Biryani is a famous dish in Asia. When any home has made biryani, the feeling and joy are no less than a celebration. I challenge you; there would hardly be a person who doesn’t have biryani on their favorite food list.
Biryani offers an irresistible taste. All Asian cuisines have biryani in their menu. It has several styles to make like traditional chicken biryani, Hyderabadi biryani, mutton biryani, and vegetable biryani.
I have a jam-packed schedule for my daily routine, and on the same side, my family loves biryani. I am working full time and have my family and home to manage as well. I wanted to cater to their fondness for biryani along with my work.
So, I’ve been trying to find ways to bake biryani in an oven easily. Because not only will it be time-saving but also healthy as cooking a food item requires a minimal quantity of oil. Making biryani in the oven enhances the taste, and it keeps the heat intact, and when simmered, it makes the flavors absorb the maximum.
Make sure that you don’t open the oven while the biryani is cooked because the heat escapes, and your food might take longer to cook. Moreover, you might be left with raw flavors in chicken or rice when the temperature decreases.
People usually make and suggest a complicated way to make biryani and often indicate that it is a handful of tasks at hand. But I have made the recipe quite simple and easy to make for everyone.
So now, let’s discuss the complete recipe to prepare the chicken biryani in the oven.
How to cook chicken Biryani in the oven?
If I share my example, my sisters and I love biryani while my brother and father weren’t fond of it. They felt it had a raw taste, and we couldn’t figure out what went wrong until I tried to cook the biryani in the oven.
Cooking biryani in oven distributes the heat evenly on the top and bottom and allows the process of slow cooking to make your biryani have fresh and cooked spices. Now everyone asks for another plate, so here is a tip, make some extra because you might end up having it in lunch dinner and even the next day.
You can serve biryani as the main course in your meal, and it requires about 30 minutes to prepare the ingredients, with about 90 minutes to cook. The recipe I am sharing can serve 4-5 people.
I am going to share the ingredients you need to make biryani in the oven. So, go and grab your recipe books and pens.
Ingredients
For Marinating Chicken
| Chicken drumsticks and thighs | 750 g / 1 lb. 10. 455 oz |
| Plain yogurt | 4 oz |
| Melted ghee/oil | 0.5 oz |
| Ginger and garlic paste | 0.75 oz |
| Ground cumin | 0.5 oz |
| Ground coriander | 1 oz |
| Turmeric | 0.5 oz |
| Ground fennel | 0.5 oz |
| Garam masala | 1 oz |
| Ground cinnamon | 0.125 oz |
| Ground cardamom | 0.125 oz |
| Biryani masala | 2-3 oz |
| Curry leaf | 1-2 leaves |
| Fresh thyme leaves | 1 oz |
| Tomato paste | 50 g / 0.11 lb. |
| Mint leaves (chopped) | 1 oz |
| Coriander leaves (chopped) | 1 oz |
| Onion (thinly chopped) | Two medium ones |
| Salt | 0.5 oz/ to taste |
For Rice
| Basmati rice | 16 oz / 2 cups |
| Water | For soaking rice |
| Cardamom | Six pieces |
| Cloves | 5-6 pieces |
| Bay leaf | Three leaves |
| Cinnamon sticks | Two pieces |
| Star anise | Two pieces |
| Black cardamom | 1-2 pieces |
| Salt | 1 oz |
Crispy Onion
| Oil | 4 oz |
| Onion (thinly sliced) | One large |
Potatoes
| Potatoes (cut in cube form) | Two medium ones |
| Salt | To taste |
| Oil | For frying |
Saffron and Food colors
| Saffron threads | 0.25 oz |
| Red food color | 0.125 oz |
| Green food color | 0.125 oz |
| Yellow/ Orange food color | 0.25 oz |
For cooking
| Water | 20 oz |
| Melted butter/ghee | 1 oz |
Instructions for Cooking
Now that you have gathered your ingredients and chopped the required items, it is time to start preparing the biryani. I am giving you some simple and easy to follow instructions that will help you make biryani as a pro. So, let’s get started and find out how to make biryani in the oven.
Marinating Chicken
- In a bowl, add yogurt, oil, ginger garlic paste, ground cumin, coriander, turmeric powder, fennel, garam masala, cinnamon, cardamom, biryani masala, curry and thyme leaves, tomato paste, salt, and onion.
- Mix all of these till all the spices are evenly mixed in the yogurt.
- Add your chicken and mix the ingredients so that it coats your chicken.
- Leave it overnight in the refrigerator. The process will allow the chicken to absorb all the herbs and spices, and when cooked, it will yield a delicious taste.
Cooking Chicken
- Take your marinated chicken out of the refrigerator and have your oil at medium heat.
- Allow the heat to distribute evenly, and it is recommended that you cover it with a lid to cook thoroughly.
- Fry and cook your chicken for about 5 – 10 minutes.
- When your chicken is cooked, add the coriander and mint leaves, remove it from heat, and set it aside.
Boiled Rice
- To make rice, boil 2 liters of water and add 2 oz oil in the boiling water so that the rice doesn’t stick.
- Add your rice, salt, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and black cardamom.
- When your rice is cooked to ¾ or is parboiled, remove them from heat.
- Strain your rice while running water, stop the post-cooking due to heat, and also minimize the risk of sticking.
Frying Crispy Onions
- Heat oil in a pan and cook your onion in two batches at medium heat.
- When your onions are golden brown, remove from heat.
- Spread the fried onions on a paper towel, so that excess oil is absorbed
While frying onions do not over or undercook them. If you undercook them, i.e., they have a translucent color, they won’t give you’re the crispy crunch and caramelized taste. And when you overcook them, they might burn in the processor when you add them in rice, and they can give a burnt smell.
Potatoes
- Peel your potatoes and cut small or medium cubes (as per your choice)
- Place them in an ovenproof plate, sprinkle some salt and oil, and bake for 5-7 minutes on medium temperature.
- Take out and then fry with shallow oil till the potatoes are crispy and light brown.
- Set them aside for use
Mostly Hyderabadi style biryani features potatoes, and if I say that Asians can add potatoes to every single dish, it won’t be a lie. Probably they consume the most potatoes in the world. Although, if you don’t like potatoes just like my sister, you can avoid adding them because they are optional.
Assembling and Cooking Biryani
Adopt the following procedure to know how to bake biryani in the oven.
- Preheat your oven at 180℃ for about 30 minutes.
- To make a layered biryani, add half of your rice in an ovenproof deep tray.
- Sprinkle crispy onion, cooked chicken, mint, coriander, half of the saffron, and food colors
- Add a layer of potatoes and then make another layer of rice.
- Repeat the process, by adding chicken, fried onions, and food colors
- Add about 8 oz of water on the rice and add some melted ghee/ oil.
- Cover and bake the biryani for about 20-30 minutes till your rice and chicken are thoroughly cooked.
Saffron, cardamom, and cinnamon will give your biryani an aromatic feeling, that makes your kitchen and lounge have a fresh scent. Biryani has a heavenly taste, and you can also make it quick in a slow cooker or electric pot. I prefer Basmati rice for biryani, but you can have any long grain rice of your choice. Just like the variety in styles, there is a unique story attached to every home for biryani.
Final Words
Millions of people love biryani, but let me tell you they all have their story and style of biryani. Some people like it when it is spicy, while others prefer a mild one. They like potatoes, and then you might find those who say a NO to potatoes.
Some like the addition of food colors, while others want to keep it natural, with color from the chicken masala, and like to have some white rice on the plate. In case you don’t like chicken, you can also use lamb or even vegetables to make your biryani.
I would love to hear how the recipe for cooking biryani in the oven turned out for you, and don’t forget to share your biryani story.
Related Reading: How to Reheat Biryani in Oven
