Pomegranate Roasted Chicken

Pomegranate seeds, cardamom, and sumac give these chicken breasts a hint of Persian flavor, and bone-in, skin-on breasts turn out extra tender. If you’ve never cooked with sumac before, it has an almost lemony flavor, but a little bit more earthy – it’s hard to describe but cheap to buy and test it out for yourself. If you have extra, it’s also good on fish and with Greek food.

In terms of nutrition, pomegranate is famous for its antioxidants, and there’s some evidence that it might actually be beneficial for heart health, possibly by reducing oxidative stress. This study makes the case for pomegranates eaten together with dates for a double antioxidant benefit, so maybe try some coconut date balls for dessert.

Pomegranates are admittedly pretty pricey for most people, and the juice isn’t cheap, either: this isn’t necessarily the chicken you’d make for dinner on Wednesday night to scarf down between work and grocery shopping, but it’s something easy to pull out for a moderately special occasion – or maybe just on Friday night to celebrate getting through a tough week.

Pomegranate Roasted Chicken Recipe

SERVES: 4 PREP: 15 min. COOK: 30 min.

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Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, bone-in and skin-on
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds + extra for garnishing
• 6 thyme sprigs
• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1 tbsp sumac
• 1/2 tbsp. chili flakes
• Cooking fat
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 375 F.
2. In a small bowl, mix the cardamom, sumac, and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Rub the chicken breasts with the spice mixture.
4. Melt some cooking fat in an oven proof skillet over medium high heat, and brown the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side.
5. Remove the chicken and set aside.
6. In the same skillet, combine the chicken stock, pomegranate juice, pomegranate seeds, chili flakes, thyme sprigs, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Bring to a boil and let simmer until reduced by half.
8. Return the chicken to the pan and baste with the sauce.
9. Place in the preheated oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes.
10. Let rest for 4 to 5 minutes and serve chicken with the pan juice, topped with more pomegranate seeds.