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Instant Pot Chicken Biryani

Instant Pot Indian Chicken biryani is a one-pot biryani in your pressure cooker that tastes so authentic, you won't believe you made this in one step!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Urvashi Pitre - Two Sleevers

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients

Spices for tempering OR USE 2 TEASPOONS GARAM MASALA

  • 2 tablespoons ghee , or butter
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 stick Cinnamon
  • 4 Whole Cloves
  • 4 Whole Black Peppercorns
  • 4 Cardamom Pods

Veggies

  • 1 large Onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 inch Ginger, thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves Garlic, crushed
  • 2 Jalapeño peppers, diced
  • ½ cup (8g) Cilantro, chopped
  • 6-8 sprigs Mint, finely chopped

Chicken and Rice

  • 1 pound (453.59g) Boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 cup (185g) Basmati Rice, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup (250g) Water
  • Kosher Salt, to taste

Instructions

  • Heat ghee in your Instant Pot and when it's hot...
  • If using tempering spices, put in all the tempering spices. Once they start to sizzle, put in the thinly sliced onion and cook until it's well-browned and crisp at the edges.
    If using Garam Masala instead of tempering spices, put in the thinly sliced onion and cook until it's well-browned and crisp at the edges.
  • Add in the ginger, garlic, jalapenos and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Put in the bite size chicken pieces, and sear gently on both ides. You need the chicken and rice to cook together in the same time, so don't leave these pieces too big, and don't skip the searing step, which precooks the chiicken a little bit.
  • Add salt to taste and mix well. Remember you need enough salt to flavor the rice that you'll shortly be adding as well.
  • If you're using ready-made garam masala instead of the tempering spices, add it now and mix well.
  • Spread out the chicken and veggie mixture to cover the bottom of your Instant Pot.
  • Sprinkle the chopped cilantro and mint on top it.
  • Spread the rinsed, drained rice across everything. Do not stir.
  • Pour in the water, and gently push the rice down so it is covered by the water.
  • Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, and let the pressure release naturally, for 10 minutes. Then, release all remainin pressure.
  • Open and inhale deeply! Enjoy the true-to-tradition aroma of this dish and then either mix it gently from the bottom, or serve by scooping up a layer from top to bottom so you've served chicken, herbs, and rice in every serving.

Notes

TIPS & TRICKS
  • Assemble ingredients. The easiest way to do this to get all your spices together, and chop all your veggies at once, keeping the piles separate.
  • Prepare Rice. Rinse and drain basmati rice before you start and chop the chicken as you're cooking the veggies.
  • Garam Masala. If you do not want all the individual whole spices, you can use ready-made garam masala or make your own homemade garam masala. Just add 1-2 teaspoons of Garam masala after you put in the chicken.
  • Ghee. Many of us will tell you, it's not a proper biryani if there's no ghee in it, so make your own homemade ghee, and taste the difference.