This Skillet Chicken with Pomegranate Molasses Sauce is simple to prepare with budget-friendly ingredients. Featuring golden pan-seared chicken thighs smothered in silky honey pomegranate sauce, this skillet chicken thighs recipe is the ideal sweet and tangy dinner recipe for everything from weeknight dinners with the family to entertaining over the holidays!
OptionalGarnishes: Fresh Parsley, Pomegranate Arils, Slices of Lemon
ServingSuggestions:Coconut Rice, Jasmine Rice, or Sticky Rice
Instructions
Season Chicken: In a small bowl, combine the kosher salt, cumin, pepper, ginger, and chili powder. Place the chicken thighs onto a clean work surface and generously sprinkle the seasoning mix all over both sides of the chicken breasts. Use your hands to rub the seasonings into the chicken. Set the spice rubbed chicken thighs aside.
Mix Pomegranate Sauce: In a two-cup glass measure or medium mixing bowl, whisk together the pomegranate molasses, pomegranate juice, honey, vinegar, and lemon. Set aside the sauce aside.
Brown Chicken Thighs: Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the raw chicken thighs to the skillet. Cook the chicken until golden brown and almost cooked all the way through, about 4-6 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the hot pan and transfer to a clean plate. Set the chicken thighs aside.
Sauté Aromatics: To the same pan, add the shallot to the skillet and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic to the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add Sauce: Add the molasses mixture to the skillet and increase the heat to medium-high to bring the sauce to a rapid simmer. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water and whisk to combine.
Thicken Sauce: Once the sauce is simmering, add the cornstarch mixture to the skillet and whisk well to fully incorporate. After whisking well, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the pomegranate sauce, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce is thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
Finish Chicken: Add the chicken thighs along with any juices that have collected on the plate to the skillet. Turn to coat the chicken in the sauce. Cover the skillet and cook until the chicken is just cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165-degrees Fahrenheit.
Garnish and Serve: Garnish the skillet of chicken thighs with chopped fresh parsley, a handful of pomegranate arils, and a few slices of lemon. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Chicken: You can substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts or bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. If using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, you will need to finish cooking the chicken in a 350-degree oven. Simply follow the instructions in the recipe card - at the end cover the skillet of chicken and instead of finishing it on the stove-top, transfer it to an oven preheated to 350-degrees and bake until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165-degrees.
Nutritional information is an estimate based upon 6 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.