Persian recipes and ingredients for everyday kitchens.

recipe

Fesenjan: Persian chicken in walnut-pomegranate sauce

Bone-in chicken gently simmered in a thick walnut and pomegranate sauce. This version specifies its concentrate and includes clear poultry-temperature and stirring cues.

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Ingredients and method

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds skinless bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks, refrigerated until needed
  • 8 ounces plain walnut halves (about 2 US cups), picked over for shells
  • 1/4 US cup cool water to start the walnut paste
  • 1 1/2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil
  • 1 US cup Sadaf Pomegranate Concentrate, original 12-fl-oz product, SKU 34-5660; check the bottle against the product notes below
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to start, with more only after tasting
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Fresh pomegranate arils for serving, optional
  • Cooked plain white basmati or separately prepared saffron-tinted rice, optional for serving

Method

  1. Inspect the walnuts for shell fragments. Process them until finely ground and beginning to form a paste. With the machine running, gradually add the measured 1/4 cup cool water. Stop and scrape down as needed until the paste is thick and evenly blended.
  2. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Cook the sliced onions until golden, lowering the heat if the edges darken too quickly. Lift the onions into a bowl, leaving the oil in the pot.
  3. Put the chicken in the pot and spread the onions over it. Add the walnut paste, salt and pepper, then pour over the measured concentrate. Heat on medium until the sauce starts bubbling gently; avoid high heat, which can scorch the nuts and syrup.
  4. Cover, lower the heat and simmer gently. Stir the sauce along the bottom about every 15 minutes, moving the chicken carefully. Begin checking after 75–90 minutes. Add a small splash of water only if the sauce becomes too dry while the chicken is still cooking.
  5. Check the thickest part of each chicken piece away from bone: it must reach at least 165°F (74°C), and the meat should also be fork-tender. Continue cooking if needed. If the sauce is thin once the chicken is done, uncover and simmer briefly to reduce it. Taste and adjust salt.
  6. Serve with optional separately cooked rice and pomegranate arils. Transfer leftovers to shallow containers and refrigerate promptly.
Chicken in brown walnut-pomegranate sauce with optional pomegranate arils

Use the specified pomegranate concentrate

Fesenjan (فسنجان, also fesenjoon) pairs poultry with walnuts and concentrated pomegranate. This version follows Homa's walnut-paste method and one-cup concentrate quantity.

The named Sadaf product is SKU 34-5660. Its manufacturer currently lists concentrated pomegranate juice and natural red berry skin color. The separate sour molasses, SKU 34-5666, lists sugar, citric acid and water as well. Check your actual bottle; ordinary juice and other concentrates are not volume-for-volume substitutes.

Sources: [1] [3] [4]

Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer

Ground walnuts and concentrated fruit can catch on the bottom. Use a heavy pot, low heat and regular stirring. A little water can loosen sauce that is drying before the chicken is done.

Omid Roustaei's version browns the chicken and uses finely ground walnuts with a product-dependent pomegranate quantity. That is a different method. Here the walnuts form a paste, and the chicken cooks beneath the onion and sauce.

Sources: [1] [2]

Walnuts and poultry handling

Contains walnuts, a tree-nut allergen. Keep raw poultry and its utensils separate from ready-to-eat food; use a thermometer for the 165°F endpoint.

Refrigerate leftovers at 40°F or below within two hours, or one hour above 90°F. Reheat leftovers to 165°F.

Sources: [5] [6]

Research sources

  1. Homa — Khoresh Fesenjan, Persian Mama (checked 2026-10-22)
  2. Omid Roustaei — Khoresh Fesenjoon, The Caspian Chef (checked 2026-10-22)
  3. Sadaf — Pomegranate Concentrate 100% Natural 12 fl oz, SKU 34-5660 (checked 2026-10-22)
  4. Sadaf — Pomegranate Paste Molasses Sour, product listing (checked 2026-10-22)
  5. FoodSafety.gov — Cook to a Safe Minimum Internal Temperature (checked 2026-10-22)
  6. U.S. FDA — Safe Food Handling (checked 2026-10-22)