Chicken tikka biryani

Chicken tikka biryani combines flavorful chicken tikka with aromatic basmati rice. The chicken gets marinated in yogurt, lemon juice, and spices before browning. Meanwhile, the rice cooks separately until partly done. Both components then finish together during dum cooking.

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1 10

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, French, Indian

Servings 6

Calories 3900 kcal

Ingredients

Ingredients for Chicken Tikka

Ingredient Quantity

Boneless chicken thighs or breast 2 pounds

Plain Greek yogurt ½ cup

Lemon juice 2 tablespoons

Garlic paste or minced garlic 1 tablespoon

Kashmiri chili powder 2 teaspoons

Ground cumin 1 teaspoon

Paprika 1 teaspoon

Garam masala 1 teaspoon

Turmeric ½ teaspoon

Salt 1½ teaspoons

Vegetable oil 2 tablespoons

Ingredients for Basmati Rice

Ingredient Quantity

Long-grain basmati rice 3 cups

Water 12 cups

Salt 2 tablespoons

Bay leaves 2

Cinnamon sticks 2

Green cardamom pods 4

Whole cloves 4

Turmeric ½ teaspoon

Ingredients for Layering

Ingredient Quantity

Crispy fried onions 1½ cups

Fresh cilantro, chopped ½ cup

Fresh mint leaves, chopped ½ cup

Ghee 3 tablespoons

Saffron ½ teaspoon or a generous pinch

Warm milk 3 tablespoons

Garam masala ½ teaspoon

Lemon juice 1 tablespoon

Instructions

How to Make Chicken Tikka Biryani Step by Step

Now comes the fun part. Before assembling the biryani, prepare everything you need near your cooking pot. Have the chicken, parboiled rice, fried onions, chopped mint, cilantro, ghee, garam masala, and saffron ready. Biryani becomes much easier when everything sits within arm's reach.

Step 1: Prepare the Saffron

Place the saffron strands in a small bowl. Add three tablespoons of warm milk and gently crush the strands with the back of a spoon.

Let the saffron sit for 10 minutes. The milk will develop a beautiful golden color and floral aroma.

Step 2: Prepare the Cooking Pot

Use a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or another deep, heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid. Lightly grease the bottom with one tablespoon of ghee.

A heavy pot distributes heat more evenly. That matters during dum cooking because excessive heat can burn the chicken while insufficient heat leaves the rice undercooked.

Step 3: Add the Chicken

Spread the cooked chicken pieces across the bottom of the pot. Pour any remaining chicken juices from the skillet over the chicken.

Keep the pieces in a fairly even layer. This helps the chicken release its flavor into the rice during the final cooking stage.

Step 4: Add the First Rice Layer

Take about one-third of your parboiled rice and spread it gently over the chicken. Do not press the rice down because compacted grains cannot steam properly.

Scatter a small amount of fried onions, mint, and cilantro over the rice.

Step 5: Add the Flavorings

Drizzle about one tablespoon of ghee over the rice. Sprinkle a little garam masala across the surface.

Now add another layer of rice. Follow it with more fried onions, mint, cilantro, and ghee.

Step 6: Finish the Layers

Add the remaining rice as the final layer. Spread it gently without pressing.

Top the rice with the remaining crispy fried onions and fresh herbs. Drizzle the saffron-infused milk evenly over the top.

Chicken tikka biryani

Ingredients

Ingredients for Chicken Tikka

Ingredient Quantity

Boneless chicken thighs or breast 2 pounds

Plain Greek yogurt ½ cup

Lemon juice 2 tablespoons

Garlic paste or minced garlic 1 tablespoon

Kashmiri chili powder 2 teaspoons

Ground cumin 1 teaspoon

Paprika 1 teaspoon

Garam masala 1 teaspoon

Turmeric ½ teaspoon

Salt 1½ teaspoons

Vegetable oil 2 tablespoons

Ingredients for Basmati Rice

Ingredient Quantity

Long-grain basmati rice 3 cups

Water 12 cups

Salt 2 tablespoons

Bay leaves 2

Cinnamon sticks 2

Green cardamom pods 4

Whole cloves 4

Turmeric ½ teaspoon

Ingredients for Layering

Ingredient Quantity

Crispy fried onions 1½ cups

Fresh cilantro, chopped ½ cup

Fresh mint leaves, chopped ½ cup

Ghee 3 tablespoons

Saffron ½ teaspoon or a generous pinch

Warm milk 3 tablespoons

Garam masala ½ teaspoon

Lemon juice 1 tablespoon

Instructions

How to Make Chicken Tikka Biryani Step by Step

Now comes the fun part. Before assembling the biryani, prepare everything you need near your cooking pot. Have the chicken, parboiled rice, fried onions, chopped mint, cilantro, ghee, garam masala, and saffron ready. Biryani becomes much easier when everything sits within arm's reach.

Step 1: Prepare the Saffron

Place the saffron strands in a small bowl. Add three tablespoons of warm milk and gently crush the strands with the back of a spoon.

Let the saffron sit for 10 minutes. The milk will develop a beautiful golden color and floral aroma.

Step 2: Prepare the Cooking Pot

Use a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or another deep, heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid. Lightly grease the bottom with one tablespoon of ghee.

A heavy pot distributes heat more evenly. That matters during dum cooking because excessive heat can burn the chicken while insufficient heat leaves the rice undercooked.

Step 3: Add the Chicken

Spread the cooked chicken pieces across the bottom of the pot. Pour any remaining chicken juices from the skillet over the chicken.

Keep the pieces in a fairly even layer. This helps the chicken release its flavor into the rice during the final cooking stage.

Step 4: Add the First Rice Layer

Take about one-third of your parboiled rice and spread it gently over the chicken. Do not press the rice down because compacted grains cannot steam properly.

Scatter a small amount of fried onions, mint, and cilantro over the rice.

Step 5: Add the Flavorings

Drizzle about one tablespoon of ghee over the rice. Sprinkle a little garam masala across the surface.

Now add another layer of rice. Follow it with more fried onions, mint, cilantro, and ghee.

Step 6: Finish the Layers

Add the remaining rice as the final layer. Spread it gently without pressing.

Top the rice with the remaining crispy fried onions and fresh herbs. Drizzle the saffron-infused milk evenly over the top.

Finish with the remaining ghee and one tablespoon of lemon juice.

Your layering should look approximately like this:

Layer What to Add

Bottom Chicken and pan juices

Layer 2 Basmati rice

Layer 3 Fried onions, mint, cilantro

Layer 4 Ghee and garam masala

Layer 5 More basmati rice

Top Saffron milk, herbs, onions, ghee