Arabic Biryani with Chicken | Authentic Iraqi Recipe (2024)

When my family and I all gather at my mom's house for the weekend, it's always a debate as to what we'd like her to cook for us (because mom's food is amazing). Hands down, this Arabic Biryani is always in our top 3. Guys - I'm telling you. It's a must try. It may look a bit intimidating but trust me - it's actually quite easy to execute.

It has several components: aromatic yellow rice, spiced chicken, peas, potatoes, crunchy almonds and sweet raisins. Each element is there for a reason. Each element is easy to make. Just combine them all and you've got a delicious rice dish worthy of making time and again. Once you master this recipe, you'll have to try my Quzi and Chicken Mandi recipes.

This Biryani recipe is how I grew up eating it and it is quite unique to Iraq. Arabic Biryani is very different from the popular Indian and South Asian dish. It's a dish that we often serve when we have elaborate dinner parties and honored guests over at our house. What I love most about it is the different textures combined with the spices used - it's magical. Okay, enough about my love story with Biryani. Let me talk you through the process.

How to make Arabic Biryani

• We start with boiling a whole chicken with a variety of whole spices to really infuse the flavors into the chicken. Once cooked, we shred the chicken and set it aside
• Then the yellow rice is cooked in the chicken broth that's been infused with whole spices with lots of oil (don't skimp) - holy flavor!!
• The potatoes, which for me are a crucial element, can be cubed and either pan fried or baked in the oven. I love to bake them because it can be done hands off while I'm working on the other components and makes the process faster
• The peas are just boiled until soft - easy peasy. Get it?
• The slivered almonds are toasted until golden. When you're doing this, make sure you continuously stir because they tend to burn easily
• Raisins are combined with the shredded chicken and peas for a final saute to draw out the moisture and heat everything through
• Then it's all about the mixing. Rice, all the components, and lots of powdered spices come together. Mix mix mix and then taste. You nailed it!

For storing, you can place it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for 3-5 days. I wouldn't recommend freezing it because the rice will break and the potatoes and peas will be very mushy. However, if you're making it for a dinner party, here are a few tips on how to make it ahead of time to make things a bit easier the day of.

How to make Biryani ahead of time for a dinner party

• You can boil the chicken with the whole spices the night before, and store it in the fridge along with the broth. The next day, you can take it out and heat the broth and start the rice cooking process
• You can also bake the potatoes and pre-boil the peas so that they're ready to go the next day. The potatoes don't need to be crispy necessarily because they will soften anyways when mixed in with the rice. However if you do make them ahead, you need to heat them before you mix them in with the rest of the Biryani
• The rice, almonds, and raisins I recommend you prepare the day of, ideally no more than 2-3 hours before serving.

This Arabic Biryani will be your go-to when you want to impress (or if you're like me, when you're really craving it and end up making 10 servings for just you and your husband. Very normal). I hope you give it a try, and if you do, be sure to pop back and leave me a review and some feedback. I love hearing what you have to say!

For more Middle Eastern recipes, check out:

• Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma
• Eggplant Fatteh
• Stuffed Onions

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!