The search for an authentic Pakistani style beef biryani comes to a stop here!
Friends, we are not skimping on flavor here. This biryani is the sister to my uber-flavorsome Chicken Biryani, and we are not taking anything lightly. The masala (cooked gravy) is spiced just right, and it comes together perfectly with the rice to create the most memorable lip-smacking treat you’ve had in a while!
Quick note before I share the recipe- This recipe yields a nice and spicy biryani. Biryani is not meant to be bland and lacking in heat. The heat will not make you weep, but you might feel a little somethin’ somethin’ in your nose 😉
The Best Pakistani Beef Biryani
Ingredients
- 1¼ – 1½ pounds bone-in beef pieces
- 1 cup neutral flavored oil
- 2 large onions, sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
- 3 tomatoes, sliced or diced
- ½ cup full-fat yogurt
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1½ teaspoons red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground mace
- Salt, to taste
- 4 green cardamoms
- 4 cloves
- 2 black cardamoms
- 2 1-inch pieces cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 star anise
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- ½ cup chopped mint
- 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
- 1 green chili, halved (jalapeno or serrano)
- 3 cups parboiled/sela basmati rice
- Pinch of powdered yellow or orange food color, optional
Instructions
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Rinse rice in cold water, and soak in cold water for at least 2 hours (can soak for up to 4 hours).
Prepare Biryani Masala
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Heat oil in a large vessel over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions and sauté until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes.
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Transfer half of the browned onions to a paper towel lined plate and set aside. These will be used when the biryani is being layered.
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Returning to the cooking onions, add ginger garlic paste and beef, and sauté until the beef has a good sear on it, about 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat and add tomatoes, cover, and cook until the beef is tender and the onions and tomatoes have cooked down into a thick paste, about 1½ to 2 hours. Add splashes of water and stir as necessary to help tenderize the meat and to prevent burning at the bottom of the pot.
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While the beef is cooking, mix the following together in a bowl: yogurt, coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric, paprika, black pepper, nutmeg, mace, salt, green cardamoms, cloves, black cardamoms, cinnamon, bay leaf, and star anise.
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Once the beef is ready, add the prepared yogurt and spice mixture. Cook until the oil begins to separate from the gravy, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add potatoes and cook until they are semi-cooked through (they will continue cooking while steaming with the rice), about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in cilantro, mint, lemon (or lime) juice, and green chili. Set aside.
Prepare Rice
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Heat water (enough to boil rice in) and salt in a large vessel over medium-high heat. Once it comes to a boil, add soaked rice (drain before adding), and cook until about 75% cooked through. Drain and set aside.
Assemble
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In a large vessel, spread out half of the boiled rice, followed by the beef and potato mixture (masala). Cover with remaining rice. Sprinkle a pinch of food color, if desired. Sprinkle prepared fried onions. Cover and seal the vessel with a cotton tea towel or aluminum foil, followed by the lid. Cook over low heat until the rice has finished cooking, about 45 to 60 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Measurements are in actual measuring spoons/cups and not eating utensils.
The chillies I use are very spicy. Feel free to increase the red chili powder or green chilies if your chilies are more mild.
Instructions for steaming the biryani in the oven: Layer the rice and beef mixture in a large oven-safe pan as instructed above. Seal the pan well with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
This biryabi receipe was simply deliciously. It was fresh, surprisingly light with the right amount of spice and the biryabi flavor we love!
thank you so much!
Will you still get the same results if you used boneless beef?
The bones add a lot of flavor to the biryani, but boneless comes incredibly close too 😉
This recipe was so easy to follow and turned out amazing! Love that you don’t use the spice packets. The home fresh ingredients make a world of a difference.
Thank you sooo much!❤️
Could you marinate the beef prior to making the curry? If so for how long and could you please instruct what I would need to do that.
This recipe doesn’t require marination.
Can I use lamb instead of beef, would this alter the cooking times?
Yes, you can absolutely swap out the beef for lamb. As for the cooking times, I would start at 1 hour, and continue checking at 15 minute intervals (this is in regards to the first part, where the meat is cooked until it’s tender with the tomatoes). After that, you can follow the recipe as written.
This was delicious Henna! Made it for some guests for the very first time and turned out amazing! I made it with a little over 2lbs of goat meat instead of beef, so I scaled the recipe up. I grew eating biryani that has some kewra, so I added a bit to the biryani masala at the end.
Flavors were spot on! Your recipes never disappoint ❤️
Adeeba this means so much to me! Thank you soooo much ❤️
I went to Pakistan for the first time in May, and I was feeling nostalgic for beef biryani. This was amazing and brought me back!
Thank you so much Karin! This means a lot!
Great recipe!
Turned out so yummy
The only thing i changed is to add water to cook the beef after searing- splashes wasnt doing anything lol
Thank you so much for your feedback! And hahaha yesss, you’ll need some extra water to ensure that the beef is cooked through.
followed the recipe to a tee. (just cooked the beef in an instant pot).. superb every single time. family loves it. my younger son is not a huge biryani fan but loved this one.
Thank you so much!
Can you make this recipe without being spicy? I like spicy but my wife and son don’t like spicy food.
Yes absolutely! I would recommend leaving out the green chili, and cutting down the red chili powder (cayenne) to 1/2 teaspoon.
I usually make my own Sindhi or Hyderabadi Dum biryani, but decided to try this recipe. It turned out super amazing and I loved the end result. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’m planning to try your Halwa Puri recipe next!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for your feedback!
No cumin in this recipe? Is this an error??
Nope, not an error 🙂
For cups of rice did you use a measuring cup as 1 cup?
Yes, all measurements listed are with actual measuring spoons and cups.