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Persian Braised Pomegranate Chicken with Walnuts (Fesenjan)

Braised Pomegranate Chicken with Walnuts

Adapted from edible: A Celebration of Local Foods. The original recipe came from Edible East Bay's (California) editor, Cheryl Koehler.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6 -8
Calories 230 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 - 3 1/2 pounds chicken parts my kids like drumsticks
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or grapeseed oil
  • 1 onion sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon I used black cardamon, but I think green cardamon would be just fine
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup unsalted walnuts toasted, then finely ground in the food processor
  • 2 cups unsweetened pomegranate juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Garnishes

  • a few tablespoons toasted chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
  • lemon zest

Instructions

  1. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken pieces in pan, single layer, making sure sides of chicken pieces do not touch. You want the chicken to brown, not steam. Brown all sides of chicken pieces nicely, about 4-5 minutes. You may need to do this in two batches depending o the size of your skillet. Remove chicken to a plate.
  3. Add onion to pan and cook on medium-low until golden brown, about 7-8 minutes. Do not burn. Add garlic, cardamon, and cinnamon and cook, stirring continuously, for one minute.
  4. Add ground walnuts and cook, stirring often, until toasted, about 2-3 minutes.
  5. Stir in pomegranate juice, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook for 2 minutes, scraping up brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
  6. Return chicken pieces to the pan and spoon some sauce on top of chicken. Bring to a oil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30-35 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
  7. Remove chicken from pan and cover to keep warm. Reduce walnut sauce until it reaches the desired consistency.
  8. Return chicken to pan and coat with sauce.
  9. Before serving, sprinkle chicken with toasted walnuts, pomegranate seeds and lemon zest.

Recipe Notes

To make a thicker, creamier sauce, I increased the amount of walnuts in the recipe from 2 tablespoons to 1 cup. I also made a few modifications to the cooking technique. The original recipe adds the ground walnuts at the end of the cooking process. I chose to follow the traditional method of cooking the ground walnuts with the onions until browned (deepening the flavor of the walnuts), and letting the nuts braise with the chicken from start to finish. I also took the extra step of reducing the walnut sauce at the very end for a thicker sauce - it's really a matter of preference, depending on whether you like a thick or thin sauce. I ended up with a creamy, thick sauce with no little walnut pieces floating around.

Nutrition Facts
Braised Pomegranate Chicken with Walnuts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 230 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 396mg17%
Potassium 306mg9%
Carbohydrates 17g6%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin C 4.9mg6%
Calcium 34mg3%
Iron 0.7mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.