• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Start Here
  • About
  • Contact
  • Podcasts
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet
  • Recipes
  • Cooking Classes
    • Gift Certificates
    • Testimonials
  • Videos
  • Articles
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
  • Articles
  • Cooking Classes
    • Gift Certificates
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Contact
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    • A casserole dish of gluten free Cornbread Chorizo Stuffing surrounded by apples.
      Gluten Free Cornbread Chorizo Stuffing
    • A three layer German Chocolate Cake with coconut-pecan filling on a pedestal tray.
      Gluten Free German Chocolate Cake
    • Someone taking a piece from a tray of gluten free Raspberry Crumble Bars.
      Gluten Free Raspberry Crumble Bars
    • A platter of Grilled Mustard Chicken with Apple Rings in front of a row of red apples.
      Gluten Free Grilled Mustard Chicken
    • A bowl of gluten free pasta with white wine sauce, fresh sorrel, green beans, zucchini, tomatoes and feta cheese.
      Gluten Free Pasta with White Wine Sauce
    • Cut up pieces of Sweet Chili Root Beer Ribs glazed with sauce on a plate with cooked corn.
      Gluten Free Sweet Chili Root Beer Ribs
    • Someone holding a Vietnamese Banh Mi, a lemongrass chicken sandwich wrapped in wax paper and cut in half showing the carrot, cucumber and cilantro filling.
      Gluten Free Vietnamese Banh Mi
    • A bowl of gluten free Spicy Sesame Noodles with green beans and a sprinkling of fresh chives and the blossoms.
      Gluten Free Spicy Sesame Noodles
    • A dish of Avocado Chipotle Sauce surrounded by grilled shrimp, fresh lime wedges and cilantro.
      Avocado Chipotle Sauce
    • A tray of tomato bocconcini & basil skewers drizzled with balsamic glaze.
      Tomato Bocconcini Skewers with fresh basil
    • A bowl of homemade Potato Salad with radish slices, snipped chives, a sprinkling of paprika and a few chive blossoms.
      Homemade Potato Salad
    • Three pieces of gluten free Sesame Baked Chicken with potato salad and radishes beside it.
      Gluten Free Sesame Baked Chicken
    Home » Recipes » Gluten Free Main Course

    Persian Chicken Stew (Fesenjan)

    Published: Dec 15, 2023 by Cinde LittleThis post may contain affiliate links2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Persian Chicken Stew, known as Fesenjan, is rich and flavourful with toasted walnuts, pomegranate molasses and a hint of orange. The sparkling pomegranate arils create a spectacular presentation and learning the pomegranate hack is always fun for home cooks.

    A white plate of Persian Chicken Stew sprinkled with pomegranate arils and fresh parsley. this gluten free recipe

    Pomegranate season is from October to January but I don't start seeing them until November. That's when I think of Pomegranate Pear Guacamole, a must for holiday parties, and any version of my Falafel bowl.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • How To Remove Seeds from a Pomegranate
    • Pomegranate Molasses
    • Persian Chicken Stew (Fesenjan)

    Ingredients

    The tiny red, jewel like seeds of a pomegranate are not actually seeds. These little arils each contain the white seeds of the pomegranate. Arils are tart and juicy while the seeds are crunchy and together they're the only edible part of a pomegranate.

    • chicken thighs
    • olive oil
    • cinnamon stick
    • turmeric, cinnamon & nutmeg
    • orange
    • gluten free chicken stock
    • pomegranate molasses
    • maple syrup
    • walnuts
    • chickpeas
    • pomegranate
    • parsley

    See recipe card for exact amounts.

    How To Remove Seeds from a Pomegranate

    Every fruit seems to have a trick and the hack for getting the arils our of a pomegranate is to do it under water. Here's how.

    • First put on an apron then cut the pomegranate in half on a cutting board. There will be some juice on the board but it shouldn’t go squirting across the room.
    • Put a bowl of water in the sink then submerge one half of the pomegranate into the water cut side down.
    • Gently push the clumps of arils into the water while removing them from the surrounding white pith.
    • When all the arils are separated they will sink to the bottom and the white pith will float to the top. Discard the floating pieces and you have arils to use.

    All this just for the garnish and it's totally worth it.

    Pomegranate Molasses

    Pomegranate molasses is a Middle Eastern specialty ingredient that should be naturally gluten free (famous last words). You can find it at specialty food shops, Middle Eastern grocery stores and online, buy pomegranate molasses.

    Once you have it you'll want another recipe or two to use it in, right! I use it to make both the tahini dressing and pomegranate dressing for my Middle Eastern Falafel Bowl. You can also drizzle it on a salad like you might use balsamic glaze.

    If you bought pomegranate molasses for the first time and made this Persian Chicken Stew let me know what you thought in the comments below.

    A white plate of Persian Chicken Stew sprinkled with pomegranate arils and fresh parsley.

    Persian Chicken Stew (Fesenjan)

    Known as Fesenjan, this dish is rich and flavourful with toasted walnuts, pomegranate molasses and a hint of orange. The sparkling pomegranate arils create a spectacular presentation and learning the pomegranate hack is always fun for everyday cooks.
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Persian
    Keyword: persian chicken stew
    Servings: 6 people
    Author: Cinde Little

    Ingredients

    • 12 bone-in chicken thighs
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1½ medium onions, chopped about 2 cups
    • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 1 teaspoon turmeric
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • 3 large strips of orange zest (removed with a vegetable peeler)
    • 2 cups gluten free chicken stock
    • ¼ cup pomegranate molasses
    • 2 tablespoon maple syrup
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 2 cups whole walnuts
    • 1 can chickpeas, drained (19 oz/540 ml)
    • GARNISH – ¼ cup pomegranate arils and chopped parsley
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Heat large pot on medium-low heat and toast walnuts until golden, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to plate. Finely grind in nut grinder or food processor.
    • Add oil to the same pot and heat on medium-high.
    • Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Sear until nicely browned on both sides, 3-4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
    • Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 3 minutes.
    • Add cinnamon stick, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper and orange zest. Cook stirring for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
    • Add chicken stock, scraping up browned bits.
    • Add pomegranate molasses, maple syrup, salt, chicken and ground walnuts. Bring to a boil.
    • Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • Uncover stew, add chickpeas and simmer to reduce, 10-15 minutes.
    • Garnish with pomegranate arils and fresh parsley.

    Notes

    For a vegetarian version use vegetable stock and 2 cups of cooked lentils in place of the chicken.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @everyday.gf.gourmet!

    __________________________________________________________________________

    New here? I'll help to get you from overwhelmed and frustrated to confident and cooking gluten free food everyone wants to eat, as quickly as possible. Start with these 29 Tips for cooking with GF flour.

    Download the 29 TIPS now.

    🎉 Exciting news! Cooking classes are back and Adventures in a Gluten Free Kitchen, a membership, is coming soon. Join the waitlist!

    _________________________________________________________________________

    More Main Course

    • A bowl of Gluten Free Grilled Perogies with Sausage and onions, all grilled and tossed with a mustard dressing.
      Gluten Free Grilled Perogies with Sausage
    • Grilled Salmon with White Barbecue Sauce on top of cooked asparagus with a purple pansy garnish.
      Salmon with White Barbecue Sauce
    • A platter with skewers of Lemongrass Chicken surrounded by lemongrass, carrots, cucumber and lemon wedges.
      Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Skewers
    • A hand holding one perogy above a counter covered in circles of dough ready to make more perogies.
      Gluten Free Perogy Dough Recipe
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Janet

      January 22, 2022 at 9:16 am

      Hi Cinde,

      I was excited to see this recipe using pomegranate molasses as I made some myself but then didn’t know what to do with it. Mostly just use it as a ketchup substitute. Unfortunately my son has a severe peanut/tree nut allergy so I’m unable to make your chicken stew recipe. Do you think there is something else I could substitute for the walnuts?

      Reply
      • Cinde Little

        January 22, 2022 at 7:44 pm

        Hi Janet! I'm glad you've got pomegranate molasses and of course you can substitute. (You have to!) I assume pine nuts are out so I would try pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds or even a combo. Let me know how it turns out because there are others out there who can't eat nuts that would also love to know. Thanks for asking and happy cooking!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Cinde Little, the Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet, in her kitchen holding a bowl of soup.

    Hi, I'm Cinde!

    As a foodie and health educator I'm here to help you learn to cook gluten free. Every gluten free journey is unique but we all need to eat. I share recipes that work, resources to learn about GF flours and tips for success in the kitchen. Subscribe NOW to get the help you need.

    More about me...
    Badge showing Top Gluten Free Food Blogs.

    Healthy Recipes

    • A green smoothie in a bowl, half covered with a garnish of cut up apple and kiwi, sprinkled with granola.
      Gluten Free Fruit Smoothie Bowls
    • Cinde in her kitchen surrounded by an array of 30+ fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and more.
      30 Plants a Week: A Gluten Free Food Challenge
    • A bowl with rice, falafel balls, hummus, chopped cucumber, roasted peppers, radish, olives and spinach. There is a bowl of pomegranate dressing on the side.
      Gluten Free Falafel Bowls
    • A bowl filled with brown rice, cucumber, spinach, cabbage slaw, mango and roasted peanuts; with peanut dressing on the side.
      Gluten Free Buddha Bowl

    HELP FOR GLUTEN FREE COOKS

    Someone holding a strainer with gluten free flour coming out onto a pile of flour.

    How To Use Gluten Free Flour

    Read more →

    Cinde in her kitchen set up for a virtual cooking class with lights, camera, laptop and pizza that just came out of the oven.

    Cooking Classes

    Class Calendar →

    A small tin of Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Sauce with a dish of them beside it and a mound of chipotle chile powder beside it.

    GF Ingredients

    Pantry essentials →

    How To Start a Gluten Free Gourmet Dinner Club

    Dinner Club

    7 complete menus →

    GLUTEN FREE BAKING HELP

    • Gluten free Strawberry Shortcake on a plate filled with strawberry sauce and whipped cream; with a bowl of strawberry filling beside it.
      Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake
    • The word 'starch' drawn in a pile of tapioca starch.
      How To Use Starch in Gluten Free Baking
    • A sifter with rice flour coming out of it onto a pile of flour below.
      How to Use Rice Flour in Gluten Free Baking
    • A stack of gluten free Molasses Ginger Cookies on a clear plate.
      Gluten Free Molasses Ginger Cookies

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Cinde
    • New to Gluten Free?
    • Contact

    Newsletter

    • Sign up here for updates and free resources

    Cooking Classes

    • Class Calendar
    • Gift Certificates

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Disclaimer · Privacy Policy · Disclosure Policy

    Copyright © 2025 Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required