A delicious recipe for Fesenjan, a Persian Walnut Pomegranate Stew with chicken or chickpeas, or both! Earthy, rich and tangy, this luscious stew is bursting with Middle Eastern Flavor! Vegan adaptable. With a Video. 

A delicious recipe for Fesenjan, a Persian Walnut Pomegranate Stew with chicken and chickpeas. Earthy, rich and tangy, this is bursting with Middle Eastern Flavor! #persianstew #fesenjan #persianrecipes #persiancchicken #middleeastern #chicken #chickpeastew

When we let go of insisting that we are who we think we are and that the world should give us exactly and only what we want, all things shine forth.

John Brehm (The Poetry of Impermanence, Mindfulness, and Joy)

Introducing Fesenjan (pronounced FESEN-joon)- a classic Persian dish made with chicken, ground walnuts and pomegranate -earthy, tangy and deep, Fesejan is soulful and oh so satisfying.

The flavorful sauce is sumptuous and rich from the ground walnuts, with a pleasant tanginess from the pomegranate molasses. The warming spices of turmeric, cinnamon and nutmeg add a whisper of the exotic, transporting you away to far-off places.  And if you get the balance just right,  Fesenjan is downright swoon-worthy!

This version can be made deliciously vegan with chickpeas! Or use chicken and chickpeas, if you prefer, as we have done here.

Origin of Fresenjan

Fesenjan originates from Northern Iran where pomegranates grow happily near the Caspian Sea. It is believed that pomegranates originated here and in the Persian culture, represented immortality and fertility.  This traditional Persian stew dates all the way back to the Persian Empire (500 BC) and was often made on the night of winter solstice (called Yalda)  the darkest night of the year. For more info on this beautiful Iranian winter tradition- visit here. 

How to make Fesenjan | Video

Fesejan Ingredient Notes

  •  walnuts– earthy and rich creating so much flavor depth.
  •  chicken thighs (boneless, skinless) or sub chickpeas
  • spices: turmeric, cumin, cinnamon stick (optional), cinnamon, nutmeg– magical flavor.
  • orange zest– bright and tangy.
  • chicken stock– or sub veggie broth.
  • pomegranate molasses (or make your own- see notes)– this will set apart this dish, creating amazing exotic flavor.
  • pomegranate seeds– beautiful and tasty for garnishing.

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.     

How to make Fesenjan

A delicious recipe for Fesenjan, a Persian Walnut Pomegranate Stew with chicken and chickpeas. Earthy, rich and tangy, this is bursting with Middle Eastern Flavor! #persianstew #fesenjan #persianrecipes #persiancchicken #middleeastern #chicken #chickpeastew

STEP ONE: It starts with toasting 2 cups of walnuts which will become the base of the sauce. Using fresh walnuts (that are not bitter) is essential here.

A delicious recipe for Fesenjan, a Persian Walnut Pomegranate Stew with chicken and chickpeas. Earthy, rich and tangy, this is bursting with Middle Eastern Flavor! #persianstew #fesenjan #persianrecipes #persiancchicken #middleeastern #chicken #chickpeastew

Grind the toasted walnuts.

This week I’m partnering with California Walnuts to create this cozy dinner.  The addition of toasted walnuts gives the stew a wonderful richness.

TIP: It is important to use fresh walnuts for this recipe, and I wanted to share how I keep nuts fresh by storing them in the freezer.

A delicious recipe for Fesenjan, a Persian Walnut Pomegranate Stew with chicken and chickpeas. Earthy, rich and tangy, this is bursting with Middle Eastern Flavor! #persianstew #fesenjan #persianrecipes #persiancchicken #middleeastern #chicken #chickpeastew

Freezing the walnuts keeps them from getting bitter.

STEP TWO: If using chicken, cut them into bite-sized pieces and brown and set aside. Keep in mind, you can keep this vegan with chickpeas!A delicious recipe for Fesenjan, a Persian Walnut Pomegranate Stew with chicken and chickpeas. Earthy, rich and tangy, this is bursting with Middle Eastern Flavor! #persianstew #fesenjan #persianrecipes #persiancchicken #middleeastern #chicken #chickpeastew

STEP THREE: Caramelize the onions and garlic. Take your time here…this is where the flavor is developed.

A delicious recipe for Fesenjan, a Persian Walnut Pomegranate Stew with chicken and chickpeas. Earthy, rich and tangy, this is bursting with Middle Eastern Flavor! #persianstew #fesenjan #persianrecipes #persiancchicken #middleeastern #chicken #chickpeastew

STEP FOUR: Add the fragrant spices and toast them for a few minutes, intensifying the flavor. Add the orange zest.

A delicious recipe for Fesenjan, a Persian Walnut Pomegranate Stew with chicken and chickpeas. Earthy, rich and tangy, this is bursting with Middle Eastern Flavor! #persianstew #fesenjan #persianrecipes #persiancchicken #middleeastern #chicken #chickpeastew

Orange zest and Pomegranate Molasses both give this a tangy brightness.

STEP FIVE: Add the Pomegranate Molasses.

Pomegranate Molasses can be found in specialty grocery stores and ethnic markets, and sometimes in the ethnic section of your grocery store, but if you can’t find it, just buy a little bottle of POM, (pomegranate juice) and make some at home – by reducing the juice in a saucepan.

(Just an FYI – it is easiest if you make the Pomegranate molasses ahead, as it takes 45-55 minutes to reduce on the stove. See recipe notes.) 

A delicious recipe for Fesenjan, a Persian Walnut Pomegranate Stew with chicken and chickpeas. Earthy, rich and tangy, this is bursting with Middle Eastern Flavor! #persianstew #fesenjan #persianrecipes #persiancchicken #middleeastern #chicken #chickpeastew

STEP SIX: Add the broth, the ground walnuts and the chicken and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.

A delicious recipe for Fesenjan, a Persian Walnut Pomegranate Stew with chicken and chickpeas. Earthy, rich and tangy, this is bursting with Middle Eastern Flavor! #persianstew #fesenjan #persianrecipes #persiancchicken #middleeastern #chicken #chickpeastew

STEP SEVEN: Add the chickpeas. A quick note-  you can also make this without the chickpeas- just add more chicken. See notes!

Serve over saffron-infused basmati rice, cous cous or herbed quinoa for a hearty flavorful meal. The first time I made this I used chicken thighs, and the second time I used chick peas, and both were terrific. A combo of the two would also work well.  At one point, my meat-loving husband said, "this doesn't really even need chicken, the sauce is so good". Either way it will satisfy.

STEP EIGHT: Reduce the stew uncovered, until thickened, and the oil begins to rise and shimmer on the top.

Serve over saffron-infused basmati rice, cous cous or herbed quinoa for a hearty flavorful meal. The first time I made this I used chicken thighs, and the second time I used chick peas, and both were terrific. A combo of the two would also work well.  At one point, my meat-loving husband said, "this doesn't really even need chicken, the sauce is so good". Either way it will satisfy.

STEP NINE: Garnish with fresh pomegranate and parsley.

Serve this with saffron-infused basmati rice or Tah Dig (Persian Rice).

I really love the adaptability of this stew. The flavorful toasty walnut base is sumptuous and luscious and really can be paired with many things.

A delicious recipe for Fesenjan, a Persian Walnut Pomegranate Stew with chicken and chickpeas. Earthy, rich and tangy, this is bursting with Middle Eastern Flavor! #persianstew #fesenjan #persianrecipes #persiancchicken #middleeastern #chicken #chickpeastew

What To Serve With Fesejan

A delicious recipe for Fesenjan, a Persian Walnut Pomegranate Stew with chicken and chickpeas. Earthy, rich and tangy, this is bursting with Middle Eastern Flavor! #persianstew #fesenjan #persianrecipes #persiancchicken #middleeastern #chicken #chickpeastew

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Fesenjan Recipe FAQS

What is Fesenjan made of?

A traditional Persian dish with chicken simmered in a ground walnut and pomegranate molasses sauce-earthy, tangy and deeply delicious.

What is the difference between pomegranate molasses and regular molasses?

Regular molasses is from the left over process of making refined sugar. Pomegranate molasses is pure reduced pomegranate juice.

Why do my walnuts taste bitter?

Walnuts are high in oil and can go rancid quickly if not stored properly, which results in an unpleasant bitter and acrid taste. Buy your walnuts as fresh as you can and store in the fridge or freezer for a longer shelf life and more nutrion!

The perfect way to celebrate winter solstice or delicious any time of year. Hope you love this Fesenjan Recipe as much as we do.

xoxoxo

Sylvia

Love this recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card.

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Fesenjan

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Description

A delicious recipe for Fesenjan, a Persian Walnut Pomegranate Stew with chicken and chickpeas. Earthy, rich and tangy, this is bursting with Middle Eastern Flavor!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 cups walnuts
  • 11 1/2 pounds chicken thighs ( boneless, skinless) or see notes for vegan options
  • generous pinch salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil plus 1 T butter (divided)
  • 3 cups yellow onion, diced ( 1 1/2 onions)
  • 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • orange zest- 3 large strips (1/2-inch x 2-inch slices -see photos!) use a veggie peeler.
  • 2 cups chicken stock or broth ( or sub veggie)
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses or syrup (or make your own- see notes)
  • 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 can chickpeas ( drained, rinsed) optional, see notes.
  • serve with saffron infused rice or Tah Dig ( Persian Rice)
  • Garnish- chopped Italian parsley and pomegranate seeds

Instructions

  1. Heat a dutch oven over medium-low heat and toast the walnuts, stirring every couple minutes, until golden, roughly 10 minutes.  At the same time, chop the onions and garlic. Cut the chicken ( if using)  into 1 inch pieces and season with salt and pepper. Drain and rinse chickpeas if using.
  2. Set toasted walnuts on a plate to cool. Then place in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.
  3. Wipe out the Dutch oven and drizzle with a little oil and sear the chicken until golden. Set aside. Using the same pan, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft, golden and fragrant, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic, cook for 3-4 more minutes. When onion garlic mixture is deeply golden, add the cinnamon stick, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin and orange zest, and toast for 1-2 more minutes.
  4. Add the broth, sraping up any browned bits. Add pomegranate molasses, maple syrup,  and 1 ½ teaspoons salt, the seared chicken, ground walnuts and bring to a boil, stirring.
  5. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 45 minutes, covered, stirring every 15 mins.
  6.  Uncover, add chickpeas, and continue simmering until the stew has thickened and reduced,  10-15 more minutes, stirring.
  7. Garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds and fresh parsley.
  8. Serve with saffron-infused basmati rice, quinoa, or Persian Rice.

Notes

  •  If you can’t find pomegranate molasses, make your own by pouring 1 cup pomegranate juice, 1 tablespoon maple, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and a pinch salt into a small pot. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium-low, and simmer for 45 minutes until reduced to 1/4 of a cup. Set aside to cool.
  • If substituting chickpeas for the chicken: Use 2 cans ( 3 cups) rinsed and drained, and add to the stew, after it cooks for the 45 minutes. Alternatively, you could also use 1 can chickpeas and cauliflower florets.
  • If you don’t want to use chickpeas, increase chicken thighs to 2 -2 ¼ pounds.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 532
  • Sugar: 6.7 g
  • Sodium: 1031.3 mg
  • Fat: 37.2 g
  • Saturated Fat: 4.4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 29.8 g
  • Fiber: 5.7 g
  • Protein: 23.2 g
  • Cholesterol: 71 mg

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Comments

  1. Planning to make this recipe. Would like directions for the saffron rice. Photo looks like it was made flat in an iron skillet.

    Directions please!

    1. Hi Tanene- the photo shows Tahdig- Persian Rice with a crsipy bottom. I don’t have the recipe completed for this yet, but will post soon. You could google it- or simply add saffron to your cooking rice.

      1. Yes. The meal was not as dark as the one on your picture (wondering f any of our ingredients were different) also it was much thicker even though I used more broth than in the recipe. Thank you!






  2. Thanks so much for posting this recipe. It was perfect! I shared some with my neighbors who said they were “literally snorting it down”. My spouse has already served himself a portion for breakfast and put it in the fridge. I skipped the maple and added 30% more of the pomegranate molasses (store bought). Next time I’ll blitz the walnuts a bit longer- mine weren’t as creamy as yours. My friend just survived breast cancer and has switched to a vegan diet and I can’t WAIT to make the vegan option for her with chickpeas and cauliflower florets. Thanks again!






  3. Love, love love this recipe!
    We subbed lentils and butter beans for the chicken and chickpeas to make it vegetarian and it was perrrrfect!
    So rich and delicious!






  4. The listed amount for salt was WAY Too much. Better to add to taste.
    Also, the orange peel is not -in my experience- in anyway Persian. I tried it but probably will leave it out in the future.






  5. I would like to try this Recipee, I would like to know if I can skip the maple syrup, and is it better to make your own pomegranate molasses or a store bought one is good enough , which brand do you use

    1. It needs sweetness to balance out the flavors, in my opinion, but you are free to try without. Storebought is fine- there is a link in the post. 🙂

    2. I have always made it with store bought but like Sadaf brand better, the concentrate without added sugar. My family likes to taste the sour so we use less coconut sugar (maple distracts flavor wise)

    3. I made the pomegranate syrup and it was superb. It takes close to an hour to reduce the juice, but there are many preps you can
      accomplish.

  6. Authentic Persian or not, it was so damn good.
    Mine did not get as dark and camel colored like the pictures.
    Any advise for next time?






    1. Joy- this dish is not “Fesenjan” without the walnuts, so I’d probably make something else. Would be easier. 😉

  7. Hello! I made this almost exactly to the recipe instructions. One thing I noticed is that mine is a lot lighter in color than yours, where yours is a vibrant dark brown that really allows the brightly colored pomegranate arils and parsley garnish to pop, mine came out more of a light, unappetizing looking brown color. Similar to the color of ground cumin/cinnamon stick prior to being added in. Any idea why this may have happened or how to get a more rich dark brown like you have in the picture? Thanks!

    1. I wonder, did you cook it down long enough? It darkens the longer it cooks. Did you use store bought pomegranate syrup or homemade? Just curious!

  8. This is incredible! We followed the recipe exactly with our own homemade pomegranate molasses and using both chickpeas and chicken. The stew was wonderful on the taste tests, but once the pomegranate seeds were added on the plate, it really popped!

    Would this work for lamb chunks too? If so, would you do anything different with the spice mixture?






    1. I think it would taste good with lamb. Without having made it with lamb, I’m not sure what I would change, you may just need to season a bit to taste after it’s cooked?

  9. This was super good! I’d recommend putting a tiny bit more salt just since it’s so sweet. And I’d also cook it longer so it’s more of a stew than a soup. But still very nice! I took pictures but just noticed there’s no place to share lol oops!






    1. I made the rice in this Persian Chicken Recipe, called Chelow https://www.feastingathome.com/persian-chicken-with-chelow-and-yogurt-sauce/ If this link doesn’t work type in Chelow in the search bar.

  10. I’m a big fan of fesenjan and glad to see you have several Persian recipes on your blog!

    The traditional fesenjan I grew up with is somewhat different from your version which sounds equally delicious. The walnuts are not toasted, but rather ground raw. The chicken is always cut up, skinless, bone-in so that it simmers slowly allowing the bone broth to enrich the sauce. It cooks for so long that the meat falls off the bone and the sauce turns a rich brown. The spices only include a touch of cinnamon and a generous dose of saffron, 1/4 tsp ground in a mortar and pestle and dissolved in hot water (yeah, it’s a LOT of saffron). Pomegranate molasses is key and double what you call for. Do not be afraid! As the stew develops, the flavors get more complex and the sour tang gives way to a balanced sweet and sour. Ach, my mouth is watering…..This really is my favorite Persian dish! Btw, I’ve cooked this khoresh in an Instant Pot and it works really well.

    1. I love this Maggie. Thank you for sharing! I will try this the next time I make this. Sounds divine!

  11. I loved this.
    I have to admit that I did reduce the amount of walnuts … but it still was great. I am a great fan of pomegranate molasses … it is such a rich favour.

    Your spicing and






  12. Is there something I could use in place of pomegranate molasses? Cranberry maybe? I love the taste of pomegranate but I’m actually allergic to it.

    1. Oh wow! I’ve never heard of that allergy! Is there such a thing as Cranberry molasses? It sounds like it would be a good sub to me??? Purely guessing here though. Try it!

      1. I used to have a recipe that used Cranberry Jelly instead of the Pomegranate Molasses. It was wonderful, but I can’t seem to find it now – you could try substituting that and see what happens.






  13. My friend made this last night & it was delicious! I’ve never had anything like it. The flavors were complex… warm, comforting base & the pomegranate seeds added just the right pop! It’s June, so I was surprised she was able to find pomegranate. She made her own pom syrup (per instructions). She used chickpeas & cauliflower (vegetarian option), and the only thing we would have done differently is add the cauliflower later, so it doesn’t get over-cooked. Served with sourdough toast.
    I will definitely make this again. I’m excited to share it with others!






  14. Sounds yummy, could one substitute honey for the maple syrup in both the pomegranate molasses reduction and the maple syrup?






  15. I made this tonight. It was absolutely delicious. I made it exactly as per recipe. Can’t wait to have it for lunch tomorrow too. Thx for sharing this recipe.






  16. Tasty, delicious and very easy to do. Used vegetable stock and chicken breast meat and got rave reviews. Next time thighs and chicken stock.






  17. This is delicious! I used haddock instead (I’m a pescatarian!) and it worked really well. If you can’t find pomegranate molasses or pomegranates juice, cranberry juice works well too. I used the same recipe included for pomegranate molasses — just using cranberry juice. My reduction wasn’t thick so I added a teaspoon of regular molasses when the stew was simmering to add a little something extra. It all came out really really good. I’ll totally make this again!






  18. Awesome recipe, simpler than the last recipe I used for this. Love using the maple.
    I used 1lb tempeh and a can of lentils since my bf is vegetarian, and apparently I ran out of chickpeas.

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