Fesenjan is one of the most well-known Persian dishes, and it’s no surprise why. This celebratory chicken stew is flavored with walnuts, lime and pomegranate juice, and is an ultimate comfort food.
To watch Jennifer Abadi make this Persian chicken stew, watch the video below!
Fesenjan (Persian Chicken Stew)
Fesenjan is one of the most well-known Persian dishes, and it’s no surprise why: Thanks to the walnuts, lime and pomegranate juice it features, this celebratory chicken stew has a sweet, savory and slightly tart flavor profile that everyone loves.
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 4-6
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 4–5 Tbsp vegetable, canola or sunflower oil
- 1 ¼ cups walnuts, finely ground
- 3 lb chicken pieces (dark meat only: legs and/or thighs), skin removed
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- 1–1 ¼ tsp kosher or sea salt
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 ½–2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 ½ Tbsp tomato paste dissolved in 1 cup cold water
- 1 ¼ cups pure pomegranate juice
- ¼ cup lime juice (about 3 large limes)
- ½ cup cilantro leaves (optional)
To serve:
- 2–3 Tbsp cilantro leaves (optional)
- steamed rice
Instructions
-
Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a small frying pan and cook the ground walnuts until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer walnuts to a small bowl and set aside.
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In a 3-quart saucepan heat 2 Tbsp oil over high heat for 1 minute. Add the chicken pieces and lightly brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken pieces and place them on a plate.
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Add the onions and cook over high heat until they become soft and transparent, but not brown, about 10 minutes. If the saucepan seems a bit dry, add 1-2 more Tbsp oil.
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Mix in the browned walnuts, cinnamon, both types of paprika, salt, pepper and brown sugar.
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Pour in the tomato liquid, pomegranate juice and lime juice and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a medium-low heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
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Return the chicken pieces to the saucepan, sprinkle with the cilantro leaves (if desired) and simmer partially covered over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to cook until sauce thickens into a gravy and chicken becomes very soft, about 45 minutes.
-
Serve hot over steamed rice.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Mizrahi
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Great recipe. I served this for a dinner party and everyone enjoyed it. It is a very robust and you can substitute almond flour for walnut if needed. The one thing I would suggest is that you add some of the sugar in with the walnuts before grinding because walnuts are high in oil and the sugar keeps it from become an oily mess.
I made this today using those chopped candied pecans from Trader Joe’s as I didn’t have walnuts. It was delicious. I’ll make it again next time with walnuts.
Can I make this without the walnuts, because walnuts lower your iron levels in your body and I get yearly iron infusions to keep my iron levels steady.
Sure!
To quote Janice from ‘Friends; Oh. My. G–.
I am gluten-free, dairy-free and Low FODMAP (no onion or garlic); and I left out the step with the onions and instead I added certified Low FODMAP garlic-oil… I am in shock. I am in awe. I will be dreaming about this until I make it again. Big hit for the family too. “Fantastic” was one of the words used. THANK YOU.