Easy Leftover Roast Chicken Biryani

This easy chicken biryani is a quick & easy one pot ideal for mid week meals. Perfect for using up leftover roast chicken. Ready in 40 minutes. Freezes well. Gluten and dairy free.

Recipe includes instructions for Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker and detailed notes on ingredient substitutions and additions as well as WeightWatchers Points.  

Leftover Roast Chicken Biryani

With this easy chicken biryani you can have dinner on the table in 40 minutes with only 10 minutes hands on time!  I usually make double and freeze the leftovers for another meal, or take to work as a packed lunch the next day.

I’m always keen to make the most of leftovers, and the humble Sunday roast means lovely leftovers.  Even though I usually cook for just the two of us I always buy a large 2kg+ chicken, as I thinks that they taste better, and I love the leftovers.   Similarly I always roast lots of extra vegetables and use them later in the week in soups, broths and frittatas.

This recipe for leftover roast chicken biryani is simple, tasty and adaptable: just adjust the spicing to your preference.

A traditional biryrani will have layers of rice and meat, this dish mixes everything together, and of course isn’t in any way authentic, but is no less delicious. You can make your own stock, or use good quality ready made, pot or cube.

If you make your own stock (easy, thrifty and highly recommended), then you can make the stock using the chicken carcass, to really eke out every morsel of flavour from the bird.  Once I’ve stripped my carcass I freeze it until I have a few then make a big batch of stock.

I first made this recipe (and prefer it with) basmati rice, but any long-grain rice will also work. You could also use brown rice, but you would need to adjust cooking times.

Recipe was photographed using long grain rice.

How To Make Easy Chicken Biryani – Step by Step

Step 1 – measure out all the ingredients. I find a few moments organizing at the start of any cooking pays dividends later: I’m much less likely to leave something out, or use the wrong quantity, if it’s sitting in a small bowl in front of me. Heat your oven to 180C / 350F / GM4.

Step 2 – Heat a large casserole dish on the stove top over a medium heat, and add the oil. Chop the onion, and fry until it starts to turn translucent, stirring frequently. Crush the garlic and add it to the onion, along with the spices.

If you don’t have leftover chicken, then cut up skinless breasts or boned thighs into bite sized pieces and add them at this stage.

Step 3 – Stir the spices in, and cook until they start to release those delicious aromas.

Step 4 – Add the rice and leftover roast chicken, and mix well to coat the rice and turkey in the spice mixture.

Step 5 – Add the stock, stir, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook in the oven for 25 minutes or until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Whilst it is cooking put the peas and corn in a bowl and cover with boiling water to defrost them.

Step 6 – Drain the peas and corn and add to the pot along with the spinach and mango chutney, stir well and return to the oven to cook for a further 5 minutes.

Step 7 – It’s ready to serve! Garnish with some fresh herbs, a wedge of lemon and some almond flakes and enjoy!

Easy Leftover Roast Chicken Biryani Recipe Notes & Substitutions

This is a very easy and forgiving dish providing you get the rice to liquid ratio right.

Ingredient Substitutions

Rice – We’ve tested this with both basmati and long grain rice (shown in the photos). It is far better with basmati rice which has that lovely fragrance. If you use long grain rice you will need to cook in the oven for about another 5 minutes.

Use Leftover Roast Turkey, Pork or Lamb – We used leftover roast chicken, you can equally well use leftover roast turkey, pork or lamb.

No Leftover Roast Meat? – If you are using fresh, raw meat then cut into chunks and fry along with the onion at the start of cooking.

Make it Vegetarian or Vegan – leave out the meat and add a can of rinsed chickpeas or other beans and use vegetable stock.

No Mango Chutney? Use good dollop of any other chutney; even a spoonful of apricot jam would be delicious.

Add more vegetables – This leftover roast turkey is the perfect dish for adding extra veg to. Add chopped leftover roast vegetables (potatoes, parsnip and carrots work well), stir in florets of cauliflower and broccoli 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time or substitute any leafy green for the spinach.

Garnishes – Again use what you have, I love fresh coriander (cilantro) but any fresh herbs are delicious. Garnish with toasted flaked almonds, cashews or pine nuts for some texture and crunch.

Cooking Times

Oven cooking time will be about 25 minutes for basmati rice when you add boiling hot stock, or bring the pot to a simmer before you put it in the oven. With different types of rice or cold stock allow another 5-15 minutes. I’d check after 25 minutes and then adjust the extra cooking time.

How To Make Leftover Roast Chicken Biryani in an Instant Pot

Absolutely, yes this dish is perfect for the Instant Pot or any other electric pressure cooker!

Use the sauté function to cook the onion, garlic and spice as above.

Add the rice and an equal volume of stock. Then stir in the turkey, and set the Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for three minutes.

Let the pressure release naturally for eighteen minutes with the keep warm setting.

Add in the defrosted peas and corn, with the spinach and mango chutney, stir, replace the lid and leave on warm for 5 minutes.

Can I Freeze Leftover Roast Chicken Biryani?

Absolutely. I pack into plastic takeout trays and freeze then microwave from frozen. Remember to freeze as soon as the dish has cooled.

More ideas using leftover roast chicken

Try my leftover roast chicken frittata or my healthy Coronation chicken.

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4.93 from 14 votes

Easy Chicken Biryani (using leftover roast chicken)

This leftover roast chicken biryani is a quick, quick easy and delicious one pot meal for all the family  which uses up leftover roast chicken.   Dinner on the table in 40 minutes with about 10 minutes hands on time.  Make double and freeze leftovers for another day - or take to work as a packed lunch.

Recipe includes instructions for Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker as well as detailed notes on ingredient substitutions and additions as well as WeightWatchers Points.

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Helen Best-Shaw

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time40 mins

Ingredients

• 1 tbs vegetable oil
• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 1 clove garlic (chopped)
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp paprika (or mild chilli)
• 4 cardamom pods
• 300 g leftover roast chicken (cut into chunks)
• 300 g basmati rice
• ½ cup frozen sweet corn
• ½ cup frozen peas
• 550 ml chicken stock
• 2 tbs mango chutney
• 1 handful baby spinach leaves
• lemon slices
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Conventional Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / GM4.
• Pour the oil into a flame proof casserole dish and fry the onion for a few minutes. ,
  
• Add the garlic and spices and cook for a further few minutes until the onion is soft. Remove from the heat.
• Stir in the chicken, rice, peas and corn into the onions and spices. Pour the stock over.
  
• Cook in the oven for 25 minutes or until the rice has absorbed the stock. Stir through the mango chutney and spinach and add a little water if the rice is slightly chalky to bite. Return to the oven for a further 5 minutes.
• Serve immediately with a squeeze of lemon.
  

Instant Pot / Electric Pressure Cooker Instructions

• Use the sauté function to cook the onion, garlic and spice as above
• Add the rice and an equal volume of stock stir in the chicken, and set the Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for three minutes.
• Let the pressure release naturally for eighteen minutes with the keep warm setting.
• Add in the defrosted peas and corn, with the spinach and mango chutney, stir, replace the lid and leave on warm for 5 minutes.

Notes

This is a very forgiving dish providing you get the rice to liquid ratio right.

INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS

Rice – We’ve tested this with both basmati and long grain rice (shown in the photos). It is far better with basmati rice which has that lovely fragrance.     If you use long grain rice you will need to cook in the oven for about another 5 minutes.

Use Leftover Roast Turkey, Pork or Lamb – We used leftover roast chicken, you can equally well use leftover roast turkey, pork or lamb.

No Leftover Roast Meat? – If you are using fresh, raw meat then cut into chunks and fry along with the onion at the start of cooking.

Make it Vegetarian or Vegan – leave out the meat and add a can of rinsed chickpeas or other beans and use vegetable stock.

No Mango Chutney? Add any other chutney, or even a dollop of apricot jam.

Add more vegetables – This leftover roast turkey is the perfect dish for adding extra veg to.  Add chopped leftover roast vegetables (potatoes, parsnip and carrots work well), stir in florets of cauliflower and broccoli 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time or substitute any leafy green for the spinach.

Garnishes – Again use what you have, I love fresh coriander (cilantro) but and fresh herbs are delicious.   Garnish with toasted flaked almonds, cashews or pine nuts for some texture and crunch.

COOKING TIME

Oven cooking time will be about 25 minutes for basmati rice when you add boiling hot stock, or bring the pot to a simmer before you put it in the oven.  With different types of rice or cold stock allow another 5-15 minutes.   I’d check after 25 minutes and then adjust the extra cooking time.

NUTRITION

This recipe has 14 Weight Watchers SmartPoints per serving.

LEFTOVERS

Leftovers can be frozen and then zapped in the microwave to reheat.

 

• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.

Nutrition Facts

Easy Chicken Biryani (using leftover roast chicken)

Amount Per Serving (4 servings)

Calories 484 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Fat 6g9%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 28mg9%

Sodium 1106mg48%

Potassium 593mg17%

Carbohydrates 83g28%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 8g9%

Protein 22g44%

Vitamin A 985IU20%

Vitamin C 13.8mg17%

Calcium 59mg6%

Iron 2.8mg16%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Main

Cuisine: British, Indian

Keyword: Chicken biryani, leftover chicken biryani

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