Low Carb Chicken Biryani is Low-Carb Indian Food at it's best. Cauliflower and ground chicken make up this spicy, delicious low carb recipe.
Low Carb Chicken Biryani
I feel like a genius for having created a low carb "biryani" today, that tastes as good as one with rice, but without the rice. I've been wanting to do this for a while, but today's scale reading provided the impetus.
I came back from India with about 6 pounds to lose. I know. I was only gone for a week. I was careful about portion control. But it was all carbs and I can't eat carbs without gaining no matter how little I eat. Good news is, I was expecting it so I'd already planned to cut out carbs once I got home.
In a perfect world, I would eat biryani every day.
For every meal.
I love, love, love biryani.
But of course, it loves me too. Enough to cling lovingly to my hips and thighs forever.
But, I can't eat rice all the time, so I'd had this idea percolating in the back of my head on how I'd make that biryani low carb.
Several of you also asked for a lower-carb version, and this morning, I came up with this Keto Chicken Biryani. It tastes very good.
What Is Biryani?
Only just the best, more aromatic, tastiest, complex version of a meat and rice dish you've ever had. That is what a biryani is. In fact, if you're curious about biryanis and pulaos, you need to read my post on how to make chicken biryani right here.
There's a veritable thesis on biryani vs. pulao in that post--very nerdy but hopefully also fun to read.
Biryani is a popular Indian, Pakistani, or Bangladeshi 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.
It is also crazy time-consuming as a rule. So of course, I have to come up with a variety of short cuts with this chicken and cauliflower recipe.
Cauliflower Rice Biryani
Fortunately for us, cauliflower rice cooks quickly and if you are low carb, it will satisfy for your craving for a biryani, without all the carbs.
The main question for us all, however, is how does this taste? Are you going to eat my keto chicken biryani and think it's EXACTLY like a rice biryani?
Nope.
I know, I know! you were hoping I'd say this tastes JUST like a rice-based biryani.
What can I say? Nothing tastes exactly like real rice.
But you can come close with my low carb Indian Recipes.
Here's the bigger thing though, and the question you should be asking yourself.
Does This Keto Chicken Biryani Recipe Taste Good?
Yup! Yes it does! When I'm craving a regular biryani, this takes care of my craving, and on some days, that's the best I can do.
So yeah. It's not as good as biryani with rice, but for something that uses chicken and cauliflower rice instead of rice, I'm surprised at how well it hits the spot for biryani.
Roger is very good at providing honest feedback on my cooking because he knows I'm a perfectionist, and I'd rather redo things than blog something less than perfect.
He raved about this Low Carb Chicken Biryani, which makes me feel confident about it.
Is Chicken Biryani Good For Weight Loss?
Well, as I mentioned previously, traditional Chicken Biryani is not good for weight loss. At all. However, eating low carb is WONDERFUL for weight loss. So if you eat my Keto Biryani, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how good it is for weight loss.
Tips and Tricks to this Keto Biryani Recipe
- To "next level" this biryani, you can add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cayenne as well.
- Feel free to use ground turkey, ground beef, or ground lamb with this dish.
- You cannot make Instant Pot cauliflower rice, unless you want mushy cauliflower. It cooks so quickly on the stovetop, it's really much faster, and much tastier this way. I used my Greenpan Magneto skillet for this.
- Watch the video to see how easy this is to make. It will take you longer to chop everything than it will take to cook it, so don't hesitate to make this!
WATCH THIS VIDEO TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE A KETO CHICKEN BIRYANI!
For those of you who are visual learners, I've included a short video here.
For those who want a little more commentary on how I made this keto chicken biryani, head on over to my Youtube Channel where I've posted a slightly longer version for you.
More Indian Recipes You'll Love
- Instant Pot Paneer biryani is a great side dish that's also vegetarian.
- Pressure Cooker Chicken Biryani- Make an authentic tasting Biryani in your Instant Pot without dirtying every dish in the house!
- Instant Pot Kacchi Lamb Dum Biryani. It gives you the authentic taste of lamb biryani with half the work and no packaged spices!
Step by Step How To Make A Yummy Keto Chicken Biryani
Even though the original chicken biryani is made in the Instant Pot, I made this on the stovetop because I didn't want to overcook it in the Instant Pot. So here are the steps:
Add in onions and brown well. Then, add in the minced ginger, jalapenos, and garlic.
Add in ground chicken and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add in all the spices at this point and sauté for a few minutes to toast and mix the spices.
Add in the riced cauliflower and mix well.
Mix in the chopped cilantro and mint mixture.
Mix well, and cover with a lid. Cook until the cauliflower is al dent, and not mushy.
Squeeze in a fresh burst of lemon juice, and serve.
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Equipment
Ingredients
For Chicken
- 1 teaspoon Ghee
- 1 pound Ground Chicken
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin
Vegetables
- 1 teaspoon Ghee
- 1 Red Onion. chopped, sliced thin
- 1 Jalapeño Peppers, diced
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste, (or 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger)
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped
- 2 cups Cauliflower, riced
Instructions
- Heat a 10-inch deep pan or skillet and add ghee.
- Add the onions, cooking until they brown at the edges, about 10 minutes.
- Turn on your exhaust fan, add the ginger garlic paste and the jalapeño, and cook for a minute or two.
- Put in the ground chicken, break up clumps and cook until chicken is no longer raw. Once it releases water, add in all the spices and mix very well. Keep cooking until the water evaporates, and the spices are well-mixed in.
- Use 1/2 c of water to deglaze the pan, scraping up the bits of brown from the bottom.
- Add in chopped cilantro and mint, and the uncooked riced cauliflower.
- Mix everything very well and cover with a lid.
- Turn the stove on low and let all of it simmer slowly together for the flavors to meld, and the cauliflower to cook slightly. Your goal is to let the cauliflower cook a little without getting mushy.
- Taste and add salt as needed.
Watch The Video
- To "next level" this biryani, you can add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cayenne as well.
- Feel free to use ground turkey, ground beef, or ground lamb with this dish.
- You cannot make this dish in the Instant pot, unless you want mushy cauliflower. It cooks so quickly on the stovetop, it's really much faster, and much tastier this way.
- Watch the video to see how easy this is to make. It will take you longer to chop everything than it will take to cook it, so don't hesitate to make this!
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Nutrition
Originally Published May 13, 2017
Looking for More Keto Recipes?
- Keto Big Mac Salad- A favorite for the whole family because of my copycat sauce recipe taste just like the real thing!
- Low Carb Beef Stroganoff- Comfort food and Keto? Yes, it's true!
- Low Carb Beef Shawarma- An easy weeknight dinner option you'll want to make again and again!
- Ethiopian Beef Stew- You won't believe how much flavor is packed into such a simple dish.
- Beef Rendang- Fall apart tender meat in less than an hour!
- Kheema Meatloaf- The perfect solution for the days you're craving Indian food but are short on ingredients.
- Kimchi Beef Stew- An easy pour and cook recipe full of umami flavors.
- Bulgogi Burgers- Put your air fryer to work with this fun twist on burgers!
- Corned Beef and Cabbage- A classic done in a fraction of the time.
- Indian Beef Curry- Done in less than an hour and so good you'll wonder why you haven't made it before!
Don't forget to check out my other Keto cookbooks.
Keto Instant Pot, Keto Fat Bombs, Sweets, & Treats, and Easy keto in 30 minutes.
Kobie Baker
We made this tonight for the first time and it was out of this world. We doubled the meat and seasoning and it could not have tasted better! Thanks for a phenomenal recipe!