Leftover chicken biryani in a rice cooker is an easy and delicious way to turn leftover cooked chicken into a flavorful rice meal. Made with basmati rice, cooked chicken, biryani masala and aromatic spices, this simple rice cooker biryani is perfect for busy days when you want a satisfying meal without spending too much time in the kitchen.
Love making rice dishes in your rice cooker? You might also enjoy my cumin rice in rice cooker, an easy and flavorful side dish that pairs beautifully with curries.
🔍Quick Look: Leftover Chicken Biryani
- ⏱️Total Time: 25 minutes
- 🍳Servings: 3
- 📊Calories: ~322 kcal per serving
- ⭐Difficulty: Easy
- 📌Pro Tip: For extra aroma and flavor, sprinkle some fried onions over the rice before closing the rice cooker lid
I love how convenient this recipe is, especially on busy days when I want to prepare something delicious without making an elaborate meal.
⭐Why you'll love this recipe
- Great for leftover chicken: Give leftover roast chicken, grilled chicken or chicken curry a delicious second life.
- Minimal preparation: No need to prepare a separate chicken gravy from scratch.
- Convenient cooking: Let your rice cooker do most of the work.
- Flavorful and satisfying: Aromatic spices and biryani masala turn everyday ingredients into a delicious rice meal.
- Easy one-pot meal: Everything cooks together in the rice cooker, so there's less cleanup.
Want to learn how to cook perfect rice every time? Check out my 8 Tips for perfect rice in a rice cooker to avoid mushy or sticky rice and achieve fluffy, perfectly cooked rice every time!
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📋Ingredients
To make biryani in a rice cooker, you need:
Use basmati rice as it gives the biryani its characteristic long, fluffy grains.
I used leftover cooked chicken from my spicy North Indian chicken curry for this recipe. You can also use leftover roast or grilled chicken. If using chicken on the bone, remove the bones and use the cooked chicken pieces.
Looking for more easy chicken dinner ideas? Try my Indian curry cut chicken masala, butter chicken, Ghee bhuna chicken masala, and chicken and sweetcorn pasta salad for family-friendly chicken recipes.
Biryani masala, salt, and a combination of ground and whole spices add layers of flavor and aroma to the rice, giving it a delicious biryani taste.
See the recipe card for quantities.
👩🍳How to make leftover chicken biryani in a rice cooker
Wash the basmati rice 2-3 times in a separate bowl or directly in the rice cooker's removable inner pot, if suitable. Drain the excess water.
Add the leftover cooked chicken or chicken curry to the drained rice. Pour in the water or stock, adjusting the amount depending on how much gravy is in your leftover chicken.
Add a generous amount of biryani masala, salt to taste, butter, and whole spices. For extra heat, you can also add a little 2-ingredient chilli oil or chilli chutney. Give everything a gentle stir to combine the ingredients evenly.
Close the rice cooker lid and select the regular rice cooking setting. Let the rice cooker cook until the cycle is complete. Once cooked, allow the biryani to rest for 5 minutes.
Gently fluff the rice with a fork and garnish with fresh mint or corainder before serving hot.
❄️Storage
Allow the biryani to cool slightly and transfer it to an airtight container. Refrigerate promptly and consume within 2-3 days.
When reheating, add a splash of water and heat until steaming hot throughout.
You can also freeze individual portions in airtight, freezer-safe containers for convenient meals.
🥄Serving Ideas
This simple chicken biryani tastes delicious on its own, but you can pair it with:
Fresh raitas such as cucumber raita, boondi raita, and mixed vegetable raita.
Plain yogurt or mint yogurt sauce.
Onion and cucumber salad.
Masala lassi and mint coolers go good with spicy biryani.
Pickles like mango or cauliflower.
📝Tips
- Cut large chicken pieces into smaller portions for even heating.
- If using leftover chicken curry, account for the gravy when measuring the water.
- For plain roast or grilled chicken, adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Avoid stirring the rice too much during cooking, as this can break the grains.
- Let the biryani rest for 5 minutes after cooking to help the rice settle.
✨More Rice Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
🧾Recipe
Easy Leftover Chicken Biryani in a Rice Cooker
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Equipment
- Rice cooker
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 cup leftover chicken curry
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2-3 cloves
- 2-3 black peppercorns
- 2-3 cardamoms
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon biryani masala
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Wash the basmati rice 2-3 times in a separate bowl or directly in the rice cooker's removable inner pot, if suitable. Drain the excess water.
- Add the leftover cooked chicken or chicken curry to the drained rice. Pour in the water or stock, adjusting the amount depending on how much gravy is in your leftover chicken.
- Add biryani masala, salt, garam masala, turmeric, red chilli powder, butter, and whole spices. Stir gently to combine.
- Close the rice cooker lid and select the regular rice cooking setting. Allow the rice cooker to complete its cooking cycle.
- Once cooked, let the biryani rest for 5 minutes.
- Gently fluff the rice with a fork and garnish with fresh mint or cilantro before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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