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Looking for an easy boneless chicken biryani recipe? Here’s one you can make in your rice cooker!
SUMMARY
About this Boneless Chicken Biryani Recipe
For me, biryani is the ultimate comfort food. It’s an indulgent treat that I always look forward to. But is it difficult to make at home?
Well, that depends on who you ask. Different people make it differently. Some people make the rice and chicken gravy separately, and then combine them at the end. Others cook the rice and chicken together.
Personally, I prefer cooking them together for two reasons: 1) the chicken imparts flavor to the rice as it cooks, and 2) there’s less washing up to do. As a perpetually hungry home cook who’s also pretty lazy, I always like the idea of one-pot meals where you cook everything together!
About the Ingredients
Boneless Chicken
I opt for boneless chicken thighs here. They’re more flavorful than chicken breasts. You could also use bone-in chicken pieces for this.
Rice
Long grain basmati rice is perfect for this. For basmati rice, a 1:1.5 ratio of rice to water does the trick.
Marinating the Chicken
The marinade used in this recipe is fairly simple – just yogurt, turmeric, and chili powder. I don’t add salt, especially when marinating overnight, as it may draw moisture out of the chicken, resulting in dry chicken in your biryani.
Why Use a Rice Cooker
Whenever I cook rice or biryani, the rice cooker is my best friend! You can definitely cook rice on the stovetop, but I prefer using the rice cooker because it makes my job easier.
I can just transfer my biryani to the rice cooker, turn it on, and walk away. The rice cooker will automatically turn off when the rice is cooked, and keep it warm. No need to keep checking on the rice to see whether it’s done. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!
Boneless Chicken Biryani
This chicken biryani is the ultimate comfort food. Served with raita as an accompaniment, this biryani recipe can be made in the rice cooker or on the stovetop. This recipe serves 4 to 5 people, so it's perfect for an easy yet satisfying family dinner. Time to dig in, family style!
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Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Equipment
Rice cooker
Ingredients
- 400 grams boneless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
- 1 tbsp yogurt
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 1/2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cloves
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 red onions, diced
- 3 red chilies, chopped
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 inch ginger piece, minced
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 2 cups basmathi rice, washed
- 3 1/4 cups water
- Salt
- 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
Instructions
Marinate the chicken pieces with yogurt, turmeric, and chili powder for at least two hours. Even better, leave it to marinate overnight in the fridge.
Heat 1½ tablespoons of ghee in a non-stick pot on medium high before adding cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, cumin seeds, and fennel seeds. Fry for about 1 minute.
Next, add the chopped onions and chillies. Sauté until onions brown, around 8 to 10 minutes.
Add minced garlic and ginger, and sauté for 2 minutes.
On medium-low heat, add the coriander and cumin powder. Pour in ¼ cup water, mix and cook for 2 minutes.
Then, add the marinated chicken pieces and ½ tsp of salt. Mix and cook uncovered for 5 minutes.
Transfer the chicken into a rice cooker. Add rice, water, 2 tbsp of cilantro and 1 tsp of salt. Mix well, cover and switch on the rice cooker.
Once done, garnish with her remaining cilantro. Serve hot with raita on the side.
Notes
If you don’t have a rice cooker, that’s okay. Just do steps 7-8 in the same pot that you used to cook the chicken pieces. Once you add the rice and water, mix well and bring to a boil. Then, cover the pot and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until all the water is absorbed, and the rice is tender/cooked.
Keyword rice cooker recipe
Conclusion
If you’re craving chicken biryani, you’ve got to try this rice cooker chicken biryani recipe. It’s quick and easy to make, and pairs well with raita. Here’s how to make raita for biryani.
Also, if you’re on the fence about buying a rice cooker, go for it. It’s a great investment, especially if you enjoy eating rice. Safe to say, my rice cooker is probably the most hardworking thing in my kitchen!
