Instant Pot Lamb Biryani is an aromatic one-pot dish made with long grain basmati rice and lamb and flavored with complex spices and caramelized onions, raisins, and nuts. This biryani rice is the pressure cooker version of a family recipe for mutton biryani.
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Many cultures around the world have a version of a rice and meat dish. Biryani (pronounced ‘bir-yah-nee’) is the Indian version of paella, jambalaya, or arroz con pollo i.e. meat, seafood, or vegetables cooked with rice.
If you love Indian food, you’re going to love this biryani rice recipe. It’s one of my favorite dishes; it’s an aromatic one pot meal that delivers a feast in every bite.
Different regions of India have different recipes for biryani. Essentially, biryani is meat, fish or vegetables layered alternately with long grain rice, and cooked slowly to make a delicious one-pot meal. Chicken biryani and mutton biryani (goat meat) are very popular versions.
➡ Looking for more Indian recipes? Try my Instant Pot lamb curry or healthy butter chicken. They are on regular rotation at my house!
Pakki biryani (prounounced ‘puck-ee’) is where the meat and rice are cooked separately and then alternately layered in a pot and cooked further. Dum biryani (prounounced ‘dhum’) is where rice and meat are steamed together.
This Instant Pot lamb biryani recipe was adapted from a stovetop recipe my mother-in-law makes for special occasions. The Instant Pot makes it much easier to cook this dum biryani.
❤️ WHY YOU NEED TO TRY THIS RECIPE
- It’s an authentic family recipe.
- The rice and meat are cooked together for a one-pot meal.
- This lamb biryani recipe has fantastic flavor!
- The Instant Pot makes cooking biryani easy, with very little fuss.
🧂 Ingredients you’ll need for Instant Pot lamb biryani
More details in the recipe card at the bottom of this post
💡 Tips for Making Instant Pot Biryani
Frying the onions
The most time-consuming part of this Instant Pot biryani recipe is frying the onions. Fried onions are an important ingredient in this Instant Pot biryani. You can cook them a couple of ways:
- Instant Pot: fry onions in Saute mode
- Stovetop: deep fry in a wok or saute in a frying pan
Although you can get decent results with the Instant Pot, the frying pan is better if you want crisp onions. Either way, they take time.
If you find the onions sticking to the bottom of the pot, deglaze ever often with a tablespoon or two of water. I keep a cup of water to the side that I use occasionally during the frying process.
Biryani spice
The biryani spice mix is a prepared spice mix that’s readily available at any Indian grocery store. You can buy your choice of biryani masala (spice mix) or even make your own. These are some options:
Or you can make your own biryani spice mix:
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp black pepper powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
Garam masala
Garam masala can be purchased at an Indian grocery store. If possible, use a homemade garam masala, preferably ground fresh. If you don’t have your own garam masala recipe, try my homemade garam masala recipe.
Grind in a coffee grinder or mix powders together and store in a cool dry place. The aroma is heavenly!!
Spiciness
To make lamb biryani Instant Pot recipe spicier, add a chopped jalapeno when you’re pressure cooking the marinated lamb. You could also increase the quantity of chili powder.
Avoiding the burn message
Before you cook the lamb, make sure you deglaze the inner pot so there’s nothing stuck to the bottom or you can have trouble with the Instant Pot not sealing.
Before you cook the rice and after pressure cooking the lamb, stir the curry and scrape off anything stuck to the bottom.
When you’re adding the rice to the gravy, don’t stir it in. Just pour the washed rice in, gently spread it out and press down with a spatula to make sure the gravy covers the rice.
Marinating the meat
Although I prefer to marinate the meat for this mutton biryani Instant Pot recipe, there are times when I don’t plan ahead and I skip the marination. Things happen, and sometimes you do what you can! It still turns out quite tasty.
Substitute other meats
- For Instant Pot chicken biryani: use skinless, bone-in chicken legs and thighs instead of lamb, pressure cook for 6 to 8 minutes, and then proceed with the biryani recipe as written.
- For beef biryani: use beef stew meat and follow the recipe as written.
❓ FAQS
Based on reader feedback, I’ve changed the recipe instructions so you can try and avoid the burn message. You now add 1 cup of broth or water when adding the rice.
Make sure you deglaze very well after sauteing onions and cashews. When adding the rice in the second stage of pressure cooking, don’t stir the rice. Just push it down gently with a spatula.
Find out more about the Instant Pot burn message.
Yes, you can double the recipe. Keep the cooking time the same.
You can make the biryani ahead of time but garnish it when ready to serve. You can also just make the fried onions ahead of time and store them in the fridge.
I like to have a smooth marinade, so prefer to blend it. However, you can chop the ingredients finely if you want to avoid blending.
📝 How to make lamb biryani in Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)
- Marinate the lamb
- Saute onions, raisins, and cashew nuts
- Add lamb to Instant Pot
- Pressure cook lamb
- Add rice and pressure cook
- Stir lamb biryani
Marinate the lamb
- Blend the milk, yogurt, turmeric, biryani spice, garam masala, chili powder, salt, lemon juice, dried fruit, ginger, and garlic (or ginger garlic paste). Optional: WHITE poppy seeds (not black).
- Add cilantro and mint, and blend some more, until smooth.
- Transfer sauce and lamb meat to a medium bowl.
- Stir and refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours.
Saute onions, raisins, and cashew nuts
- In Saute mode, add ghee or oil to the Instant Pot inner pot. Add sliced onions to the ghee. Cook the onions until they are caramelized. Keep stirring so they don’t burn! This can take 20 to 30 minutes. It will take a long time to get the onions to be crisp and completely caramelized as shown above. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add more ghee or oil to the Instant Pot if necessary. Add raisins and cashews and saute until the raisins puff up. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
✏️ NOTE
- Make sure you’re keeping a close eye on the onions. If the onions begin sticking to the bottom, deglaze occasionally with a tablespoon or two of water or broth.
- You can probably fry the onions faster on the stovetop. I give Instant Pot instructions because some people want to make the whole meal in the Instant Pot.
Add lamb to Instant Pot
- Deglaze the inner pot with a couple of tablespoons of water so there’s nothing stuck on the bottom of the inner pot. Add back half the fried onions.
- Add the lamb with marinade.
Program the Instant Pot and release pressure
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes.
- The display will go from On to 12:00. The float valve will go up after a few minutes. The display will count down to 00:00.
- Do a 10 minute natural release of pressure or a full natural release. Once the float valve goes down, the lid can be opened.
Add rice and pressure cook
- Add one cup of water or broth to the Instant Pot. Stir and make sure there’s nothing stuck on the bottom of the pot.
- Add rinsed basmati rice to the Instant Pot. Press down with a spatula so the liquid covers the rice, but don’t stir. Close the lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. Do a 15-minute natural pressure release.
Stir the lamb biryani and let it rest
- Stir the lamb and rice carefully with a rice paddle or large silicone spatula.
- Let the biryani rest for about 10 minutes and sprinkle the remaining fried onions, raisins, cashews, cilantro, and mint.
If there’s too much liquid, let the rice rest a little longer and it should thicken up. Serve this easy Instant Pot recipe with raita (Indian yogurt relish).
Instant Pot Tips and Tricks
Delay Start
Learn about how to use the Instant Pot Delay Start feature, which allows you to begin pressure cooking at a future time.
Pot in Pot
Find out how to use the Instant Pot pot in pot cooking method, which allows you to cook multiple foods together.
Cooking Times
Find out Instant Pot Cooking Times and what method of pressure release to use.
More Easy Instant Pot Indian Favorites
- Instant Pot Beef Curry is a popular South Indian recipe that’s going to please your entire family! Delicious, simple and it can be eaten as a stew too!
- Instant Pot Chicken Curry is juicy chicken simmered with aromatic spices, and tangy tomatoes for a quick weeknight curry made easily in the pressure cooker.
- Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala is an easy recipe with chicken cooked in a rich, creamy tomato sauce flavored with warm Indian spices like coriander, cumin, and garam masala.
Instant Pot Lamb Biryani Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 ½ tablespoon biryani spice prepared mix
- 1 teaspoon garam masala preferably home-made
- ½ tsp Kashmiri chili powder optional
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 10 dried apricots optional – can also use prunes or dried figs
- 1 tablespoon ginger chopped coarsely
- 2 tablespoon garlic chopped coarsely
- 1 teaspoon white poppy seeds optional – don’t use black poppy seeds
- ¼ cup cilantro packed
- 7 mint leaves
- 2 lbs lamb (1 kg) cut into 1 ½ inch cubes – can use beef too
- 3 tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee
- 3 cups onions sliced
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ cup cashews preferably raw
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups Basmati rice
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 teaspoon mint chopped
Instructions
- Blend the milk, yogurt, turmeric, biryani spice, garam masala, chili powder, salt, lemon juice, dried apricots, ginger, garlic and white poppy seeds.
- Add cilantro and mint and blend some more, until marinade is smooth.
- Stir together lamb and marinade in a medium bowl, and refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours.
- Heat the Instant Pot in Saute mode, and add oil or ghee to the Instant Pot inner pot when it’s hot. Add sliced onions and fry the onions until they are caramelized and brown, but not burnt! This can take 20 to 30 minutes. Remove onions with a slotted spoon, and set aside. This step can also be done in a frying pan.
- Add raisins and fry until plump (add more ghee or oil if needed). Remove with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Add cashews and fry until they’re golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Both steps can also be done in a frying pan.
- Press Cancel to turn off the Instant Pot and deglaze the inner pot with a couple of tablespoons of water so there’s nothing stuck to the bottom of the inner pot.
- Add back half the fried onions to the inner pot. Add in the lamb with marinade.
- Close the Instant Pot and pressure cook for 12 minutes on High Pressure.
- Do a 10-minute natural release or full natural release (if you have the time) and open the lid. [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- Stir the bottom of the Instant Pot and make sure there's nothing stuck to the bottom. Pour the water into the bowl that the lamb was marinated in, and swirl around to pick up any remnant marinade. Pour this water into the inner pot and stir to combine.
- Rinse the rice and add to the Instant Pot. DON'T stir, but press the rice down into the gravy. This helps prevent the Instant Pot burn message.
- Close the lid and pressure cook for 6 minutes. Do a 10 minute natural pressure release. Open the Instant Pot and stir up the biryani carefully.
- Let the biryani rest for about 10 minutes and sprinkle remaining fried onions, raisins, cashews, cilantro and mint.
Notes
- If the onions begin sticking to the bottom, deglaze occasionally with a tablespoon or two of water.
- Onions may also be cooked on the stovetop, in a frying pan.
- It’s important that you don’t stir the rice when you add it to the Instant Pot, or you could have issues with the Instant Pot not coming to pressure. Just press down to cover with liquid.
- If you don’t have access to biryani masala (spice mix), substitute the following: 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, ½ tsp black pepper powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder.
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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✅ Why Trust Neena at Paint the Kitchen Red?
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➡ New to the Instant Pot? Get my Instant Pot instructions for beginners.
Allison says
So I would like to make this but couldn’t find any lamb available where I live. Can I use stew beef? If so would that change the cooking time at all?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Yes, you can use stew beef and keep the same cooking time.
Rajesh says
Hi,
The biggest blunder on this recipe is when and how much water need to be added isn’t clear and that messes up the recipe for some,
I understand you mentioned it clearly but still I have to read your recipe 3-4 times to see how much quantity and when to add water, as an inexperienced person like me who follows step by step by checking the instruction and cooking its difficult to catch up on that water. anyways thanks for the recipe.
Note: if you have made this recipe many times then you know without any instruction how to cook but for newbie no it doesn’t work out like that and you’re sharing on a platform to reach out to many people and yet your instructions seems little complicated and not clear as they should have been.im not making any bad remarks just a suggestion to make this recipe to understand clear for many out there.
Thanks
Paint the Kitchen Red says
UPDATE: This recipe has new instructions that should help make it easier to make and avoid the burn message.
Hi Rajesh – I appreciate your comment and will look at it with fresh eyes. Maybe even get one of my kids to make it. Thanks for the feedback – it’s very important to me that my readers find my recipes easy to follow.
Hamidha says
Doesnt deserve a star. The recipie is way off on rice-water ratio. Messed up a bday dinner.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hamidha, I’m sorry that you didn’t have a good experience. I make this recipe all the time in my Instant Pot and don’t have any issues. Feel free to reach out if you would like to troubleshoot. It could be some small adjustment you made that could cause the issue. The Instant Pot models also vary in how they cook. I’ve learned from experience to always try a recipe out before making it for guests or a special occasion.
Monica says
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! Followed every detailed step along the way and it turned out very close to the briyani that we usually order takeaway from. My hubby loved it very much The only exception was I used 1 cup of water instead of half cup water as I read through the latest comments that it might not be enough. Will definitely use this recipe again.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
I’m glad to hear that you were able to make it and enjoy it.
Mary Beth says
This was amazing, although I had a burn situation when I got to the rice component. Salvaged it by turning it off, getting some of the burnt bits off the bottom, adding a little water and then letting the rice cook on the rice setting. It never pressurized but cooked the rice anyway. The flavors are exactly from my fav restaurant in my old neighborhood in NYC. Thank you for this! Next time should I try the rice 5 min on the rice setting? It was custom/high when it burned.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Mary Beth, glad you liked the recipe but sorry to hear you had Burn message issues. I’ve heard this complaint just in past few weeks on a couple of older recipes that have had no issues in the past. I suspect some of the newer Instant Pot models may be running hotter or are somehow different. Cooking the rice of rice setting won’t work because the lamb needs to be cooked at high pressure and the rice setting is low pressure. Here’s a suggestion for next time:
– deglaze really well and make sure that before you add the rice, there’s nothing stuck to the bottom
– use 1/2 cup milk instead of 1 cup for the marinade
– don’t add the water when cooking the lamb
– when adding the rice, add 1 cup of water
So basically, I’m having you replace half the milk with water and you’re adding all the water (1/2 cup + 1/2 cup) in with the rice. I will try and make the recipe with these modifications the next time I make it, but if you get to it before me, let me know how it goes 🙂
Mary Beth says
I used chicken legs instead of lamb, and I think the 8 min cooked them well. The high setting was too much for the rice, which burnt in a layer at the bottom. It was either the thickness of the sauce or too much starchy rice at the bottom, or a combo of both. I’ve noticed that high heat for sauté is VERY hot on my unit, so I don’t know if there’s a way for medium heat but high pressure. Will continue to explore, and look to the recommendation of thinning the sauce a bit when the rice goes in. Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
I meant to ask if you stirred the rice in. You shouldn’t stir. You might also consider cooking the rice and chicken in one go together, without adding the rice in partway through, and using the layering technique i.e. liquids and chicken and then rice on top, but pushed down gently so it’s submerged.
Ashi says
You say do not add water at all…I just followed the recipe to the T but my instant pot gave burn food sign how about that! Plz give instructions for water coz without water this biryani ain’t cooking 🙁
Paint the Kitchen Red says
I’m sorry to hear you had trouble. I don’t say not to add water at all – there is 1/2 cup of water in the recipe. Milk, yogurt, and water all count towards the liquid quantity. There are 2.5 cups of those 3 ingredients in the recipe. There are a few possibilities of what went wrong:
1. Your meat quantity was more than the recipe states
2. Not enough of the marinade made it into the Instant Pot
3. You didn’t deglaze the inner pot to remove all the browned/burned bits
3. Your Instant Pot is more sensitive to ‘Burn’ (some IPs are this way)
4. Your Instant Pot didn’t seal
When you get the burn error, remove everything from the inner pot, clean the inner pot, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water to the inner pot, add back the meat and marinade and continue pressure cooking. Next time, add the recipe’s water first, then add the lamb and marinade, and don’t stir. Let me know if you have a better experience.
Prasoon says
Hi , could you please tell ,what is level of pressure for duo. There are 2 options normal and high.
Thanks
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Prasoon, you will need to pressure cook on high. In my experience, the pressure level switches between Low and High, not Normal and High. But either way you should choose the High option
Jackie says
I loved this did in my Breville FSP didn’t need full 10 mins for rice so next time only 7 mins. Great flavour
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks, Jackie, for your comment – I’m thrilled you liked the recipe!
Mahry says
I really like this recipe for the taste and the ease of it.
But everytime I make it there seems to be too much liquid even after I follow all the instructions. The rice comes out too wet. What should I change?
Also, the flavour is hit or miss. The first time complete miss, second time was better, as I added more salt when I added the rice. Anything else you’d recommend? Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Mahry, I’m sorry you’ve been having issues with the recipe. I don’t know if it’s the type of rice you’re using or maybe the meat is releasing liquid. If the meat is frozen, let it thaw completely and maybe even dry it with a paper towel. The flavor is being affected by the dilution of spices due to the excess liquid. I would try and reduce the quantity of liquid in the recipe by maybe 1/4 cup total (milk and yogurt) and see how that goes.