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These beef biryani is an aromatic and unique Indian dish with melt in your mouth beef, layers of fluffy rice, spices and fried onions.
When it comes to flavor bomb dishes, Indian is the first thing to come to mind for me - from chicken tikka masala to beef madras to chicken bhuna to slow cooker Indian butter chicken.
And one of the most well-known is biryani. A layered dish made of rice, spices, fried onions and usually chicken, it is an explosion of flavors. However, I decided to mix it up and go with beef. What you get is delicious meal perfect for any occasion.
Why This Recipe Works
- Flavorful - you get some brightness from the sauce and aromatic flavors from the various spices.
- Make-ahead ready - this beef biryani is perfect for making ahead and warming up as a lunch option.
- Family friendly - yes there are a lot of spices, but it isn't spicy. Everyone will love the flavors.
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Recipe Notes
- Beef - choose a tender cut like sirloin or chuck for succulent results.
- Veggies - the onion, jalapeño, ginger and garlic adds an intense flavor to the sauce which gets soaked up in the rice. Onions are also caramelized for additional flavor.
- Raisins - adds a touch of sweetness.
- Spices - Indian food is known for its spices and this meal is no different. Make sure you use fresh spices that aren't expired.
- Yogurt - balances the spices and lightens the dish.
- Rice - you want a long-grain rice like basmati rice.
- Broth - the beef broth not only adds some flavor but is used to cook the rice.
Ingredient Swaps
As with any recipe, you can switch things up if needed. Some variations include:
- I like jalapeños for some extra spice, however poblano peppers are good substitutes.
- If you want to go a more traditional route for added fat, use ghee instead of butter.
- While I like the easy of already ground spices, you are more than welcome to use whole spices.
- Yogurt is important in this dish, but Greek yogurt or sour cream works as well.
- I like basmati rice, but Jasmine is a good substitute.
Step-by-Step Photos
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
Make the sauce by combining all of the ingredients in a food processor and set aside.
Heat butter over medium heat in a Dutch oven and add the onions, cooking until caramelized before adding the raisins.
Add the remaining butter over medium-high heat and brown the beef. Remove and add the sauce, bringing to a simmer.
Add the spices to the sauce before adding the yogurt, some beef broth and beef. Simmer for an hour.
While the beef is simmering, cook the rice for 5 minutes in the broth. It will still be raw but drain the liquid. Add to the top of the beef mixture before topping with the caramelized onions.
Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Once ready, mix together and serve.
FAQs
Biryani is a layered Indian dish which usually comprises chicken, rice and spices. However it can also include proteins like lamb or fish. In this case, I used beef.
This beef biryani isn't spicy. It has a nice warmth to it but will not make you sweat.
If using the traditional boiling method where you cook the rice like pasta, it will take between 4 to 5 minutes. Make sure you drain the rice on time as it will finish cooking the oven.
Beef biryani is a dish on its own, but you can't go wrong with some homemade naan. Onion raita or Kachumber salad work great too.
Leftovers will store well in the fridge for 2-3 days in an air-tight container or be frozen for 3 months.
Equipment
The equipment you use is important to how the beef biryani turns out. What is needed is the following:
- Dutch oven - you want something large enough to hold all of the ingredients and is oven safe.
- Chef knife - you want a good quality knife so you can chop up everything.
- Spoon - you want a good wooden spoon to stir everything together.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- If you like more spice, keep the seeds from the jalapeño.
- If you can't find/use fresh ginger, replace it with just ⅓ teaspoon dried ginger as it is much more concentrated.
- Make sure you give the beef enough time to simmer so it gets tender. If liquid is evaporating too quickly, add a small amount of broth.
- Make sure the rice is parboiled as it will finish cooking in the oven.
Similar Recipes
If you’ve tried this beef biryani or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Beef Biryani
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 sweet onion, cut into quarters
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and cut in half
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- ½ cup beef broth
Biryani
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
- 1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- 1 lb beef, cut into 1" pieces
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground tumeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 ½ cups basmati or jasmine rice
- 3 cups beef broth
Instructions
- Make the sauce by adding the onion, jalapeño, garlic, ginger, cilantro and broth to a food processor and puree until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large Dutch oven, add 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook until caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add the raisins, stirring to combine. Remove from the pan.
- Return pan to medium high heat and add the remaining butter. Add the beef, cooking until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan.
- Add the sauce to the pan and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cumin, garam masala, coriander, paprika, cardamom, salt, tumeric and cinnamon. Add in the yogurt and ½ cup of beef broth. Add the beef back in. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
- While beef is simmering make the rice. Heat 3 cups of beef broth to a low boil in a medium saucepan. Add the rice, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. It should still be raw. Drain the liquid and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spoon the rice over top the beef mixture before adding the caramelized onions. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before mixing and fluffing with a fork. Top with some cilantro and serve with naan.
Notes
- If you like more spice, keep the seeds from the jalapeño.
- If you can't find/use fresh ginger, replace it with just ⅓ teaspoon dried ginger as it is much more concentrated.
- Make sure you give the beef enough time to simmer so it gets tender. If liquid is evaporating too quickly, add a small amount of broth.
- Make sure the rice is parboiled as it will finish cooking in the oven.
- Leftovers will store well in the fridge for 2-3 days in an air-tight container or be frozen for 3 months.
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