My Biryani video is one of my most viral to date, so it deserves its own long format video to truly do it justice! This time, I decided a traditional Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani was in order. It’s easy, achievable and a great dish for serving lots of people! Let me know in the comments how yours went.
Category
Dinner
Servings
6
Prep time
2 hours
Cook time
1 hour
This Chicken Biryani is a classic Hyderabadi-style recipe. Layered with tender marinated chicken, fragrant basmati rice, crispy onions, herbs and saffron milk. It’s cooked low and slow using the traditional dum method to lock in all the flavour. A proper crowd-pleaser and perfect for a weekend cook-up.
Ingredients
- 3 large red onions, sliced thin
- 200ml peanut oil for frying
- 1 kg chicken thighs, skin off
- 4 tbsp yoghurt
- 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 3 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
-
juice of 1 lemon
- 2 green chillies
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 14 green cardamom pod
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 6 cloves
- salt to taste
- 1 bunch mint
- 1 bunch coriander
-
500g aged basmati rice
- ¼ cup of milk
- 1 tsp saffron
- 1 cup plain flour
- ⅓ cup of water (adjust as needed)
Dough seal (optional)
Directions
Fry the onions
Start by making the crispy onions by heating up the oil in a saucepan over a medium high heat and frying the sliced onions in batches until golden brown. Keep your eyes on them as it doesn't take long for them to crisp up.
Marinate chicken
Next, marinate your chicken in a large pot (dutch oven) by adding the chicken, yoghurt, chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala, ginger paste, garlic, lemon juice, 1 green chilli sliced thin, 1 cinnamon stick, 8 green cardamom pods (lightly crushed), 1 tsp cumin seeds, 4 cloves, a tsp of salt, ½ of your chopped mint and ½ of the coriander, and ⅓ of the fried onions you just made.
- Mix well so the spices are blended and the chicken is completely covered. Marinate for 4-24 hours in the fridge.
Prep the rice
Start this process about an hour before the chicken is ready to pull out of the fridge. So, if you’re marinating for four hours, start the rice at the 3 hour mark.
With the rice, rinse it twice then soak it in water for 40 minutes.
Make saffron milk
Add ¼ cup milk to a small pot and add in the saffron. Mix gently and set aside to steep. Optional - once your saffron milk is steeping, make the dough seal (recipe further down) and set it aside. You’ll use it later when assembling the biryani.
Cook the rice
Bring a large pot with a lid to boil (about half full with water) and season with 1 tbsp salt, 6 green cardamom, 1 green chilli sliced lengthways in half, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cloves and 1 tsp cumin seeds and bring to a simmer.
- Drain your soaking rice and add to the simmering water. Turn the heat on your pot to high, stir once, put the lid on and cook for 4-6 minutes or until it's just cooked. You still want a bit of bite in the rice.
- Remove the rice from the water and set aside.
Cook chicken and layer your biryani
Place the marinated chicken that’s in the pot onto a high heat and cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring every 1-2 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and remove half of the chicken with some of the sauce. This helps create two even layers when you add the rice and herbs. Spread the remaining chicken in the pot out evenly.
- Then, sprinkle half of the rice on the chicken in the pot and make sure it’s nice and even.
Next, add a layer of the crispy onions, half of the remaining chopped mint and coriander.
Place the rest of the chicken and repeat with the rice, crispy onions and the rest of the mint and coriander.
- Drizzle the saffron milk all over the top.
- Cover the pot with the lid and seal it either with a tea towel with it sitting slightly under the lid or the dough seal (steps below).
- Turn your cooktop to medium high and cook for 10 minutes, then turn it down to very low and cook for 30 minutes.
Take from the heat and let it rest for 20 minutes before taking the lid off and serving.
Dough seal (optional)
If you don’t want to do this step, you can just use a tea towel to seal the pot. If you want to make it start after you make your saffron milk.
- Add the flour and water to a bowl and combine until it’s a shaggy mess (not too dry and not too wet) and start kneading with your hands. If it’s sticking to your board, just add some flour to help.
- Roll it out into a long batton and leave in the bowl and set aside.
- When you are cooking your chicken (step 14), you can prep this dough so it’s ready for the pot.
- Place onto your bench with some flour and roll it out into a log and stretch it so it’s long enough to go around your pot.
- Use the dough to seal the pot at step 16 by wrapping it around the pot and pinching it so it fully seals it.
Recipe video
Recipe notes
Authenticity
This is a traditional Hyderabadi-style biryani. I've kept it pretty close to the real deal but made it a bit more achievable at home. The method, layering, and dum cooking stay true to form—just with clearer steps for any home cook to follow.
Not a saucy biryani
Don’t expect gravy here. The rice should be fully cooked but dry, with all the flavour coming from the marinade, saffron milk, herbs, and steam. If you want it a bit more saucy, feel free to bump up the marinade quantities.
Ingredient swaps
No saffron? Use a pinch of turmeric in the milk instead.
Can’t find Kashmiri chilli powder? Regular chilli powder works just go a bit lighter if it’s got more heat.
Serving idea
This biryani is a meal on its own, but you can serve it with raita, salad, or a simple cucumber yoghurt on the side.
Dough seal vs tea towel
I’ve included the dough method for sealing the pot—totally optional but a fun touch that locks in steam and looks the part. If you’re not keen, just use a tea towel under the lid to keep the heat in.
FAQs
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
You can, but thighs stay juicy during the long cook. Breasts might dry out a bit, especially during the final cook stage.
What if I don’t have a dutch oven or heavy pot?
Use any large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Just make sure it can handle a bit of heat and seal well especially if you’re doing the dough trick.
Do I have to marinate for the full 24 hours?
Nope. Even 4 hours does the job nicely, but longer is better for deeper flavour.
How do I know when the rice is ‘just cooked’ before layering?
You want it firm with a bit of bite, not fully soft. It finishes cooking in the final steam.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes but serving fresh is best. If you are cooking ahead of time, let it rest after cooking and reheat gently in the oven or on the stovetop with the lid on. Keeps well for leftovers too.
