After posting my Instant Pot Chicken Biryani recipe I received so many questions on how to make this with brown rice. My initial thinking was that it is not going to work out with the flavors and moreover the textures with the chicken and Rice cooking together. Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week! By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Minstry of Curry Then I started experimenting with brown rice. The more I started cooking with it, I figured out that soaking it can drastically change the cooking time, especially with Instant Pot. After a few tries, I was able to come up with this recipe that has tender cooked chicken with perfectly cooked brown rice. I would have never thought of making Biryani with brown rice if not for you guys, so THANK YOU!! This delicious biryani is now on repeat in my kitchen.
Ingredients
Brown Rice - brown basmati or jasmine rice Chicken - I have used lean chicken breasts in this recipe. Chicken thighs or drumsticks also work well. Aromatics - yellow onion, fresh ginger, and garlic Spices - bay leaves, cumin seeds, whole black peppercorns, turmeric, red chili powder, and garam masala. You can always more spices such as whole cloves, star anise, and cardamom if you like Yogurt - plain unsweetened yogurt works are a perfect base for the marinade
How to Make Brown Rice Chicken Biryani
1. Soak the Rice and Marinate the Chicken
Rinse and drain the brown basmati rice thoroughly 2 times. Add 2 cups of warm water and soak the rice for 3 hours. (photo 1) Make the marinade by mixing garam masala, ginger, garlic, red chili powder, turmeric, mint leaves, half of the chopped cilantro, lemon juice, yogurt, and salt. Add chicken and coat evenly with the marinade. Keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. (photo 2)
2. Caramelize Onions
Turn Instant Pot to Saute(Hi) mode and add half of the ghee. Add thinly sliced onions (photo 3) Cook stirring frequently for 10 to 12 minutes or until the onions are golden brown and caramelized. Take out half of the onion and keep it aside for garnishing the biryani (photo 4)
3. Saute Marinated Chicken and Deglaze
Add the remaining ghee to the Instant Pot with half of the caramelized onions already in the pot. For extra spicy Biryani add sliced jalapeno. Add bay leaves. (photo 5) Add marinated chicken and mix well. Deglaze the pot with the liquids from the marinade. The deglazing step is important and will help take out the browning of the pot from sautéing the onions (photo 6)
4. Layer Rice and Pressure Cook
Drain the rice and gently pour it over the chicken. Spread the rice evenly over the chicken. Add 1-½ teaspoon of salt. Add 1 cup of water. (photo 7) Using a spatula, evenly spread the rice under water and gently push all the rice from the sides of the pot under the liquids. (photo 8) Close Instant Pot and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Set to Manual mode for 10 mins. Allow Natural Pressure Release. Open the Instant Pot and gently fluff the top layer of the rice, if it looks slightly uncooked, simply close the instant pot and leave the Instant Pot on the keep warm mode for another 10 minutes.
5. Garnish
Garnish with the remaining caramelized onions, saffron, and cilantro.
Here is the youtube video that shows how easy it is to make this brown rice chicken biryani: Spicy foods always leave me craving something sweet and here are my go-to desserts that pair well with Biryani:
Mango Popsicles EASY Kalakand Fig Halwa Lauki Ka Halwa Gajar Halwa
Instant Pot is a smart pressure cooker and will show “BURN” if there are not enough liquids for it to come to pressure (Especially true for newer models). This happens for a few reasons: How to avoid the BURN: Love one-pot Indian meals? Here are more Instant Pot Biryani recipes that we have on repeat!
Easy and Authentic Instant Pot Chicken Biryani Weeknight favorite Vegetable & Paneer Biryani Instant Pot Shrimp Biryani in 30 minutes Instant Pot Fish Biryani Chickpea Biryani with vegan options
Enjoy brown rice? Check out this recipe that explains how to cook Instant Pot brown rice 2 ways! ★ Have you tried this recipe? We love your feedback, Please click on the stars in the recipe card below to rate.
Recipe
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