Easy and quick Pressure Cooker Chicken Biryani: tender chicken pieces cooked with basmati rice and fragrant Indian spices in a Pressure King Pro or Instant Pot. This method gives you authentic takeaway-style biryani at home in minimal time.
We serve this at home frequently — the pressure cooker makes it fast, flavourful and fuss-free.
Full ingredient quantities and step-by-step instructions are provided below. Follow the slideshow images to see each stage of the cook.
📖 Step by Step Recipe
Pressure Cooker Chicken Biryani
Luke and Kay – Flawless Food
Equipment
Pressure cooker (Pressure King Pro or Instant Pot recommended).
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon Olive oil
- 1 Onion – Diced
- 3 Chicken Thighs – chopped into bite-size pieces
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Puree – or 3 cloves minced
- 2 teaspoon Chilli Puree – or 2 bird eye chillies chopped
Biryani Spices
- 2 Bay Leaf
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 5 Cardamon Pods
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
- 1 teaspoon Ground Allspice
- 2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 2 teaspoon Paprika
- 450 ml Vegetable Stock
- 300 grams Basmati Rice
- 2 tablespoon Fresh Coriander – or dried coriander leaf
Instructions
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Set the pressure cooker to fry/saute mode. Fry the diced onion in olive oil for about 5 minutes until softened and slightly golden.
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Add the garlic puree, chilli puree and the chopped chicken pieces. Stir to combine and begin to brown the chicken slightly.
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Add all the ground spices, plus the cinnamon stick, bay leaves and cardamom pods. Fry for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the chicken is browned and fragrant. Turn off fry mode.
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Evenly spread the rinsed basmati rice over the chicken. Pour in 450ml vegetable stock and gently stir to combine all ingredients.
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Secure the lid, close the valve and cook on manual/pressure cook mode for 8 minutes. Allow a natural release for 10 minutes, then open the valve to release any remaining pressure.
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The whole spices (cinnamon, bay leaves and cardamom pods) will usually rise to the top — remove them, then gently fluff and stir the biryani so the rice and chicken are evenly mixed.
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Serve hot, sprinkled with fresh coriander. Enjoy!
Video
Video demonstration available on the original recipe page.
Nutrition
Calories: 522 kcal • Carbohydrates: 70 g • Protein: 20 g • Fat: 18 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g • Cholesterol: 83 mg • Sodium: 525 mg
Potassium: 381 mg • Fiber: 3 g • Sugar: 3 g
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Chicken
We use chicken thigh for extra juiciness and tenderness, but chicken breast can be substituted if preferred. Thighs hold up well during pressure cooking and pair nicely with the spices.
Is Chicken Biryani spicy?
Home cooking lets you control the heat. This recipe uses 2 teaspoons of chilli puree (about 2 small red chillies) for a medium heat. Adjust the chilli amount to make the biryani mild, medium, hot or extra hot to suit your taste.
| Chilli Puree | Fresh Chilli | |
| Mild | 1 tsp | 1 chilli |
| Medium | 2 tsp | 2 chillies |
| Hot | 3 tsp | 3 chillies |
| Extra Hot | 4 tsp | 4 chillies |
Which chilli peppers to use
Serrano and birds eye chillies are commonly available. Birds eye chillies are typically hotter despite their smaller size. If spice levels in fresh chillies are unpredictable, a measured chilli puree is convenient — it stores well and avoids handling heat on your fingers.
What spices to add to Biryani
This recipe uses a custom blend of ground spices: paprika, cumin, allspice, ground ginger, turmeric and ground coriander. Whole spices — bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods — add aromatic depth and are removed before serving. If preferred, a good curry powder can be used instead as a shortcut.
What to cook Pressure Cooker Chicken Biryani in
We use a Pressure King Pro but the same approach works with an Instant Pot or any electric pressure cooker. The method gives consistent results with minimal stirring and little hands-on time.
What to serve with Biryani
This biryani goes well with a fresh tomato, cucumber and red onion salad, mango chutney, chapati or naan, and a cooling cucumber raita. It also pairs nicely with vegetable sides like aubergine curry, mushroom bhaji, or a simple green vegetable.
This is a reliable, quick midweek meal that’s faster than ordering takeaway. You can swap chicken for lamb, prawns or a mix of vegetables — mushrooms, peas, carrots, cauliflower and green beans all work well. Adding some frozen vegetables is an easy way to boost fibre and nutrients.
Pressure Cooker Chicken Biryani is a quick, satisfying dish for any night of the week. If you try it, leave a comment to share how it turned out.
More Indian Recipes
Explore other popular curry dishes such as chicken pathia, chilli paneer and chicken bhuna for more home-cooked Indian favourites and rice recipes to complement your meals.
Other rice recipes
Try techniques like how to cook basmati rice, pilau rice, or onion basmati rice, as well as international rice dishes such as Jamaican rice and peas or an Italian-style rice salad. Rice is versatile and can be adapted to many flavours and cuisines.