Instant Pot Chicken Biryani

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Learn how to cook Instant Pot Chicken Biryani (Pressure Cooker Chicken Biryani)! Scented fluffy rice absorbed the rich & vibrant flavors of the juicy chicken & aromatic spices. This popular Indian Chicken and Rice is so tasty & comforting to eat. Quick & easy one pot meal you can make even on a busy night!

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What is Chicken Biryani?

Biryani is a popular Indian rice dish that’s mainly made up of rice, meat, vegetables, and Indian spices.

There are many types of biryani, as well as many variations on what ingredients to use depending on the regions, the history, and availability of spices. Biryani can be quite different even between different families!

Even regions outside of the Indian subcontinent such as Middle East, Indonesia, Burma, Singapore…also serve their own tasty versions of this beloved biryani dish.

And so many people love biryani because the distinct luring aromas & richness of flavors combine to make a tasty & comforting dish that is so satisfying to eat! 😀

Aromatic . Flavorful . Comforting

chicken biryani instant pot

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What we look for in a good Chicken Biryani?

  • Rice – We developed this Chicken Biryani with Long Grain White Basmati Rice (best to use high quality rice). Great Chicken Biryani yields rice that are firm with bite, fluffy, light, flavorful with special aroma; not mushy, dry, wet, or hard. Each grain of rice has fully absorbed the rich flavors & aroma from the chicken & spices.
  • Chicken – We like to use bone-in chicken thighs & drumsticks for more tender, flavorful, & juicier chicken and rice.
  • Spices – Try to use high quality bold & distinctive aromatic whole spices (or even better if you can create your own spice blends) that elevate the chicken biryani with different layers of flavors & aroma.

Time for cooking Tasty Chicken Biryani in Instant Pot!

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Biryani

Prepare the ingredients for cooking chicken biryani in Instant Pot.

chicken biryani ingredients

*Pro Tip – Avoid Mushy Biryani: If you are rinsing your rice, make sure to drain it really really well!

wash and drain basmati rice

1

Brown Chicken in Instant Pot


First, press “Saute” button to “Sauté More” function to heat up Instant Pot. It will switch to “ON” on the screen.

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Saute More

Wait until it says “HOT” on the screen (takes roughly 8 minutes).

*Pro Tip: Make sure Instant Pot is as hot as it can be in order to induce a maillard reaction.

Now, add 2 tbsp (30g) ghee or unsalted butter in Instant Pot.

melt ghee in Instant Pot

Pat dry the chicken thighs with a paper towel, then season one side of the chicken thighs with kosher salt and black pepper.

Place the chicken thighs in Instant Pot (seasoned side face down), then brown for 5 minutes.

Season the other side of chicken thighs with salt and black pepper, then flip the chicken & brown this side for another 5 minutes.

brown chicken in Instant Pot

Now, set aside the browned chicken thighs.

2

Saute Onions & Spices


Add sliced onions in Instant Pot, then saute for 3 minutes. 

saute onions in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

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 in Instant Pot, then saute for another minute.

saute spices in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

*Optional: If you want to make your chicken biryani spicy, add in ¼ – ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper as well.

*Pro Tip: You may want to use a cheap wooden spoon, silicone spatula, or yellow spatula for this recipe (or you can dedicate a spatula just for this tasty chicken biryani) because the turmeric will naturally dye it yellow. 😉

3

Deglaze Instant Pot & Add Soy Sauce


Now, pour ½ cup (125ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot, then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot (as shown in below photo).

*Pro Tip: Make sure to deglaze really well for this biryani recipe.

deglaze Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

Add ½ teaspoon (3g) fine salt and 1.5 tbsp (22.5ml) regular soy sauce in Instant Pot, then give it a quick mix.

4

Pressure Cook Chicken Biryani


Add the browned chicken thighs with all its juice back to the Instant Pot, then add the well drained rice in Instant Pot.

*Pro Tip: Make sure to add the chicken in Instant Pot first and then the rice on top to avoid the “Burn” error.

Layer chicken thighs in Instant Pot, then basmati rice on top

Pour 1½ cup (375ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot, then ensure all the rice is fully submerged in the stock.

Cooking chicken biryani in pressure cooker

With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker High Pressure 7 minutes

  • Chicken Thighs – Pressure Cooking Method: Pressure Cook at High Pressure 7 minutes + Natural Release 10 minutes
  • Chicken Drumsticks – Pressure Cooking Method: Pressure Cook at High Pressure 8 minutes + Natural Release 10 minutes

After 10 minutes, release the remaining pressure by turning Venting Knob to Venting Position.

When Floating Valve drops, open the lid carefully.

Oh~ love how the aromatic spices filled the room as we open the lid. It smells amazing!

5

Fluff & Season


Now, fluff the deliciously aromatic chicken and rice with a wooden spoon. 

How to cook chicken biryani in Instant Pot

Finally, don’t forget to taste the Chicken Biryani, then adjust the seasoning accordingly. 🙂

*Pro Tip: For reference, we added roughly 1 – 2 pinches of salt to open up the flavors & season the dish properly. 

6

Serve Instant Pot Chicken Biryani


Garnish the chicken biryani with chopped cilantro, then you’re done!

Serve this tasty chicken biryani steaming hot!

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Enjoy this deliciously flavorful & aromatic Instant Pot Chicken Biryani~ 😀

4.97 from 158 votes

Instant Pot Chicken Biryani

Author: Amy + Jacky
Learn how to cook Instant Pot Chicken Biryani (Pressure Cooker Chicken Biryani)! This popular Indian Chicken and Rice is so tasty, flavorful & comforting to eat. Quick & easy one pot meal you can make even on a busy night!
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Servings 6 - 8
Total Time 50 minutes
Rate this Recipe

Ingredients

Garnish:

  • Chopped cilantro

Share this Recipe so We can create more yummy recipes for you.  Thank you 🙂

Instructions 

  • Brown Chicken in Instant Pot: Press “Saute” button to “Sauté More” function to heat up Instant Pot. Wait until it says “HOT” on the screen (~8 mins). Add 2 tbsp (30g) ghee or unsalted butter in Instant Pot.
    Pat dry chicken with paper towel, then season one side of chicken with kosher salt and black pepper. Place the chicken in Instant Pot (seasoned side face down), then brown for 5 minutes. Season the other side of chicken with salt and black pepper, then flip & brown this side for 5 minutes. Set aside the browned chicken.
  • Saute Onions & Spices: Add sliced onions in Instant Pot, then saute for 3 minutes. Add in 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 in ¼ - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper to add spiciness.
  • Deglaze Instant Pot & Add Soy Sauce: Pour in ½ 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 in ½ 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 in the well drained rice.
    *Pro Tip: Ensure to add in the chicken first, then the rice on top to avoid the "Burn" error.
    Pour in 1½ 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 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~

Notes

1) Spiciness: This chicken biryani recipe is developed as a non-spicy dish, so adjust the level of spiciness accordingly with cayenne pepper.
2) Soy Sauce: Soy Sauce is not a traditional ingredient in an Indian Chicken Biryani recipe. But it's a classic in Amy + Jacky’s recipes! A small amount will add umami-savory flavor to the biryani, and enhance the overall flavor profile. Give it a shot!
3) Spatula: You may want to use a cheap wooden spoon or silicone spatula for this recipe because the turmeric will naturally dye it yellow.
Rate Amy + Jacky's Recipe: If you've tried our recipe, don't forget to rate the recipe in the Comments section. Thank you!
Calories: 458kcal
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main
Cuisine: Asian, Indian
Keyword: chicken biryani in instant pot, chicken biryani in pressure cooker, chicken biryani instant pot, instant pot chicken biryani, pressure cooker chicken biryani

Nutrition

Calories: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 427mg | Potassium: 366mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 72IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg

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