Fesenjoon: Persian Pomegranate and Walnut Stew (khoresh fesenjan)

Fesenjoon is a Persian stew made with ground walnuts and pomegranates. Also pronounced, fesenjan, it can be made with chicken or duck, or you can leave the meat out and keep it vegan. Find more of my pomegranate recipes.

If you didn’t know, the fall season is pomegranate season. And if you have been following my blog, then you know that my family are absolute fanatics when it comes to this beautiful fruit.

My kids inhale a bowl of pomegranate seeds every single day when we have it available. And I’m a happy mom because I know they are getting a fantastic dose of fiber, vitamins and antioxidants that is bursting within this bejeweled fruit.

Middle-easterners have always loved their pomegranates. They are used in all aspects of cooking. It’s taken some time, but I’m happy to see Westerners enjoy this stunning fruit. Give a kid a bowl of pomegranate seeds and see their faces light up!

Why this recipe is so awesome

Khoresh Fesenjan is a very popular Persian stew that stands out amongst all of the stews that come from Iran. Unlike many other Persian stews, fesenjoon is not tomato based or even herb based. The main part of the stew is made with crushed walnuts, onions and pomegranate concentrate.

You can serve fesenjoon with just this base and keep it vegetarian. But usually, it is served with duck, chicken or even meatballs. Since duck meat is hard to find in the US, we usually use chicken.

The stew is served on a bed of white basmati rice. But because of its rich nutty flavor, it is equally delicious with brown basmati rice.

It is a very hearty stew and can be served for a family meal or even special occasions. With its unique flavor profile, your guests will be wowed over this middle eastern version of a sweet and sour meal.

I learned how to make khoresh fesenjoon from my husband’s aunt Sholeh. My husband told me that her fesenjoon was the best and told me to learn from her. Sholeh’s secret to making the best tasting fesenjan is to brown the ground walnut-onion mixture, which makes the base of the stew. And when I say brown the mixture, I mean cook until that mixture turns brown, like a roux.

See my Fesenjan Web Story for a quick visual guide to making this recipe.

Ingredients you need

• Onions: The simple brown onion is perfect for this dish. Vidalia onions are a little sweeter and could also be used, if you want.
• Walnuts: The base of this stew is made with crushed walnuts so make sure your walnuts are not stale. Also you do not want them salted. If you are allergic to walnuts you could use pecans.
• Boneless skinless chicken breast: Traditionally, this dish is made with duck breast. But we prefer to use chicken breast as it is more commonly available. You can use either.
• Pomegranate concentrate: I prefer to use pomegranate concentrate in my cooking, so I can control the amount of sugar in my recipes. If you are using pomegranate molasses, sugar is already added and you do not need the additional sugar.
• Saffron: You do not need much saffron for fesenjoon. If you are using high quality saffron, very little will go a very long way.
• Pomegranate arils: I like to garnish this stew with fresh pomegranate arils, but this is not necessary to make the stew.
• Pantry staples: extra virgin olive oil, granulated sugar (optional) salt and pepper

Step-by-step directions

1. Purée onions until smooth in a food processor. Add in walnuts and purée with the onions. Scrape down sides of the bowl and pulse in the food processor until onions and walnuts are completely blended and a thick paste is formed.

2. In a large non-stick skillet, over medium-high heat scrape out the walnut-onion mixture and smooth it evenly on to the bottom of the skillet.

3. When it starts to brown, stir and remix the paste and smooth it again evenly on to the bottom of the skillet. Reduce heat to low and repeat step 5 every 10-15 minutes. Cook until walnut-onion mixture is deep brown in color and crumbly, about 2 hours.

This is done slowly because you do NOT want to burn the walnuts. If you do it will taste horrible and you will have to throw it away and start again. Also, make sure you use fresh walnuts and not stale walnuts. Stale walnuts have a bitter aftertaste and can ruin your stew.

Most other fesenjan recipes do require this browning step. They simply add the walnut paste directly into the stew with the rest of the ingredients. But I promise you that your fesenjoon will taste 100x better by doing this extra step. So be patient, it is so worth the wait. This dish is rich and so full of amazing flavors.

4. In the meantime, cook the chicken. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. In a different skillet heat over medium-high and add olive oil. When oil is hot, add seasoned chicken. Cook until browned, approximately 5-7 minutes. Turn chicken breast over and brown the other side. Reduce heat to medium, cover skillet and cook until chicken breasts are almost completely done, approximately 15 minutes. Remove from heat. and cut chicken breast into strips.

5. Stir saffron and pomegranate concentrate into walnut-onion mixture. If sauce needs thinning, drizzle in water as needed. Different brands of pomegranate concentrate vary in flavor and sweetness. If your pomegranate concentrate is too sour, stir in a little sugar until desired sweetness. If you are using pomegranate molasses, it is already sweetened with sugar, so no additional sugar is needed.

6. Add chicken strips and simmer until color darkens, about 20 minutes. Pour stew into serving dish. Garnish with pomegranate arils.

Recipe tips and FAQs

Intimidated with seeding a pomegranate? Sure, you can buy packages of pomegranate seeds at the store, but it’s really not that hard to seed a pomegranate. Watch the video above or read detailed instructions here. If you are lucky to enough have a hoard of pomegranates on hand, I also have a great detailed post on how to juice a pomegranate.

I prefer to use pomegranate concentrate in my cooking, so I can control the amount of sugar in my recipes. I do not like having my meals be sugary sweet, so I like a little tartness when using pomegranates. If you are using pomegranate concentrate for this recipe, do not add the additional sugar. Taste the dish first and add more if you prefer a sweeter dish.

Whichever you pomegranate flavoring you do use, either can be purchased as is or you can make it at home. Pomegranate concentrate is just pomegranate juice that has been reduced down by 50%. My friend Beth, at OMG Yummy, has great instructions for making your own pomegranate molasses here.

If you are enjoying my recipes, I would love for you to sign up for my newsletter (and get my free citrus e-cookbook!) or follow me on Instagram or Facebook.

Continue to Content

Yield: serves 6

Fesenjoon: Persian Pomegranate and Walnut Stew (khoresh fesenjan)

Print

Fesenjoon is a Persian stew made with ground walnuts and pomegranates. It can be made with chicken or duck, or you can leave the meat out and keep it vegan.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 ½ cup walnuts
• 1 ½ lb boneless skinless chicken breast
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon ground saffron
• 1 ½ cup pomegranate concentrate
• ¼ cup water
• 2 TBS granulated sugar, if needed
• 3 TBS pomegranate arils

Instructions

1. Purée onions until smooth in a food processor.
2. Add in walnuts and purée with the onions.
3. Scrape down sides of the bowl and pulse in the food processor until onions and walnuts are completely blended and a thick paste is formed.
4. In a large non-stick skillet, over medium-high heat scrape out the walnut-onion mixture and smooth it evenly on to the bottom of the skillet.
5. When it starts to brown, stir and remix the paste and smooth it again evenly on to the bottom of the skillet.
6. Reduce heat to low and repeat step 5 every 10-15 minutes.
7. Cook until walnut-onion mixture is deep brown in color and crumbly, about 2 hours.
8. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
9. In a different non-stick skillet heat over medium-high and add olive oil.
10. When oil is hot, add seasoned chicken.
11. Cook until browned, approximately 5-7 minutes.
12. Turn chicken breast over and brown the other side.
13. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover skillet and cook until chicken breasts are almost completely done, approximately 15 minutes.
14. Remove from heat. and cut chicken breast into strips.
15. Stir saffron and pomegranate concentrate into walnut-onion mixture.
16. Add chicken strips and simmer until color darkens, about 20 minutes.
17. If sauce needs thinning, drizzle in water as needed.
18. Different brands of pomegranate concentrate vary in flavor and sweetness. If your pomegranate concentrate is too sour, stir in a little sugar until desired sweetness. If you are using pomegranate molasses, it is already sweetened with sugar, so no additional sugar is needed.
19. Pour stew into serving dish.
20. Garnish with pomegranate arils.

Notes

Serving Suggestions: Serve with basmati rice.

Cooking Tips: You can also shred the chicken and then add it to stew. This is a very rich and filling dish that your guests will love! For a vegetarian version, do not add chicken.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1 ½ cups
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 673Total Fat: 27.7gSaturated Fat: 3.5gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 324mgCarbohydrates: 69.3gFiber: 2.8gSugar: 49.4gProtein: 40.6g

PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.

You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign up for my eMail list, too!