Cauliflower Rice Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani is a classic Indian Dish that you can make with Cauliflower Rice for a grain-free variation! You’ll love the spices, texture, and flavor in this dish that can be made in less than 20 minutes. Paleo and Whole30 approved!

I love Indian food. Have we talked about this lately? If you would have asked me 10 years ago my favorite food, I would hands down always say Mexican. I’m older now and things have changed. Like my belly doesn’t love Mexican food as much as it used to, and Indian food has slowly crept it’s way to the number one spot (although on some occasions I would say that it shares that spot with my beloved Mexican). My favorite Indian dishes include Chicken Vindaloo and Chicken Tikka Masala, but Biryani is a favorite with my kiddos. I make Biryani ALOT. But I knew it was time for a Paleo/Whole30 variation.

Now combine this with my obsession with cauliflower rice.

So Chicken Biryani is a classic dish that needed a Paleo/Whole30 makeover. It’s generally made with Basmati rice. So all I did was make an easy swap and used riced cauliflower in place of the rice. That’s the great thing about Indian food, is that it can be made with the cleanest ingredients because it’s jazzed up with THE BEST spices. It just needs some vegetables and protein, and voila!!! It’s amazing. That’s my long winded way of saying, this dish still has the same unbelievable yummy taste!!

Last weekend, the Wholesomelicious family actually went to the mall. The hubs and I needed dragged the kids through Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel and at least a few times back and forth. We were picking out a new couch for our den. The kids decided this was way too much adulting for them, and acted like caged monkeys who had been freed from the zoo. Jumping on furniture and making it obvious they don’t get out to malls and furniture stores very often. We needed a quick distraction and took the kids to one of our favorite Indian restaurants for lunch. They of course ordered the Biryani to share, and thought occurred to me that duh, why don’t I make this with cauliflower rice? We took our leftovers home, and within 2 days I whipped up this new version. One that they absolutely devoured!

And guess what? They didn’t even ask or mention the cauliflower rice. Perhaps they didn’t notice? Because really, the flavor in this dish is so delicious, that the rice is an afterthought.

Because I made this for my kids, I made it non spicy. It contains plenty of spices, but no peppers. You can certainly add in a jalapeño or pepper of choice to add some heat. As the case with most Indian dishes, the longer it sits the better! So although it can be made in less than 20 minutes, if the flavors meld for longer it tastes even better. And the leftovers taste are even more amazing!

Enjoy!

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Cauliflower Rice Chicken Biryani

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Amy Rains

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients

• 1 large head of cauliflower
• 2 tbsp ghee avocado oil, or olive oil
• 1.5 lbs chicken breast cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 medium sized yellow onion diced
• 2 tbsp finely diced ginger
• 2 tsp garam masala*
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/3-3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds or chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro to taste

Instructions

1. Begin by ricing your cauliflower. Cut your cauliflower into florets. Place inside a high powered blender or food processor and pulse for 10-20 seconds. Scrape down the sides to remove any cauliflower sticking to the side. Once cauliflower is evenly riced, set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet to medium - medium high heat. Add oil or ghee and coat the pan. Toss in chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes, evenly browning all sides (inside might still be a little pink).
3. Now toss in onion and ginger. Stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Finally add in spices, salt, tomatoes, chicken broth, and raisins. Mix, then toss in cauliflower rice. Bring mixture to a quick boil, and reduce heat to low. Cover with a lid and let simmer for 5-7 minutes or until cauliflower rice is softened.
5. Remove from heat. Top with almonds and cilantro. Serve hot!