Pomegranate Chicken with Walnuts and Saffron Cauliflower Rice

If you are looking for new and healthy ways to cook chicken, try this flavorful pomegranate chicken with walnuts recipe. Made with only a few wholesome ingredients, this dish is rich and satisfying yet light and nourishing.

The tangy pomegranate reduction, crunchy toasted walnuts, and warming spices make this easy-to-make dish a feast for the senses. Serve with saffron cauliflower rice and fresh mint leaves for a low-carb, fiber-fuelled, and nourishing meal.

Why we love this pomegranate chicken with walnuts

Are you ready for a new way to cook chicken? If you also like variety when it comes to flavors, you need to try this Persian-style chicken stew with pomegranate and walnuts.

Here are a few reasons why we love this recipe:

• It only has a handful of ingredients but packs a lot of flavors; plus, it’s easy to make.
• It’s packed with nutrients, and it’s a relatively low-carb dish. While Middle Easten dishes are usually served with rice, we found a way to keep this dish low-carb: use cauliflower rice.
• Despite being a satisfying stew, this dish is light and fresh and can be served any season, even during hot summers.
• Pomegranates and walnuts are rich in polyphenols, antioxidants, fiber, and healthy fats.

This pomegranate chicken recipe was inspired by a festive Persian dish called Fesenjan.

Ingredients you need to make pomegranate chicken

FOR THE POMEGRANATE SAUCE / REDUCTION:

• arils from 2 medium pomegranates (keep a few for garnishing), about 1 1/2 cups
• 3 cloves
• 1 teaspoon inulin powder or another sweetener

NOTE: If you can find it, you can also use unsweetened pomegranate juice.

FOR THE STEW:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 chicken drumsticks or chicken thighs (bone-in and skin-on), pasture-raised
• 3 big yellow onions, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 heaping cup of ground walnuts

FOR THE CAULIFLOWER RICE:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb frozen cauliflower rice (fresh also works)
• Pinch of saffron
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
• salt and pepper to taste

FOR SERVING:

• fresh mint leaves

How to make this chicken stew with pomegranate and walnuts

• Make the pomegranate reduction (you can make it one day before and store it in the fridge in a jar with a lid). Blend the pomegranate seeds in a high-power blender and strain through a sieve, cheesecloth, or nut milk bag making sure you get all the juices out. Add the juice, cloves, and inulin powder to a saucepan and simmer on low heat until it’s reduced to half the quantity.
• Toast the whole walnuts in a pan until lightly toasted. Grind them in a food processor to get a coarse flour texture.
• Season the chicken with salt. In a stew pot or pan, sear the chicken with olive oil on all sides on medium-high heat until it forms a golden crust. This step will seal the juices and you will have juicy chicken.
• Take the chicken out on a plate and add the chopped onions to the pan, sautéing until they are fragrant and golden, for about 10 minutes.

• Add the chicken back in, add the spices, stir well, add the stock, and bring it to a boil. Cover and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked and juicy.
• When the chicken is cooked, add the walnuts and the pomegranate reduction, combine well, cover, and simmer on low heat for 10 more minutes or until the sauce thickens and reduces to about half.

• In the meantime, prepare the cauliflower rice. Mix the saffron with hot water in a small bowl. Heat olive oil in a large skillet, add the frozen or fresh cauliflower rice, and sauté until the desired doneness. I love to make it al dente. When it is almost done, add the mustard powder, and saffron water. Stir well, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve the chicken and sauce over cauliflower rice. Garnish with pomegranate and fresh mint leaves.

More lectin-free chicken recipes

For more delicious lectin-free chicken dishes made with pasture-raised chicken, check out these recipes:

• Baked Chicken Satay (No Peanuts, No Soy, Lectin-Free)
• Easy Chicken and Green Plantain Curry
• Chicken Gyro Pita Platter with Tzatziki (Lectin-Free, Gluten-Free)

*This post contains affiliated links, which means I get a small commission if you choose to purchase something via one of my links, at no extra cost to you.

Print Recipe

Pomegranate Chicken with Walnuts and Cauliflower Rice

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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By Claudia Curici, Health Coach – Serves: 4

Prep Time: 30 minutes – Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

If you are looking for new and healthy ways to cook chicken, try this flavorful pomegranate chicken with walnuts recipe. Made with only a few wholesome ingredients, this dish is rich and satisfying yet light and nourishing. The tangy pomegranate reduction, crunchy toasted walnuts, and warming spices make this easy-to-make dish a feast for the senses. Serve with saffron cauliflower rice and fresh mint leaves for a low-carb, fiber-fuelled, and nourishing meal.

Ingredients

• FOR THE POMEGRANATE REDUCTION:
• arils from 2 medium pomegranates (keep a few for garnishing), about 1 1/2 cups
• 3 cloves
• 1 teaspoon inulin powder or another sweetener
• FOR THE STEW:
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 chicken drumsticks or thighs (bone-in)
• 3 big yellow onions, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 heaping cup of ground walnuts
• FOR THE CAULIFLOWER RICE:
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb frozen cauliflower rice (fresh also works)
• Pinch of saffron
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• FOR SERVING:
• fresh mint leaves

Instructions

1

Make the pomegranate reduction (you can make it one day before and store it in the fridge in a jar with a lid). Blend the pomegranate arils in a high-power blender and strain through a sieve, cheesecloth, or nut milk bag making sure you get all the juices out. Add the juice, cloves, and inulin powder to a saucepan and simmer on low heat until it’s reduced to half the quantity.

2

Toast the whole walnuts in a pan until lightly toasted. Grind them in a food processor to get a coarse flour texture.

3

Season the chicken with salt. In a stew pot or pan, sear the chicken with olive oil on all sides until it forms a golden crust.

4

Take the chicken out on a plate and add the chopped onions to the pan, sautéing until they are fragrant and golden, for about 10 minutes.

5

Add the chicken back in, add the spices, stir well, add the stock, and bring it to a boil. Cover and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.

6

When the chicken is cooked, add the walnuts and the pomegranate reduction, combine well, cover, and simmer on low heat for 10 more minutes or until the sauce thickens and reduces to about half.

7

In the meantime, prepare the cauliflower rice. Mix the saffron with hot water in a small bowl. Heat olive oil in a large skillet, add the frozen or fresh cauliflower rice, and sauté until the desired doneness. I love to make it al dente. When it is almost done, add the mustard powder, and saffron water. Stir well, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

8

Serve the chicken and sauce over cauliflower rice. Garnish with pomegranate and fresh mint leaves.