Make chicken tikka biryani for your next family gathering or special occasion. The aromatic rice dish combines two classic Indian dishes—chicken tikka and biryani—into one flavor-packed meal.
What is Chicken Tikka Biryani?
Biryani with chicken tikka is a popular Indian and Pakistani rice dish that combines tender pieces of marinated chicken tikka with aromatic biryani rice—a recipe introduced by the Mughals through trade routes.
The boneless chicken pieces are coated with a flavorful, spiced yogurt mixture, resulting in tender, juicy meat that traditionally cooks in a tandoor or clay oven. But you can pan-sear, air-fry, grill, or bake the chicken to perfection.
Meanwhile, long-grain basmati rice simmers with warm spices and aromatics before being layered with the chicken tikka to lock in all that flavor. Serve it with a cooling cucumber raita on the side for family gatherings and special occasions, such as Eid and Ramadan.
Key Ingredients
This recipe is a perfect biryani for beginners or skilled home chefs. There is no doubt that making biryani is a labor of love, and it can be intimidating, but I worked hard to make this recipe as easy to follow as possible. Here’s what you need to get started.
- Saffron: Saffron comes from the dried stigmas of the saffron flower, and a little bit goes a long way. Bloom the saffron before using it to color and flavor the chicken tikka biryani. Steep the threads in warm water or milk for about 5 minutes before using. Out of saffron? You can’t replace the flavor, but you can use a powdered yellow or red food coloring. It will have the same color, but you can’t replace the flavor and aroma.
- Tikka Marinade: Prepare a simple tikka marinade for the chicken using full-fat plain yogurt to tenderize the chicken, olive oil to carry the spices, fresh lemon juice from one lemon, and aromatic spices—Kashmiri chili powder (paprika), garam masala, kosher salt, and turmeric powder. You should mix in fresh garlic cloves and ginger paste made with a mortar and pestle or food processor. Reduce the prep work by including store-bought ginger-garlic paste.
- Chicken: I use boneless chicken thighs, but you can also use bone-in chicken. If using large chicken thighs, cut them in half to make them smaller and easier to eat.
- Basmati Rice: The key to delicious biryani involves soaking long-grained basmati rice in water beforehand– the longer, the better! Add green cardamom pods, black cloves, bay leaves, and a little kosher salt to infuse the rice with even more flavor.
- Ghee: Ghee gives the masala a deep, nutty flavor. Use it to caramelize and brown the onions that simmer with pureed fresh tomatoes, whole or chopped green chiles (jalapeño, serrano, or Thai peppers), and a homemade biryani seasoning. I prepare mine with kosher salt, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, cardamom powder, and turmeric powder.
- Cilantro: Brighten and flavor the dish with freshly chopped cilantro. For even more flavor, consider adding a handful of fresh mint.
Additions and Substitutions
- Make it vegetarian. Replace the chicken tikka with tandoori-spiced air fryer paneer.
- Go dairy-free. Use coconut or cashew yogurt instead of plain yogurt and a neutral oil instead of ghee to make this biryani recipe totally dairy-free.
- Use leftover chicken. This chicken tikka biryani recipe is a great way to use leftover grilled tandoori chicken, chicken tikka, or baked tandoori chicken since they are already marinated and cooked.
How to Make Chicken Tikka Biryani
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Prepare the Ingredients
Step 1: Combine ingredients for marinade a mixing bowl. Make 1-3 slits in the chicken pieces, and transfer them to the bowl and stir to combine. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
Step 2: Meanwhile, wash the rice until the water runs clear. Then, transfer the rice to a bowl and cover it with water to soak for at least 30 minutes.
Step 3: Add the saffron strands to a small bowl. Using the back of a spoon, gently crush some of the strands and stir in the milk. Set them aside to combine.
Pre-Cook the Rice
Step 1: Drain the soaking water and add the rice to a medium sauce pan with three cups of water. Add the salt, cardamom, black cloves, and bay leaf.
Step 2: Bring the saucepan to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook until the rice is tender but not fully cooked, for about 8-10 minutes.
Discard the excess water and set the rice aside.
Cooking Tip
The cooking time for the rice is too short for the rice to absorb all of the water. That’s okay, it is intentional.
Prepare the Masala
Step 1: Warm ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook until the onions are brown and caramelized, for about 10-15 minutes. Then, stir in the garlic and ginger paste and saute for 2 minutes.
Step 2: Deglaze the pan with the pureed tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes, scraping up any stuck on bits.
Step 3: Stir in the whisked yogurt and continue cooking for 3 minutes until the ghee escapes to the sides.
Step 4: Add the green chiles, cilantro, salt, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and turmeric. Fry the mixture for 1 minute.
Step 5: Add the water and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the ghee separates, and set it aside.
Cooking Tip
Use the water to scrape up any stuck on bits.
Step 6: Warm ghee in large skillet over medium heat. Arrange the chicken thighs into the pan in a single layer, careful not to overcrowd. Cook for 5 minutes, flip and cook for another 5 minutes. Set it aside.
Cooking Tip
You may need to cook the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
Assemble and Simmer
Step 1: Coat the bottom of a large pot or Dutch oven with ghee. Add half of the rice to the bottom of the pan, then spread the masala over the top.
Step 2: Layer the cooked tikka over the gravy and cover it with the remaining rice.
Step 3: Pour the reserved saffron milk evenly over the rice. Cover with the lid and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and let it rest for 20 minutes. Combine to serve.
Expert Tips
- Marinate the chicken. Score the chicken with a sharp knife before marinating to help the flavors soak in. Cover and let it marinate for at least 1 hour. If you have the time, leave it for 6–24 hours for even more flavor.
- Parboil the rice. Cook the rice 90 percent of the way for 8-10 minutes so it’s slightly undercooked. It’ll finish cooking as it steams with the layered biryani ingredients, resulting in perfectly fluffy, tender rice.
- Reduce the masala. Use a cooking technique called bhunna to prepare the chicken masala; this means cooking until the liquid in the masala reduces and the ghee separates from the sides of the pan. Too much liquid can make the biryani rice mushy, and no one wants that.
If you enjoy chicken tikka biryani, try more Indian recipes from Jamil Ghar!
Serving Suggestions
Chicken tikka biryani is an excellent one-pot meal. Cool it down with cucumber raita, or crank up the heat with your favorite chutney.
Serve it with kachumber salad or avocado cucumber tomato salad for a vibrant contrast to the rich rice dish.
If you’re making the Pakistani biryani for a special occasion, why not complete the spread with favorites like beef Seekh kabobs, korma, chicken salan, or aloo gosht?
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Let the dish cool. Then, transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. Chicken tikka biryani freezes for up to 4-6 months.
- Thaw: Defrost the biryani in the refrigerator overnight.
- Repurpose: Warm a single serving in the microwave, or add it to a saute pan for a quick and easy meal the whole family will enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between chicken tikka biryani and chicken biryani?
The primary difference is that chicken tikka biryani uses marinated chicken that is pan-seared, baked, or grilled before including it in the biryani. On the other hand, ordinary chicken biryani features plain chicken that is added to the biryani masala and cooked with it.
More Rice Recipes:
Chicken Tikka Biryani
- 2 Small Bowls
- 1 teaspoon saffron strands
- ½ cup warm milk or water
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- lemon juice, one lemon
- 2 tablespoons Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 6 medium garlic cloves, ground into paste
- 1 -inch knob of ginger, ground into paste
- 3 tablespoons ghee
- 1 pound chicken pieces
- 3 cups basmati rice, rinsed and soaked
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 4 black cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 tablespoons ghee
- 3 medium onions, thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, ground into a paste
- 1 -inch knob of ginger, ground into a paste
- 2 medium Roma tomatoes, pureed
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt,
- 1-2 green peppers, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ⅓ cup water
- Combine ingredients for marinade a mixing bowl. Make 1-3 slits in the chicken pieces, and transfer them to the bowl and stir to combine. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, wash the rice until the water runs clear. Then, transfer the rice to a bowl and cover it with water to soak for at least 30 minutes.
- Add the saffron strands to a small bowl. Using the back of a spoon, gently crush some of the strands and stir in the milk. Set them aside to combine.
- Drain the soaking water and add the rice to a medium sauce pan with three cups of water. Add the salt, cardamom, black cloves, and bay leaf.
- Bring the saucepan to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook until the rice is tender but not fully cooked, for about 8-10 minutes. Discard the excess water and set the rice aside.Tip: The cooking time for the rice is too short for the rice to absorb all of the water. That's okay, it is intentional.
- Warm ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook until the onions are brown and caramelized, for about 10-15 minutes. Then, stir in the garlic and ginger paste and saute for 2 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with the pureed tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes, scraping up any stuck on bits.
- Stir in the whisked yogurt and continue cooking for 3 minutes until the ghee escapes to the sides.
- Add the green chiles, cilantro, salt, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and turmeric. Fry the mixture for 1 minute.
- Add the water and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the ghee separates, and set it aside.Tip: Use the water to scrape up any stuck on bits.
- Warm ghee in large skillet over medium heat. Arrange the chicken thighs into the pan in a single layer, careful not to overcrowd. Cook for 5 minutes, flip and cook for another 5 minutes. Set it aside. Tip: You may need to cook the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
- Coat the bottom of a large pot or Dutch oven with ghee. Add half of the rice to the bottom of the pan, then spread the gravy mixture over the top.
- Layer the cooked tikka over the gravy and cover it with the remaining rice.
- Pour the reserved saffron milk evenly over the rice. Cover with the lid and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and let it rest for 20 minutes. Combine to serve.
- Marinate the chicken. Score the chicken with a sharp knife before marinating to help the flavors soak in. Cover and let it marinate for at least 1 hour. If you have the time, leave it for 6–24 hours for even more flavor.
- Parboil the rice. Cook the rice 90 percent of the way for 8-10 minutes so it’s slightly undercooked. It’ll finish cooking as it steams with the layered biryani ingredients, resulting in perfectly fluffy, tender rice.
- Reduce the masala. Use a cooking technique called bhunna to prepare the chicken masala; this means cooking until the liquid in the masala reduces and the ghee separates from the sides of the pan. Too much liquid can make the biryani rice mushy, and no one wants that.