Pomegranate Chicken

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Servings servings

Calories 272 kcal

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.

Notes

This can be made with either bone-in, skin on chicken thighs, or boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The cooking time will be a bit longer with bone in thighs.

Nutrition

Calories: 272kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 31gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 143mgSodium: 721mgPotassium: 594mgFiber: 3gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 449IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 2mg