Fragrant Butter Chicken Biryani (Print View)
Layers of marinated chicken and aromatic rice, spiced with garam masala and finished with saffron, herbs, and fried onions.
# What You'll Need:
→ For the Butter Chicken Marinade
01 - 1 ½ lbs boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
03 - 2 tbsp lemon juice
04 - 1 tbsp ginger paste
05 - 1 tbsp garlic paste
06 - 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
07 - 1 tsp ground coriander
08 - 1 tsp chili powder
09 - ½ tsp turmeric
10 - 1 tsp salt
→ For the Butter Chicken Sauce
11 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
12 - 1 tbsp vegetable oil
13 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
14 - 2 tsp ginger paste
15 - 2 tsp garlic paste
16 - 1 ½ tsp garam masala
17 - 1 tsp ground cumin
18 - 1 tsp paprika
19 - ½ tsp chili powder
20 - 1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes
21 - 1 cup heavy cream
22 - 1 tbsp sugar
23 - Salt, to taste
24 - 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
→ For the Rice
25 - 2 cups basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 30 minutes
26 - 4 cups water
27 - 2 bay leaves
28 - 4 green cardamom pods
29 - 4 whole cloves
30 - 1 small cinnamon stick
31 - 1 tsp salt
→ For Layering & Garnish
32 - 2 tbsp melted butter or ghee
33 - 1 pinch saffron threads, soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk
34 - ½ cup fried onions
35 - 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
36 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
# How to Make:
01 - In a large bowl, combine all marinade ingredients. Add chicken, mix well, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (up to overnight).
02 - In a large pot, bring water, salt, bay leaves, cardamom pods, cloves, and cinnamon to a boil. Add soaked rice, cook until 70% done (about 7-8 minutes). Drain and set aside, removing whole spices if desired.
03 - Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until golden. Stir in ginger and garlic paste, cook for 1 minute. Add marinated chicken, cook until lightly browned (6-8 minutes).
04 - Add garam masala, cumin, paprika, and chili powder. Stir to coat chicken. Add crushed tomatoes, simmer 10 minutes. Pour in cream and sugar, season with salt, and simmer until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through (10-15 minutes). Stir in chopped cilantro.
05 - In a large ovenproof Dutch oven or heavy pot, spread half the butter chicken sauce on the bottom. Top with half the rice. Drizzle half the saffron milk, butter or ghee, fried onions, cilantro, and mint. Repeat layers with remaining sauce, rice, saffron milk, butter, onions, cilantro, and mint.
06 - Cover tightly with foil or a lid. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes, or cook on very low heat on the stovetop for 25 minutes.
07 - Let rest 10 minutes before gently fluffing and serving.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The layered preparation looks impressive but comes together with surprisingly manageable steps
- Leftovers taste even better the next day, if they last that long
02 -
- Rice continues cooking while steaming with the chicken, so removing it while still slightly firm prevents mushy final results
- Tight sealing is non-negotiable—those trapped steam pockets are what transform separate layers into cohesive biryani
03 -
- Fry your own onions a day ahead and store them—they're infinitely better than store-bought and make the final assembly effortless
- Warm your milk slightly before adding saffron threads to extract maximum color and flavor