Chicken Dum Biryani recipe is a delicious Indian dish that's perfect for parties and gatherings. Layers of seasoned basmati rice and marinated chicken gives this dish it's signature delectable aroma.
Why You'll Love Chicken Dum Biryani
Chicken Dum Biryani is a spectacular buffet or party dish with all it's garnishes. It's a hearty and filling layered rice and chicken dish that can be easily made ahead of time.
This biryani chicken recipe is prepared in the Hyderabadi style, where the rice and chicken are prepared separately, and then layered and reheated. Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani is perfect for preparing ahead of time and then pulling together right before serving or entertaining.
Simply cook the chicken and rice separately, and then layer them in a baking dish. You can also cover and refrigerate overnight, and then bake in the morning.
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Chicken Biryani Ingredients
The spices in biryani chicken are a key ingredient that gives the dish its flavor. The most common spices used in chicken biryani include turmeric, coriander, cumin, garam masala, and red chili powder. You probably have most of these already in your cupboard.
You'll find the slightly smoky black cardamom easily on Amazon. Cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, whole cloves, and even whole cumin seeds, will be in the spice section at most any grocery stores.
To Marinate The Chicken
- Chicken legs, thighs, or chunked breast meat
- Plain yogurt
- Ginger fresh, grated
- Garlic fresh, grated
- Turmeric, ground
- Coriander, ground
- Cumin, ground
- Chili powder - See our Chili Seasoning mix recipe.
- Garam Masala, ground
- Salt
- Black pepper, ground
For Making The Biryani Rice
- Vegetable oil, divided
- Red Onions, thinly slivered
- Tomatoes, diced (canned, drained)
- Bay leaves, whole
- Cloves, whole
- Cinnamon stick, 3 to 4 inches in length
- Cumin seeds, whole
- Green cardamom pods, whole
- Black cardamon pods, whole
- Basmati rice rinsed, and soaked 30 minutes
- Saffron, threads or powdered. Soak in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for 30 minutes.
- Chicken broth, or water
- Salt
- Cilantro fresh, chopped
- Mint leaves, fresh, chopped
- Yellow food color - OPTIONAL
- Water - to mix with food color.
- Garnish with Hard Boiled eggs (1 per guest) and additional chopped fresh Cilantro and Mint.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Chicken Dum Biryani
Chicken Dum Biryani means the basmati rice and the aromatic chicken are cooked separately, then layered into a casserole dish. This is also called hyderabadi dum biryani chicken.
When you combine all of these ingredients together, you get a dish that is truly delicious and satisfying. This elegant looking hyderabadi chicken biryani is a perfect example of how simple ingredients can be transformed into something truly special.
Marinate The Chicken In Spiced Yogurt
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, yogurt, grated ginger and garlic, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, chili powder, garam masala, salt, and black pepper. Mix well to coat the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
Saute Spices and Chicken
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and golden brown. Add the diced tomatoes.
- Next add the bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, green cardamom, and black cardamom pods. Cook for 3 minutes more.
Cook Basmati Or Jasmine Rice
- Add the previously soaked and drained rice to the Dutch oven with the cooked onions, diced tomatoes, and spice mixture, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the chicken broth or water, salt, and saffron mixture, then bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked, yet still very firm.
PRO TIP: After sauteing the onions, tomatoes and spices, you can then add them to an electric rice cooker and make your rice mixture in the rice cooker with the broth or water. See our post on Aroma Rice Cooker Instructions.
Simmer The Chicken
While the rice is cooking in the Dutch oven, simmer the yogurt marinated chicken. The yogurt and spices will make a creamy sauce, which you will use when layering the biryani chicken later.
- In a separate skillet or pot, heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil and add the yogurt marinated chicken pieces. Simmer over medium high heat until the chicken is cooked through and you have some sauce.
- Set this chicken and sauce mixture aside for later.
Layer Chicken Biryani In Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- In a large baking dish, spread out half of the cooked rice mixture. Top with the seasoned cooked chicken mixture and the remaining cooked rice.
Spread half the rice into the casserole dish. Top with the cooked chicken and yogurt sauce.
Add the remaining half of the seasoned rice on top of the chicken and spread out evenly.
Bake Chicken Dum Biryani
- Cover the baking dish with a lid or foil and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is reheated, and rice tender. Time will be dependent on depth of casserole dish.
- Remove from oven and serve with chopped cilantro, toasted almond slivers, sliced green onions, or hard boiled eggs for garnish.
PRO TIP: If your rice is not yellow enough, you can add the yellow food color with 1 tablespoon of water and drizzle the yellow food color mixture over the chicken dum biryani, then stir to mix. You can also simply add the yellow food color with the broth when preparing the rice.
Serving Suggestions
Chicken Dum Biryani is a great dish to serve on a buffet or when you have a crowd over to celebrate. This layered hyderabadi style is considered fit for royalty! It's a hearty and filling meal that is as delicious as it is stunning to look at.
Serve with our Biryani Raita and Sourdough Naan, a big green salad, and you have a complete meal.
- Serve chicken dum biryani with raita, chutney, and salad.
- You can also serve it with naan or roti.
- Chicken biryani is a great buffet party dish.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Related Recipes
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few scrumptious variations using this hyderabadi dum biryani chicken recipe:
- You can add vegetables to the biryani, such as potatoes, carrots, and peas during the final oven bake.
- You can also add other spices to the biryani, such as saffron, and kalonji seeds (also known as nigella sativa or nigella seeds, and ajwain.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making this dum Biryani recipe.
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Storage and Reheating
- Allow the biryani rice and chicken to cool completely before storing.
- Transfer the chicken biryani to an airtight container or freezer bag.
- Store the in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating Leftover Chicken Biryani
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the biryani in a baking dish and cover it with aluminum foil.
- Bake the for 20-25 minutes, or until it is heated through.
- Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, or until it is heated through, and be sure to stir it halfway through the cooking time.
Tips for Success
- To make the chicken more flavorful, marinate it in yogurt and spices for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
- Be sure to use basmati rice for the best results.
- To prevent the biryani from drying out when reheating, add a splash of water to the baking dish or microwave-safe dish before reheating it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use brown rice instead of basmati rice. However, brown rice will take longer to cook, so you may need to increase the cooking time by 10-15 minutes.
Yes, you can make this biryani chicken recipe in a Instant Pot. Simply add all of the ingredients to the pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
Yes, you can make this dish ahead of time. Simply cook the chicken and rice separately and then layer them in a baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to serve, bake the dish in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes, or until the rice is heated through.
There are many different variations of chicken biryani. Some popular variations include vegetable biryani, seafood biryani, and mutton biryani. You can also add different spices to the dish to create your own unique flavor profile.
Chicken biryani is believed to have originated in Persia and was brought to India by the Mughals. It's now a popular dish in many parts of the world, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Iran.
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📖 Recipe
Chicken Dum Biryani
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Chicken
- 2 lbs chicken legs, thighs, chunked breast meat
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon ginger fresh, grated
- 3 cloves garlic fresh, grated
- 2 teaspoon turmeric ground
- 2 teaspoon coriander ground
- 2 teaspoon cumin ground
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala ground
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper ground
For the Biryani Rice
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 large onions thinly sliced
- 1 cup tomatoes diced canned, drained
- 2 bay leaves whole
- 6 cloves whole
- 2 3" cinnamon sticks
- 2 teaspoon cumin seeds whole
- 4 green cardamom pods whole
- 4 black cardamon pods whole
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to saute chicken
- 3 cup basmati rice rinsed, and soaked 30 minutes
- 4 cup chicken broth or water
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads 2 small McCormick's vials
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice soak saffron in lemon juice
- ½ cup cilantro fresh, chopped
- ½ cup mint leaves fresh, choped
- 6 hard boiled eggs peeled
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, yogurt, grated ginger and garlic, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, chili powder, garam masala, salt, and black pepper. Mix well to coat the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.2 lbs chicken, 1 cup plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon ginger, 3 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoon turmeric, 2 teaspoon coriander, 2 teaspoon cumin, 2 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and golden brown. Add the diced tomatoes.2 tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 large onions, 1 cup tomatoes
- Add the bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon sticks, cumin seeds, green and black cardamom pods. Cook for 3 minutes more.2 bay leaves, 6 cloves, 2 3" cinnamon sticks, 2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 4 green cardamom pods, 4 black cardamon pods
- In a separate skillet or pot, heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil and add the yogurt marinated chicken pieces. Simmer over medium high heat until the chicken is cooked through and you have some sauce.1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Add the previously soaked rice and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chicken broth or water, salt, and saffron lemon juice mixture, then bring to a boil.3 cup basmati rice, 4 cup chicken broth, 2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon saffron threads, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- In a large baking dish, spread half of the rice. Top with the yogurt marinated chicken mixture and the remaining rice. Sprinkle with the mint and cilantro leaves.
- Cover the baking dish with a lid or foil and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is reheated. Time will be dependent on depth of casserole dish.
- Remove from oven and serve with chopped cilantro, toasted almond slivers, sliced green onions, or hard boiled eggs for garnish.½ cup cilantro, ½ cup mint leaves, 6 hard boiled eggs
Video
Notes
- After sauteing the onions, tomatoes and spices, you can then add them to an electric rice cooker and make your rice mixture in the rice cooker with the broth or water.
- To make the chicken more flavorful, marinate it in yogurt, lemon juice, and spices for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
- Be sure to use basmati rice for the best results.
- To prevent the biryani from drying out when reheating, add a splash of water to the baking dish or microwave-safe dish before reheating it.
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