There are hundreds of weeknights in a year. That’s a lot of dinner! Test kitchen editor Kendra Vaculin is here to help. In her series Speedy Does It, she shares whoa-worthy meals you can get on the table like *snaps fingers* that.
This dish is inspired by fesenjan, a sweet-and-sour Persian stew featuring pomegranate and walnuts. This weeknight version swaps a quick roast and broil in for a lengthy braise. A mixture of pomegranate molasses, balsamic vinegar, savory Worcestershire sauce, and ground cumin provides a robust base of flavor—coating chicken thighs before roasting, and thickening into a glaze to brush them before a stint under the broiler. The sugar in the molasses helps the chicken brown and blister in spots, adding a long-cooked flavor to something that takes just a little more than 20 minutes in the oven.
While the chicken is great alone, it’s best dressed up with all the fixings: a garlicky toasted walnut relish for crunch, sliced scallion and torn mint for freshness (don’t be shy here, the herbs are crucial!), and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds for a pop of color and sweetness. Don’t have walnuts? Sub in almonds or pistachios for a similar nutty crunch—just watch the toast time to ensure they don’t burn.
Recipe information
Total Time
40 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
1½
6
½
¼
¼
3
2
1
1
½
1
¼
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Place a rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 425°. Place 1½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 6), patted dry, in a large bowl. Drizzle 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil over, season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, and toss to coat.
Step 2
Whisk ¼ cup balsamic vinegar, ¼ cup pomegranate molasses, 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, and 2 tsp. ground cumin in a small saucepan. Drizzle 3 Tbsp. over chicken; toss to coat. Stir a pinch of salt into remaining sauce in pan; set aside.
Step 3
Arrange chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until lightly browned, 13–16 minutes. Remove from oven.
Step 4
Meanwhile, toast 1 cup raw walnuts in a single layer on another rimmed baking sheet, stirring once, until golden brown, 5–8 minutes. Remove from oven.
Step 5
Set reserved sauce in pan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes.
Step 6
Heat broiler. Brush chicken with sauce, then broil until cooked through and deeply browned and blistered in spots, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and brush with more sauce.
Step 7
Coarsely chop walnuts and transfer to a medium bowl. Add 1 garlic clove, finely grated, ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and remaining 5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and mix to combine walnut relish.
Step 8
Transfer chicken to a platter and spoon walnut relish over. Scatter 1 large scallion, thinly sliced on a diagonal, ¼ cup (packed) mint leaves, large leaves torn, and some pomegranate seeds on top.