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Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani in a plate with chillies and coriander on top

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

Safira
Hyderabadi chicken biryani is a delicious aromatic Biryani recipe where marinaded Chicken is layered  with rice, spices and fried onions. 
5 from 7 votes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Optional Marinade 2 hours
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Hyderabadi, Indian
Servings 6
Calories 684 kcal

Ingredients
  

Saffron Milk

  • ¼ tsp Saffron Strands dry pan fried till fragrant (optional step)
  • 60 ml Milk slightly warmed

Chicken Marinade

  • 125 ml Oil for deep frying onions
  • 4 large Onions Sliced into half rounds
  • 4 Chicken Thighs Skinless
  • 4 Chicken Drumsticks Skinless
  • 170 g Plain Yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp Ginger Paste
  • 1 tbsp Garlic crushed
  • 1 tsp Green Chilli Paste Optional
  • 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
  • ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 1 tsp Coriander Powder
  • 1 tsp Cumin Powder
  • 1 tbsp Garam Masala Powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper

Rice

  • 560 ml Water 2 ¼ Cup
  • ¾ tsp Salt
  • 2 tbsp Oil
  • 2 Black Cardamom
  • 3 Green Cardamom slightly bashed open
  • 4 Cloves
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 1 small Cinnamon Stick
  • 420 g Basmati Rice 2 cups

Assembly

  • Handful Fresh Coriander chopped finely
  • 2 tbsp Mint Leaves chopped finely
  • 3 tbsp Ghee
  • ½ tsp Red or Orange Biryani Colouring mix with a little water if you like

Instructions
 

Saffron Milk

  • Soak Saffron in Milk and set aside. I like to warm the Saffron a little and then crumble it into milk. This is an optional step but I think it makes it more fragrant.

Chicken Marinade

  • Heat oil in a deep pan and add sliced onions. Fry until dark brown. Drain in a fine mesh strainer to get rid of excess oil. 
  • Marinade Chicken thighs and drumsticks in Yoghurt, Ginger, Garlic, Green Chilli, Red Chilli, Turmeric, Coriander Powder, Cumin Powder, Garam Masala, Salt, Pepper and 1/3 of the fried Onions.

Rice

  • Bring water to a boil and add Salt, Oil and Black Cardamom, Green Cardamom, Cloves, Bay Leaves and Cinnamon Stick.
  • Add the Rice and boil for 5 - 6 minutes. Drain and remove to a flat dish or pot to cool.

Assembly

  • Add Chicken to the bottom of the pot that you boiled the rice in.
  • Add a layer of Coriander, Mint and Onions on top.
  • Add Rice and 1/2 the Lemon.
  • Repeat layers till everything is used up.
  • Add some Ghee on top, along with the Saffron Milk, remaining lemon and Colouring if using.
  • Cover with 2 layers of foil and bake at GM 4/180 C for 1 hour. 

Notes

TOP TIPS AND FAQ'S

Stove top cooking - When cooking on the stove, I tend to place the pot on a flat tawa or griddle. This is to help the heat to distribute evenly.
What Rice to use– I use long grain, aged Basmati rice in this recipe. I use Tilda or Mustafa rice. It is less likely to clump together. Long grain aged Basmati rice is the best option for Biryani recipes.
Caramelising onions – means you get the most deliciously sweet flavour out of them but keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn and drain them on kitchen paper.
Pre soak the rice – If time permits, you should always soak your rice for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking. Soaking the rice removes excess starch, reduces cooking time and makes for a more fluffy overall dish. If you do not have time to soak the rice, then just thoroughly rinse the rice before adding it to the pot. Please note that this will change cooking times and quantity of water needed too. Presoaked rice grains require less water for cooking as compared to rice grains which are not soaked.
Biryani Masala - You can also used boxed Biryani Masala in this recipe and add it to the Chicken.
Add the right amount of water – It is really easy to add too much water to rice. So make sure that you do not add too much, especially if you have pre-soaked the rice. For the most part, the rice to water ratio in all recipes requires a ratio of 1:2. However, this ratio can vary depending on the type of rice used or the cooking method used. This also changes when it comes to Biryani because the rice is par boiled and drained before the final steam. This stage takes no longer then 7 - 8 minutes max. There are some varieties of Basmati rice that come parboiled. They will need less water then a regular Basmati Rice. Stick to the quantities mentioned in the recipe if you are using regular Basmati.
What to do if you forget to add Salt - On many occasions over the years, I have forgotten to add Salt to rice. In fact I forgot to add Salt to the Rice I made when my inlaws were coming around for the first time. This is what my father in law taught me.. He said, add the salt to 1 cup of water and bring to a simmer. Use the bottom of a spoon to create holes in the surface of the rice and pour the water in. Cook on low for 10 - 15 minutes. It works..every time.

Reheating and Storage for Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

This Biryani lasts covered in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Rice must be piping hot when reheated. 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 684kcalCarbohydrates: 70gProtein: 29gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 144mgSodium: 821mgPotassium: 600mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 208IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 126mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Dum Biryani, Dum Chicken Hyderabadi, Hyderabadi Biryani, Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani
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