Biryani

Jump to Recipe - -

Once you make this Instant Pot Chicken Biryani recipe, you will never go back to making it any other way. This is by far the easiest way to make a chicken biryani recipe.

What Makes This Instant Pot Chicken Biryani Recipe So Great

Simple. Biryani recipes take forever, they involve multiple steps with confusing instructions that ask you to cook the rice at 25%, 50%, and 75%. I'm a statistician and a cook, and I don't even know the difference between 50% and 75% cooked rice. No worries about that with this recipe. Make this Instant Pot chicken recipe without any complicated steps or instructions.
One-Pot. Biryani recipes seem to dirty every dish in the house--and then they get eaten within minutes. I figured out how to make an authentic-tasting pressure cooker chicken biryani in the Instant Pot--without dirtying every dish in the house.
Delicious. So just so you know, if I'm ever on death row I will ask for Instant Pot Biryani for my last meal. That's how much I love it. In fact, this recipe is so good that it has become a favorite of my readers.

What Is Chicken Biryani?

Biryani is a popular Indian one-pot dish. It’s generally made with rice and some kind of meat (like chicken, lamb, etc) that is first cooked on the stove and then transitioned to the oven.

It’s usually filled with all kinds of wonderful spices like saffron and is flavorful and delicious. Sometimes it is spelled briyani (especially in Africa), but it's all the same delicious thing.

Traditionall,y there’s a lot of preparation and work that goes into the dish, and it’s often reserved for special holidays and celebrations because of that.

Thankfully, my Instant Pot Biryani doesn't take much prep or work, so you can enjoy this delicious Indian dish on a far more regular basis.

What Does Chicken Biryani Taste Like?

Chicken Biryani is a heavily seasoned chicken and rice dish that is as fragrant as it is delicious. It is predominantly seasoned with cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. You will also enjoy the nutty flavors infused from the ghee.

Are There Regional Differences in Biryani Recipes?

Yes. There are dozens and dozens of different types of Biryani. The flavors change by region, and each region has its own flair to make it their own.

Hyderabadi Biryani. A spicy version of Biryani that is often cooked with lamb. I make a lamb version in my Instant Pot, and we love how it turns out!
Mughlai Biryani. One of the most popular versions of Biryani. It’s typically cooked with chicken and can be traced back to the Mughal Empire.
Lucknowi Biryani. A milder version that's a good place to start for most people.
Kolkata Biryani. A version that has potatoes in addition to meat. This was said to have happened during a time in Kolkata in the 1800s when meat wasn’t as readily available, so cooks added potatoes to stretch the meat farther. Now it’s common in the region for there to be just as much meat as there are potatoes in their Biryani.

Differences Between Biryani and Pilau

While there are many differences, there are a few things that stand out to me.

Course. First, Biryani is a main dish, whereas Pilau is typically just a side dish. Biryani contains meat and sauce. It is all mixed together with a variety of spices and seasonings and in general, is an entree, which makes it far different from Pilau.
Seasoning. Biryani is a heavily seasoned dish and Pilau is only mildly seasoned. While Pilau is a delicious rice dish that’s also Indian, it’s nothing like Biryani.

Here's my Instant Pot Basmati Pilau, as well as Instant Pot Indian Pilau, if you'd like to check out some pilau recipes.

Ingredients You'll Need

Spices for tempering OR Use 2 Teaspoons of Garam Masala

Veggies

Onion
Minced Ginger
Garlic
Jalapeño Peppers
Cilantro
Chopped Mint

Chicken and Rice

How To Make Chicken Biryani In The Instant Pot

Heat. Warm the ghee in your Instant Pot, and when it's hot, put in all the tempering spices.
Brown. Once they start to sizzle, put in the thinly sliced onion and cook until it's well-browned and crisp at the edges.

Add. Add in the ginger, garlic, and jalapenos and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Chicken. Put in the bite-size chicken pieces and salt. If you're using ready-made garam masala instead of whole spices, add it now and mix well.

Spread and Sprinkle. Spread out the chicken and veggie mixture to cover the bottom of your Instant Pot. Sprinkle the chopped cilantro and mint on top of it.
Rice. Spread the rinsed, drained rice across everything. Do not stir.

Water. Pour in the water, and gently push the rice down so it is covered by the water.
Cook. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, and let the pressure release naturally. for 10 minutes. Then, release all remaining pressure.
Serve. Open and inhale deeply! Enjoy the true-to-tradition aroma of this dish and then either mix it gently from the bottom, or serve by scooping up a layer from top to bottom, so you've served chicken, herbs, and rice in every serving.

Tips And Tricks

Assemble ingredients. The easiest way to do this is to get all your spices together and chop all your veggies at once, keeping the piles separate.
Prepare Rice. Rinse and drain basmati rice before you start and chop the chicken as you're cooking the veggies.
Garam Masala. If you do not want all the individual whole spices, you can use ready-made garam masala or make your own homemade garam masala. Just add 1-2 teaspoons of Garam masala after you put in the chicken.
Ghee. Many of us will tell you, it's not a proper chicken biryani recipe if there's no ghee in it, so make your own homemade ghee, and taste the difference.

What Do You Eat With Chicken Biryani?

Though this Instant Pot Chicken Biryani is a complete meal in itself, here are a few side options:

Easy Indian Carrot Salad - A simple and light side dish.
Instant Pot Coconut Chickpea Curry - An easy and delicious vegan recipe.
Indian Cucumber Salad - A refreshing combination of cucumbers and peanuts.
Indian Cabbage Slaw - Healthy, nutritious, fast, and vegan.

Is Chicken Biryani Healthy?

Chicken Biryani might not be what a foodie would typically define as "healthy", but there are many things about this dish that make it tip toward the healthy side of the food scale.

Instant Pot Chicken Biryani is an Indian recipe that is low in saturated fats, which can't be said about a lot of other traditional Indian foods.

It also only has 246 calories per serving and boasts a substantial 17 grams of protein.

How do I reheat biryani so the rice isn’t dry?

To reheat chicken biryani so the rice isn’t dry, add a splash of moisture first (about 1–2 tablespoons of water or broth per cup of biryani), then reheat covered so it steams instead of dehydrating.

In the microwave, cover the bowl with a damp paper towel or vented lid and heat in short bursts, fluffing gently between rounds. To reheat on the stovetop, warm it in a pan over low heat with a tight lid for 5–10 minutes.

This “steam reheat” method is the best way to keep biryani leftovers fluffy, preserve that dum biryani aroma, and avoid crunchy edges.

Should I use bone-in chicken for more flavor?

Yes, using bone-in chicken in a chicken biryani recipe usually gives you noticeably more flavor because the bones (and a bit of connective tissue) enrich the masala as it cooks, which helps the rice taste more “restaurant-style.”

The trade-off is convenience. Boneless thighs are still juicy and faster/easier to eat, while boneless breast can dry out more easily. In Instant Pot chicken biryani, bone-in pieces work great, just avoid very large cuts and aim for even sizing so everything cooks uniformly. Keep in mind that they may take longer to cook, so check the internal temperature closest to the bone before diggin in.

More Instant Pot Recipes?

Instant Pot Lamb Biryani - Tender morsels of lamb, marinated and cooked with rice.
Instant Pot Vegetarian Paneer Biryani - Easy, authentic, kid-friendly, and vegetarian.
Kheema Biryani - Simple, quick, and delicious.
Low Carb Keto Chicken Biryani - A low carb version of Chicken Biryani.
Easy Chicken Korma Recipe - Authentic Indian Chicken Korma at home.
Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala - Make this authentic Indian dish with very little work.
Chicken Vindaloo - Make vindaloo in minutes rather than hours!

And if you still want more easy meal ideas, check out this list of my best Instant Pot Chicken recipes!

Pin It!

This Instant Pot Chicken Biryani recipe may not look that impressive, but let me tell you, it is so tasty, with such complex flavors, I doubt I'll be going out for Chicken Biryani any time soon! Make sure to share this recipe with your friends on Pinterest and Facebook so they can enjoy it as well!

Originally Published March 10, 2017

Don't forget to check out my other Best-selling Instant Pot Cookbooks!

Indian Instant Pot, Keto Instant Pot, Instant Pot Fast and Easy, Healthy Instant Pot & Vegetarian Instant Pot.