This pomegranate chicken dish features succulent tender thighs submerged in a tangy pomegranate and tomato sauce. I first shared this recipe way back in 2011, and it’s stood the test of time. A classic, just as delicious now as it was 13 years ago. It’s perfect for family meals, but fancy enough to serve for entertaining. A true multi-tasker.
I love the forgiveness of chicken thighs, almost impossible to overcook. They must be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F. They become even more tender once they reach 195°F. This happens because the collagen in the protein continues to break down the longer they cook. You can use skinless boneless thighs, or bone-in skin-on thighs if you prefer. Cooking time will be a bit longer with bone-in.
Here is photo of Pomegranate Chicken from when I first blogged about it 2011. I love a good makeover! Happy to say my photography skills have improved.
Keys to Success for Pomegranate Chicken:
- If using skin on thighs, you need to remove some of the fat rendered from the skin first. Do this before sautéing the onions, garlic, and jalapeno. Otherwise, the dish will be too greasy.
- Remove seeds and white ribs of jalapeno if you prefer a milder dish.
- If the onions start to burn while sautéing, just add a splash of water to the pan. No need to add any more fat.
- Don’t leave out the pomegranate molasses. It’s only 3 Tablespoons, but it adds a real depth of flavour. Most supermarkets carry it, or it can be ordered online.
- The fresh pomegranate seeds and chopped pistachios added for garnish add a great finishing texture to the dish.
Serve Pomegranate Chicken with rice or some crusty bread to soak up all that sweet and tangy sauce.
Pomegranate Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs either bone-in, skin-on or boneless skinless, your choice
- 1.5 teaspoons Diamond Crystal Kosher salt or 3/4 teaspoon Morton's Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 medium onions diced into 1/4 inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic crushed in garlic press or finely minced
- 1 small jalapeno seeded, and finely minced
- 3 Tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- 1 28 ounce can Italian plum tomatoes
Garnish
- 1 small pomegranate, seeded
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
- 1/8 cup shelled pistachios toasted and coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Sprinkle both sides of the chicken pieces with salt, paprika and pepper. Heat a large 12-inch skillet, (stainless steel or enamelled cast iron, like a Le Creuset, is ideal for this) set over medium high heat. Add chicken pieces, and cook until chicken is brown, about 5 minutes per side.
- Remove chicken pieces to a platter and set aside. If you used skin-on thighs, you might want to remove some of the fat that was rendered while browning. Leave about 1-2 tablespoons of fat in pan for cooking onions garlic, and jalapeno. If you used boneless skinless thighs, you might want to add about 1 tablespoon olive oil. In the same skillet, add onions, garlic and jalapeno and cook for about 3 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. If the onions start to burn, add about ¼ cup water.
- Drain tomatoes and reserve juice. Coarsely chop tomatoes. Add chopped tomatoes, tomato juice and pomegranate concentrate to pan with the onions. Place chicken pieces on top of onion and tomato mixture. Bring mixture to a boil. Turn heat down to simmer, cover skillet and cook for another 40 minutes for boneless skinless thighs, or 50 minutes for bone-in thighs, until chicken is done. If you like to do an instant read thermometer check, (be careful you don't hit the bone) the temperature should register at least 165°F, but you can cook chicken thighs up to an internal temperature of 195°F. They will become even more tender at this higher temperature.
- Remove thighs from pan and set aside. Bring sauce in pan to medium heat and simmer, uncovered, for an additional 5-10 minutes to let the sauce thicken and reduce a bit. Add chicken back to pan.
- Scatter fresh pomegranate seeds, parsley and chopped pistachios on top of chicken and serve.
