Fragrant Butter Chicken Biryani Recipe
Fragrant Butter Chicken Biryani is a delicious and aromatic dish combining marinated chicken cooked in a rich spiced masala with basmati rice infused with whole spices. The chicken is partially air fried for a tender texture, then layered with flavorful rice and slow-cooked in a clay pot to meld the beautiful flavors. Garnished with fresh herbs and crispy fried onions, this recipe serves 4 and is perfect for a hearty, comforting meal.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 52 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 17 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients
Scale
For marinating the chicken:
- 200 g chicken breast, cut into pieces
- 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- Salt, to taste
For cooking the rice:
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 8 cups water
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves
- 2 cloves
- 1/4 cinnamon stick
- 2 cardamom pods
- 1/2 bay leaf
For the masala base:
- 1 medium onion
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 6 cashews
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 cloves
- 1/4 cinnamon stick
- 1 cardamom pod
- 1/2 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp kasuri methi
- 2 tbsp yogurt
- 1/4 cup water (if needed)
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
For garnish:
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves and/or cilantro
- 1/3 cup crispy fried onions
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: Cut the chicken breast into 1-inch pieces and wash thoroughly. In a bowl, combine chicken with ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, and salt. Mix well, cover, and marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour to tenderize and infuse flavor.
- Prepare the rice: Wash and soak basmati rice for 30 minutes. Boil 8 cups of water in a large pot, add salt, fresh mint leaves, half the whole spices (cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, bay leaf), and oil. Add soaked rice and cook until 80% done (8-10 minutes), with the rice still slightly grainy inside. Drain and set aside.
- Partially cook the chicken using air fryer: Preheat air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes. Lightly oil the air fryer rack or use parchment paper. Arrange marinated chicken pieces evenly, optionally brush with extra oil. Air fry for 9 minutes until halfway cooked. Set aside.
- Prepare the masala base: Chop onion and tomatoes. Blend onion, tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, and cashews until smooth. Grease a clay pot with butter and heat it. Add cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf and sauté until aromatic. Stir in blended paste and cook until raw smell disappears and butter/oil separates. Add kasuri methi and mix well.
- Cook chicken in masala: Add partially cooked chicken to the masala. Stir to coat the chicken with spices. Mix in yogurt and water if needed for desired consistency. Simmer for 2 minutes to infuse flavors. Adjust salt to taste.
- Layer and cook biryani: Spread the partially cooked rice evenly over the chicken mixture in the clay pot. Sprinkle garam masala powder on top. Garnish with fresh mint/cilantro and crispy fried onions. Cover tightly with lid. Cook on high flame for 5 minutes, then reduce to low flame and cook for 10 more minutes.
- Rest and serve: Turn off heat and let biryani rest covered for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld and rice to finish cooking in steam. Gently fluff rice before serving. Serve hot, optionally with raita or favorite sides.
Notes
- Marinating the chicken helps tenderize it and enhances flavor.
- Cooking rice 80% ensures it finishes perfectly without becoming mushy during final steaming.
- Partial air frying of chicken prevents it from becoming rubbery in the final cook.
- Using a clay pot enhances the aroma and slow cooking effect for the biryani.
- The resting time after cooking is essential for flavors to blend and rice texture to set.
- You can adjust chili powder and garam masala to control spice level.
Keywords: Butter Chicken Biryani, Fragrant Biryani, Indian Biryani recipe, Chicken Biryani, Air fryer chicken biryani, Spiced rice and chicken