This easy Pomegranate chicken fesenjan recipe comes together quickly, thanks to the use of pre-cooked rotisserie chicken.
Made with an intoxicating blend of pomegranate molasses, toasted walnuts and tangerine juice, chicken fesenjan (also called fesenjoon) is an easy weeknight dish.
We first discovered this delicious sweet-and-savory Persian stew at our friend’s wedding and it’s become a favorite dish in our home. When we are visiting Orange County, one of our favorite spots for splurging on this dish is called Darya, near South Coast Plaza.
Most traditional Fesenjan recipes call for chicken drumsticks or thighs, which are slow cooked in the pot with the ingredients until fork-tender. However, to make this a quicker weeknight meal, we often use rotisserie chicken from Costco.
The first step is to toast the walnuts, however this is optional. The dish will be just a nice if you don’t toast them. It’s really a personal preference. Next, you blend the walnuts in a mini food processor with some water until pasty and tan-colored.
After processing the walnuts, cook the onions until golden. Then, you just add the rest of the ingredients and stew on low for about 60 minutes, or until thick and bubbly.
Ingredients for Pomegranate Chicken Fesenjan
- Toasted walnuts
- Rotisserie Chicken
- Onion
- Pomegranate molasses
- Tangerine Juice
- Honey
How to Make Persian Fesenjan Stew
- Process the walnuts in a mini food chopper until it becomes pasty. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water and process more.
- Fry sliced onions in oil until softened. Add chicken, walnut paste and pomegranate molasses. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil of medium heat, then reduce to medium-low. Simmer on low for about 60 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the sauce does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Season with honey to taste.
- Serve on basmati rice.
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Easy Pomegranate Chicken Fesenjan
Recipe by Jason Hill – CookingSessions.comIngredients
- 1 cup walnuts toasted lightly
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion sliced thin
- 3 cups rotisserie chicken
- 1/2 cup pomegranate molasses
- 1/2 cup tangerine juice
- Honey to taste
Instructions
- Process the walnuts in a mini food chopper until it becomes pasty. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water and process more.
- Fry sliced onions in oil until softened. Add chicken, walnut paste and pomegranate molasses. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil of medium heat, then reduce to medium-low. Simmer on low for about 60 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the sauce does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Season with honey to taste.
- Serve on basmati rice.
