Tender, golden brown chicken thighs smothered in a smooth, sweet and tart honey-pomegranate sauce. These Skillet Honey Pomegranate Chicken Thighs require minimal ingredients and effort, making this dish perfect for entertaining or easy, weeknight meals!
Hi there, friends!! How was your Thanksgiving?? Or, if you live outside of the United States, how was your last weekend of November?
Please tell me you ate entirely too much… you know, in that joyous, food coma and it feels so good kind of way?
My Thanksgiving weekend was A-Okay. Instead of going out to dinner for Turkey day, I actually ended up cooking dinner for Boy and I. ⬅️ His idea, not mine.
Since the at home dinner decision was preeeeeetty last minute, I didn’t bust out all the stops and make an over-the-top meal. I kept it simple with an easy-peasy slow cooker herb turkey breast, maple brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes (for Boy) and cauliflower mash (for me).
As you see, I stayed true to my birthday promise to Boy – no stuffing in sight. 😢
Although there WERE ginormous VATS of stuffing dancing through my postprandial somnolence head. (⬅️ Don’t worry if you do not know that fancy scientific term for food coma. I cheated and looked it up. Shout out to google!)
Other than the impromptu Thanksgiving dinner for two, our weekend contained lots of pajama-time for me… low-key life up in the SBCC (SuBourbon Country Cottage).
Anyways, enough Thanksgiving weekend talk, we are going to keep it moving because I know your time is precious this time of year.
I’m 99.8765% sure most of you guys need a break from cooking right now. I mean, sure you NEED to EAT, but preparing elaborate meals that take longer than 30 minutes are OUT. And, easy-peasy, delicious, one pan meals are IN.
I aim to please, so let me introduce you to one of our new favorite weeknight dinners…
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Skillet Honey Pomegranate Chicken Thighs
Simple, fresh ingredients + minimal effort = winner, winner easy weeknight chicken dinner.
BUT, this chicken also has got it goin’ on in the looks department. So, if you are having company over and you need an easy, yet elegant dish, look no further than these chicken thighs right here.
Juicy, tender, succulent, golden brown chicken thighs smothered in a smooth, slightly sweet, tad tart, savory honey-pomegranate sauce. Garnished with herbaceous parsley, pops of jeweled pomegranates and a punch of acidic lemon, this chicken is my new OBSESSION.
Jam packed with flavor and easy-breezy to make, these chicken thighs NEED to grace your table.
Notes, Tips & Tricks for easy Skillet Honey & Pomegranate Chicken Thighs recipe:
- If you have a cast iron skillet, now is the time to use it. Cast iron pans sear food like a champ, and their even heat level is the thing skillet dreams are made of. Just trust me on this and bust out the cast iron skillet… mmm ‘kay?
- My chicken thighs were big-ole-mama-jammas, so I needed to finish cooking them in a 350 degree F oven for a beat (about 7 minutes). This is also where the cast iron skillet comes in handy, since it can go from stove top to oven without worry.
- A note on #2. If your chicken thighs are large as well, and they are golden brown from the pan-sear, but not cooked through, DON’T worry. Simply follow the instructions and remove them to a plate after browning. Then preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Continue with the recipe as instructed, adding the shallots and making the sauce. When you add the chicken back to the pan, turn it to coat and transfer the entire skillet to the preheated oven. Let it finish cooking in the oven until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- I used boneless-skinless chicken thighs, but you can absolutely use bone-in, skin on chicken thighs, you will just need to finish cooking them in the oven, following the note instructions above. You can also substitute boneless-skinless chicken breasts, if white meat is your jam. Use whatever chicken floats your boat, friends!
- This recipe calls for Pomegranate Molasses, which is MUCH easier to find now than it was a year ago. My regular (non-specialty) grocery store carries it in the ethnic isle.
- To complete this meal, I served my chicken thighs with jasmine rice, but plain white rice, sticky rice, couscous, mashed potatoes, cauliflower mash, or just roasted vegetables would also be great!
Whether you are entertaining friends and family this holiday season, or just trying to get dinner on the dang table, these Skillet Honey Pomegranate Chicken Thighs are for YOU!
Until Thursday friends, Cheers – to sanity saving skillet chicken.
XOXO
Cheyanne
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How to make Skillet Honey Pomegranate Chicken Thighs Recipe👇
Skillet Honey Pomegranate Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1 ½ - 2 Pounds Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs * (about 6-8 thighs)
- 2 TBS Olive Oil
- ½ tsp each: Salt and Cumin
- ¼ tsp each: Pepper , Ginger and Chili Powder
- ½ Cup Pomegranate Molasses
- 1/3 Cup Pomegranate Juice
- ¼ Cup Honey
- 1 TBS Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 Lemon – juiced
- 1 Shallot – finely chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic – minced
- 1 tsp Cornstarch
- Optional Garnish: Fresh Parsley, Pomegranate Arils, Slices of Lemon
- Serving Suggestion: Jasmine or Sticky Rice
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine: salt, cumin, pepper, ginger and chili powder. Rub seasoning onto chicken thighs. In a medium bowl or measuring glass mix together: molasses, pomegranate juice, honey, vinegar and lemon. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large (cast iron) skillet over medium heat. Add chicken to skillet (in 2 batches if needed to not over-crowd the pan) and cook until golden brown and cooked through*, about 4-6 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add shallot to the skillet and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Add garlic to the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the molasses mixture and bring to a rapid simmer. Add in the cornstarch/water mixture and whisk to fully incorporate.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes or until thickened.
- Add the chicken (and any juices that have collected on the plate) back to the skillet and turn to coat in the sauce.*
- To serve: Garnish with parsley, pomegranate arils and slices of lemon. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
*If your chicken thighs are large, and they are golden brown from the pan-sear, but not cooked through, DON’T worry. Simply follow the instructions and remove them to a plate after browning. Then preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Continue with the recipe as instructed, adding the shallots and making the sauce. When you add the chicken back to the pan, turn it to coat and transfer the entire skillet to the preheated oven. Let it finish cooking in the oven until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Nutrition
Hi! This looks yummy 🙂 Can the pomegranate juice be substituted with something else?
Hi Hazel,
Thank you for the kind comment! Cranberry juice is a pretty close substitute. 🙂 Cheers and thank you for stopping by!
This is one gorgeous skillet dinner, Cheyanne! Love the pomegranates in with the chicken thighs, my favorite cut of hen out there. Always tender and flavorful. Yours looks so delicious. I can see why you and B don’t go out much. Why bother when you can have this kind of fabulous at home? Seriously, love everything you did here and what a perfect dinner for any occasion. Grabbing two forks! XO
A low key Thanksgiving sounds perfect to me and I’m glad you guys got to relax 🙂 With the holiday madness beginning already, I am definitely in need of easy dinners! This one is just gorgeous, girl! Love the pretty pomegranates!
I love that this is so easy and looks amazing. Definitely great for a last minute quick dinner when you have guests!
That sauce!!!! It sounds so wonderful and looks beautiful!
So you did end up cooking on Thanksgiving? Sad to say I would request the same from you. I know you need a break sometimes, but your culinary skills are out of this world. I L-O-V-E quick, tasty recipes, but I’ve never had pomegranate chicken. Excited to see where this flavor profile will take me. I guess it’s time for me to dust off my cast iron skillet.
Holy chicken! Gimme this whole skillet and a big ass fork cos I’m ready to dig in! We ate way too much turkey and all the fixings for way too long and I’m over all that business. I can tell you this, I’m not making a turkey for XMas. lol! I might make this chicken though! Yummy in my tummy 🙂
Sounds like you two had a cosy Thanksgiving! Loving the flavours in this dish too (seriously cannot get enough of pomegrates right now!)
I cannot imagine what my life would be without Google 🙂 Nope – I wasn’t in any stage of ” postprandial somnolence” as we had a vegetarian Thanksgiving and had pecan pie – my daughter’s fav! If there had been pumpkin pie or cheesecake I would be in a food coma for days! I’m shooting for this goal for Christmas 🙂
I seriously love how you have perfected the art of PJ time – I need lessons!
BTW – Cheyanne your chicken thighs look so incredibly succulent and juicy! I just had some protein balls with ma coffee but find myself hungry for lunch and blame YOU and THESE THIGHS!
So happy to know that you guys had a lovely holiday, Cheyanne. What a one pan gorgeous dish. Pomegranate molasses are so new to me so I have to look for them. And that glaze is making me drool. I have to try this chicken thighs and honey pomegranate skillet soon.
Wow that glaze…drooooool! Seriously such a gorgeous dish <3 Also I bet your dinner for Thanksgiving was just gorgeous! Can you blame the hubby for wanting a home-cooked meal when he's got you?? 😉
It sounds like you had a nice low-key Thanksgiving filled with delicious food, and that slow cooker turkey breast sounded like the perfect way to go! You’re so right about this meal too — it looks easy yet is so elegant! I love the way pomegranates spruce things up — I need to try this!
Hiiiiii!! Well, you know how my Thanksgiving went. 😉 It was super chill, and yep, totally filled with LOTS of food. I’m payin’ the price right now, honey! Haha. Like, are my pants supposed to be this tight? Maybe the dryer shrunk it. Yeah, that’s it… 😉 Your last minute meal sounds seriously delish! I love cauliflower mash! And thank goodness you defined that term for me. I was just about to nod my head and pretend I knew what you were talking about… Anywho, this dish (and by dish, I guess I mean skillet??) is absolutely gorgeous! Your photos are simply stunning. Now, can ya make a vegan version of this for your dear ol’ bestie?? 😉 Muah! xoxo
Your Thanksgiving sounds perfect! I am definitely in need of easy dinners (and um, pajama time) after cooking up a storm for the holiday!! And this skillet! That saucy glaze-y topping looks soooo good!
So you know how I feel about anything cooked in a skillet and these chicken thighs are no exception! Love the addition of honey and pomegranate! Perfect meal any night of the week! Pinned! Cheers, my dear! 🙂
Glad you had a nice quiet Thanksgiving. Sometimes those are the best ones! This chicken looks like something we would eat every night of the week. It would be a huge hit with all my kids. Loving that yummy sauce!
Our Thanksgiving was scrumptious, and you KNOW I had my share of the leftovers! But now they are all gone, which leaves me lots of room for your delectable chicken! Bring on the honey, honey! xo
Sounds like a nice, yummy and relaxed Thanksgiving. And I love your recipe today, everything with chicken thighs is a favorite for me and this is such a great idea for using some of my pomegranate molasses, I always have a bottle in the house but don’t use it as much as I should.
Sounds like you had a terrific Thanksgiving. Your menu sound delish! This poultry looks incredible, close friend! I’m always claiming that I should “spice up” my chicken dishes since they can be so monotonous, so I’m absolutely including this to the menu. Love the pomegranate in below! Pinned, obviously. Satisfied Monday to you!
Chicken thighs are a go-to weeknight meal in our house and I’m always looking for new versions – this one looks amazing. Just look at all of that sticky goodness!
Definitely ate too much but it was well worth it!! Chicken thighs are my favorite. These chicken thighs are divine and you’re right they look beautiful to which is always a plus! Those pom seeds look like little jewels. I so have to try this!! Take care.
My mouth is watering Chey! This chicken dish looks absolutely delicious! It sounds so flavorful and so easy too! Just the kind of meals we all need during the busy holiday season! Glad you enjoyed your Thanksgiving! Hope your week is off to a great start!
Cheryanne, what great looking chicken. That on some good rice, that is what tasty meals are made of! Also, nice to find someone not writing about turkey!
Thanksgiving was nice, because we were in vacation 🙂 I didn’t cook, so I can definitely try this gorgeous dish this week! Looks delicious! Sounds like a nice Thanksgiving you guys had. Cooking dinner at the last minute ? 🙂
Absolutely stunning! Look at that glaze…I am seriously drooling over here. An excellent recipe, Cheyanne.
Your chill Thanksgiving sounds wonderful. More people should do that for the holidays.
This sauce sounds terrific. I’m loving the honey and pomegranate. I never think to cook chicken thighs. I always go for the breast by default, and I’m not sure why. I’ll have to venture out of my comfort zone!
Lovely and mouthwatering! Isn’t pomegranate molasses a wonderful ingredient? Love the stuff and it is getting more and more out there so more people should be able to try it. Love the cumin spice here as my Jordanian version does a cardamon twist. Good minds think alike. I did a double take and it reminded me of mine. Need to hit up the market for some more pomegranate molasses and other stuff. Been away for a week and need to get cookin’. This is a good one Chey, Pinned and inspired! 🙂
Absolutely perfect! I love everything about this and you know I’m all about the chicken thighs 🙂 Will be trying this soon.
It sounds like you had the perfect Thanksgiving, Cheyanne! Mine was certainly full of TONS of food.. and multiple food comas. I never knew there was a scientific name for it, btw 😉 I’m totally loving these gorgeous chicken thighs. We are huge chicken thigh fans in this house, so this is going on must-make list! have a great week!
So glad you guys had a great holiday and I’m all for hanging out in jammmies! I love the idea of a one pan delicious dish after all that Thanksgiving cooking from last week. I’ve never seen pomegranate molasses before, but I’ve never looked for it either. I’m totally digging the flavor combo with these chicken thighs, so I’m going to have to find some and make this dish for dinner! 🙂
Oooh these look so flavorful and delicious!! Just what I need at this time of year when I don’t really feel like cooking when I get home from work 🙂 It sounds like you had an awesome Thanksgiving, though I’m still not over the lack of stuffing. I just couldn’t do it! In fact, my mom made me a separate little dish of stuffing to take home with me! You must really love The Boy 🙂
Sounds like you had a lovely thanksgiving, Chey! Lots of good food. Though, I would miss the stuffing! Love that stuff so much. We had a pretty productive weekend and did some organizing in the basement. Not too exciting, but definitely something that had to be done and I felt accomplished afterwards 🙂 One skillet dinners are the bomb and I adore anything in cast iron. This looks delicious! The pomegranate is the perfect touch for sweetness and texture and your photos are BEAUTIFUL! My kinda dinner. Pinned, of course. Have a lovely week! XOXO
This looks like a great obsession to have! The pomegranates are so festive looking! I’m glad you had a nice relaxing Thanksgiving weekend! Happy Monday! 🙂
I love using chicken thighs, I think they’re so underrated. This sounds delicious and looks so sticky!
Sounds like you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, Cheyanne! That’s nice that you were able to cook for just the two of you, and your menu sound delish! Can you believe that we’re upon the holiday season?! I’m freaking out just a liiiitle…time needs to slow down! This chicken looks incredible, friend! I’m always saying that I need to “spice up” my chicken recipes because they can be so boring, so I’m definitely adding this to the menu. Love the pomegranate in here! Pinned, of course. Happy Monday to you!
Looks like you had a good Thanksgiving ..easy and relaxing 🙂 I love the flavors in this dish and pomegranates are my favorite!
Your thanksgiving sounds like the perfect one, guys! First of all, I was sceptical when I read your were going for a dinner to your friends…because you know, it’s a family holiday. So this one was the right decision (thanks to Boy). Secondly, this menu sounds simple yet very delicious, especially its Brussels Sprouts part (thanks to you). And lastly, there was NO STUFFING which is great (thanks to Boy again). Well, Boy has definitely won today:) And these chicken thighs with honey and pomegranate look just right to me; beautiful combo. Well done, Chey!
I think the Boy owes you one big time! Last-minute Thanksgiving at home when you were supposed to go out? AND no stuffing? Hmmm, I’d be writing up a wish list and sending it his way 😉
I’m glad you got some homemade goodness though and PJ time is always nice!
And you’re right – I’m all about a little break from cooking and keeping it easy right now. So this one-skillet wonder is looking pretty amazing! Particularly that pomegranate flavor – oh swoon! Pinned and looking forward to digging into this one night! XO