This Arabic chicken biryani is my mom’s recipe and the one I grew up eating in our Iraqi household. In this recipe, there’s no layering, no marinating overnight – just a deeply spiced, one-pan (ish) weeknight dinner that comes together in an hour. My mom’s baharat spice blend makes it truly special – a warm Iraqi seasoning mix that gets stirred into the rice at the end. The final dish combines the rice with potatoes, chicken thighs, peas, toasted almonds and raisins. If you’ve never made Arabic style biryani at home, this is the recipe to try!

A large oval platter filled with spiced rice pilaf, cooked meat chunks, toasted nuts, and dried fruit, served on a turquoise table with small side dishes and glasses of water nearby.

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My Mom’s Biryani Components

My mom’s recipe has several components, and her version actually uses homemade chicken broth that she makes from a whole chicken. When I was thinking of ways to make this recipe weeknight friendly, I skipped this step and used boneless chicken instead. A total time saver! Here are the components and how they work together:

  • Aromatic yellow rice is the base. I use long grain sella basmati rice for best results.
  • Spiced chicken, which in my quicker version, gets seared then removed from the pan and added in with the rice. Boneless chicken thighs are my favourite cut for a quick and tender cook.
  • Potato cubes and peas. The potatoes are baked or air fried and added in at the end. The peas get cooked with the rice in the same pot.
  • My mom’s killer baharat spice mix – this is what makes the dish!
  • Crunchy slivered almonds and sweet raisins for the perfect final garnish.

Each element is there for a reason. Each element is easy to make. Just combine them all and you’ve got a dish you’ll make on repeat. Once you master this recipe, you’ll have to try my Quzi and Chicken Mandi recipes.

How To Make My Version of Arabic Biryani

Okay – here are the step by step photos of me making this at home during the week (likely with my toddler at my legs). I’ll walk you through each step.

A frying pan filled with seasoned, diced pieces of raw chicken being cooked on a stovetop. A wooden spatula is resting in the pan, stirring the chicken. White subway tile backsplash is visible in the background.
Start by seasoning the chicken and searing it off. Remove and set aside.
Uncooked white rice and seasoning are being stirred in a white skillet with a wooden spatula on a stovetop. The skillet contains yellow spices and rice is being combined with them.
Add the turmeric and olive oil, stir a few seconds to bloom, then add the rice and salt.
A large white pan on a stovetop is filled with yellow liquid and rice, simmering and bubbling as it cooks. The bright color suggests the presence of turmeric or saffron.
Add the water.
A skillet on a stovetop contains simmering chicken pieces in a yellow broth, topped with a heap of frozen green peas.
Place the chicken and peas on top.
A glass-lidded GreenPan skillet on a stovetop, showing steamed-up condensation with visible green peas and chunks of brown meat cooking inside.
Cover and cook undisturbed for 20 minutes.
Diced potatoes are spread in a single layer inside an air fryer basket, ready to be cooked.
Meanwhile, air fry or bake the potato cubes.
Slivered almonds being toasted in a black frying pan with a wooden spatula, some pieces lightly browned.
Work on toasting the almonds and heating the raisins (in the same pan).
A skillet filled with yellow rice, green peas, pieces of meat, and a generous layer of brown spices spread across the top, ready to be mixed and cooked.
Once the rice is cooked, add the baharat spice blend, mix gently, then cover and let stand for 10 minutes.
A large pan filled with yellow rice, green peas, and chunks of seasoned chicken, with a black serving spoon resting inside the dish.
All done!
A pan filled with yellow rice, green peas, chunks of cooked chicken, and golden-brown roasted potato cubes. The ingredients are mixed together, creating a colorful and hearty dish.
Add the potato cubes into the pan and mix gently to combine.

I usually do the final mixing of the potatoes with the rest of the biryani in a large tray, which is the same tray I serve it in. It’s easier to mix everything together gently. Serve it immediately with a side of Arabic salad or my favourite: some jajik!

Chicken Biryani on a gray plate with a fork

For more Middle Eastern recipes, check out:

If you tried these recipes, please consider leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page – I’d love to hear from you! You can also hop on over to Instagram and say hello!

A large oval platter filled with spiced rice pilaf, cooked meat chunks, toasted nuts, and dried fruit, served on a turquoise table with small side dishes and glasses of water nearby.
4.98 from 35 ratings

Weeknight Arabic Chicken Biryani

Yield: 6 Servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Author: Amina Al-Saigh
This Arabic biryani recipe is unique to my family's region of Iraq and is how my mom made it, with chicken, and flavoured heavily with her mix of baharat/seasoning. It's made with long grain basmati rice, cubes of potatoes, peas, almonds and raisons. Truly a feast with so much texture!
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Ingredients
  

For the potatoes:

  • 3 yellow potatoes, large, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch or 2 cm
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Chicken:

  • 680 g boneless chicken thighs, cut into 3/4-inch or 2 cm cubes
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

For the Rice:

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 cups basmati rice, washed and drained
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen green peas

For the Baharat Spice Blend:

  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

For Garnishing and Serving:

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds
  • 1 cup raisins, optional

Instructions
 

For the Potatoes

  • Preheat the oven to 450F and position a rack on the bottom. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Add the potatoes to the sheet pan and toss with the oil and salt. Smooth the cubes into a single layer and bake for 25 to 30 minutes on the bottom rack, until golden and soft, or air fry at 380F for 25 minutes until golden.

For the Chicken

  • Add the chicken to a large bowl with the salt, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. Mix well to thoroughly coat the chicken.
  • In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, working in batches to avoid overcrowding, for a few minutes, until seared on both sides; it does not need to cook through. Transfer to a plate.

For the Rice

  • In the same skillet the chicken was cooked in, heat the 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the salt and turmeric, mix, and then add the rice and water. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the chicken back into the skillet over the rice and sprinkle the frozen peas on top. Cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat to low, and let cook for 20 minutes, undisturbed.

For the Baharat Spice Blend

  • In a small bowl, mix together all the spice blend ingredients.

To Make the Garnish and to Serve

  • In a small skillet, heat the oil over low heat, then add the almonds and toast for 2 to 3 minutes until golden, stirring continuously. Transfer to a small bowl. Add the raisins (if using) to the skillet and heat them through, about 30 seconds.
  • After the biryani has cooked for 20 minutes, remove the lid and gently fluff the rice with a fork or wooden spoon. Sprinkle the baharat spice blend over the rice and mix gently. Cover and let the rice steam for 10 minutes with the heat off.
  • Spoon the biryani into a large serving tray and add the potatoes on top along with half of the toasted almonds and raisins (if using). Stir gently until everything is combined.
  • Garnish with the remaining toasted almonds and raisins (if using).

Notes

  • Serve the Arabic Biryani with plain yogurt and a simple salad for a complete meal.
  • You can pan fry the potatoes instead of baking as well, but I like to bake or air fry because I can work on the other components while they bake.
  • When toasting the almonds, make sure you stir continuously because they tend to burn quickly.
Serving: 1Serving, Calories: 861kcal, Carbohydrates: 96g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 41g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 23g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 111mg, Sodium: 1470mg, Potassium: 1136mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 379IU, Vitamin C: 37mg, Calcium: 98mg, Iron: 4mg
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