Our 12 Best Biryani Recipes

Chicken Biryani

"This is a delicious Pakistani/Indian rice dish which is often reserved for special occasions such as weddings and parties or holidays such as Ramadan," says Nazia. "It has a lengthy preparation, but the work is definitely worth it. For biryani, always use long grain rice. Basmati rice with its thin, fine grains is the ideal variety to use. Ghee is butter that has been slowly melted so that the milk solids and golden liquid have been separated and can be used in place of vegetable oil to yield a more authentic taste."

Vegetable Biryani

"A very tasty and interesting biryani; the color looks appetizing and the taste is great!" says Asmaa. "It's delicious served with mint chutney or simple, plain yogurt."

Instant Pot® Chicken Biryani

Here's a quick chicken biryani for the Instant Pot. "Traditional chicken biryani made in an Instant Pot cuts down on time but not flavor," says Buckwheat Queen. "The rice comes out fluffy and the chicken comes out tender. You can't ask for more. Serve with yogurt raita to complement the spices."

Authentic South Indian Biryani

"The deep flavors and piquant aromas of southern Indian cooking come to life in this biryani recipe," says su. "Chicken simmers in a yogurt and tomato sauce rich with herbs and spices. This recipe calls for chicken, but you can use whatever meat you prefer. It can be a vegetarian dish, too. Just add vegetables instead of meat."

Lamb (Gosht) Biryani

"Biryani is a bit of a project and is time-consuming, but I have never been disappointed with the results," says SUSMITA. "Since it is such a festive dish, I usually make it for dinner parties. It is a huge hit."

Vegan Biryani Recipe

Traditional Arabic biryani gets a vegan makeover with homemade masala paste and fragrant basmati rice. "Vegetarian biryani is easy-to-make traditional Arabic food with delightful spices and vegetables," explains Rahul Upadhyay. "Perfect mixture of veggies and masala make the best combo you can have in one bowl. Serve with condiments such as raita."

Biryani with Yogurt Marinated Chicken

This flavorful biryani features chicken marinated in yogurt and rice scented with saffron, cardamom, cinnamon, and cumin. "This is my signature biryani recipe," says Hazel Grace. "It's healthy and has half of the calories of a normal take-away so that's a bonus!

Prawn Biryani

This spicy prawn curry and rice dish is super easy to make in a microwave. "Garnish with fried onions," says Celestial.

Slow-Cooked Chicken Biryani

"Biryani can be a time-consuming dish, but this is an easy way to make chicken biryani from scratch," says Nadoonie. "The end result is packed full of flavor and can be spicy. Best eaten with yogurt or Indian raita."

Vegetable Biryani (Tehri)

"Tehri was originally concocted by kings in northern India as a vegetarian equivalent to the Mughals' mutton or chicken biryani," says thesiamesecat. "This modern-day version has deliciously soft, sweet vegetables and flavorful long-grain rice. Serve with chilled yogurt and spicy curry on the side."

Quinoa Biryani

Biryani without the basmati! Quinoa replaces rice in this fragrant take on traditional biryani. "This is an amazing way to eat quinoa," says mle. "I am trying to get more healthy quinoa in my diet but get tired of the simple quinoa-onion-beans combo or the add-it-to-soup. This is a super delicious, novel way to eat it! My fiance is from Bolivia -- the land of of quinoa -- and he loved it, and said he had never had quinoa made this way before. I also added more spice and plenty of salt as other readers commented and I just used the vegetables I had on hand."

Cauliflower Rice (Biryani-Style)

And here, cauliflower rice stands in for basmati rice. Riced cauliflower is seasoned with garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and coriander in this grain-free version of biryani. "Loved this! The flavors were spot on, and it smelled wonderful while cooking," says France C. "I'll be making this again and again."

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