There’s nothing fairly like a correct hen biryani. Fluffy saffron rice, juicy marinated hen and crispy caramelized onions, all layered and steamed collectively till the flavours marry superbly. That is my go-to biryani recipe second helpings are a should!
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Matt mentioned: “That is fairly merely one of the best hen biryani recipe I’ve tried. Beforehand I’ve discovered the hen has all the time been robust, however the ‘dum’ technique described right here, mixed with lengthy marination, simply knocks the dish out of the park. Many thanks!” See remark
Nicky’s Notes
Some recipes are a case of throwing all of it in a pan for a straightforward dinner (one pot hen and pasta is sensible on these busy week nights), however typically it’s nearly meditative to take a while and put collectively a meals creation that’s made with love and care.
This biryani is a type of dishes (and sure, we do soiled just a few dishes alongside the best way…).
Product of a number of layers, it goes into the dutch oven like this:
- Marinated hen
- Contemporary herbs
- Fragrantly spiced rice
- Just a little saffron-infused milk
- A superb drizzle of melted ghee
- Some superbly browned fried onions
- And final however not least, a handful of toasted almonds.
Why This Recipe Works
✅ Balanced, daring spice mix that doesn’t overpower
✅ Saffron milk provides aroma and that beautiful color
✅ Parboiled rice finishes cooking completely throughout dum
✅ Crispy onions add sweetness and crunch
✅ Simply scaled up for company or meal prep
What’s the Dum Technique?
This can be a Hyderabadi biryani – utilizing the dum technique of cooking – which entails letting the substances within the dish ‘breathe’ in its personal aroma to make it extra flavourful. On this case the flavourful hen on the backside of the dish cooks and releases steam and aromas into the rice.
📋 Substances
There are a number of substances that go right into a biryani, so I’m not going to listing all of them right here (take a look at the recipe card on the backside of the publish for that). I do use a number of spices, which makes the hen marinade intensely flavourful.
One of many spices I do wish to point out although is Asafoetida (<–affiliate hyperlink), also referred to as hing. This can be a spice utilized in some Indian dishes. It provides a deeper savoury flavour, like onion or garlic to a dish. You solely want a bit – I exploit 1/4 tsp (an excessive amount of is overpowering). For those who can’t pay money for any, or in case you’re unlikely to make use of it for anything, then don’t fear, it may be omitted. There are many spices already within the dish to provide it a improbable flavour.
Methods to make biryani
***Full recipe with detailed steps within the recipe card on the finish of this publish***
- First, we marinate the hen thighs in spices, pure plain yogurt, oil, ginger, garlic, tomato puree (paste) chopped chillies, salt and lemon juice, merely add all of them to a big bowl, combine them collectively and marinate for a minimum of 2 hours for one of the best flavour.
- Subsequent we parboil the basmati rice in loads of salted water and some aromatics. Then drain it.
- In a heavy based mostly giant pot fry your onions slowly and evenly in a single layer. Stir typically, use medium warmth, and don’t overcrowd the pan. You need deep golden-brown crispness – not burnt!
- Add the marinated hen to a big cast-iron pan with a splash of water and prepare dinner for a couple of minutes to warmth up the sauce and evenly seal the hen.
- Sprinkle on chopped coriander (cilantro) and mint.
- Combine collectively a bit saffron and milk and depart for a minute or two.
- Add the par-cooked rice to the pan on high of the hen and drizzle over the saffron/milk combination plus some melted ghee.
- High the rice with the fried onions and toasted flaked onions.
- Wait till steams begins to rise from the pan, then place a lid on, decrease the warmth and prepare dinner for 20 minutes.
Flip off the warmth and permit to relaxation for 10 minutes. Then sprinkle on some freshly chopped coriander (cilantro).
Recipe Professional Tip
Get your layering proper — it makes all of the distinction! Begin with that superbly marinated hen, then scatter over contemporary coriander, adopted by the fluffy rice. Drizzle on saffron-infused milk, a little bit of melted ghee, and end with golden fried onions and toasted almonds. Every layer provides its personal burst of taste and texture — and while you dig in, it’s a correct celebration in each spoonfull.
Pin this now to search out it later
If you scoop it out (remember to scoop it proper from the underside to get all of the layers) you need to discover the skin of the hen that was touching the bottom of the pan is a tiny bit crisp. The inside ought to nonetheless be juicy although. Personally I feel that slight crispness provides much more flavour.
Why use hen thighs?
Hen thighs can take the direct warmth from sitting on the backside of the pan with out drying out.
I desire to make use of boneless and skinless hen thighs, however you might use bone-in thighs in case you desire. Simply prepare dinner the entire dish for about 5 minutes longer in case you do.
Why are you including salt to the rice?
A good quantity of the salt is drained off with the water from cooking the rice. The remaining salt actually enhances the flavour of the entire dish. That salty style mellows in the course of the cooking with the hen and disperses to flavour the remainder of the substances.
What to serve it with
This hen biryani is a meal all by itself however il wish to serve it with some naan, plain yoghurt and a garnish of contemporary coriander (cilantro) and a pinch of chilli flakes.
📺 Watch the way to make it
Need to see it step-by-step? Watch the complete video simply above the recipe card. I stroll you thru marinating, layering and the dum technique – so you possibly can prepare dinner together with confidence.
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Place the hen in a bowl with all the marinade substances.
575 g (1 1/4 lbs) hen thigh fillets, 180 ml (3/4 cup) pure yoghurt, 2 tbsp oil, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp minced ginger, 2 tbsp tomato puree, 1/4 tsp asafoetida, ½ tsp turmeric, 2 tsp garam masala, ½ tsp floor fenugreek, 2 tsp floor coriander, 1 tsp cumin, ¼ tsp floor cinnamon, 3 cardamom pods, 2 tsp delicate chilli powder, 2 delicate inexperienced chillies, 1 ¼ tsp salt, 1 tbsp contemporary lemon juice
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Stir collectively to coat, then cowl and place within the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours or as much as in a single day.
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For the rice, warmth the water in a saucepan together with the salt, cloves, cumin seeds, bay leaves, and cardamom pods till boiling.
1.5 litres (6 1/4 cups) water, 2 tsp salt, 5 cloves, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 3 bay leaves, 2 cardamom pods
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Add the rice, stir as soon as, carry again to the boil and simmer (no lid) for five minutes.
450 g (2 ¼ cups) white basmati rice
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Drain the rice in a sieve.
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Now make the fried onions. Warmth the 4 tbsp oil over a medium warmth in a big forged iron pan.
4 tbsp oil
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Add the sliced onions, and prepare dinner for round 10-Quarter-hour, stirring sometimes, till darkish brown. Watch out to not burn them, as they’ll style bitter. Word – we’ll be utilizing the identical forged iron pan to prepare dinner the biryani, so in case you’re frightened the onions are catching on the pan (which can impact the style of the biryani), you possibly can fry them in a separate frying pan in case you desire.
2 onions
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Scoop the onions out of the pan utilizing a slotted spoon and place in a bowl for later.
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Now take the marinated hen out of the fridge and add to the pan with the oil from the onions. Stir in 3 tbsp of water.
3 tbsp water
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Prepare dinner over a medium warmth for 2-3 minutes, stirring a few occasions, to simply very evenly seal the hen.
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Now place the three tbsp of chopped coriander (cilantro) and 1 tbsp of chopped mint on high of the hen.
3 tbsp freshly chopped coriander, 1 tbsp freshly chopped mint leaves
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Subsequent spoon the rice on high of the hen and flatten it out barely.
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Combine collectively the saffron and milk and let it sit for a minute, then drizzle the combination over the rice, adopted by the melted ghee.
1 tsp saffron threads, 3 tbsp milk, 3 tbsp ghee
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Spoon on the fried onions and toasted almonds.
2 tbsp toasted flaked almonds
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Place a lid on the pan, however permit only a tiny hole.
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As quickly as you see steam coming from the hole, place the lid on absolutely and switch the warmth right down to low and prepare dinner for 20 minutes, then flip off the warmth and permit to relaxation for 10 minutes.
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High with a bit extra contemporary coriander if desired and serve with pure yogurt.
pure yogurt, freshly chopped coriander
Asafoetida (<–affiliate hyperlink), also referred to as hing, is a spice utilized in some Indian dishes. It provides a deeper savoury flavour, like onion or garlic to a dish. You solely want a bit (an excessive amount of is overpowering). For those who can’t pay money for any, or in case you’re unlikely to make use of it for anything, then don’t fear, it may be omitted. There are many spices already within the dish to provide it a improbable flavour.
Can I make it forward?
It tastes greatest eaten straight away, however you possibly can reheat leftovers within the microwave.
You should definitely cool any leftovers rapidly, then cowl and refrigerate for as much as a day. Reheat till piping scorching.
If you wish to prep among the phases forward, you possibly can marinate the hen, fry the onions and par-cook the rice within the morning, then put all of it collectively and prepare dinner within the night.
Can I freeze it?
Sure, you possibly can freeze leftovers. Cool rapidly, then cowl and freeze. Defrost within the fridge in a single day, then reheat within the microwave till piping scorching all through.
Recipe inspiration:
Recipe is impressed by Nagi from Recipe Tin Eats. I make mine a bit in another way (completely different reduce of meat, completely different/extra spices and some further substances in mine), however I LOVE her model too.
Dietary Data is per serving (this recipe serves 6)
Energy: 655kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 27g | Fats: 29g | Saturated Fats: 18g | Ldl cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 1438mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g
Vitamin info is robotically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
This hen biryani recipe was first posted in Nov 2020. Up to date in Sept 2025 with extra info and for housekeeping causes.
🍲 Extra improbable Indian impressed recipes
? Regularly Requested Questions
“Dum” is all about gently steaming every little thing in a sealed pot — the lid stays shut, the steam stays in, and all these pretty flavours have time to mingle and soak proper by means of.
Hen biryani has a beautiful heat to it, however it doesn’t should blow your head off! The spices carry depth and flavour — suppose fragrant quite than fiery. That mentioned, you possibly can simply dial the warmth up or down relying in your desire. I hold mine family-friendly with simply sufficient kick to maintain it fascinating, however you possibly can all the time add further chilli in case you prefer it scorching!
All through all of my testing I’ve discovered that boneless hen thighs that one of the best for biryani. Hen thighs can take the direct warmth from sitting on the backside of the pan with out drying out.
I desire to make use of boneless and skinless hen thighs, however you might use bone-in thighs in case you desire. Simply prepare dinner the entire dish for about 5 minutes longer in case you do.
It tastes greatest eaten straight away, however you possibly can reheat leftovers within the microwave.
You should definitely cool any leftovers rapidly, then cowl and refrigerate for as much as a day. Reheat till piping scorching.
If you wish to prep among the phases forward, you possibly can marinate the hen, fry the onions and par-cook the rice within the morning, then put all of it collectively and prepare dinner within the night.
Sure, you possibly can freeze leftovers. Cool rapidly, then cowl and freeze. Defrost within the fridge in a single day, then reheat within the microwave till piping scorching all through.
A number of the hyperlinks on this publish could also be affiliate hyperlinks – which implies in case you purchase the product I get a small fee (at no further price to you). For those who do purchase, then thanks! That’s what helps us to maintain Kitchen Sanctuary working. The dietary info offered is approximate and might differ relying on a number of components. For extra info please see our Phrases & Situations.
