Indian Chicken Biryani made dairy-free! This simple, flavorful meal is so tasty yet so easy that you will want to make it each and every week!
I’d be lying if I said I don’t sometimes wish HUGE pots of chicken and rice would – POOF! – appear out of the ether and feed me for weeks on end.
Some ladies wish fancy clothing would materialize in their closet, other gals just want to hibernate with a damn fine cauldron of comfort food…without having to put in any effort.
As real life would have it, no food fairies have bestowed massive vats of chicken dinner upon me thus far. And you guys, I’m not going to lie…this is no 30-minute meal. As in, once you start this thing, you’re in it for the long haul…which is actually quite perfect for a snowed in occasion, or a special occasion.
Which brings me to my next point:
When I googled “chicken biryani” to get more details on the classic Indian (slash Pakistani) dish, what I found was this dish is traditionally served at weddings and family gatherings. So, not exactly your mid-week throw-it-together-after-work situation.
But don’t let that fool you into thinking you can’t make this on any given night of the week! This one-pot meal is easy enough to make whenever you please…no special occasion needed!
The RICE, you guys! So flavorful with all the seasonings PLUS the chicken fat lubing it up for some intense explosions in your mouth face. Don’t skip the dried cranberries or pecans, mmkay? They’re little touches of heaven.
While this recipe takes some time and effort, it’s worth every stitch.
I adapted the recipe from One-Pot Paleo by Jenny Castaneda, and lemme just say, this pot o’ flave is my slow jam. The recipe feeds 4 to 6 people very comfortably, and if you’re into leftovers, this is absolutely a meal you want to prepare and eat on for dayz.
More Healthy Chicken Dinner Recipes:
- 30-Minute Thai Chicken Curry
- Crock Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
- 30-Minute Garlic Ginger Chicken Stir Fry
- Thai Basil Chicken with Ginger Peanut Sauce
Eat, drink, and be merry
One-Pot Chicken Biryani
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade:
- 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- ¾ teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 cloves large garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger peeled and grated
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 pounds to 3 bone-in skin-on chicken pieces I used thighs
Cucumber Mint Sauce:
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 1 medium cucumber peeled, seeds removed and finely chopped
- 10 leaves mint chopped
- Pinch sea salt
Aromatic Rice:
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- ½ medium onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger peeled and grated
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt to taste
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1/2 cup roasted pecans
- ½ cup fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients for the chicken marinade in a bowl. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate overnight (or at least 30 minutes). Prepare the Cucumber Mint Sauce by combining the ingredients in a bowl. Stir and refrigerate overnight (or until ready to use).
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pour rice into a deep bowl and cover with water. soak for 30 minutes, then drain.
- Melt coconut oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, turmeric, coriander, cumin seeds, salt, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon sticks. Saute until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken pieces and marinade to the pan. Cook the chicken for 3 minutes on each side, until skin is golden brown and crispy. Add the basmati rice and mix until everything is combined. Pour in the broth and bring to a gentle boil. Turn off heat, cover, and move pan to the oven to cook for 40 to 60 minutes (mine took 1 hour, but check the pot periodically for doneness).
- At the 15 minute mark, check the rice and mix it while scraping the bottom to make sure the rice does not stick to the pan.
- Add the dried cranberries, fresh parsley, and roasted pecans and stir well. Serve with fresh basil and cucumber mint sauce.
Nutrition
Snow…what’s that? All we ever get here is rain, BOO.
I had to live vicariously through social media too. Some of the bloggers I follow on Snapchat live in the NE so it was pretty cool to see it live in action. BTW, when are you going to join Snapchat?! Come to dark side… 😉
This definitely looks like the type of meal that’s worth the extra effort. And hey, it’s made in one pot. You can’t beat that with a stick!
We got snowed in … but mostly because people don’t know what to do with snow around here and freak out! haha It was just a few inches 🙂 I had biryani for the first time within the last few months and loved it! This sounds wonderful!
I just got my audio book version of Station Eleven, so maybe I can do a 2 for 1 this weekend and listen to my book and make this awesome dish! I’ve been wanting to make biryani for a while but I’ll have to admit I’ve been intimidated by the lengthy recipes in my Indian cookbooks – yours looks a lot more accessible so I can’t wait!
Oooh, this looks amazing! We love our Indian food over here. This is perfect winter comfort food!
This looks perfect! The entire dish is just stunning!
Yes!!! I love biryani, and have never made it at home. But I’m totally with you in preferring a cauldron of chicken dinner over new clothes any day, and I love a meal that’s a bit of a project! Totally making this.
P.S. I also just posted a recipe with a cucumber “yogurt” sauce to go with it. Go raita!!! 🙂
Biryani is just the best! You’re giving me serious cravings right now 🙂
Julia, this very well might be my new favorite recipe — and I haven’t even made it yet!!! I know this is going to be a keeper for sure. Printing and pinning! 😀
No mess cooking! My style of cooking.
biryani, one pot and ready in less than an hour..#winning