Chicken Biryani
A quicker one-pot Instant Pot chicken biryani with browned chicken thighs, sauteed onions and whole spices, and basmati rice cooked together with chicken stock.
Ingredients
| 4 (736g) | chicken thighs (or chicken drumsticks) | |
| 2 cups (420g) | basmati rice | |
| 1 (220g) | onion, sliced | |
| 6 cloves (26g) | garlic, minced | |
| 1.5 tablespoon (22.5ml) | regular soy sauce | |
| 2 cups (500ml) | unsalted chicken stock | |
| 2 tablespoons (30g) | ghee or unsalted butter | |
| 2 teaspoons (9g) | garam masala | |
| 1 teaspoon (3g) | turmeric | |
| 3 | cloves | |
| 3 (0.75g) | bay leaves | |
| 1 (1.5g) | star anise | |
| 6 (1.8g) | green cardamom pods | |
| 1/2 teaspoon (3g) | fine salt | |
| 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon | 1.3–2.5 ml | cayenne pepper (if you enjoy spicy) (optional) |
| — | chopped cilantro (garnish) |
Instructions
Tools: Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, Silicone Spatula.
Brown Chicken in Instant Pot: Press the "Saute" button to "Saute More" function to heat up the Instant Pot. Wait until it says "HOT" on the screen (~8 mins). Add 2 tbsp (30g) ghee or unsalted butter. Pat dry chicken with paper towel, then season one side with kosher salt and black pepper. Place the chicken in the Instant Pot (seasoned side face down), then brown for 5 minutes. Season the other side with salt and black pepper, then flip & brown this side for 5 minutes. Set aside the browned chicken.
Saute Onions & Spices: Add sliced onions and saute for 3 minutes. Add 2 tsp (9g) garam masala, 1 tsp (3g) turmeric, 3 cloves, 3 (0.75g) bay leaves, 1 (1.5g) star anise, 6 (1.8g) green cardamom pods, and garlic, then saute for another minute. *Optional: add 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper to add spiciness.
Deglaze Instant Pot & Add Soy Sauce: Pour in 1/2 cup (125ml) unsalted chicken stock, then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot. *Pro Tip: Ensure to deglaze really well for this recipe. Add 1/2 teaspoon (3g) fine salt and 1.5 tbsp (22.5ml) regular soy sauce. Give it a quick mix.
Pressure Cook Chicken Biryani: Add the browned chicken with all its juice back to the Instant Pot, then add the well drained rice. *Pro Tip: Ensure to add the chicken first, then the rice on top to avoid the "Burn" error. Pour in 1 1/2 cup (375ml) unsalted chicken stock. Ensure all the rice is fully submerged in the stock. With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.
- Chicken Thighs: Pressure Cook at High Pressure 7 minutes + Natural Release 10 minutes
- Chicken Drumsticks: Pressure Cook at High Pressure 8 minutes + Natural Release 10 minutes After 10 minutes, release the remaining pressure by turning the Venting Knob to Venting Position. Open the lid carefully.
Fluff & Season: Fluff the chicken and rice with a wooden spoon. Taste the chicken biryani, then adjust the seasoning accordingly. *Pro Tip: For reference, add roughly 1 - 2 pinches of salt to open up the flavors & season the dish properly.
Serve: Garnish biryani with chopped cilantro, and serve it steaming hot. Enjoy this tasty Chicken Biryani!