Authentic and flavorful chicken biryani ready to eat in an hour? Yes, it’s absolutely possible with an Instant Pot!
Instant Pot Chicken Biryani
This aromatic and mouthwatering chicken biryani is a family favorite. In fact, I think I like chicken biryani just as much – possibly more than Butter Chicken and that’s saying A LOT. But really, what’s not to love about perfectly seasoned chicken + rice in one pot?
“I first tried this recipe a few years ago. I bought her book. I am from Kerala same as her husband. I have friends whose parents are Michelin star chefs and into food science, one with his own brand of Koji. I have personally eaten in multiple Michelin starred indian restaurants. I’ve also had thousands of different kinds of biryani and tried hundreds of different biryani recipes and this blows them all away. When I make this, it is better than anything I have ever tried before.”
George O.
I’m sharing this recipe for the most amazing Instant Pot Chicken Biryani from my cookbook, Indian Food Under Pressure. It’s a recipe that deserves to be on the blog because I believe that everyone should be able to make authentic and delicious chicken biryani in one pot if they want to. Think: tender pieces of chicken and perfectly cooked rice all coated in a perfect blend of spices. SO GOOD.
I LOVE biryani. I’ve been eating biryani all my life (now I won’t tell you exactly how long that is, ha) and have tried so many different types of biryani. I have already shared a Veggie Biryani, Egg Biryani, Shrimp Biryani, and a Lamb/Beef Biryani on the blog and am so happy to be adding chicken biryani to the list!
“I just made this recipe for the 3rd or 4th time…losing track now, but my wife and I absolutely love it. Perfect times, ratios, and proportions.”
Randolph
If you are familiar with biryani, then you know it typically takes a very long time to prepare and requires dirtying several dishes. With my recipe + your Instant Pot, you can make a one-pot recipe that is just as good as the traditional version and creates less mess! It takes just 10 minutes of prep time and can be ready-to-eat in under an hour.
This dish is easy enough to make on a weeknight and impressive enough to serve to your guests at a dinner party. So invite me over for dinner, won’t you? 😉
“I grew up eating Hyderabadi biryani – this recipe is amazing, just the closest thing to the real thing which would take hours. My friend made this in her instant pot so I had to get an instant pot just to make it. I have have made it twice now and gobbled it up each time. I just love love love this recipe and will be trying more heartbeet recipes!”
Karen F.
More Indian Recipes
Chicken Biryani Recipe (Instant Pot)
Chicken Biryani Recipe (Instant Pot)
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice soaked 15-30 minutes
- 3 tablespoons ghee
- ⅓ cup cashews halved
- 2 tablespoons golden raisins
Whole Spices
- 5 cardamom pods
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaf
- ½ cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 ½ pounds skinless and boneless chicken thighs cut into quarters
Ground Spices
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves chopped
Instructions
- Soak the basmati rice in cold water for 15-30 minutes. Drain, rinse and set aside.
- Press the sauté button. Add the ghee to the pot. When it melts, add the cashews and raisins. Stir-fry until the cashews begin to turn golden. Remove the cashews and raisins. Set aside.
- Add the whole spices and stir. Once they begin to sizzle add the onions. Stir-fry for 6-7 minutes or until they turn golden brown.
- Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken and stir-fry 6-7 minutes or until the outside of the chicken is no longer pink.
- Add the ground spices and mix to coat the chicken.
- Dump the rice on top of the chicken (do not mix). Add water.
- Sprinkle half the cilantro and mint on top of the rice.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 6 minutes at high pressure.
- Naturally release pressure for 10 minutes. Open the valve to release any remaining pressure.
- Discard the whole spices. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and mint and garnish with the ghee-coated cashews and raisins.
Video
Notes
- I love this brand of basmati rice – the rice grains are always perfectly cooked!
If you love my chicken biryani, then be sure to check out my Instant Pot Cookbook: Indian Food Under Pressure for more tasty Indian recipes!
Samantha says
100 percent approved. For paprika I use kashmiri chilli n cayenne I use chilli powder, regular. My toddler is an extremely picky eater but he loved it ! Thanks!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Woohoo! Happy to hear that 🙂 A toddler enjoying one of my meals is the biggest compliment (speaking as a mom whose third child (toddler) is refusing to eat any of my food at the moment, ha!).
Mohib says
A lot of recipes, including yours, have a natural release period but it’s never clear if the “Keep Warm” setting should be on or off during the natural release. This makes a big difference because when it’s on the pot stays warmer so stays under pressure longer during the “Natural Release” period.
Can you please clarify and it would be helpful if you could update your recipes accordingly.
Thanks
Janet says
I have made this a few times and it is always very good. But my rice comes out a little soggy. Last night I tried a new way. When it was time for the rice, I put a small rack in the instant pot that I use for hard boiled eggs. Then I put a piece of parchment on the rack. I dumped the rice on the parchment. Some fell into the mixture below. I did the 6 minutes at high pressure and 10 minutes of natural release. The rice came out perfect. It was the best one I have ever made. Thanks again for this recipe.
Janet says
I should add that it was a small square of parchment, not a big piece and it allowed room around it, so the rice got cooked from the steam and spices and was flavorful.
George Oommen says
I first tried this recipe a few years ago. I bought her book. I am ( INDIA ), from Kerala same as her husband. I have friends whose parents are Michelin star chefs and into food science, one with his own brand of Koji.. I have personally eaten in multiple Michelin starred indian restaurants. I’ve also had thousands of different kinds of biryani and tried hundreds of different biryani recipes and this blows them all away. When I make this, it is better than anything I have ever tried before.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Wow, this is an incredible review, thank you George – so kind of you to share this with me.
R says
Can’t wait to try this! I wanted to double the recipe to 2.5 cups rice. How much water do you recommend?
George says
That’s more than double the recipe. I don’t think it’s gonna fit you could do straight but you need to double all the ingredients and you need to have the biggest instant pot. The only problem is the chicken may not brown all over. You could use a different part but you won’t get the same taste because of the chemicals from cooking the chicken and browning it with the malliard reaction
Rachel says
i would like to double this recipe, do I need to increase the time? Thanks for such a great recipe!
Rachel says
This recipe is FANTASTIC!!!!!! I have made biryani before and this is far superior. Thank you for this recipe. I can’t wait to try more.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks Rachel! Glad you liked the biryani!
Jan says
Hi Ashley. Like a lot of English people we enjoy a really good curry. I have tried a few of your recipes now and every single one of them has turned out perfectly, much to my husband’s delight! The Chicken Biryani and Haryali Chicken in particular are AMAZING!! Thank you so much for posting your blog and I am so glad I found it! X
Kira says
Ashley, best recipe ever. Love it.. Thank you. Keep them coming.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Kira, so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how much you like this 🙂
Cate Moon says
I made this – I used pork, which is HIGHLY inauthentic but it was all I had. I was short of one or two of the spices, but I found the result very good indeed, and extremely easy. I was a bit dubious about the 2 tsp of salt, and reduced it to 1 (I notice you said adjust to taste!) and that was definitely enough salt. It’s a lovely, easy, well written recipe, would serve 4 easily. Thank you very much.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you.
Sophie says
How many serves does this recipe make? I think I would need to double it to serve 6-8 people. Woulddoubling affect the cooking time
Rebecca Kulangara-Zacharias says
I just made tonight and for me a double batch was to much. Rice didn’t turn out as well, was mushy. The first time I made was absolutely perfect!!!! Great reviews. The double batch was still good just nothing compared to the first batch. I love her recipes. I have made many and absolutely amazing
Pete J. says
I made this and thought it was amazing and so easy in the IP! The chicken was tender and the rice was perfectly cooked. Some recipes call for the addition of saffron and/or rose water. What are your thoughts on this?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Pete, I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how you liked it 🙂 Now that you’ve tried it as written I say go for experimenting with other ingredients and see if you like it better with them added! I love trying new flavor combinations and I bet those would taste great – and if not, you can always go back to the original 🙂
Divya says
Hi Ashley –
Thank you for these amazing IP recipes! I am Malayalee a your recipes have helped me rediscover some of my favorite dishes from childhood.
A few quick questions: my rice was not cooked after 6min, but it is brown basmati – is this typical? I added on 4 more minutes and it is slightly over cooked but still tasty. And, could I swap out coconut milk for the water to make it creamier? Are there any other variations for this as far as other veggies I can add to this ?
Thank you so much,
Divya Maani.
Almira says
I’ve made this a couple times, and it turns out really yum, but I altered a little bit to taste more like my nanis (hyderabad nostalgia).
Instead of adding the whole spices initially, I boiled them in water and poured that water over the rice so the rice itself got a bit more flavor
and I premarinated the chicken in yogurt and spices
as well as poured saffron bloomed in milk over top
:)) loveee this instantpot adaptable version 🙂 thank you!
Tanya H. says
I marinated the chicken in yogurt and spices overnight for extra flavour. The yogurt also acts as a tenderizer for the chicken, although, pressure cooking already makes pretty tender chicken. More so for the flavour at this point. My rice also came out just a smidge undercooked at 6 mins, so had to pressure cook for an extra 3 mins. Rice then came out slightly mushy, haha oops. Might have to experiment with cook times. Maybe it’s my specific Instant Pot (6Qt). Besides the rice being slightly mushy due to user error, this will definitely be a keeper in my rotation. It was so good and easy to make! Also great for a quick weekday meal.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Glad you liked it Tanya!
Jennifer Maloney says
Made this recipe for dinner last night FANTASTIC! I did swap out the cashews for extra raisins…huge hit! Served it with steamed broccoli Greek yogurt and naan bread…this will no doubt be a regular on our meal plan.
Tysen Sturgeon says
I used my Instant Pot and made this and I sure like it!
Jackie Sharkey says
I love this recipe. I’ve made it dozens of times. I add a little more cashews and raisins at the request of my husband, lol. Question – do you have any calorie info for the recipe? Thanks!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Jackie, that’s awesome and so great to hear! Glad you and your hubby enjoy this 🙂
Fiona nevile says
Good, but far too much salt! And I like lots of salt but this was too much! Loved the other spices and ate the dish. I will make it again with far less salt as it kind of spoilt it for me.
Naheeda says
Hi, How do I adjust for bone in chicken thighs?
Jen Kirkwood says
There are not a lot of recipes out there I would describe as perfect, but I really believe this is one of them. I’ve made biriyanis the long way and although they are always good, this one tops everything and takes a fraction of the
effort. It turns out perfectly every time (I’ve lost count of the times I’ve made it) and the flavours are perfectly balanced and complex. I’ve even doubled the recipe and gotten perfect results. Don’t look any further for a better recipe. This is the one.
Natalie says
Absolutely badass – turned out perfectly thank you. Didn’t have cashews or raisins so didn’t bother with those, but the recipe didn’t miss them. Next week I’m throwing in lamb and some stock instead of water.
Totally putting this on regular rotation!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Natalie, so glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how much you liked this 🙂 Try my lamb biryani if you get a chance – it’s even easier than this one! https://myheartbeets.com/instant-pot-lamb-biryani/
Karen says
Amazing! Thank you for taking this and making it so simple! I can rave about how often this is a staple in the house!
Esther says
I have made this numerous times! Turns out perfect each time ! Thank you for a flavourful, easy to follow recipe! Even my Canadian friends love it when I make this for them!
Paul West says
Are the bay leaves in the recipe Indian or English?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Indian 🙂
Keith says
I found this recipe a couple years back. Made it, loved it have been making it once a month since. Always have leftovers which are likewise delicious as all agree. Today my husband used the leftovers to make nachos …. Ah-mazing!!! Thank you!!!!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Keith, that’s so nice to hear! Love the biryani and nacho fusion – will have to try! 🙂
Sara says
My store does not have fresh mint in stock. Can I used dried mint leaves instead?If so, how much would you recommend?
Jetsetter says
How many does this serve? I may have missed that part – THANKS!!
Beatrice Turman says
The best easy Biriyani I came across even my pickytoddlers love this. Thank you
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Beatrice, I’m so glad to hear that 🙂
Tina says
I just made this now and husband said yummy “myheartbeats” 😍 Thank you❣️
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Tina, that’s awesome, thank you for sharing that with me 🙂
Karen F says
I grew up eating Hyderabadi biryani – this recipe is amazing, just the closest thing to the real thing which would take hours. My friend made this in her instant pot so I had to get an instant pot just to make it. I have have made it twice now and gobbled it up each time. I just love love love this recipe and will be trying more heartbeet recipes!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Karen, that’s awesome – love that you got the IP just for this. Thanks for letting me know how much you like this 🙂
Lb says
My husband loves this and requests it all the time. If I needed to double the recipe..do you have the ratios?
Jennifer says
This is the very first thing I cooked in my instant pot and I absolutely love it! So delicious!
Salma says
Hi Ashley, I’d love to try this recipe! I have an 8 qt Instant Pot and need to make double the amount. Would two cups of water be fine? Would the cook time also stay the same?
Thank you!
joanna says
Incredibly delicious! Didn’t have cashews, mint, cardamom pods or whole cloves and used butter/oil instead of ghee and apricots instead of raisins, but turned out excellent!
i also had slightly mushy rice, but whatever – amazing flavor. next time for this basmati i have (from sprouts), i’ll just rinse instead of soak
Amit says
Tried another instant pot biryani recipe and it was just okay. Searched for another one and came across Ashley’s recipe. After trying her masala turkey recipe which was really good, I gave this one a shot and it was FULL of flavor. Biryani is usually a lot of work, but this recipe is easy to follow and comes out tasty. Thank you Ashley!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Love that you enjoyed this recipe – and the masala turkey too 🙂
Vickie says
I ate this at my sister’s house and it is AMAZING! Sadly, I don’t own an instant Pot. Can you suggest an adaptation for a slow cooker? Or the stove top?
J D says
Spent ages making this for our meal. Workbench is littered with spices. Cooked according to the instructions for the time specified and the rice wasn’t cooked. Trying again now. Fingers crossed it’s cooked this time because I don’t have time to mess about.
If it works this time I’ll post again with an update.
Bid says
Ashleigh, I live in Ny city and until now I thought the chicken biryani in queens ny in Jackson diner was the best. I made your recipe and my friends and family went absolutely bonkers over the ch biryani. Can I make with two cups of rice and then I have to add two cups of water? Because everybody wants some. I will add more chicken and spices. Can it be done with more rice? Thank you. You are great and I also made your ch korma and pork vindaloo. Awesome Ashleigh . Best
Gary Lettersson says
This is a wonderful dish and tastes great. Only question is: why soak the rice for 15-30 minutes? I believe this step is what is causing my rice to come out mushy (instead of fluffy).
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Gary, all brands of rice can behave differently so if you feel this way, please reduce the soak time! You can even just do a good rinse if you feel this is causing the rice to become mushy.
Christine says
I too have mushy rice, I reduced soak time to 10 minutes, still too soft, maybe need to reduce the water, I used thawed chicken thighs and I think that releases additional liquid.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Christine, the rice you use can make a huge difference – try the rice I link to in the ingredients list (Aahu Barah) – it always turns out excellent for me.
Atif says
Just tried this Biryani for the first time. Unlike a lot of other instant pot Biryani recipes, this one makes minimal amounts of work for maximum amount of flavor! My kids and wife loved eating it.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Atif, so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how much you and your family love this!
Rebecca Stephens says
Instant pot chicken biryani is DELICIOUS. although easy enough to make mid week I made it as a Saturday night treat. Boyfriend is super impressed. Lip smackingly good and really easy. Thank you for the recipe
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Rebecca, that’s awesome! I’m so glad you and your bf enjoyed this meal 🙂 Thanks for coming back to let me know how much you guys liked it!
Diana says
Next level delicious!
I doubled this recipe but kept getting the burn indication.
Next time I’ll put the trivet in before I add chicken rice and water. the space between the pot and the chicken will hopefully help with that.
Love your recipes
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Diana, I’m so glad you liked the biryani! And darn sorry to hear about the burn notice! Hopefully that doesn’t happen again.
Véronique Vidal says
So good, this is the end of Indian restaurants for me, your recipe is very easy to make, it was perfect for us the first time around. I thank heaven I found your blog.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Wow, that’s quite the compliment – thank you!! I’m so glad you found my blog too 🙂
Lydia says
Super yummy!! This recipe was super quick and tasted restaurant quality! It came out perfectly following the instructions.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Lydia, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how much you liked it 🙂
Nicole says
How do I give it a tad bit of spicy? Jalapeños? If so, how much and when do I add?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Nicole, you can add more cayenne if you’d like! You can also sauté green chilies along with onions to make it spicier too.
Dorothy Waddell says
I love your recipes I have convinced friends of mine that lentils can be delicious. Living in New Mexico it’s mostly Mexican foods here and Indian food is foreign to them.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
I’m so glad to hear that! Glad you’re sharing your love of lentils with others!
Amy Prussack says
OMG, absolutely delicious! Followed the recipe exactly except didn’t have any cashews. Definitely will make again!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Amy, I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Patsy Tomhave says
Amazing! Was so easy and this was only my first instant pot meal! Will definitely make this again!!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Patsy, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
katieonwhidbey says
How do you find the whole spices to remove them? Should they be in a cheesecloth bag?
Roslyn Turbitt says
Hi Ashley. I love your recipes. I cooked channa masala today. (One of my favourites) And wow was so flavourful. I’m so happy I came across your website. You make it all so easy to follow.
Thank you
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Roslyn, thank you for the kind words 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed the chana masala! Thanks for letting me know how you’re enjoying my blog!
Rune says
This was excellent- thank you! Not sure how many it was meant to serve, but here it was only 2. Had hoped for leftovers 😉
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Glad you liked it, Rune!
bahar says
i really love it , thank you Ashley
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
So glad to hear that! 🙂
Kishen says
Flavour is awesome but my chicken was moist but falling to bits (not much texture), could this be as I overcooked it while browning or or as the pieces were too small for this cooking time? Thanks
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Kishen, it could be that the pieces were small – you can always leave them larger and cut them yourself once it’s done if you prefer larger pieces.
Linda says
Tried it last night and it was lovely! If I double the quantity of chicken and rice should I also double all the spices? Don’t want to get it wrong as serving for a dinner party. Also do you think a few small tomatoes would be a safe addition x
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Linda, so glad to hear that! Yes, double all of the ingredients but keep the cook time the same. I think a few small tomatoes will be fine if you’d like to add them.
Judy says
Made this tonight… Delicious.
Wanted to add potatoes but not sure if I would need to add more water or anything else.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Judy, I’m so glad to hear that! And I’m sure it’d be good with potatoes, you don’t need to add more water.
Judy says
Thanks Ashley. The family likes potatoes in everything 🙂
Brittany says
I’ve never felt compelled to leave a review on a recipe but this was amazing. I love my instant pot and my family loves home cooked Indian food. This has such a great authentic taste. I doubled the recipe, used quality Indian spices, home grown cilantro…. SO GOOD. Off to buy your book now!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Brittany, I’m so glad you took the time to leave me a review – I really appreciate it 🙂 I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed the biryani!
Elane says
I have made a few of your recipes. they turn out really well. in fact they are lovely. why buy ready made sauces make from scratch more healthy. making this tonight. on the stove top. I don’t have a instant pot. I just adjust the times thing cooks.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Elane, that’s so nice to hear, thank you 🙂 Glad you’re enjoying my recipes!
Ana Echenique says
Hi can I freeze the raw chicken in its marinade to be cooked in the instant pot at a later date? Trying to make freezer meals.
Chrissy says
I am so excited to try this. My question is, can I double the recipe?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Chrissy, yes you can double it! Let me know what you think 🙂
Ruchi says
Five-star recipe!! Amazing flavor!! Restaurant quality!! This one’s going into regular rotation at our home, for sure 😉
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Ruchi! I’m so glad you like this recipe 🙂
Ash says
I often get ‘Burn’ notification while cooking this, do you think it helps if I pour water along the edges after putting rice, or just pour it from the top.
Rune says
Do you deglaze the bottom before adding the rice? I saw it burned a bit, so deglazed with a tiny bit of water and then added the rice and remaining water.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
If needed then yes, always deglaze if there is anything stuck at the bottom.
Karen says
This recipe is AWESOME!! I work later hours so this is lunch for me. I’m hoping this keeps well for 4 days and microwaves well!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Karen, I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how much you like this 🙂
Karen says
This recipe is AWESOME!! I work later hours so this is lunch for me. I’m hoping this keeps well for 4 days and microwaves well!
k
Noreen O’Loughlin says
Hi there. This is an amazing recipe I have made it a few times. I’m just wondering if I use a mixture of chicken breast and chicken legs (bone in) does the cooking time change
Bev says
Excellent recipe! This was my first attempt at making Indian food. I will be making it again for my daughter-in-love’s birthday on Sunday!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Bev, that’s awesome! I’m so glad you made an Indian recipe! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
S.C. says
Why does my rice come out mushy?
April says
Fantastic and so easy. Thank you so much for this new addition in our rotation.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
April, I’m so glad you like this recipe!
Nandini Ratnam says
I bought an Insta Pot a while ago and used it rarely but you have such great recipies and ever since I started joining your site I have started trying out all your recipies and find them very easy and they come out very well.Thank you!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Nandini, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you’re enjoying my recipes 🙂
Dave says
Fantastic recipe, so easy to do, I doubled the recipe and it worked fine, definitely a new family favourite
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thank you! I’m glad you liked it, Dave 🙂
Christina says
just adding to the chorus of compliments. but this was really amazing! I can see why it’s one of your top recipes here. easily the best Indian recipe I’ve made at home. even my child (who is not as big a fan of Indian food as we parents are) talked about how good it was. I found your blog at a good time because our nearest Indian restaurant closed down, AND I just got a new Instant Pot and have been looking for recipes in general. so I know I’ll be trying more from this site!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Christina, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you liked the chicken biryani 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of other recipes you try!
Shelly Cain says
I love this recipe! It’s so easy and so delicious!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Shelly, that’s great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you like this 🙂
Megan says
I made it with brown rice because we are a whole grain family. I use around 1 cup rice/1.75 cup water ratio and cook in the Instapot for 13-14 minutes. Personally I cut the salt in half and find that perfect. I love the toasted raisins and cashews and tend to put extra of them in. Yum!
Megha says
I wish I had seen your comment before… I felt it too salty too… water measurement was fine for me…
Reema Bhavnani says
Hi Ashley
How many people does this serve? If I double up the recipe does the cooking time double too?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Reema, I’d say it’ll serve 4 to 5. If you double the recipe, still keep the cook time the same. The IP will take longer to come to pressure if the pot has more in it, so no need to change the times for this recipe.
Judy says
Can this be made stove top ? Any particular steps for that.
Cam says
Hello, I may have missed this but how many people does this recipe serve?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi, it’ll serve 4 people.
Swagata says
Hi-
This recipe is always a crowd-pleaser, but I haven’t made it in some time. I can’t remember–
(1) Is is 1 cup of rice in a “regular’ measuring cup, or 1 cup in a “rice cooker” measuring cup, which is a little smaller, I think, and
(2) Do we use table salt, or Kosher salt?
Thanks!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Swagata, this recipe uses a standard US measuring cup – same goes for all recipes on this website. As for salt, you can always default to fine sea salt or table salt (both have comparable levels of sodium) unless I specifically mention a different type of salt (eg. black salt or kosher salt). Thanks for asking this question – I’m going to update my FAQ to include the information about salt!
Tanya says
Hi how do you find or separate the whole spices to remove before eating?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Tanya, most of the time I just remove it as I’m eating. I wrote a post about this if you’d like to take a look: https://myheartbeets.com/do-i-remove-whole-spices-before-serving-indian-food/
BP fun says
can I double up the batch? I want to feed a bunch of people and making twice the amount in the same instapot is something I want to do but don’t want to mess things up…….
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Yes, you can double this recipe – just double all of the ingredients but keep the cook time the same 🙂
Russ Adams says
This was delicious! I have travelled to South India many times but have struggled to find restaurants that prepare regional food back here in the U.S. A few more recipes like this and I won’t need to worry about that!
I do prefer using brown basmati though. How can I adjust this recipe to use it instead of white?
Thank you for the great recipes!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Russ, I’m so glad you liked it! I think brown basmati rice will work fine here – I’d adjust the cook time to 22 minutes and keep everything else the same. Since it calls for chicken thighs, the meat won’t overcook. Let me know how it goes! And let me know what you think of any other recipes you try 🙂
Megan says
I make it with Trader Joe’s brown jasmine and do 1 cup rice to 1.75 cup water. I cook for 13-14 minutes in the instant pot and it comes out nicely.
Gael says
Can you make this with Brown Basmati Rice?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Gael, I haven’t tried myself but don’t see why not 🙂
Randolph says
I just made this recipe for the 3rd or 4th time…losing track now, but my wife and I absolutely love it. Perfect times, ratios, and proportions.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Randolph, haha that’s awesome! Glad you’re starting to lose track 🙂 And happy to hear how much you and your wife love it!
Jainee says
I was named biryani disaster by my husband. I have tried so many ways to make biryani but failed continuously for 2 months. I took a break and tried your recipe last night. I couldn’t believe myself when I mixed the cooked biryani and tasted the 1st spoon – not burnt, not mushy, salt was perfect, spices perfect, ratio perfect!
Thanks a lot for taking the tag out, now I’m called the ip biryani queen 🤣
P.S. I added yougurt for marination and some coconut milk with water at the end to add some more flavor. Turned out excellent.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Jainee, I’m so glad I’ve helped you get rid of that terrible nickname, lol! Love the new one haha! Thanks for sharing this story with me lol – it was nice to read 🙂
Lig says
How would the cook time change if I wanted to double the recipe? And if I wanted to add more rice to chicken ratio should add more time to pressure cook?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Lig, you can double all of the ingredients and keep the cook time the same (the pot takes longer to reach pressure which makes up for the extra contents in the pot). I haven’t tried adjusting the ratios in this recipe – if you add more rice to chicken, I think that would be fine but may impact the overall flavor. I would still keep the cook time the same – just make sure to use equal amounts of rice and water.
Aj says
My husband and I have been using this recipe for a year now. We love it so much.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
That makes me so happy to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you both like this recipe 🙂
Mona says
Made this recipe today for my parents, can’t believe how simple this was. They absolutely loved the Biryani, they thought it was store bought! Thanks a bunch for this recipe
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Mona, that’s so great to hear! I’m glad you and your parents loved the biryani 🙂
Samantha says
So delicious ! Any suggestions on adding some veggies to this to make it a more well rounded meal?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Samantha! You can definitely add veggies to this if you’d like! I’m sure peas, corn, carrots or potatoes would be good. I typically serve a vegetable side or salad or cucumber or beet raita when I make biryani.
Rani Lohana says
Hello,
I want to make half recipe. So any suggestions how to go about it, the amount of water and cook time also change?
Tanya says
This is the first thing I attempted since getting an instantpot but gosh absolutely love it!!
So flavourful!! A must try 🙂
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Tanya, that’s so great to hear! I’m glad you loved this – thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you!
Renu Abbott says
Nice
Margo says
Fabulous recipe, Ashley! Made for the first time last night and I veganised it by using the Vegetarian Butcher What the Cluck chicken – 2 packs (UK product which is more like ‘thigh’ than ‘breast’ and works perfectly as a sub) and rapeseed oil instead of ghee. Absolutely delicious! I didn’t think I could like an Instant Pot Biryani more than your lamb one (which I also veganise with vegan lamb) but I think this one just tips the balance! Thank you for your wonderful recipes! x
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Margo! Great to know you were able to veganize it! I’m sure that’ll be helpful for other readers to see. Also, I got your other message and took care of it 🙂 Thanks again for the kind words!
Margo says
Thanks for that, Ashley – much appreciated! 🙂
Farah says
Hi! Love your recipes 🙂 I’ve purchased your cookbook as well.
I wanted to know if I could double the amount in the recipe in order to make it for more people or would I have to cook the biryani in the instapot two separate times?
Sorry in advance if this question has been asked already!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Farah! You can double this recipe – to do so, double all of the ingredients but keep the cook time the same. Let me know what you think if you try 🙂
Maire says
Hi Ashley! My fiancé and I love this recipe and make it ALL the time. What changes would I need to make in order to sub in brown basmati rice?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Maire, I’m so glad you guys love this recipe! I haven’t tried this with brown basmati rice but I think it’ll be great – I’d adjust the time to 22 minutes (unless you are using quick-cooking brown basmati which can be done in 6). Chicken thighs will be fine with the longer cook time.
Maire says
Thank you so much! I can’t wait to try more recipes from your cookbook.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hope you love everything you make!
Charlotte says
Love this recipe!! Wanted to make this again this weekend but realized we only have jasmine rice on hand. Have you tried/had success with this?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Charlotte! I haven’t tried this with jasmine rice but I’m sure it’ll still be good. Hopefully another reader can chime in if they’ve tried it that way.
Madhavi Kasu says
Hi Ashley for this recipe for 1 cup rice what would be the quantity for boneless chicken breast? Just got an insta pot and would love to try this recipe however I need to double it as I need to make 2 cups rice.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Madhavi, I haven’t tried this with chicken breast but I would use the same amount of chicken listed in my recipe. If you want to double the recipe, I would double all of the ingredients, including the chicken. Hope that helps!
Gem says
So good, definitely the best meal we’ve cooked in the instant pot
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Gem, that’s great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you liked this 🙂
Genevieve says
This was soooooo good. I used Jasmine rice and it was great. Such an amazing find!!!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
That’s so great to hear! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out with jasmine rice! 🙂
CB says
Love this recipe!
Was going to try to make it without rice in the dish to have options for folks wanting something more low carb, suggestions for instant pot without rice? Use less water?
Thanks!
C
Shilpi says
Skinny taste has a recipe for cauliflower rice biryani- check that out
Rachel says
This is delicious! It turned out perfectly, though I might reduce the garam masala a bit next time because it was a little too intense for my five-year-old. I threw in some leftover peas too. The whole family loved it, however, and the five-year-old still ate it and was excited that it had raisins and crunchy nuts in it.
Rachel says
Oh, and I used chicken drumsticks too, and that worked fine.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Rachel, I’m so glad everyone liked it! Glad your little one ate it too 🙂
David says
Step 11: “Discard the whole spices.”
Really? Did you REALLY mean to remove ALL of the items listed under Whole Spices?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
No, just the big ones (cardamom pods, whole cloves, bay leaf and cinnamon stick). A lot of people don’t realize you’re not supposed to eat those so I included that in the directions. Here’s a post I wrote about it: https://myheartbeets.com/do-i-remove-whole-spices-before-serving-indian-food/
Stefanie says
Love this recipe and have made it several times. Is it possible to double it? And would I need to change anything?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Stefanie, glad to hear that you like it so much! Yes, you can double it. Just double the ingredients but leave the cook time the same (the pot will take longer to reach pressure to account for the extra ingredients). Enjoy!
Kate says
Love this recipe! Would it be possible to make with hard boiled eggs for egg biryani? Any suggestions?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Kate! You can find my egg biryani here – it’s really easy and just as delicious!
Lucinda says
Thank you so much for sharing this!
I really enjoy biryani and while I love cooking and all the time that normally goes with it, with a chronic illness, sometimes I just don’t have the energy to do it.
I made this twice in two weeks and each time it was absolutely delicious! I save plenty of leftovers that became lunch and dinner for the rest of a week. I was unsure about the raisins, but they added so much flavor and a nice bit of sweetness. (And the second time I did the cashews and raisins, I sprinkled in some garam masala and extra cinnamon!)
This is definitely going into my book of recipes!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Lucinda, happy to hear that you like this biryani recipe! Thank you for letting me know how much you like this 🙂
Allison says
For someone who has been intimidated about attempting biryani for the longest time, this recipe is a gift! This recipe is so, so good. Your guidance is so helpful as well, following it exactly produced something that my partner and I enjoyed very much. Thank you!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Allison, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how much you like this recipe 🙂
Rinku Sharma says
Thank you Ashley! I’ve been pondering on this recipe for a while now & finally got down to making it today 🙂 Tripled the quantity overall & used bone-in chicken instead. Rice & Chicken were cooked to perfection & flavor was spot on!
The best part with your recipes (I’ve made others dishes too) is that they are tried and tested! No experiments what so ever as you have nailed down the cooking times & the flavors to a T 🙂 That’s huge when you are trying out a new dish or an alternate method to traditional dishes.
Keep the recipes coming & Good luck!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Rinku, I’m so glad you made it! Great to know it worked so well when tripled! And I’m happy to hear that you like my recipes – hope you’ll continue to let me know what you think of new recipes you try 🙂
Autumn says
Hands down better than the biryani I have had at any restaurant. I’ve tried so many times to make Indian dishes that taste as good as you get at a restaurant and I can never get the spices right. But this takes the cake, perfect every time. Will be trying the vindaloo next! SOOOOOO DELICIOUS.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Autumn, that’s so great to hear! Glad you like this biryani so much! Can’t wait to hear what you think of the vindaloo 🙂
Richard says
Excellent Biryani! The flavour is truly restaurant quality.
Thank you from a Locked Down United Kingdom
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Richard, I’m so glad you liked the biryani! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Kartina Beckmann says
Followed the instructions but I cooked with rice cooker and it turned out well and taste very yummy. (since I dont have the Insant Pot) . My husband loves the taste and he asked me to cook again next 2 days-
Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Kartina, I’m so glad you and your husband liked this! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out 🙂
Asifan says
What?! No tomato biriyani?? Hmmm must try this!
Supriya says
Can we use chicken drumsticks ? What will be modifications then ?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Supriya, I’m sure drumsticks will work – I’d be sure to remove the skin first. Let me know how it goes!
Rohit says
I at least make this once every two weeks for my family….absolutely amazing thank you for the beautiful recipe….
Here is thanks from jersey channel islands
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Rohit, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much your family likes this dish 🙂
Amol says
Amazing! This came out well the first time and is now a family favorite. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Amol, that’s awesome! So nice to hear, thank you for sharing 🙂
Dowd says
We made this today and it’s delicious. We used 1/8 teaspoon Berbere in place of 1/4t. Cayenne. Increased the garlic and ginger to a couple Tablespoons each. Marinated chicken thighs overnight in coconut milk and some spices. Used 1cup chicken stock vs. water. Rinsed rice until water was clear and soaked it 30 mins before using. Ours looked like pictures on this page — so the rice texture is not like the Hyderabadi biriyani we’ve had (this is more moist), but yummy.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Dowd, great to hear! Your modifications sound great, thanks for sharing!
Amy says
Hi can I substitute the whole spice with ground versions? I don’t cook much with these spices so only have grounded one in small quantities.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Amy, the flavor will change but if that’s all you have you can do it – I’m sure it’ll still be good.
Brit says
This is so delicious. I always make extra cashew and raisins because it tastes so good in this. My husband thinks “my recipe” is better than some local restaurants.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Brit, that’s great to hear! I’m so glad you and your hubby like the chicken biryani so much 🙂
Nivea says
I have made this biryani and the put and cook biryani ten times . Thought I should review . It’s fantabulous always I never add nuts … kids !!! And I rarely have mint . It’s still delicious
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Nivea, that’s so great to hear! Glad you like my biryani recipes so much – thanks for the review 🙂
Deepa Brown says
Hi, sorry if this has been asked before, but could you give me the recipe adjustments for this recipe using rotisserie chicken, please?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Deepa, I haven’t tried this with rotisserie chicken, but I think it’ll be fine to use with the same cook time. Let us know how it goes!
Priti Kapur says
Love this simple recepie of Chicken Biryani. Came out perfect in the first try.
Definitely going to make again.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Priti! Happy to hear that this turned out well for you. 🙂
Ujwala says
Hi! We love this recipe! Any idea how/if any adjustments need to be made if we want to make a double-batch?
Thanks!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Ujwala, happy to hear that! I would double the ingredients but keep the cook time the same. Hope that helps!
Cynthia says
Ashley, with this recipe, I went from “never made biriyani” to being called a “culinary goddess” by my neighbor who tried it. Thanks so much! It’s super easy.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Haha, that’s awesome! Happy to hear that it’s such a hit with you and your neighbor too! 🙂
Priyanka says
I honestly make this once every week and it’s such a hit! Even with my. 2&4 year old! So easy and delicious!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Priyanka, that’s so great to hear! I’m glad your little ones like this recipe 🙂
Meeta says
We loooove this recipe!! Omg how easy and flavorful! Even my 6 and 4 year old ate it up! I had some leftovers and they chose that for lunch over mac and cheese. What??? We omitted cashews because of food allergies. But omg so good!!!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Meeta, wow! Love that your kiddos chose this over mac and cheese – that is awesome! As a mom, I really appreciate you sharing that with me lol – sharing in your win haha. 🙂
Eda Birch says
This is an awesome recipe, so easy and delicious. And reheats extremely well for work lunches. Thanks Ashley
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Eda, happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how much you like this recipe 🙂
C says
Of all the things I miss during COVID is having people over and making them this delicious biryani. I’ve made it at least twenty times and even doubled the recipe in 6qt IP with ease. The chicken is always tender but with some give, rice is always perfectly good, the mint and cilantro wins over the pickiest eaters with the nice herbiness it adds to the punchy masalas, and if you’re lucky to have leftovers , it reheats very well! I always serve this with either labneh and dried mint powder (poor woman’s raita) or a cilantro mint yogurt dressing.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Love that you’ve made this so many times! Thank you for letting me know how much you like this recipe 🙂
Shaba says
This chicken biryani recipe has become a regular in our weekly meals. Easy and delicious!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Shaba, that’s so great to hear! I’m glad you like the biryani so much 🙂
Apurva says
Came out super mushy even though I soaked the rice for only 15 mins.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Apruva, I’m sorry to hear that. I know all brands of basmati can be a bit different, can I ask what brand you used? Maybe try this without soaking?
Arathy says
Awesome recipe! I have followed this recipe so many times and always came out really well.Love all your recipes!
My Heart Beets says
Arathy, I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how much you like this biryani!
Vidula says
Thanks so much Ashley! I didn’t feel so comfortable to make biryani before. But I followed your recipe in my new instant pot and guess what.. my family loved it and complimented that it is restaurant style! Really simple, easy, less time consuming, less mess and results are great!!! Thanks again 🤗
My Heart Beets says
Hi Vidula, I’m so glad you made it and that your family loved it! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Anjali says
Hi there! Gonna try tomorrow looks delicious. Had a question … have you marinated the chicken in yogurt prior to cooking? Any thoughts on doing this? Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Anjali, sorry for the late reply – how’d it turn out for you? I haven’t tried for this recipe, but have you seen my pour and cook biryani by chance? That one calls for yogurt: https://myheartbeets.com/instant-pot-pour-and-cook-chicken-biryani/
Suzanne says
Thank you for this recipe. I made it with jackfruit instead of chicken, added two cups of veggies, and added an extra 5 minutes for brown rice and it was absolutely delicious! So glad there is leftovers and this is my new favourite recipe! Thanks again 🥰
My Heart Beets says
Hi Suzanne, that sounds delicious – love that you used jackfruit! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Georgie Amin says
I’m a very technical chef. This turns out better than the chicken biriyani at Benares, a Michelin starred Indian restaurant in London. But what’s more surprising, I made this for my mother – because it actually beat our family recipes passed on for generations. We don’t normally use chicken, just lamb and mutton so it’s a different taste. We marinate the meat with yogurt. However this was extremely flavorful – my mum considered it the best chicken biryani she’s ever had. I have to congratulate whoever wrote this, please get in touch I would like your input as I may be writing a cookbook.
What’s interesting is I read many recipes before coming across this one. Not over cooking the chicken and Steaming rice for just 5 minutes is perfect, and that’s what makes it. What I find fascinating is no one else came out with this.
My Heart Beets says
Wow, thank you so much for the kind words! I appreciate you taking the time to leave this comment 🙂
Charlotte says
Great article. I enjoyed reading it and I learned a lot of tips.
Alice Brown says
Hi Ashley,
I am going to make this for dinner tonight. Can I make it with Jasmin rice and do I need to make any changes if I use it?
Alice
My Heart Beets says
Hi Alice, I’m sorry for the late reply! I think jasmine rice should be fine as a sub for basmati – did you try? How’d it go?
Michelle says
This was my 3rd IP recipe tried and was a HUGE success, thank you!!!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Michelle, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how the biryani turned out for you 🙂
Cooking on the Creek says
I followed this recipe exactly (well with Star Anise as opposed to Fennel) and it was absolutely perfect. I cannot believe how simple and quick it was to achieve such flavorful and perfectly moistened chicken biryani. I will be making this again and again, and I cant wait to try more of your recipes. THANK YOU!!
My Heart Beets says
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂 Let me know what you think of any other recipes you try!
Shruti says
This was so good!! I was nervous because I had never made biryani before, but it’s definitely going to become a regular recipe in our house now. Thanks Ashley — excited to check out your other recipes!
My Heart Beets says
Shruti, I’m so happy to hear that! I’m glad you made it 🙂 Let me know what you think of any other recipes you try from the blog!
Ani says
Hi Ashley my family enjoyed this recipe. It turned out to be very flavorful.
It was a quick and simple way of making biryani. Thanks for sharing!
My Heart Beets says
Ani, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how the biryani turned out 🙂
Marushka says
Hi, if I want to add potatoes at what stage should I add? What size?
My Heart Beets says
You can add them on top of the rice – I would use whole potatoes. You can always break them up at the end. Let me know how it goes!
Neil says
this was insanely good. I used more cayenne (about 1 tsp) to add a little heat. otherwise the spice level was perfect and chicken was cooked really well. will definitely make again!
My Heart Beets says
Neil, I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know how the chicken biryani turned out for you 🙂
Nalini Raj says
This is a terrific recipe! I’m new to the Instant Pot and thought I’d make a biriyani. After looking at different recipes and reviews, I thought I’d try this one. Since our Family likes more rice to meat ratio, I used a little less than two pounds of chicken thighs and two cups of rice. I doubled the spices and masalas. As we like tomato in our Biriyani, I added six table spoons of crushed tomato to the chicken onion mix before adding the rice. (The kind that comes in bottles near the pasta section in stores). I sauteed the chicken about 10-12 minutes adding a couple of table spoons of water to help it cook well. Then I added the rice and two cups of water. Pressure cooked for 7 minutes on high and let it naturally release pressure for 12 minutes. I then did quick release, mixed everything and added saffron strands soaked in couple of table spoons of water and added this to the mix. Was perfect!!!!! Thank you so much Ashley for doing all the hard work of finding the perfect blends so that it makes it easy for the rest of us. I just ordered your book too.
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Nalini! I’m so glad you tried and liked my recipe 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of other recipes that you try from my site!
Noel says
I just made 2lbs with 3 cups rice and 3 cups water.. came out good. Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Noel, that’s great to hear! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hazel says
Hi! If I add more chicken to make it 2 pounds but keep the rice the same, how much water should I use?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Hazel, I would keep the amount of water listed the same. If anything, the chicken might release a bit of additional water – but I think increasing it to 2 pounds won’t make much of a difference. Let me know how it goes!
Priya says
Hi Ashley
Can you make this with drumstick? If so, would the time change
Divya says
Doubled and followed to the T. Turned out great. Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Divya, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Monica says
First recipe I tried from here, absolutely delicious. My husband like it more than the restaurant’s.
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Monica! I’m really glad you and your husband liked the biryani 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out – and please let me know if you try any other recipes from my site!
Giselle says
Hi Ashley,
I would love to try this recipe but all I have (in chicken) right now is a whole young chicken. Will the cooking time change if I use that and if so by how much?
Thanks so much for your recipe and help,
Giselle
Cath says
First time to cook Indian Food so I don’t have much of the ingredients. Can omit Cardamom Pods, Whole Cloves, Cinnamon Sticks, Fennel and Cumin Seeds? Can I replace Cinnamon sticks with cinnamon powder? Can I also replace basmati rice to a regular rice?
Mamta says
Turned out yummy thanks for super easy recipe .
My Heart Beets says
Mamta, so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Alice says
TOO delicious! I’ve made it SO many times the last few weeks. I crave it every week. Thank you VERY much!
My Heart Beets says
Alice, really happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how much you like the biryani! 🙂
Jenny says
I love this recipe! It has become a new staple in our home! At first I gave my children a different entree, but after my husband and I eating it a couple of times and talking about how good it is, and the delicious smell of the spices, they told me they would rather eat chicken biryani with us.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Jenny, that is so awesome! I love that your kids are now eating this with you – as a mom, that makes me really happy lol. Thank you for sharing this with me 🙂 I hope you’ll let me know if you try any other recipes!
Sangeetha says
Very flavorful biryani and super easy to make. One change I made was to substitute chicken broth for water. But everything else was spot on – from the spice level to the cooking directions. Thank you for this recipe!
My Heart Beets says
Sangeetha, that’s so great to hear – thank you so much for leaving this review! 🙂
Farha Nisha says
How much is one cup basmati rice for you? Im just wondering if measurements are different where u are based? 1 cup would definitely not serve 4 or 5 people for us.
Gabriel says
Fantastic and delicious
My Heart Beets says
Gabriel, I’m so glad you liked the biryani! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Mukti V Patel says
This was sooo amazing!! It tasted awesome and was so easy to make! We actually skipped the cashews and raisins but it still tasted so good!
My Heart Beets says
Mukti, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how the biryani turned out for you 🙂
J says
I tried this recipe out for the first time last night. Didn’t have some of the whole spices so had to improvise and was cooking the meal with boneless chicken breasts. I did marinate the chicken ahead of time to ensure it was tender and cooked 2.5 lbs of chicken with 2 cups of rice and almost doubled the spices across the board. The flavor this meal had was amazing. I have tried biryani many times in my life at restaurants, friends gatherings and so on, but this recipe allows me to get that same authentic flavor from the comfort of my own home. Awesome recipe + great directions = Major food coma! 🙂
My Heart Beets says
I’m really glad you made and liked the biryani! 🙂
Maya Aras says
Everyone in my family now makes Chicken Biryani with this recipe. It’s amazing and much less time consuming then any other method. My 8 year old twin boys say it’s their favorite food and ask for it all the time. Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Maya, that’s so awesome to hear! I’m so glad your boys like this so much 🙂
Sally says
I made this today and instead of having nice dry rice, it was kind of mushy. That was kind of disappointing
Anitha says
Hi there,
I just tried this recipe- I can’t eat meat but I cook for my family, so I tried the measurements mentioned in this recipe and it turned out great. Thank you
My Heart Beets says
Anitha, I’m glad it turned out great! 🙂
Uma Daswani says
I don’t have an instapot, can I make this in the oven and how long?
Sue says
Wow – delish!
Doubled the cayenne and GM for more spice!
No need to go to restaurant.
My Heart Beets says
Sue, so glad you liked the biryani 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Mariyam says
Doubled the recipe and came out really well. The rice was a little soggier than I’d like but nothing major. I found that the rice had plenty of favour, but the actual meat pieces not as much.
Tip: for an extra punch with the garnishing, try sautéing some onions in ghee until nice and brown. Sprinkle this on top of the biriyani with the other garnishing before serving. Adds a wonderful flavour.
Foodiegal says
Hi Ashley
Have made many of your recipes before – including kneed and gajar halwa – Tried this for the first time today, and it was perfect! I used the exact proportions as per your recipe – though felt for our family of 4 we could have done with a little bit more rice. Could we use 1.5 cups of rice (and 1.5 cups of water) while keeping the chicken quantity same (1.5 lbs)?
My Heart Beets says
I’m so glad to hear that you liked it 🙂 Yes you can do that – though you may want to add more spice to make up for the extra rice.
Carlie says
Yum! We make this biryani often in our house. It is so delicious and easy to make! The consistency is perfect in the instant pot, and in no time at all. I can’t recommend this recipe enough! It’s perfect!
My Heart Beets says
Carlie, I’m so glad you like the biryani so much! Thank you for leaving me such nice reviews – happy to see you’re making so many recipes!
Lucy Mars says
So delicious and so easy. An hour start to finish, including soaking the rice!
I used frozen onions so everything was from the freezer or the store cupboard. Perfect for these days of social isolating.
Really delicious. It will definitely become a regular in this house. 😋
My Heart Beets says
Lucy, good to know it worked well with frozen onions! I’m really glad you liked it – thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂 Hope you are staying well during this crazy time.
Nim says
Don’t have much to say other than “I’m floored”
First attempt at Biryani, and never looking at another recipe again!!! Turned out amazing!
My Heart Beets says
Nim, that’s so awesome to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you like the biryani 🙂
Peter says
D…. when/if you saute the potatoes, onions and chicken before making the Biryani if there is anyything stuck to the bottom of the pot, the burn message will come on.
Megan sure you can increase the rice and not the chicken. But then there won’t be much chicken to go around.
The water addition has to be followed strictly. And the time has to be the same.
I have tried what I am suggesting and it worked. ” My heart beets” please comment and thanks for your site I regularly consult your sitie for ideas
My Heart Beets says
Peter, glad you like my website 🙂
Prashant says
You my dear, are our culinary god mother. Our kids love the Indian dishes dished out by their father and I beleive my rating in their books has also appreciated quite a bit because of your recipes!!
God bless and keep making souls happy.
Cheers
My Heart Beets says
Hi Prashant, that’s so nice of you to say! I’m so happy your kids are enjoying the dishes 🙂 Thank you for the kind words!
Pete says
I’m not sure if you did get my message questioning about the 6 minutes setting, for the rice/pulao.
I have to bow out from discussing that further, as your set time is correct. (and tested by you for sure)
I did however switch the whole recipe to make it a Tomato Rice dish. And it turned out great.
I didn’t use any whole spices but instead used only the ground spices. 1 cup of chopped tomatoes. 1 cup basmati rice. Some red chili/garlic paste, one or two table-spoons depending. And some tomato ketchup. I did also add a cup of frozen peas. For the rest follow Ashley’s recipe.
I do love this site, got to it, by chance But this will become one of my most favourite recipe sites.
Thanks again
My Heart Beets says
Hi Pete! Your tomato rice sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing! Happy to hear you like my site 🙂
Pete says
I am a little concerned about your 6 minutes timing for the Biryani.
I will be visiting your site, more often….it looks like and got to your site just by chance.
I haven’t yet tried your recipe, I must confess.
Ash says
Hi Ashley, I just made this and it turned out very nice! My husband said it’s even better than the takeout biriyani we get every week. Thank you for this awesome easy-to-follow recipe.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Ash! That’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you and your husband liked this biryani 🙂
Neetu says
Hi Ashley, I tried this recipe with drumsticks and didn’t mix rice however, my rice on the surface was uncooked. How do I fix this?
Megan says
Is it possible to double the rice but leave the amount of chicken the same ?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Megan, you can double the rice and water – just know you may need to adjust the spices as well.
Megan says
Hi!
Would it be possible to double the rice but not double the amount of chicken?
D says
We love this recipe. However when we tried to add a potato, we kept getting the burn message. How should we adjust the time and water if we’d like to add potatoes?
James says
This recipe has the perfect profile and reminds me of my childhood, I make it all the time and in fat I ws given your recipe book for Christmas. This may seem like an odd question…. I have friends who love this dish but don’t have a insta pot. Can it be cooked without pressure and if so what adjustments would I have to make.
Shainaz says
Hi. Might be a stupid question however after adding chicken how much water do we add to rice or no water. Not sure as it does not mention. Please let me know. Everything is ready just not here on water portion
Thanks
My Heart Beets says
Hi, you’ll want to add the amount of water listed in the recipe card which is 1 cup 🙂
Vj says
Hi – if I substituted brown basmati rice, with white basmati rice, how should I adjust the recipe?
My Heart Beets says
Brown basmati takes 22 mins – I think chicken thighs will be fine with that amount of time. Let me know how it goes!
Naomi says
I’ve made this before and loved it so plan on making it for my friends this week. Can I leave it to NPR and stay on keep warm for a while or does it have to be opened and served after the 10 mins as per the recipe states?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Naomi, I wouldn’t let it sit on NPR as it may result in overcooked/mushy rice — I would remove it from the pot and then just re-heat it before your guests arrive. If you plan on making it just prior to their arrival, I’d cook it, give it a good mix and then keep it on warm with the lid off. Hope everyone loves it!
Naomi says
Thanks for replying so quickly. I did as you suggested and cooked it just before they were arriving, they all turned up early anyway so it didn’t end up sitting for too long! Went down very well with everyone.
My Heart Beets says
Naomi, happy to hear that! 🙂
Purnima Moni says
I have always loved biryani but never knew how to cook a good one.
Now it’s a signature dish for all gatherings and everyone ends up loving it:)))))
THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS!!!!!!!
My Heart Beets says
Purnima, I’m so happy to hear that you like this biryani so much! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Eugene Lee says
Hi Ashley,
For this chicken biryani, is the biryani rice to water ratio the same or just 1 cup water even when I have 2 cup biryani rice ?
Getting ready to try it tomorrow.
Thank you
My Heart Beets says
Hi Eugene, keep the ratio the same 🙂 so 2 cups rice will need 2 cups water. If you want to double the recipe you’ll need to double all of the ingredients including water – but keep the cook time the same. Hope that helps!
Lisa says
I have only had chicken biryani at our favourite restaurant Indian Thai fusion restaurant but that is over an hour away. I just got my instant pot a couple of weeks ago and have never made a biryani or any Indian food before. Turned out AMAZING restaurant quality awesome, made some cucumber and mint raita and had naan. My 13 year old son who refused to try it in the restaurant tried it and loved it (made me set him a container aside minus the cashews) everyone came back for seconds. Great recipe Thank you so very much!!!!
My Heart Beets says
Lisa, I’m so glad that you made and liked this! And that’s awesome that your 13-year-old son loved it so much!! Thank you for letting me know how this turned out 🙂
Linda says
I am going to make this recipe and had a few questions. Can it be made without raisins? Can ground cardamom be used instead of cardamom pods? Can I use regular ground cinnamon instead of cinnamon sticks?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Linda, you can definitely omit the raisins and I think the dish will still be good if you use a pinch of ground cardamom and ground cinnamon instead of whole spices. Let me know how it goes!
Gaya says
Love this recipe! So easy and delicious! Thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks Gaya! Really happy to hear that you like the biryani so much 🙂
Maria says
I made this a few weeks back and it was amazing. I was wondering what would happen if I were to double this recipe with a whole, cut up 3lb chicken. With double the ingredients and a bone in, whole chicken Should I change the cooking time? Thanks.
My Heart Beets says
Maria, I haven’t tried this but I’ve heard from others who have successfully used bone-in chicken with the same timings. I would cut the chicken into small pieces and still sauté the meat in step 5 until no longer pink. Please let me know how this goes if you try!
Reenu says
This was delicious! I would like to try to make this with bone-in chicken. Do you have a suggested time to cook? The only time I saw was sautee for 10 minutes from another review. Thank you in advance!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks Reenu! I haven’t tried this with bone-in chicken but I’ve heard that it works fine with the same cook time – I would be sure to sauté the meat until no longer pink as mentioned in step 5. Let me know how it goes!
Rachel says
This is my new favorite instant pot recipe!
Would the recipe or cooking time need to be adjusted if you wanted to add a few potatoes?
Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Rachel, that’s so great to hear! You can definitely add potatoes – I do this when I make veggie biryani. I’d just suggest leaving them in larger chunks or halves (once cooked, you can easily cut them smaller and mix them in if you’d like).
Sandy Varghese says
If I use brown basmati rice, will I change the water ratio?
My Heart Beets says
Sandy, I think I would keep it the same. Normally for brown basmati, I do 1 cup rice to 1¼ cups water but I think the chicken will release enough water in this and I wouldn’t want it to become too watery… let me know how it goes!
ST says
Hi Ashley, I tried this recipe today and it turned out to be amazing. Thank you!
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. Thanks a ton!
My Heart Beets says
That’s so great to hear!! Thank you 🙂 Hope you had a wonderful Christmas too!
Sheena Tan says
Hello,
How many portions does this serve? 1 cup of rice seems very small.
My Heart Beets says
Depends on what else you serve/how much you usually eat – maybe 3-4 people? Feel free to double the recipe!
Amritha says
Hi Ashley,
I tried this biryani over the weekend and it was delicious! Thank you.
Is it possible to double this recipe – do we simply double all the ingredients?
Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Amritha, yes you can double the recipe – just double all of the ingredients but keep the cook time the same 🙂
Mehnaz Ahmed says
Hi Ashley,
I just got the instant pot and this was the first ever recipe i tried. It was just amazing!! The best biriyani i have ever made so far. I doubled the recipe and used chicken with bones. Thank you very much for such an amazing recipe. Will surely try your other recipes.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Mehnaz, that is so great to hear! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of any other recipes that you try!
Ambili says
OMG i love this recipe. it was SO DAMN GOOD. i actually got emotional because it tasted like my moms food. i cried. i legit cried. i think the only thing i was confused about was after the sautee option i didnt know which cooking setting to put it on. i just put it on right, high pressure for 12 mins.
My Heart Beets says
Ambili, I am so glad you liked it 🙂 The setting will depend on your instant pot model but it should either be “manual” or “pressure cook.” Also, if you double the recipe you just need to double the ingredients and leave the cook time the same (based on your comment I assume you doubled the cook time as well which isn’t necessary). Glad you enjoyed it!
Susan says
Thank you Ashley for this recipe. Everyone in my household loved it. Easy to make and I doubled the quantity. It was perfect.
My Heart Beets says
Thanks Susan! I’m so happy to hear that you and your family loved it! 🙂
Simona says
Followed the instructions and turned out lovely. I didn’t have golden raisins, used chopped dates instead. Didn’t have coriander and mint, used parsley.
My Heart Beets says
Simona, so glad you liked it! love that you improvised with dates, yum!
Anu says
Hi Ashley, just discovered your blog and loving the Indian instant pot recipes which make weeknight dinners a lot easier for this working mama! Actually tried this one this weekend and it was a hit with the hubby and FIL =) All I changed was sprinkling a little store bought biryani masala on the chicken prior to sauteeing. I noticed some of the rice on the top was a little under but the majority was cooked/a little overcooked. Do you make sure all of the rice is under water prior to sealing? Overall, amazing recipe!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Anu, I’m so glad you found my blog! Thanks for letting me know how this biryani turned out for your fam 🙂 I don’t make it a point to push it all under water or anything (there’s a video in the post if you want to check that out) and the rice that’s not in the liquid still cooks fine in the steam but that said if you are finding that it’s not cooking the rice evenly then I’d suggest trying it all under water. I’m really sorry that happened!
Anu says
Please don’t say sorry…I was just curious if there’s a trick I didn’t know about for the rice. Thanks for the awesome recipe!!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks Anu 🙂
Andrea says
wow this recipe is so delicious and easy!! Thank you so much for sharing
My Heart Beets says
Andrea, I’m so happy to hear that you made and liked this biryani! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Yvonne says
This was amazing even though I made it slimming world friendly. Only thing I would change is to double the recipe!!
My Heart Beets says
Happy to hear that! 🙂
Drew Peacock says
I just use the cooking times from this, (6 min pressure, 10 min natural release) and a store bought spice packet for the dry spices (cause I am lazy), peanut oil, and my own blend of vegetables to make it vegan and it comes out perfect too.
My Heart Beets says
Nice! Thanks for sharing, Drew.
Raabia Hassanali says
I made your chicken biryani today but adapted it to include the vegetables from your vegetable biryani that I made last week. It was delicious thank you Ashley! I look forward to trying out more of your recipes!
My Heart Beets says
Raabia, that’s awesome! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you!
Seow Chong Ong says
Can I ask if ghee can be replaced with sth else?
My Heart Beets says
Sure! You can use any fat – oil works too!
Dhara says
What’s the best way to reheat this dish? I just made it and love love love it. Thanks
My Heart Beets says
I usually use the microwave but you can also reheat it on the stovetop 🙂 I’ve used the warm setting on the IP before too, but if you do that you’ll need to stir it often so that it doesn’t burn at the bottom.
Dhara says
I ended up using the steam feature and it was wonderful. Thanks
My Heart Beets says
Dhara, that’s great!
Swaroop says
Tried this one this weekend. Thank you for sharing!
My Heart Beets says
That’s so great to hear! Thank you for letting me know how the biryani turned out for you 🙂
Priya says
Hi Ashley,
This is a great recipe but couple of questions.. Every time I have made it which I usually double the recipe the rice get a little too mushy even if I add a lil less water since the chicken has a lot water on it’s own.. I’m wondering is it possible to maybe either do less time on high pressure or less time NPR or doing low pressure instead of high pressure to make the rice less over cooked. Taste is excellent !
My Heart Beets says
Hi Priya! Just want to be sure, you’re keeping the cook time the same, right?
Sue Olson says
Made this the other night and it was wonderful!! Still have ginger, cilantro and mint to use up, so I’m going to make it again! 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Sue, that’s so great to hear! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Praveen says
Hi great recipe ! Unfortunately, when I make biryani using the instant pot, the rice is moist with gravy/mushy and I can’t continue cooking (to “dry” the rice) because the bottom layer of rice gets burnt (indicated by the food burn message on the instant pot). Any tips? Really confused sine I’m not sure if I’m adding too much water ( rice is mushy) or too little (burnt layer of rice at the bottom )
My Heart Beets says
Hi Praveen, what kind of rice are you using? Perhaps it’s the brand? I link to my favorite brand in the post (not sponsored or anything – I just really like it) if you want to give that a try – it always comes out perfectly using that rice. You can also try asking in my FB group to see what brands others use that also work well.
DT says
Hi Ashley,
Love your book, and love the recipes. Your book has introduced Indian food to my kids ! Quick question – o have made the biryani with much success many times before. I am trying to make it again for a party. Would ‘doubling’ All the ingredients Make 2x the biryani ? Or do you recommend going through the whole thing twice so I can have enough quantity ? Thanks.
My Heart Beets says
Hi DT, thank you! So sorry I’m just now seeing this but yes, doubling the ingredients will double the recipe and you can do that all at once rather than making it two separate times. Keep the cook time the same – the instant pot will just take longer to reach pressure due to there being more in the pot.
Garineh says
Hi!
I made your veggie biryani and was absolutely amazed at how good it was! What would you suggest changing (if anything) if I wanted to make a chicken + vegetable biryani in 1 pot? Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Thank you for sharing,
My Heart Beets says
Garineh, I’m so happy to hear that! I think it’ll be fine if you want to just add veggies to this, you may need to adjust the spices at the end though if you feel it needs more flavor. Let me know how it goes!
Lekha says
I will admit that I would read your recipe posts and reviews but never tried them. When I saw your sambar recipe I remember going back to compare with another Mallu blogger and followed their coconut fried into sambar recipe instead.. all this to say that I was a skeptic.
I tried this biriyani recipe because I didn’t have time to marinate the chicken and it doesn’t use dairy. Me and my family are blown away by the taste and I still can’t get over how easy it is! This is definitely a keeper and I am definitely a convert. Will be trying out your sambar recipe next 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Lekha, I’m so happy to hear that you and your family liked the biryani so much! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂 Looking forward to hearing what you think of my sambar!
Priya says
Thank you so much for sharing your delicious Chicken Biryani recipe, Ashley! The spices are perfect and my family is always so happy when I make this for dinner. The wonderful aroma that your dish has brings everyone to the table with a smile and it’s so tasty and authentic. I will be trying out more of the dishes in your book soon. Thank you so much for making something that could be difficult to make into something very manageable – you are the best!
My Heart Beets says
Priya, I’m so happy to hear that you like this biryani recipe so much! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Patricia says
I love this recipe- it’s a regular meal in my house! If I want to make it with a cup of brown basmati instead of what’s- how much water and how long do I cook in the Instant Pot? Thanks so much!
My Heart Beets says
Patricia, so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how the chicken biryani turned out for you 🙂 I think brown basmati will be fine since this calls for chicken thighs – you can follow the times for this recipe: https://myheartbeets.com/instant-pot-brown-rice-biryani-beef-lamb/
Diya says
Hi! Any reason chicken thighs are preferable over breasts? My husband always feels the quality of the breast meat is better but I’ve never been sure
My Heart Beets says
Hi Diya! I prefer chicken thighs because they stay juicy! I find that chicken breast tends to get dry – but it’s up to you 🙂 I always buy organic and find the quality to be great!
Sanj says
Hi there! Can I use bone-in chicken instead of boneless? If do, do you know if that will impact cooking time? Thank you!
Rox says
Can I hug your face? YOU are brilliant, and this recipe is beyond delicious. It is a true talent to be able to make a complex dish, like biryani, in an instapot but somehow you have mastered it. Thank you for sharing it with us. I omitted the raisins and cashews only due to our own taste preference. I added very hot red chili powder instead of cayenne, and 1/2 the amount. Seriously, THANK YOU! Your recipes make my life easier and couldn’t be more tasty!
My Heart Beets says
Rox, LOL! You are too kind haha. Thank you for letting me know how much you like my chicken biryani recipe!! 🙂
M says
I’m itching to try this! Do you think I can make it in a 3 qt IP? Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Hi! I don’t have a 3 quart so I can’t say for sure – this might be a good question to ask in my facebook group (instant pot for Indian food). Please lmk if you try!
Jenny says
I made it tonight in a 3 quart IP, and it came out great! One thing to note is that it did take a little longer to sauté the onions and chicken, but that makes sense since there’s less surface area in the smaller pot. I kept the pressure cooking time and the measurements for the ingredients as indicated in the recipe above with a wonderful result!
My Heart Beets says
Jenny, great to know that this worked well in a 3 quart! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Joe says
Ashley – all your recipes that we’ve tried are amazingly good, but this one has become my go-to recipe when we have guests. It’s that good!
Thank you for sharing and making it so easy to eat these wonderful flavors!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Joe! Thank you for the kind words! I’m so happy to hear that you like this biryani so much 🙂
MM says
I’ve tried this recipe and it’s great! However, when I use two cups of rice (and 2 cups of water, it burns). Also, I would like to make the biryani that is potato, tomatoes, and yogurt, but that sticks too. Any ideas? Thank you!
Vel says
We loved this recipe. It’s super awesome!!! I use chicken with bone so I sauted them for 10 and they were juicy and spiced well even without marination. Thank you Ashley!! This is a keeper recipe!!! 😊 My kid and DH loved it…
My Heart Beets says
Vel, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you and your fam!!
Carie says
Love this biryani! I’d made several times now, and each time it’s a crowd pleaser. Brings me back to my years spent in Kerala—minus the long hours over the fire! What would be the cooking time in making in a stovetop pressure cooker? I want to share this with a friend in India, and she doesn’t have an electric one. Thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks Carie! I haven’t tried making this in a stovetop pressure cooker so I’m not sure but hopefully someone else will be able to chime in!
Rani Thapar says
Oops…forgot to mention…I have an 8 Qt, – does it matter for this recipe?
Rani Thapar says
Hi…I’m totally new to instant pot, so please excuse the really basic questions. I’ve heard alot of great things about your site and am anxious to try your recipes. For the chicken biryani…Step 9, says to close the pressure valve – is this aka the steam release? (in other words am I moving this to seal?). Step 2 says to press the saute button…in step 9, do press the manual to pressure buttton? after sealing, do I need to press another button (i.e. manual or pressure) before I enter the time?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Rani! I’m so glad you’ve heard great things about my site 🙂 There the steam release valve on the top of the lid – you want to make sure that’s properly closed so that steam doesn’t escape – so yes, move it to seal. And yes, use the manual button 🙂 I don’t list actual buttons in my recipes because the button labels can vary depending on what model instant pot you have — some models say “manual” and some say “pressure cook” but they are the same thing. You’ll need to adjust the up/down arrows to set the time. I suggest watching a few youtube videos on your particular model since all models are a bit different. I hope that helps! Can’t wait to hear what you think of my recipes 🙂
Basia Simone says
How am I supposed to take out the whole spices?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Basia, I get this question a lot – here’s a post I wrote about removing whole spices: https://myheartbeets.com/do-i-remove-whole-spices-before-serving-indian-food/
Jennifer says
This really is an amazing recipe. I couldn’t stop eating it! I used slivered almonds because I didn’t have any cashews, and they gave it a nice crispy texture. Looking forward to trying your other recipes!
My Heart Beets says
Jennifer, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂 Lmk what you think of any other recipes you try from my blog!
Mary-Ann says
Just made this recipe from the book, and was blown away! It is so delicious. Even better than my local Indian restaurant. Thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Mary-Ann, hooray! I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you for letting me know how the chicken biryani turned out for you 🙂
Andrea says
This recipe is amazing! I made this for my husband and he said that it was the best biryani that he has ever tasted (and we order biryani all the time at Indian restaurants)!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks Andrea! I’m so happy to hear that you and your hubby liked the chicken biryani so much!! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you guys 🙂
Cathy says
Hi, I am relatively new to Instant Pot cooking, but have made Chicken Briyani the old-fashioned way. As you say, lots of steps and lots of dirty dishes. Wow, my husband, who’s the Indian of our twosome, says it’s fantastic and I am so pleased with the results as well. The taste is perfect. Just one question, the rice was just a little bit sticky, more than I was expecting, or used to. I did use the exact amount of water in the recipe, but had a bit more chicken, as the package was larger than the 1.5lbs, probably just over 2lbs. Would this cause the stickiness, or should I cut back on the water a little? Interested in your thoughts. I must say even with sticky rice, I will be happy to eat this again soon.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Cathy, I’m so glad you liked the biryani! I’m not sure why the rice turned out sticky – a little extra chicken shouldn’t make too much of a difference. If you can though, I highly recommend the brand of basmati rice that I link to in the post – it always turns out perfect for me!
Ash says
My Favourite! Loved it 🙂 Can you please upload the recipe of risotto in IP
My Heart Beets says
I’m so happy to hear that! I’ll add risotto to my list 🙂
SVA says
Loved this biryani. The taste was sooooo good. Never ordering chicken biryani again. Making it again this weekend!
My Heart Beets says
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how the biryani turned out for you 🙂
Anar says
I tried making the chicken biryani with chicken drumsticks and it came out really well. Thanks so much for this recipe.
My Heart Beets says
Anar, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how the biryani turned out for you using drumsticks 🙂
Poonam says
Thanks for the recipe. Everyone in my house loves biryani and this came out perfect and delicious. I made a small change. I ground spinach, cilantro and mint in a mixer with little water and added to the chicken. It took me 4months to open the Instant Pot as I wasn’t sure if I can give up my traditional pressure cooker but I am glad I did.
My Heart Beets says
Poonam, I’m so happy to hear that! Glad you’re an instant pot fan now – you’ll have to tell me if you try any more of my recipes!
Niki says
Hi there!
I am not able to find the video to this recipe. It takes me back to this site. Could you upload the video again?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Niki! It’s in the post and working for me, do you mind checking again?
Matt says
Great recipe! Definitely making this one again. My 2 year old son also liked it!
My Heart Beets says
Matt, I’m so happy to hear that you and especially your toddler liked this recipe!! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out 🙂
Tanu says
Thank you for this wonderful yummy recipe. This was my first read of your recipe and i tried it. My family and I love it. I do have one question if i want to add more rice to this recipe, how would my masala proportion change.. say for 2 pounds chicken and 3 cups of rice? TIA
My Heart Beets says
If you want to make more biryani you can just double/triple the recipe but keep the cook time the same – I have doubled the recipe but haven’t tried tripling it in my 6 quart so not sure if that will fit! I typically use equal amounts of water + rice but again haven’t tried it differently than what I’ve tested/written in my recipe. Let us know how it goes if you change it up!
Roz says
This was so great! I always make modifications to the recipes I find online (mostly adding lots of extra spice), but I didn’t with this one, and it was perfect! Definitely making again, thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Roz, I’m so happy to hear that you liked the chicken biryani! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Ben K. says
Best thing I’ve made in my IP so far. Told friends about it and several of them have already made it multiple times. Thanks, Ashley!
My Heart Beets says
Ben, I’m so happy to hear that you like this biryani so much! Thank you for telling your friends about it 🙂
Gargi says
Hi Ashley,
I tried two of your biryani recipes- keema biryani and chicken biryani. I followed the recipe word by word but somehow the rice remains uncooked. I add more water and pressure cook a bit more but the rice still remains dry and uncooked whereas the bottom burns. What am I doing wrong? It tastes amazing and but the texture is all wrong. *sigh*
My Heart Beets says
Gargi, have you made sure the seal is on the lid properly? And that the valve is closed? If the valve isn’t properly closed, it could be that the water is escaping in the form of steam – sounds like that might be the case?
Cathy says
I don’t have a pressure cooker. I do have a very heavy and big cast iron pot with a ceramic interior. Can you suggest how I could use this instead please?
Rob says
This looks delicious, but I laughed out loud at the “10 minutes of prep time.” Now THAT is a video I’d like to see!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks Rob! There’s a video in the post – it’s one of those short videos though so doesn’t show the dish being made in real time. That said, I think you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can prep this! The part that takes the longest is measuring out the spices and putting them in a bowl. Make it and let me know!
Jai says
Hi Ashey
I’m looking forward to cooking this recipe tonight, I’m new to the insta pot cooking and wanted to ask if the cook times would change if I used a bone in cut up whole chicken?
My Heart Beets says
Jai, I’m so sorry for the extremely late reply! haven’t tried this but I’ve heard from others who have successfully used bone-in chicken with the same timings. I would cut the chicken into small pieces and still sauté the meat in step 5 until no longer pink. Did you end up trying it this way?
JO says
Just made the chicken biryani and it was perfect! Thank you so much for the recipe.
Just curious- what does soaking the rice actually do? When I make rice on the stove I typically cook with extra water and then drain it when the rice is done instead of letting the rice absorb all the water like most American dishes use. Is this kind of the same concept by soaking it?
My Heart Beets says
Jom I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how the biryani turned out for you 🙂 So that’s a great question! The type of rice you’re using really makes a difference when it comes to weather to soak or not. I actually wrote about why to soak basmati rice in this basmati post recipe if you want to check that out here: https://myheartbeets.com/perfect-instant-pot-basmati-rice/ Hope that helps explain things!
Amy says
This was delicious! I definitely recommend beginning this recipe mise en place – there are too many ingredients to do this on the fly. I watched the video and, as I often am when watching other people’s instant pot videos, I was surprised at how my instant pot seems to saute things so aggressively while other people’s instant pots seem to sautee gently with nothing sticking to the bottom of the pot. I can’t have anything on saute and then walk away for even 10 seconds. Anyway, thank you so much for this recipe! I love biryani and I never thought that I would make it at home. It was truly delicious and my family enjoyed it, too. I did serve it with sliced red onion, thin slices of lime. hard boiled egg, and slices of jalapeno on top. I also used brown jasmine rice since that was all i had. I let it go 20 min. after the 6 min. cooking was up and it was a NR. Amazing & ready in an hour.
My Heart Beets says
Amy, I’m so happy to hear you that liked this! And yes, I completely agree and highly recommend gathering together all ingredients for any recipe – especially Indian recipes as the spices can take awhile to gather and can burn easily. I’m so glad your family loved the biryani too! I hope you’ll let me know how any other recipes you try from my site turn out for ya 🙂
Glynis says
Made this yesterday – we love briyani (any kind) – but our daughter has a life threatening dairy-protein allergy. This was the first recipe that I have seen that didn’t require marinating the meat in yogurt. We loved it and our daughter even went back for a 2nd helping (she is a picky eater too). Really easy & quick to make. And super yummy too.
My Heart Beets says
I’m so glad you and your family liked the biryani 🙂 Also, just so you know – if a dish calls for marinating in yogurt – you can always use dairy-free yogurt or canned coconut milk (the thick creamy part at the top works best). Hope that helps!
Radha says
Thank you fir this recipe, Ashley..
Made it for dinner tonight and it was a hit with my family 🙏🏼
My Heart Beets says
Radha, I’m so happy to hear that!! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you and your family 🙂
Sanra-McGill says
My husband loves Chicken & Shrimp Biryani at Indian restaurants so I decided to give your chicken recipe a try. It turned out delicious!! I had to add more ghee and oil as I went (after adding chicken) to avoid chicken from sticking to the IP while on saute. Awesome recipe, the spice measurements are perfection.
Do you have a better measurement for the amount of garlic instead of in teaspoons? I found this tricky as I cut it up fresh. Thanks so much!
Laura Lamb says
This recipe is PERFECT! Thank you so much, Ashley!
My Heart Beets says
Laura, I’m so happy to hear that you like the chicken biryani!! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for ya 🙂
Priya says
So is it equal parts rice:water? I know your recipe calls for 1 cup rice and 1 cup water but if I want to make it maybe 1.5 cups rice should I just do 1.5 water?
My Heart Beets says
Yup equal parts 🙂
Andrea says
I doubled the recipe and froze half (it froze really well!). My husband said that it was one of the best biryanis he is ever tasted and he eats a lot of Indian food!
My Heart Beets says
Andrea, I’m so happy to hear that you and your hubby liked it! And thank you for sharing that this chicken biryani freezes well – I’m sure it will help other readers 🙂
Anne says
Amazing recipe! Thanks so much for sharing! Tried it today and it came out so good! I did mix the rice in the water and it came out well! What is the reason for not mixing the rice in the water?
My Heart Beets says
Thanks Anne! I’m so happy to hear that! You can certainly mix it! The only reason I don’t is because traditionally biriyani is known for it’s layers – but really it doesn’t matter 🙂
Michael says
I cooked this recipe for a family of Irish/Canadians who have lived in London UK ( a major indian curry city) and we were blown away by how good this recipe was. Can you please tell me how I can increase the recipe to fill an 8 quart instant pot. This recipe feed 5 people comfortably but I’d like to feed as many as i can with an 8 quart. Thanks again.
My Heart Beets says
Michael, I’m so happy to hear that everyone liked the biryani so much!! Thanks for letting me know how much you liked it 🙂 I don’t have an 8 quart but I can tell you I’ve successfully doubled the recipe in my 6 quart! You can try asking this question in my facebook group (Instant Pot for Indian Food) – hopefully someone will be able to answer!
Che says
Great recipe! I have tried several different Biryani recipes and never had success so I gave up and our Biryani always came from takeout. I bought a 6qt IP a few days ago. Our first meal was the curry fish recipe in the recipe book that came with the IP. Second IP meal was this biryani and it turned out perfect. My husband followed the recipe exactly and I would not change a single thing. We will make this often!
My Heart Beets says
I’m so happy to hear that you liked my biryani recipe so much!! Thanks for letting me know how much you liked it 🙂
divya says
this is part of our weekly rotation! my malayalee father in law who never comments on ANY food even said it was good ! best part are my two toddler daughters regularly ask mama to make biryani!:) thanks for making this US born girl cook tasty kerala food!
My Heart Beets says
Divya, I’m so happy that your girls love it!! And I’m glad your FIL likes it too! It always makes me happy when Indian dads’ like my recipes lol – I feel like they’re such tough critics!
Matt D says
This recipe is fantastic. A couple suggestions based on some comments above: (1) the highest sauté setting can get very hot very fast and sneak up on the raisins. You might try starting at the medium sauté setting or even doing the cashews/raisins separately in a small skillet. (2) If you’re worried about stray whole spices, cut a small square of cheesecloth and tie your cloves and cardamom pods in it (and other seeds if you want). The ghee will carry the flavor of the spices in the bag.
My Heart Beets says
Thanks Matt! 🙂
Peter says
Hi Ashley, glad I found your site! I approached this biryani with a bit of trepidation. I couldn’t believe that just throwing things in the pot could come out like a ‘real’ biryani. Wow, was I surprised! It was amazing! My wife said it was the best Indian meal I’ve ever made, and I’ve been cooking Indian food for quite a few years! I can’t wait to try some more of your IP recipes, that was so good!
Just as an aside, would it work to put cardamoms and cloves in a muslin bag in the IP, to make it easier to fish out, or would that concentrate the flavors all in one spot?
My Heart Beets says
Peter, I’m so happy to hear that you and your wife like this recipe! As for putting them in a muslin bag, I think that’d be fine but I haven’t tried it myself… I think it adds flavor to put the whole spices directly into the hot oil but that’s just my two cents!
Delwyn says
Hi I make this dish all the time and it never fails to impress! Just one question though – what paprika do you use? Smoked, sweet or hot? Please advise! Thanks
My Heart Beets says
I use regular paprika – sweet! 🙂
Rachel Yangas says
I LOVE this recipe and would like to share it with my mom who has a slow-cooker but not a pressure cooker. Can you advise me how to adapt it to a slow-cooker?
Sweena says
Hi Ashley! Excited to try this recipe. Could I double it? and if so, would I need to make any adjustments with the cooking time?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Sweena! You can double the recipe by doubling the ingredients 🙂 Keep the cook time the same! Hope you love it!
Raj says
Hi Ashley, I tried this recipe, it was delicious!!
However, we found it very spicy, what can we change to make it more mild?
My Heart Beets says
Raj, I’m glad you liked it! To reduce the heat, you can omit the cayenne (or red chili if you’re using any) and reduce the black pepper to avoid any heat – that should do it 🙂
Fizzah says
Can I sub in chicken breast instead of thighs? I prefer dark meat but all I’ve got today is chicken breast. And do I need to adjust anything as far as measurements or time?
My Heart Beets says
I haven’t tried it this way but I’m sure it’ll be fine – let us know how it goes!
Glynis says
We used breast meat and followed the recipe every step (except we doubled the recipe) and it turned out fantastic.
Renne S. says
This recipe is absolutely delicious! So kid-friendly, I omitted the cayenne pepper and stuck to the rest of the recipe as is and it turned out wonderful! It was so easy to make yet it the dish looks so rich and flavorful like I have been working on it for hours. This recipe will definitely be going into my recipe box, that’s for sure !
My Heart Beets says
Renne, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how the biryani turned out for you 🙂
Behrouz Birayani says
Biryani is a dish made of fish, meat, or vegetables and cooked with the flavourful rice especially with saffron. Making pot chicken biryani is very simple and quick. I generally make instant pot chicken biryani for the great taste and flavour.
Chillpill says
This recipe was wonderful: the recipe’s recommendations on cayenne and black pepper provided exactly the heat level I was looking for. I felt it had absolutely beautiful flavors (this was soooo much better than the store bought biryani mixes). I used chicken breast instead of thighs, and I did not use raisins. So glad to have come across this recipe – will be sharing with everyone I know!!!
My Heart Beets says
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how much you enjoyed the biryani recipe 🙂
Ed says
ok, so today was the third time i’ve made this dish. I made it before the traditional way with the layering and the parchment paper and other than the nice crispy rice on the outside there is virtually no difference in deliciousness. the only change I made was doubling the recipe because it’s so freaking good. thanks for this recipe and I’ll be sure to check out your others
My Heart Beets says
Ed, that’s awesome to hear!! I’m so glad you like this recipe 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think about my other recipes!!
Shiba Anjum says
Hi Ashley,
Thank you for demonstrating that Biryanis can be made in Instant pot without a hitch or else I would have never tried it so early into my experiment with this Smart machine :))
The biryani was tasty, almost same as I make on stovetop, the rice grains were separate and the chicken was moist and juicy!!
I faced one glitch – burn ( my first time seeing that on IP). I own a 6qt 7 in 1 model. I was cooking 4 cup rice with enough water ( rice was 817 brand Basmati rice)
with similar amount of spices as mentioned in your recipe + 3 tbsp yogurt + 2 tbsp tomato paste.
Water was 4 cups and I pushed Pressure cook for 8 minutes. Any guesses where I went wrong? Was 8 minutes too much?
Shiba
Jag says
If I wanted to use thighs with bones, would the cook time remain the same? Any changes to the recipe in this case?
My Heart Beets says
You can keep the cook time the same 🙂 It’ll be fine!
Sharvin says
You must have added curd after you add chicken. I found more flavourful when I add fried chicken insted of raw one! Video looks great. I prefer little bit dry Biriyani 😊
My Heart Beets says
Hi, I did not use yogurt in this recipe…
Manju says
Great recipe. I was slightly unsure off it initially as I have tried a similar method before with good bit not great results. I am surprised that this combination works very well. Excellent recipe
My Heart Beets says
Manju, I’m so glad you liked it!
Carm Ela says
Oh my…I’m so excited to pass on this recipe to my daughter. Her boyfriend is Pakistani, and she was looking for easy recipes to make for him that he would enjoy & appreciate. This just might be her new go to recipe! Thanks for sharing! Will let you know how it went!
My Heart Beets says
Carm, I’m so happy to hear that!! I hope they both love it!! Can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks 🙂
ZS says
Tried it. I liked how easy it was.
I did feel that something was missing.
Just so you know, the things i did different were i used
chicken breasts instead of thighs
red onions,
did’nt have cilantro
did’nt have enough fresh mint so used combination of some fresh and some organic dry mint leaves
substituted milk for water and added saffron
no cumin powder because my garam masala has it in it
thoughts? I would like to try it again….
Melvy says
I am a Biriani Lover. I bought an instant pot this thanksgiving and currently trying different dishes in the pot. I tried your chicken Biriani and veg Biriani, Both came out to be perfect. like I used to do Dum. but slightly with more flavor and much faster. Thank you so much for the detailed recipes.
My Heart Beets says
Melvy, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how both biryani recipes turned out for you 🙂
Yvonne Hagood says
I am excited to try this recipe!! wondering how you remove the whole spices. Do you just pick them out?
Thinking the cloves are pretty small. Thanks for your help!
My Heart Beets says
I can’t wait to hear what you thin, Yvonne! I actually wrote a post all about removing whole spices if you want to learn more: https://myheartbeets.com/do-i-remove-whole-spices-before-serving-indian-food/
Daniela Freda says
This is absolutely delicious! It’s the best Instant Pot recipe I have made. Since we don’t tolerate too much hot spice, we left out the cayenne and used 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. It was still super delicous and full of flavor. It’s a great warm, comforting meal. Thank you.
My Heart Beets says
Daniela, I’m so happy to hear that you liked the biryani so much!! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Karishma says
The biryani was delicious, however the raisins got too hard when fried with the cashews, and the rice came out very sticky. Wonder if I did something wrong?
Anu says
Your recipes are great!! For chicken Briyani – can I use chicken boneless breasts cut up instead of thighs and do I have to adjust cooking time with breasts? Thanks!!
My Heart Beets says
Anu, thank you! I haven’t tested it with chicken breast but I think it’ll be fine – you can shorten the sauté mode step a bit when cooking the chicken. let us know how it goes if you try!
Mary says
I made this chicken biriyani today for dinner. Hassle-free, fool-proof recipe this is. Cooking biriyani was never so much fun! I call this ‘instant biriyani’. Thanks so much for this recipe. Will try out more recipes from your site.
My Heart Beets says
Mary, that’s great to hear! I’m so glad you liked the instant biryani lol 🙂 Can’t wait to hear what you think of other recipes that you try from my site!
Joseph says
Thanks for the recipe. I will definitely give this another try.
Suggestions/considerations:
1. You didn’t mention what sautee function you used. I used High.
2. Opt for 1/4 cinnamon stick instead of 1/2. The cinnamon flavor using 1/2 of a cinnamon stick was too overpowering for me.
3. I wouldn’t add the extra water. I didn’t add any water and it still came out a bit watery due to the juices from the chicken. Perhaps next time, I will drain some of the juices before pressure cooking OR increase the amount of rice from 1 cup to 2 cups. However, it should be noted that I used parboiled rice instead of basmati rice.
4. It’s practically impossible to remove the whole spices (especially the cloves), considering it was mixed with the chicken. I didn’t even bother.
Anchit says
Hey Ashley- super excited to try this recipe. I don’t have an instant pot, but I do have a pressure cooker. Would you keep the pressure cook time the same?
My Heart Beets says
If you’re using an electric pressure cooker then yes but if you’re using a stovetop pressure cooker I can’t say for sure – sorry!
TK says
Made it three times this week. Guess everyone in the family and work liked it a LOT 🙂
Great recipe!!!
My Heart Beets says
That is so awesome!! Three times in a week might be a record lol! I’m super happy to hear that 🙂
Luke says
I can burn water but have always wanted to learn to cook Chicken Biryani since tasting it at a local Indian restaurant years ago. The simplicity of the My Heart Beets recipe prompted me to give it a go. Mmmm, now that it delicious! Thank you.
My Heart Beets says
Luke, I’m so glad you made my recipe and liked it!! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
absNewbie says
Hi,
Can 1 cup of basmati rice really serve 4-5 adults?
My Heart Beets says
there’s a pound and a half of chicken with it too 🙂 But you can always double it to be safe and have leftovers!
Julie says
Oh my goodness. This is the most wonderful meal.
So full of flavour with just a hint of afterburn.
I just love your recipes.
They are truly amazing.
My Heart Beets says
Julie, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how the biryani turned out for you!!
CARMEN LOPEZ-ACEVEDO says
Super recipe thank you! do you have a recipe for the gravy typically served with chicken biryani in Indian restaurants? can I use the onion masala as a base?
My Heart Beets says
Carmen, I’m so happy to hear that you like it 🙂 I’m not sure what you mean by gravy served with biryani… can you explain a bit more? Or do you know the name?
Jen says
I just got my IP yesterday and this biriyani was the first recipe that I tried in it. I’ve never used a slow / electronic cooker. This dish was fantastic!! My 6 YO loved it. and best of all I was done in 1.5 hours : prep, cooking and clean up! As a working mom of 2, that’s an achievement for me!! Thank you, Ashley
My Heart Beets says
Jen, that’s so great to hear! And love that this was your first IP recipe! Thanks for letting me know how much you and especially your 6yo liked it!
Diane says
Thank you for this recipe! It’s straightforward to make and the flavors are delicious. However, I’m having one slight problem — I’ve made it twice now, and both times the rice came out too wet and mushy. I reduced the water a bit the second time (closer to 3/4 cup) and still got the same result. I didn’t use extra chicken (which I know releases water) and I followed the recipe exactly. Could it be the brand of basmati rice I’m using (Whole Foods brand)? I’m afraid if I reduce the water any further the pot won’t come to pressure. Or maybe I should release pressure sooner? Appreciate any thoughts you might have!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Diane, hmm it could be the brand, I haven’t tried whole foods basmati rice (is it the one that’s called texmati because if so I’ve seen it and I’m not even sure if it’s really basmati?) but if you prefer it then I would cook the chicken a bit more and reduce the pressure cook time to 4-5 minutes with a 5 minute quick release (which will also help get rid of any extra water). If you give that a try please let me know how it goes! I link to a brand that I really love if you are looking to try another brand of basmati! They all can be a bit different.
Subha says
I made this recipe from your book last night and I will definitely be making it again! It was so quick but still tasty. I even used frozen chicken and it still turned out perfectly.
My Heart Beets says
Subha, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂 Great to know that it worked out so well with frozen chicken!
HP says
Hi, how do you discard the whole spices in ththe last step if they are mixed in with the chicken? Cinammon and bay leaves I can understand since they are larger, but now about the small ones like cloves, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, etc? Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
HP, here is a whole post that I wrote about removing whole spices in Indian food – I hope it helps explain things 🙂 https://myheartbeets.com/do-i-remove-whole-spices-before-serving-indian-food/
Rachel says
This is the best chicken biryani I’ve ever had – it even beats restaurants! Every one of Ashley’s recipes is a winner, but this one is definitely my favorite. It’s easy, directions are simple, and it comes out perfectly every time.
My Heart Beets says
Rachel, thank you!! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂
Prateeksha says
DELICIOUS! A household favorite! Thank you so much for this recipe on your blog.
My Heart Beets says
Prateeksha, that’s awesome! I’m so glad you and your family like the biryani 🙂
Barb says
Can you tell me how spicy this dish is? Unfortunately I can’t have much spice- the mixture sounds great, but can you suggest what to do to make this a mild dish? Thank you!
My Heart Beets says
You can leave out the cayenne and it’ll be a mild dish 🙂 For any of my recipes – if you leave out cayenne or green chilis (if a recipe calls for it) then the dish will be mild. Hope that helps!
Gail says
This dish is so absolutely delicious!!! I will definitely make it again, and again, and again!!!
My Heart Beets says
Gail, I’m so glad you liked it!! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Ami says
This was delicious! My super picky husband and kids even enjoyed it. We decided it would make a great make ahead meal to pack for work lunches throughout the week! Will definitely be making this again.
My Heart Beets says
Ami, I’m so happy to hear that your whole family liked the biryani! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you guys 🙂
Chris says
Thank you for this recipe! I have made the chicken, shrimp, and egg biriyani and all three turned out great! I love the way you format your recipes online and the exact measurements so it is very simple to follow. Your biryani recipes are definitely my favorite biriyani recipes to make!
My Heart Beets says
Chris, I’m so happy to hear that you’re enjoying all of my biryani recipes!! And thanks for the feedback on my recipe format – really great to know it’s helpful 🙂
GAIL WATTS says
Wow!!!! This dish is amazing!!!!
My Heart Beets says
Gail, so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Melissa says
I are this tonight and just loved it. Thank you for posting it—it’s definitely going to be part of our rotation!
My Heart Beets says
Melissa, so happy to hear that you loved the biryani!!
Emily says
How do you suggest removing the whole spices at the end? Are we seriously supposed to dig through the rice and chicken mixture, picking out cardamom pods and fennel and cloves and cumin seeds?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Emily, you don’t need to remove the cumin seeds or the fennel seeds – you eat those. Here’s a post on removing (large) whole spices if you want to read more on this: https://myheartbeets.com/do-i-remove-whole-spices-before-serving-indian-food/
Rohit says
This is a very good recipe and makes biryani relatively easy to make. I was wondering if you can marinate the chicken beforehand to give it even more flavor. If so, how would you suggest marinating it? Thanks again and I am going to try more of your recipes!
Maitreyee says
Turned out excellent! Even my 15 months old toddler loved it :). Thanks for the perfect recipe! 🙂
My Heart Beets says
There’s no better compliment than hearing that a toddler likes one of my recipes lol – thank you for sharing this with me! 🙂
Maitreyee says
Hey Ashley,
If I use drumsticks instead, how much would be the cooking time? Any idea?
Monica says
Flavor was amazing! I used the correct rice to water ratio but the basmati rice came out mushy . Any idea why? Thanks
My Heart Beets says
Monica, so happy to hear that you liked the flavor 🙂 As for the rice – I have found that it really depends on the brand. I recommend the brand I use in the post but if you’re using another brand of basmati rice you may have to play around with the times – perhaps try a 5 min cook time and a 5 min npr next time? Let me know if that works better for you!
Reader says
You even did not mention how much chicken to add to the biryani.
Fake comments and fake recipe.
My Heart Beets says
Hi, it says “1 ½ pounds skinless and boneless chicken thighs, cut into quarters” in the ingredients list right above the spices. Perhaps you missed it…
Veda says
Ashley, I just want to take the time to say how much I am obsessed with your website, especially this recipe. I was born in Hyderabad so I’m super picky about biriyani. This recipe is perfection! I’ve made it countless times. I just made the veggie version too! I also loooove your Chana Masala and chicken curries. The measurements are perfect for everything. I just ordered your IP cookbook on amazon and can’t wait for it to come. Thank you so much for everything you do!!!
My Heart Beets says
Veda, that makes me so happy to hear! I’m so glad you like the biryani so much! And the chana masala and curries 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of any other recipes that you try!
divya says
Hi! Im a new instant pot convert and just bought one, what size do you use for the recipes you post? mine is the 6 quart one. excited to try some of these and wanted to make sure itll be the right size:)
My Heart Beets says
Hi Divya! I test all of my recipes using the 6 quart (that’s all that was out when I first bought mine lol) so try any recipe on the site 🙂 Let me know what you think!
DIvya says
just made it today and it looks and taste amazing! my picky 3yo and 1.5 yo daughters also agree!:)my 1st ever biriyani attempt! my family is from kerala but im born and brought up here so only now venturing into indian cooking. love that u have a mix of north and south indian recipes!!!
would i be able to double this recipe and still safely make in the 6 quart..? if so any other adjustments needed? thanks ashley!
My Heart Beets says
I am so happy to hear that your kiddos loved the biryani! That makes me so happy to hear 🙂 Yes you can double the recipe – just double the ingredients but keep the cook time the same. I can’t wait to hear what you think of any other recipes that you try!
jia says
delicious! thank you for the recipe. it’s the best chicken biriyani I’ve ever made. Appreciate it!
My Heart Beets says
Jia, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you liked the biryani 🙂
Ken says
Is there a way to double this recipe?
Doubling everything seems to make it too watery 😞
Aarohi says
Hello! Looking forward to making this recipe tomorrow! I’m a new IP user, just got one a few days ago! In the instructions it says “stir fry” when cooking. I don’t have the button on my IP…how do I go about doing so?
My Heart Beets says
Hi when you press the sauté button in step 2, the pot will be hot so you can stir-fry the cashews 🙂 Can’t wait to hear what you think of this!
Nayan says
Hi Ashley – I tried your veg biryani and it came out awesome. I want to try the chicken biryani tomorrow. can I use breasts instead of thighs?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Nayan! I’m so glad you liked the veg biryani 🙂 I haven’t tried using chicken breast in the chicken biryani so I can’t say for sure but I think it’ll turn out fine. Let me know what you think if you try it out!
ANN says
I bought your book Indian food Under Pressure online and made this last week – it was lovely and now have found your site so will be making a lot more of your recipes. What I would like to know is when you specify cashews as in your chicken Korma for the creamy cashew sauce do I buy raw or already roasted cashews.
My Heart Beets says
Ann, that’s so great to hear! I can’t wait to hear what you think of the recipes that you try 🙂 As for cashews – I use raw but roasted will work too 🙂
Melissa says
I absolutely love this. I think the next time I make it I will leave the salt out completely. I’m not a big salt person and I don’t think it needed any. I am allergic to black pepper and so I made my own garam masala. The spices were absolutely amazing. That’s why I love Indian food. The thing I love the most is every bite had a new explosion of flavor.
I have an instant pot Ultra and I sometimes have difficulty with it burning the bottom of anything that has basmati rice in it. I made sure that I rinsed the rice very well after soaking for 30 minutes. The nice thing about this recipe is the rice is not on the bottom at all. I also lifted the chicken up a bit to let some of the water down underneath.
Thank you and I look forward to making more of your recipes.
My Heart Beets says
Melissa, I’m so glad you love this! Can’t wait to hear what you think of any other recipes that you try from my blog!
Anita says
This was my first time ever making biryani-had heard that it was a very time consuming process so was amazed when it turned out really well. Even my teenage daughter said it was okay and she has very high standards. I used butter with a dash olive oil as it didn’t have ghee and I was a bit worried that the rice on top hadn’t cooked but when mixed it seemed fine in the end.
My Heart Beets says
Anita, glad you liked it 🙂
Kristin says
So delicious! I’d never tried this dish before but will certainly be making it again! Husband loved it too and he is so picky I usually don’t share with him, but he was so impressed he took some over to share with neighbors.
My Heart Beets says
Kristin, I’m so happy to hear that!! Thanks for letting me know how much you guys liked it 🙂 And how nice of you to share with your neighbors – I hope they loved it too!
Kristin says
I’m so excited to try this recipe! I don’t have cardamom pods but I have ground cardamom-will it be a problem to substitute in ground cardamom?
Also your butter chicken recipe is my husband and I’s absolute favorite dish ever!!!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Kristin, if you use ground cardamom just use a pinch as it’s more concentrated than the pods. I hope you love this! Let me know what you and your hubby think!
Brittany says
Can’t wait to make this. Do you use green cardamom pods or black?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Brittany! I use green cardamom 🙂 If a recipe calls for black cardamom then I make sure to add the word black in front as it’s not very commonly used
Brittany hamlin says
Ok thank you. I made it with the green and it smelled amazing. Sadly it smelled much better then it tasted. I couldn’t really taste the spices. I will try adding a little extra next time.
Renee Davis says
I’m heartbroken that I can’t eat any rice on my Paleo plan bc I especially love basmati! Is there any chance this cud be made w cauliflower rice tho it wud miss that wonderful basmati aroma? Also I don’t own an Instapot so can it be made on stove or in oven by cooking ingredients separately?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Renee, I have a stovetop cauliflower biryani in my paleo Indian ebook if you’d like to give that a try: https://myheartbeets.com/south-asian-persuasion-healthy-indian-cookbook/ 🙂
Rose says
Hi I tried the recipe today.but the rice was over cooked.first time i’m Using instant pot.don’t know what I did wrong…but the taste was yummy..is the same time frame for all IP?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Rose, rice can definitely vary – I have tried several brands and they’ve worked with the timing but my absolute favorite rice is aahu barah – I link to it in the post. If you can, I’d suggest trying it with that rice 🙂 Or you can also try quick releasing pressure after 5 minutes – that may help too!
Matt says
I have made this twice now. Today I’m planning time number three. It’s so good, so exquisitely delightful, that it makes me proud it came out of my kitchen! I haven’t found an Instant Pot curry recipe so far that has rocked my world, but this biryani recipe is one of the best meals I’ve ever made, and maybe the best. Thank you Ashley!
My Heart Beets says
Matt, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you like it 🙂 As for curry – is there a particular type you are looking for? My chicken bhuna masala is my current favorite: https://myheartbeets.com/chicken-bhuna-masala/ Let me know if you try that!
Matt says
Oh a dry curry in the Instant Pot. I have to try it! Thank you Ashley! I just joined your Facebook group, and I’m very excited to try more recipes. I’m actually making this biryani again today.
Re: the curries, we have tried your Instant Pot butter chicken, and the one from Two Sleevers, and neither was quite like the restaurant experience for our tastes. Maybe it’s not possible with all these shortcuts? They both told my brain “this is curry!” when I ate them, but there was something missing compared to the restaurant style. I don’t know what. It’s still so wonderful to cook food that tastes authentically Indian without the long slow steps that are traditionally involved.
My Heart Beets says
Matt, awesome! I’m glad you joined the group and I can’t wait to hear what you think of the bhuna if you try it! So when it comes to butter chicken, the method is mostly the same but everyone does things differently – just to confirm though, you’re definitely using the fenugreek leaves, right? Because that makes a surprisingly big difference when it comes to the flavor of butter chicken. If there’s a restaurant whose BC you really love, I suggest asking them questions about it – ask if they use a lot of heavy cream or ghee or ask if they add nuts in the butter chicken (this will give you an idea of whether they add cashew paste – some folks do this). Some restaurants will even use tandoori chicken instead of cooking chicken in the curry and call it butter chicken – that can also make a difference. I hope you’re able to achieve that butter chicken flavor you’re seeking! Keep me posted 🙂
Ifrah says
What about yogurt? My mom says it’s a mystery to add yogurt to the meat but I didn’t see it in your recipe. How can I incorporate it?
jia says
I actually marinated my meat with 1 tablespoon yogurt and lil bit cayenne, lemon juice, and garam masala.
Layla says
Hi! I want to make this with boneless beef stew cubes. Should I pressure for 7 minutes still? Or maybe 10?
maya aras says
Made this for the first time yesterday. Biryani has always seemed like too much work for me but this Instant pot Biryani turned out great and so much less work. Big hit with my family. Thank you
My Heart Beets says
Maya, so happy to hear that you liked the biryani! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you and your family! 🙂
Elizabeth says
Just made this and it is fantastic! I reduced the chicken to 1 lb and threw in a cup of frozen peas and two carrots sliced into sticks (I borrowed from your veg biryani recipe!). Also, raisins fried in ghee – YUM.
My Heart Beets says
Elizabeth, so happy to hear that! glad you liked it! 🙂
Lynn D'Al says
We really loved this recipe. We like heat, so added a few sliced serrano chilies and upped the cayenne a bit. It was a perfect consistency. I also added a touch of cayenne and the cinnamon to the nuts and raisins. (Then threw the cinnamon back in per the directions. I will make this recipe again. Thanks.
Lynn D'Al says
Oh, and I forgot to mark the stars there. Five star all the way.
My Heart Beets says
Thank you! 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Lynn, that’s so great to hear 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you!
Arindam says
Love most of your recipes but sadly this is a pulao, not a biryani. I am not sure which “gharana” of biryani has cashews and raisins in it – neither the authentic Awadhi, nor the diluted Lucknow/Calcutta derivative. Also, this recipe will definitely pass as an excellent pulao, but not really biryani.
However, I will give it a go and I am sure I will love it “as a pulao”
My Heart Beets says
let me know what you think after you try it…
Helen O’Halloran says
Have made this a few times and it was a ‘hit’ with all the family! I want to make it tomorrow but I only have chicken breast, can I use this instead of the thighs? I hate having to buy new ingredients when my freezer is full! Many thanks in advance! By the way, I use a Crockpot Express!
My Heart Beets says
Helen, that’s so great to hear! I am sure chicken breast will work – I just prefer chicken thighs because I find the meat to be juicier and less likely to overcook in the instant pot. Let me know how it goes!
Deepa says
This is delicious. My kids gobbled up every last speck!
My Heart Beets says
Deepa, so happy to hear that your kiddos liked it!! that’s the best compliment 🙂
CMD says
OH MY GOSH THIS WAS SO GOOD!!! I rarely brag about my dinners but I’ve told everyone in the office about this one. I didn’t have the “whole” version of a few spices (cinnamon, cumin, and cardamom) so I used 1/2 to 1 teaspoons of the “ground” version (eyeballed it) – still absolutely amazing recipe!!!
My Heart Beets says
I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you for letting me know how much you liked it 🙂 And for telling others in your office too!
Tina says
I received the instant pot yesterday ( I ordered it after seeing all your recipes), I made the chicken biriyani today. It’s delicious and full of flavor, the best biriyani I have made so far. I ordered your cookbook and looking forward to trying more recipes . Thank you.
My Heart Beets says
Tina, that makes me so happy to hear!! Thanks so much for letting me know how the biryani turned out for you 🙂 I hope you love all the recipes you try from my book!
Elizabeth Hamilton says
This was awesome! Made a double batch with brown rice cooked for 20 minutes and 10 minutes natural pressure release. Thanks for another yummy version of chicken and rice in the instant pot for this busy mama. The 1.5 year old and 4 years old loved it too!
My Heart Beets says
Elizabeth, I’m so glad you and your kiddos loved it! And good to know that it worked well with brown rice! Thanks so much for letting me know how this turned out for you all 🙂
Elle says
I received my Instant Pot just a few days ago..after almost memorizing the manual I made this Chicken Byriani recipe as my first meal.
I order this dish every time I go to an Indian restaurant..I was happy to discover the recipe makes it even better than my favorite restaurant does.
Thanks for the recipe and looking forward to making more….I love Indian food.
My Heart Beets says
Elle, that makes me so happy to hear!! Thanks so much for letting me know how this turned out for you 🙂
Knt says
what rice do u use..? any particular brand. Also, r u using brown rice in this recipe, y is the color so brown? I never get that color..
My Heart Beets says
I use this brand – highly recommend it! And no, I don’t use brown rice for this recipe – the color comes from the spices 🙂
Amy says
Would this work with boneless/skinless chickenbreast?
Tina Eapen says
So delish!!! Thank you so much for making biryani less intimidating.
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Tina!! So happy to hear that 🙂
Sn says
Turned out amazing
My Heart Beets says
So happy to hear that!
Sarah says
This was delicious! I used brown basmati rice and about 20 minutes was a good cooking time (plus 10 minutes of the natural pressure release). I might double the raisins next time but otherwise, this was a wonderful recipe. We just moved to a rural area and we miss having an Indian restaurant nearby. I’m looking forward to working through more of your recipes as I try to learn more about Indian cooking. Thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Sarah, that’s great to hear!! Thanks for letting me (and others reading this) know how it turned out with brown basmati rice! Can’t wait to hear what you think of any other recipes you try!
Swapnil says
Hi Ashley, can the chicken biryani be made with chicken drumsticks instead of boneless chicken? If yes, what would be the cooking time? Thanks, love your recipes ❤️
My Heart Beets says
Hi Swapnil, you can use chicken drumsticks but I’d suggest removing the skin as it’ll get soggy in the IP. It should cook in the same amount of time. Let me know how it goes!
Shanna says
Is there anyway to make crockpot biryani?
My Heart Beets says
I haven’t tried this in a slow cooker but I’m sure it can be done! I don’t know the times or settings for this though… if you try, please let us know!
Maneesha says
Hi Ashley, I made this last night, and it turned out great!! I love your biryani recipes – I tried this chicken one and the shrimp biryani. The instant pot recipe makes it so easy and efficient to make the biryanis without sacrificing taste!
My Heart Beets says
Maneesha, that is awesome!! I’m so happy to hear that you made the chicken biryani and the shrimp biryani! 🙂
Nancy says
Hi
Can I use bone in chicken thighs?
If so what should be the cooking time ? Planning to doubld the recipe!
Nyla khan says
Hi this is nyla i am new to this community and also to instant pot ans its recipes. I like your biryani recipe. Plz tell ne the ratio of rice n water for intant pot. As when i cook on stove top i add 1 is to 2.for example 1 cup rice 1 and hslf cup water.somy question is what wull be ratio in instant por.
Thanks in advance
Regatds. Nyla
David says
The last step instructs you to “Discard the whole spices.” But the “Whole Spices” section includes several types of seeds and minced ingredients. How do you discard such things after they’ve been mixed together with everything else?
This looks pretty tasty.
My Heart Beets says
Hi David, you eat the cumin and fennel seeds – I’m referring to the cardamom, cloves, bay leaf and cinnamon stick – sorry for the confusion!`
James says
Hi,
I’ve cooked this a few times and it’s a great hit! And we love it! Is there a special trick to removing the whole spices? Cinnamon stick and bay leaves are easy. But cloves and cardamom pods seem to get mixed in.
Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Hi James, I’m glad to hear that! 🙂 I get this question about removing whole spices a lot, and so I wrote a post to address it – hope it helps: https://myheartbeets.com/do-i-remove-whole-spices-before-serving-indian-food/
Michelle says
Hi Ashley this was great. Could you post a chicken biryani recipe for the instant pot that uses a yogurt marinade?ped
My Heart Beets says
I will add this to my list! 🙂
shaina says
i keep forgetting to pull chicken out of the freezer. i’m newer to instant pot. what are you throughts on frozen chicken? some bloggers say its fine to use? thanks!
Varalika Srivastava says
Hey, thanks a lot for the recipe! I made it and now it tasted really good. However, it turned out more like chicken and curry mixed with rice. It wasn’t dry like Biryani is. It was very wet. Wonder what I did wrong!? 😟
My Heart Beets says
Hmm it should be dry – did you add more chicken than the recipe called for by any chance? Chicken releases water as it cooks… that’s my only guess. If you can give me more details I can try to help troubleshoot!
Varalika says
Yes! I think I put little more chicken than you mentioned. Will try again and get back to you! Thanks a lot 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Let me know how it goes! 🙂
shefali kakar says
I had the same issue. A real hit but came a bit mushy. I did add more chicken though. I did like the chicken rice ratio with 2 Lb instead of 1.5 but perhaps will reduce the water to 3/4 cup
Punum says
I made it yesterday and it came out really good. Thank you for sharing.
My Heart Beets says
So happy to hear that, thank you Punum!!
Payal says
I loved the recipe! How would you make a vegetarian/tofu biryani? Just substitute the chicken for the tofu?
My Heart Beets says
Payal, I have a veggie biryani coming to the blog soon so stay tuned! I actually also posted an egg biryani recipe today if you eat eggs 🙂
Amy says
Thank you for this and all your recipes! It was delicious. My 7 year old gave it an 8/10 (and it’s really spicy). My kids (and I) love Indian food but I was way too intimidated to make it until I came upon your blog. Thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Amy, I’m so happy to hear that you all liked the dish! 🙂 Glad you are making more Indian food!
Briita says
Amazing! Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe.
My Heart Beets says
Briita, I am so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you! 🙂
Palu says
The unofficial, national dish of Trinidad and Tobago is called Pelau. It’s a one pot rice and chicken (or whatever meat) meal. We take it to the beach for an all day “lime”, or cook it up for whatever occasion when there’s a large group hanging out. This recipe is similar to a pelau, but with deeper flavors. It doesn’t taste quite Indian, it doesn’t taste quite Trini. It hits that sweet spot in between where when I make this for my family, they will say…”I didn’t know you had such a sweet hand!” I’m not known for my cooking skills in the family. 🤣🤣❤
My Heart Beets says
Glad you liked it! 🙂
zeinab says
hi. this looks so yummy and I’m going to try it with 2 cups of rice, how long you think it takes to cook?
My Heart Beets says
You can keep the cook time the same 🙂
haniefa says
If I want to increase the rice to 2 cups, will I need to increase any of the spices and cooking time? I assume I must increase the water though.
My Heart Beets says
You can double the recipe by doubling all the ingredients – keep the cook time the same though. The pot will take longer to reach pressure due to more contents in the pot – so you can keep the cook time the same.
Anita says
Can you freeze this?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Anita, yes you can freeze it 🙂 I prefer to eat it within a few days though but freezing works too.
Anita says
Sorry – urgent query~ having a party tomorrow. Can I use double the quantity in the 6 quart instant pot ?
My Heart Beets says
Yes just double all the ingredients but keep the cook time the same 🙂
Anita says
Thank you so much. It worked perfectly. I added a little less water about 1.5 rather than 2 cups as I noticed more water than I expected came out of the chicken.
Ro says
I made the recipe the first time following the exact instructions and it turned out sooo delicious! So I decided to make it again next week and doubled everything but kept the cook time the same. When I opened the top layer of rice was still uncooked so I cooked it again (pressure 4 minutes this time). This time the top layer was cooked but looks like the layer beneath got overcooked. I hadn’t realized the layer below was cooked before. What can I do differently for double the quantity?
My Heart Beets says
I double everything but keep the cook time the same and haven’t had any issues – I’m sorry it didn’t double well for you! Are you using a 6 quart instant pot?
Julie says
This was a big hit in our household. Living in Hawaii the humidity got to some of my spices, so I had to leave out the paprika and substitute caraway seeds for the fennel, but the dish was still super delicious. My 10 year old asked for seconds and was happy is finished as her friend was being picked up so she didn’t have to share – that alone speaks volumes. Have definitely made it into our favorites rotation. Thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Julie, I’m so happy to hear that you and especially your 10 year old liked this dish! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you!
Varusha says
I don’t eat chicken but made this for my husband and son. Now, thanks to you, our local restaurant will be losing business because they have declared that they will never be ordering from the restaurant again. The fragrance and taste was amazing and the boys said the chicken was fall-off-the-bone tender (we used drumsticks, didn’t have thighs). The only disappointing thing is that I have owned my InstantPot for over two years, and have only just now realized it can do this – all this time I had exclusively been using it only as a pressure cooker 🙁
My Heart Beets says
Varusha, haha wow!! I’m so happy o hear that they like the biryani so much!! Thank you so much for letting me know how it turned out 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of any other recipes you try with your instant pot!
Jon says
Would you be able to substitute brown rice and change the cook time or would that overcook the chicken?
My Heart Beets says
Jon, if you want to use brown rice with this recipe then I suggest using quick cooking brown basmati rice – it takes the same amount of time as white basmati rice. I think using regular brown basmati rice could result in overcooked chicken but I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. If you try, please let me know!
Gisele says
I just made this amazingly delicious recipe. Wow…just wow! I used brown rice and I followed your recipe. The rice was just a little underdone so I closed it back up unplugged and then it was perfect. I am so impressed, I have ordered your book.
My Heart Beets says
Gisele, I’m so happy to hear that! I hope you love all of the recipes in my book too!
Tanya Susan George says
OMG this was yummmmmm!!! This was my first instantpot experience so I was a little hesitant but gosh came out so well 😀 only issue I had was the quantity didn’t look like it wouldn’t last longer than one meal with just my husband and I having it haha!!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Tanya! And lol, I’m so glad you and your hubby enjoyed it so much 🙂
Ani says
I’m so excited to try this recipe! I have ground cloves, but not whole – can i substitute that? Online it’s seems to say one teaspoon of whole cloves is 3/4 teaspoon of ground cloves. Do you think that would work, or would it change the dish too much? I also don’t have the cinnamon stick – would cinnamon powder work?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Ani! I would say to just leave the cloves out — ground cloves are much stronger in my opinion and it’s really easy to overdo it. It’ll still be good even without it! As for the cinnamon, you can just add a pinch of powder. Can’t wait to hear what you think of the dish!
Kristen says
I made this tonight and it was delicious! My 7yo loved it. I couldn’t figure out what made it so spicy since I didn’t use cayenne or chili powder. Not sure if it was the paprika or Garam Masala. It was a bit spicy for my son but the flavor was so good he kept eating it anyway!!
My Heart Beets says
Kristen, I’m so happy to hear that you and your kiddo liked it! As for reducing the heat next time though, try leaving out the black pepper. Garam masala already has black pepper in it so maybe the extra bit made it too spicy for him? Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Jess says
I have made this chicken biryani many times now, and it is SO good. I’ve also made your shrimp biryani and the brown rice and beef biryani, and the chicken is my favorite. Thank you for sharing your awesome recipes! I bought your cookbook, and have made several recipes, all very good. I do have a question for you – I have a slight allergy to onions and garlic and have been reading about asafetida; do you have any recipes using this as a subsitute for alliums? I would love to find a good one!
My Heart Beets says
Jess, it makes me so happy to hear that you’ve tried all of my biryani recipes (more to come, soon)! Glad you like the chicken biryani so much – thank you for letting me know! To be honest, I haven’t used hing in cooking because it’s very difficult to find a gluten-free asafoetida (although I may be getting my hands on some soon) so I’m not very familiar with it. Are you in my Instant Pot for Indian Food facebook group? Someone in there recently asked about no garlic/onion recipes and it was quite a long discussion – they discussed asafoetida as well. It may be helpful for you!
Jess says
Thank you for the FB group recommendation. I’ll try it out, and do some experimentation myself!
Dagmara says
This recipe is really good 🙂 But what I really came here to say is that I bought some gluten-free asafoetida a while back and I’ve been loving it.
It’s blended with fenugreek, so I think that’s pretty reasonable! I don’t think I can taste the fenugreek.
My Heart Beets says
That’s great to hear!! Will have to check this out, thank you 🙂
Lizzie says
This looks amazing, will definitely be making it next week! Sorry if this information is somewhere, I couldn’t find it – how many portions does this make?
Thanks
My Heart Beets says
Hi Lizzie! I’d say it serves 4-5 🙂 Let me know what you think of it!
CJ says
Hello great recipe!!! If I wanted to make 4 cups of rice how does the cook time/recipe vary? Thanks so much!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks! I’ve only doubled this recipe – I’m not sure you can quadruple the recipe and still have it fit in the pot.
Pam says
The biryani was a little sticky. While the rice did not seem overcooked, the overall texture was sticky. Not sure what I did wrong. I used 2 cups of rice & doubled everything. 🙁
MaryClair says
Really I could quadruple this recipe?
My Heart Beets says
Oh my gosh, I’m not sure what I was thinking – I’ve edited my response. No, I don’t think you can fit that much in a 6 quart – thank you for asking!
MaryClair says
But this recipe can be doubled, correct?
My Heart Beets says
Yes, it can be doubled 🙂
Umashree Kumaresh says
Hi CJ, Did you try to quadruple the recipe?. How did it turn out?. I’m planning to make 4 cups and wanted to know what your experience was like. Please let me know.
Boby says
I tried the chicken Biryani recipe but the chicken turned out too hard. Would you know what caused it?
Thanks
My Heart Beets says
Hi Boby, did you use chicken breast? Chicken breast can get a bit tough in the IP sometimes which is why I ask. Let me know!
chandni says
If we do use chicken breast, do we need to change the timing?
Darlene Thompson says
I love, love, love this recipe. The only changes I have made are in step 5, I add a 28 oz tin of crushed tomatoes. I find that it isn’t dry this way and adds tons of flavour. I also usually have tons of leftover (cooked) chicken breast that I will add later on between steps 6 and 7 (cubed into bite sized pieces). I have, in the past, also bulked the recipe out with canned chickpeas or potatoes that I will brown right after the onions.
My Heart Beets says
Darlene, happy to hear that 🙂 Thanks for sharing those additions – they sound great!
magdelyn says
Why did I end up with cooked chicken and uncooked Basmati Rice? I thought maybe I needed to stir the rice into the water even though you said not to, but then I watched the video and you didn’t. Bummer! I was so excited to open the pot and eat! I’m now trying to figure out how long to recook the rice (after having to pick out all the chicken!)
My Heart Beets says
I’m not sure why the rice was uncooked… you followed the times and the vent was sealed, correct? Did you fully cook the chicken while stir-frying? It sounds like there was an issue with the pot coming to pressure but that is just my guess. Please let me know if you try this again!
Kira says
Did you soak the rice? This happened to me once when I forgot to soak it.
Ruchi Dewan says
Ya i same happened to me when i didn’t soak it
Rihana says
Tried it today.The taste was out of the world.
My Heart Beets says
Rihana, so happy to hear that! 🙂
Amita says
Why does it say not to mix the rice in the rice in?
My Heart Beets says
Amita, the only reason I say that is so you still get the “layers” that biryani is known for – but you can mix it if you’d like!