Fesenjan Chicken Walnut Stew is a flavor rich stew made with walnut and pomegranate sauce, often pumpkin with other exotic spices.
From Iranian Tables To American Kitchens
Fesenjan holds a special place in Iranian cuisine because it is more than a meal, it’s a dish of patience, celebration, and care. Traditionally served at gatherings, holidays, and family meals meant to linger, Fesenjan reflects a core value of Persian cooking – the belief that time and balance create beauty. The slow simmering of walnuts and pomegranate, the careful layering of warm spices, and the way sweet and savory are held in perfect tension all speak to a culinary tradition that prizes depth over speed and harmony over excess.
In Iranian culture, Fesenjan often carries a sense of occasion. Its rich, dark sauce and complex flavor profile make it a dish reserved for moments when people come together, weddings, winter celebrations, or meals shared with honored guests. Every family has its own version, adjusted slightly for sweetness, tartness, or spice, making it both deeply personal and widely beloved.
A Chicken Walnut Stew Perfect For Autumn and Winter
What makes Fesenjan feel so at home in American cuisine is its familiarity beneath the exotic. At its heart, it is a comforting stew, something American kitchens understand well. The use of chicken thighs, winter squash, onions, and warm spices mirrors the flavors found in many American cold-weather dishes.
Walnuts bring a nutty richness not unlike gravies or sauces thickened slowly on the stove, while pomegranate molasses echoes the sweet-tart notes Americans love in cranberry sauce, barbecue glazes, and fruit-based reductions.
Pomegranate Molasses – The Heart Of This Chicken Stew
Pomegranate Molasses is the secret that enhances both a sweet and sour bite to the sauce. Never had it? Oh, are you in for a treat! Pomegranate, as you know, has a bit of a sour kick as well as a sweet after flavor.
It is thick, like a syrup or molasses, and the color is like melted rubies or a beautiful Port reduction. The flavors derived from pomegranate molasses are just what the mild chicken needs to give it more flavor.
About Pomegranate Molasses
Homemade Pomegranate Molasses couldn’t be easier to make. It is simply a reduction of pomegranate juice, much like you would reduce any sauce, with the addition of a little sugar.
For an extra measure of tartness, a twist of lemon can be added to this sweet and sour, homemade pomegranate molasses. Once made, it will keep in the fridge for at least a month.
The sweet and sour flavor of pomegranate molasses goes well with a variety of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes. But don’t limit it to that. The use of pomegranate molasses with the spice Sumac and drizzled across a grilled whole fish just moments before taking it off the grill, is absolutely divine!
Chicken Stew
Why have chicken soup when you can have a rich, exotically spiced stew, loaded with tummy warming comfort on a cold winter’s eve! What’s the difference between a soup and a stew? The sauce verses a broth.
The sauce in this chicken stew is thickened with pureed pumpkin and crushed walnuts. Earthy, stick to your ribs, yummy!
Walnuts In A Stew?
Does that sound weird to you? Many Middle Eastern sauces are thickened with crushed nuts.
Why use processed, bleached, glutenous flour when you can take any nut in your pantry, crush it to a pure flour, and have a flavor rich sauce with tons more nutrients than white flour!
In many ways, Fesenjan is a reminder that the most enduring dishes travel well, not because they lose their identity, but because they speak a universal language of comfort, generosity, and shared warmth. It is a stew that feels both ancient and completely at home in today’s kitchen.
Homemade Broth
Once the chicken thighs have been sautéed in walnut oil or olives oil and the spices layered in, you will want a nutrient rich homemade broth to simmer this chicken stew in, before thickening the sauce with ground nuts.
Fast and easy homemade broth for this chicken stew would simply be to cut the meat from the chicken thighs, rather than buy them boneless and set aside the meat.
Meanwhile toss the thigh bones in a medium pot of boiling water with some garlic, onions, celery and salt, boil for 30 minutes and Ta Da! You have a fast and easy homemade broth made from the chicken you will be making this chicken stew out of.
Why Is An American Telling You How To Make An Authentic Persian Stew?
This ole American gal grew up with a Syrian mom. Nearly all of her friends were Syrian, Lebanese, Egyptian, Iranian, Greek or Italian. THAT was my introduction to World Cuisine, right there in my mama’s little ole kitchen.
A close girlfriend of my mother shared this recipe with her. I watched them make it together. Once this richly flavored Fesenjan Chicken Stew with Walnuts and Pomegranate sauce sufficiently filled the house with its aroma, and the sauce thickened, a beautiful Mediterranean rice was made.
The table was set and suddenly, as is often the way in a Mediterranean home, numerous friends were gathered around the table sharing stories, laughter and world cuisine together. I am certain you will enjoy this very traditional Persian recipe.
Other Middle Eastern Dishes To Love
Forgive me if I boast, but when an ethnic cuisine is cooked at home, by those who learned from their parents and grandparents, there just isn’t a restaurant that can come close.
As a matter of honor to my mother and her ancestry, I respectfully seek to preserve those recipes that were passed on to me.
Some of the healthiest ingredients, in the world come from the Mediterranean regions of the world. Those are the ingredients I most often cooke with.
- Traditional Middle Eastern Kibbeh – a ground lamb and bulgur wheat shaped into a ball and stuffed with pine nuts.
- Spinach Pies – Healthy Spanakopita Spinach Pastry Recipe, made with olive oil, instead of butter, makes this fresh spinach, lemon and feta phyllo pastry, healthier.
- Pita Flatbread – Easy Homemade Mediterranean Pita Bread Recipe, with fresh herbs or dried spices, are a favorite with sandwiches, dips or tapas spreads!
- Cilbir – Perfectly Poached Turkish Eggs Over Garlicky Yogurt, with Aleppo pepper flakes and your best olive oil.
- Baklawa – Add to that, buttery phyllo pastry and exotically scented nut mixtures, and you’ve got the BEST dessert the ancient world gave to us today!
Ingredients Needed
Fesenjan (sometimes spelled Fesenjoon or Khoresh-e Fesenjan) is built on a small but powerful collection of ingredients, each one playing an essential role in creating its deep, luxurious flavor. This is a stew where sweetness, warmth, and gentle spice come together slowly and deliberately.
- Chicken thighs are traditionally used for this dish, and for good reason. Their richness and tenderness stand up beautifully to the long simmer and the bold, tangy sauce. As the stew cooks, the chicken absorbs the spices and pomegranate, becoming meltingly soft and deeply flavorful.
- Pomegranate Molasses is the heart and soul of Fesenjan. Thick, dark, and intensely tangy, it gives the stew its signature sweet-sour depth. Depending on the brand or homemade version you use, the flavor can lean more tart or more sweet, a variation that makes every pot of Fesenjan a little unique.
- Walnuts, finely ground or very finely chopped, create the body of the sauce. As they simmer, they release their natural oils, transforming the broth into a velvety, almost creamy stew without the need for any dairy. The walnuts also add a subtle bitterness that balances the sweetness of the pomegranate.
- Chicken broth provides the liquid base, allowing the walnuts and pomegranate molasses to slowly meld into a cohesive, spoon-coating sauce. A good-quality broth enhances the savory backbone of the dish without overpowering it.
- Pumpkin or butternut squash is a variation that adds gentle sweetness and a soft, comforting texture. As it cooks down, it melts into the stew, echoing the natural sweetness of the pomegranate and giving the dish a seasonal, wintry feel.
- Onion and garlic form the aromatic foundation. Slowly sautéed, they bring warmth and depth, setting the stage for the spices and creating a savory counterpoint to the stew’s sweetness.
- Oil – whether olive oil or walnut oil, is used to gently bloom the aromatics and spices. Olive oil keeps the flavor clean and classic, while walnut oil subtly reinforces the nutty character of the sauce.
- Salt is essential for balance, enhancing both the sweetness of the pomegranate and the richness of the walnuts.
The spice blend is warm, fragrant, and restrained, never overpowering:
- Allspice adds a rounded warmth that bridges sweet and savory.
- Turmeric brings earthy depth and a golden undertone.
- Cinnamon offers a gentle sweetness and comforting aroma.
- Cardamom adds a floral, slightly citrusy lift.
- Cumin grounds the stew with warmth and subtle smokiness.
- Black pepper provides just enough heat to wake everything up.
- Together, these ingredients create a stew that is deeply comforting, richly layered, and perfect for slow evenings and cold winter nights.
Equipment Needed
Fesenjan is a slow, soulful stew, but it doesn’t require any special equipment, just a few reliable kitchen tools and a little time on the stovetop.
- A large pot with a lid is essential, giving the stew plenty of room to gently simmer while keeping the moisture locked in. A heavy-bottomed pot works especially well for even heat and preventing sticking as the walnuts release their oils.
- A sturdy cooking spoon is all you need for stirring, something strong enough to scrape the bottom of the pot and keep the sauce smooth as it thickens.
- A cutting board and sharp chopping knife will make quick work of the onion, garlic, chicken, and squash, setting you up for an easy, unhurried cooking process.
- A mortar and pestle or spice grinder is useful for freshly grinding the walnuts and spices. Grinding them yourself releases their natural oils and aromas, adding depth and richness to the finished stew.
- Measuring cups and spoons help keep the balance of sweet, savory, and spice just right, especially important in a dish where harmony of flavor is everything.
- A garlic press is optional but helpful, allowing the garlic to melt seamlessly into the sauce without overpowering it.
- Finally, a stovetop or burner is where the magic happens, a steady, gentle heat that allows the flavors to slowly come together into a deeply comforting, winter-warming stew.
Fesenjan Chicken Walnut Stew
Equipment
- Large pot with lid
- Small saute pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup Walnuts lightly toasted then ground into a flour
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- 8 Chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp Olive oil or Walnut oil
- 2 cups Onions chopped
- 2 cups Pumpkin or Butternut squash cut into small cubes
- 2 Garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tbsp Salt or to taste
- 1 tsp Spices, each – Allspice, Turmeric, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cumin and Cardamom
- 1/4 cup Pomegranate molasses
- Pomegranate seeds optional, for garnish
Instructions
- In a small pan, simmer toasted, ground walnuts with 1/2 cup water for 10 minutes, then turn off and set aside.
- In a large pot, saute onions in oil until they begin to caramelize. Add chicken and brown slightly. Add the pumpkin, spices, broth and pomegranate molasses.Cover and simmer on low for about 15 minutes.
- Add walnut sauce, cover and continue simmering for another 40 minutes.
- This can be served alone or over a delicious helping of Persian Rice garnished with pomegranate seeds.
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Notes
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.