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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.

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.

Here’s the bigger thing though, and the question you should be asking yourself.

Does this keto rice biryani 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 cauliflower 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.

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.

Another great Biryani dish is my Instant Pot Kacchi Lamb Dum Biryani. It gives you the authentic taste of lamb biryani with half the work and no packaged spices!

Even though the original is made in the Instant Pot, I made this on the stove top because I didn’t want to overcook it in the Instant Pot. So here are the steps:

1. Cook ground chicken in your skillet and add spices, set aside
2. Brown vegetables
3. Add back chicken
4. Add riced cauliflower, mix and let steam for 5-8 minutes.

★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below! Just click on the stars in the recipe card to rate. 

4.7 from 30 votes

Print

Keto Chicken Biryani

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

This Low Carb Chicken Biryani recipe is Low-Carb Indian Food at it's best. Cauliflower and ground chicken make up this spicy, delicious low carb recipe.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Easy Low Carb Chicken Biryani, Indian Food, Indian Recipes, International Recipes, Keto Chicken Biryani, Keto Indian Food, Keto Indian Recipes, Low Carb Biryani, Low Carb Chicken Biryani, Low Carb Indian Food, Low Carb Indian Recipes, TwoSleevers

Dietary Consideration: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, High Fat, High Protein, Keto, Low Carb

Cooking Style: Stove Top

Ease of Cooking: Under 30 Mins

Recipe Type: Chicken, Full Liquids/Soft Foods, Keto Low Carb

Servings: 4

Calories: 215 kcal

Author: Urvashi Pitre

Ingredients

For Chicken

• 1 teaspoon Ghee
• 1 pound Ground Chicken
• 1 teaspoon 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 sliced thin
• 1 Jalapeño pepper 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

1. Heat a 10-inch deep pan or skillet and add ghee
2. 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.
3. Remove this chicken into a bowl and set aside.
4. Heat 1 teaspoon of ghee and add the onions, cooking until they brown at the edges, about 10 minutes.
5. Turn on your exhaust fan, add the ginger garlic paste and the jalapeño, and cook for a minute or two.
6. Use 1/2 c of water to deglaze the pan, scraping up the bits of brown from the bottom.
7. Add in cooked chicken, chopped cilantro and mint, and the uncooked riced cauliflower.
8. Mix everything very well and cover with a lid.
9. 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.
10. Taste and add salt as needed.

Recipe Notes

• 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.

Nutrition facts per serving

215kcal | Fat: 12g | Saturated fat: 4g | Carbohydrates: 6g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Protein: 21g

I am not a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information is provided a courtesy, and can vary depending on the exact ingredients you use.