Recipe Studio
134 minutes•Medium•Serves 4

Quick Chicken Biryani

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Quick Chicken Biryani

By @chef1

A simplified and faster version of Chicken Biryani, perfect for a flavorful and satisfying meal with a measured cucumber-yogurt side.

Recipe Rating

Not yet rated by chefs

Ingredients

  • ●500g, cut into 1-inch pieces Boneless skinless chicken thighs, raw
  • ●2 cups Basmati Rice
  • ●1 large, thinly sliced Onion
  • ●2 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste
  • ●2-3, slit Green Chilies
  • ●1 medium, chopped Tomato
  • ●1/2 cup Yogurt
  • ●8g Biryani Masala
  • ●1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
  • ●1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder
  • ●1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
  • ●6g Fresh spearmint leaves
  • ●1/4 cup, chopped Cilantro
  • ●a pinch, soaked in 2 tablespoons of warm milk Saffron Strands
  • ●2 tablespoons Ghee
  • ●1 tablespoon Oil
  • ●1.0g Salt
  • ●80g Cucumber, raw
  • ●120g Plain whole-milk yogurt for raita

Instructions

  1. 1
    Wash the basmati rice and soak it in water for 30 minutes.
  2. 2
    In a bowl, marinate the chicken with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chili powder, biryani masala, and salt. Let it marinate for at least 15 minutes.
  3. 3
    Heat oil and ghee in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Add sliced onions and fry until golden brown. Remove half of the fried onions and set aside for garnish.
  4. 4
    Add green chilies and chopped tomatoes to the pot. Sauté until the tomatoes are soft.
  5. 5
    Add chicken with all its marinade; cook for 8 minutes, stirring.
  6. 6
    Drain the soaked rice and add it to the pot. Add 4 cups of water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and the water is absorbed.
  7. 7
    Gently fluff the rice with a fork. Sprinkle saffron milk, garam masala, chopped mint, and cilantro over the rice.
  8. 8
    Garnish with the reserved fried onions. Cover the pot and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.
  9. 9
    Mix measured cucumber with the separate 120g yogurt to make raita. Divide all biryani and all raita into four servings.

Recipe details

Cuisine
Indian-inspired
Category
Main course
Preparation
27 minutes
Cooking
55 minutes

Estimated total: 134 minutes. Planning estimate: stated duration ranges use their midpoint; standard preparation, heating and handling allowances are included. Overlapping tasks are counted once. Resting/chilling is included in total time.

How these estimates were calculated
  • Prepare measured ingredients: 10 min planning allowance (vegetable_prep)
  • simple prep: 5 min planning allowance (simple_prep)
  • mix: 3 min planning allowance (mix)
  • pan preheat: 3 min planning allowance (pan_preheat)
  • saute: 8 min planning allowance (saute)
  • saute: 8 min planning allowance (saute)
  • transfer: 2 min planning allowance (transfer)
  • boil heat: 10 min planning allowance (boil_heat)
  • transfer: 2 min planning allowance (transfer)
  • mix: 3 min planning allowance (mix)
  • transfer: 2 min planning allowance (transfer)
  • Chosen 10-minute initial preparation allowance includes implicit chopping and measuring; written preparation is not counted here again.
  • Owner-authorized explicit recipe amount or suitable ingredient substitution.
  • Basmati Rice: USDA cup portion weight
  • Basmati rice approximated by generic long-grain white rice, raw. Nutritionally comparable.
  • Onion: USDA large portion weight
  • Raw onion, large. 'Thinly sliced' is a preparation detail, not a food identity change.
  • Ginger-Garlic Paste: USDA FoodData Central Branded: DEEP, published 2021-07-29; product-label estimate, formulation and label rounding may vary (https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/1898214/nutrients)
  • Ginger-Garlic Paste: USDA FoodData Central Branded: DEEP, published 2021-07-29; product-label estimate, formulation and label rounding may vary (https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/1898214/nutrients)
  • Deep ginger-garlic paste label as a standard prepared-paste reference; salt and formulation vary.
  • Green Chilies: USDA pepper portion weight
  • Green Chilies: Midpoint of stated quantity range
  • Generic green chilies approximated by raw serrano peppers, using an average of 2.5 peppers for the '2-3' quantity. 'Slit' is a preparation detail.
  • Tomato: USDA medium whole (2-3/5" dia) portion weight
  • Raw red, ripe tomato, medium. 'Chopped' is a preparation detail.
  • Yogurt: USDA cup (8 fl oz) portion weight
  • Plain whole milk yogurt chosen as the standard for unspecified yogurt.
  • Biryani Masala: Shan Biryani Mix manufacturer GB page, read 2026-10-22: 8 g serving, 25 kcal, 1 g fat, 3 g total carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g protein, 1340 mg sodium. Chosen salted powder blend; not Bombay/Sindhi variants or cooking sauce. Explicit mass only; no tablespoon density inferred. (https://www.shanfoods.com/gb/product/recipe-mixes-gb/rice-gb/biryani/)
  • Chosen Shan Biryani Mix powder, GB label; explicit mass only, no spoon density.
  • Turmeric Powder: USDA tsp portion weight
  • Ground turmeric powder.
  • Red Chili Powder: USDA tsp portion weight
  • Generic chili powder.
  • Garam Masala: USDA FoodData Central Branded: NATCO, published 2021-10-28; product-label estimate, formulation and label rounding may vary (https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/2028654/nutrients)
  • Garam Masala: USDA FoodData Central Branded: NATCO, published 2021-10-28; product-label estimate, formulation and label rounding may vary (https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/2028654/nutrients)
  • Natco garam masala label as a standard blend reference; brand proportions vary.
  • Chosen weighed mint for the four-serving batch, not a universal chopped-cup density.
  • Cilantro: USDA cup portion weight
  • Raw cilantro leaves, chopped.
  • Saffron Strands: USDA tsp portion weight
  • Saffron Strands: Standard pinch allowance: 1/16 tsp
  • USDA saffron; pinch uses the disclosed dry-spice seasoning policy. Explicit soaking milk is a separate calculation component.
  • Ghee: USDA anhydrous butter-oil tablespoon weight used for clarified butter/ghee (https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/173412/nutrients)
  • First alternative ghee; USDA clarified-butter nutrients and anhydrous butter-oil volume weight.
  • Oil: USDA tablespoon portion weight
  • Generic vegetable oil, refined soybean oil chosen as a standard.
  • Table salt; unknown quantity means sodium is omitted, not guessed.
  • Recipe Studio chosen explicit quantity for an ingredient required by the written method.
  • Recipe Studio chosen explicit quantity for an ingredient required by the written method.
  • Milk for saffron soaking: USDA tbsp portion weight
  • Explicit compound saffron row: pinch of saffron and separately measured soaking milk both included; original row retained.
  • Explicit soaking milk quantity from the original saffron row; USDA whole 3.25% milk is the documented standard style when milk type is unspecified. The full amount is eaten; not a retention assumption.
  • Fresh spearmint leaves: Chosen weighed mint for the four-serving batch, not a universal chopped-cup density. Original: {"item":"Mint Leaves","amount":"1/4 cup, chopped"}. Authored: {"item":"Fresh spearmint leaves","amount":"6g"}.
  • Boneless skinless chicken thighs, raw: Owner-authorized explicit recipe amount or suitable ingredient substitution. Original: {"item":"Chicken Thighs","amount":"500g, cut into 1-inch pieces"}. Authored: {"item":"Boneless skinless chicken thighs, raw","amount":"500g, cut into 1-inch pieces"}.
  • Cucumber, raw: Recipe Studio chosen explicit quantity for an ingredient required by the written method. Original: not separately listed. Authored: {"item":"Cucumber, raw","amount":"80g"}.
  • Plain whole-milk yogurt for raita: Recipe Studio chosen explicit quantity for an ingredient required by the written method. Original: not separately listed. Authored: {"item":"Plain whole-milk yogurt for raita","amount":"120g"}.
  • Salt: Chosen weighed edible amount; not an inferred yield from the original count, package or vague amount. Original: {"item":"Salt","amount":"to taste"}. Authored: {"item":"Salt","amount":"1.0g"}.
  • Fresh spearmint leaves: Chosen weighed mint for the four-serving batch, not a universal chopped-cup density. Original: {"item":"Mint Leaves","amount":"1/4 cup, chopped"}. Authored: {"item":"Fresh spearmint leaves","amount":"6g"}.
  • Boneless skinless chicken thighs, raw: Owner-authorized explicit recipe amount or suitable ingredient substitution. Original: {"item":"Chicken Thighs","amount":"500g, cut into 1-inch pieces"}. Authored: {"item":"Boneless skinless chicken thighs, raw","amount":"500g, cut into 1-inch pieces"}.
  • Cucumber, raw: Recipe Studio chosen explicit quantity for an ingredient required by the written method. Original: not separately listed. Authored: {"item":"Cucumber, raw","amount":"80g"}.
  • Plain whole-milk yogurt for raita: Recipe Studio chosen explicit quantity for an ingredient required by the written method. Original: not separately listed. Authored: {"item":"Plain whole-milk yogurt for raita","amount":"120g"}.
  • Salt: Chosen weighed edible amount; not an inferred yield from the original count, package or vague amount. Original: {"item":"Salt","amount":"to taste"}. Authored: {"item":"Salt","amount":"1.0g"}.

chicken biryani · basmati rice · yogurt · biryani masala

Estimated nutrition per serving

662 calories · 35.4 g protein · 86.7 g carbohydrate · 18.3 g fat · 3.3 g fiber · 871 mg sodium

Source and basis: USDA FoodData Central and reviewed product references; ingredient-based calculation per serving. Documented USDA or manufacturer portion weights; all listed ingredient mass included before cooking losses. Full ingredient matches and assumptions below.

Recipe Context

This recipe was created with the following context in mind:

Saturday
afternoon snack
winter
Requested: 30 min
1 person
Craving: tangy, aromatic
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