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Dark walnut-pomegranate chicken fesenjan stew in a skillet beside a bowl of white rice

Photo: stringparts / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Instant Pot Family Dinners

Instant Pot Persian-Style Chicken Fesenjan with Walnut & Pomegranate

Tender chicken thighs meet a glossy sweet-tart walnut and pomegranate sauce, with the thick ingredients added after pressure for a reliable family-friendly braise.

Developed for DishGal · Updated 2026-09-27

Instant Pot Family DinnersEasy Chicken Recipes
Prep25 min
Cook50 min
Total75 min
Cost$5.40

Directions

  1. Toast and grind the walnuts

    Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant but not dark. Cool for 5 minutes, then pulse in a food processor until finely ground like damp sand; stop before they become nut butter.

  2. Season and brown the chicken

    Pat the chicken dry and season with 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper and turmeric. Select Sauté on High on a 6-quart electric pressure cooker, add the oil and brown the thighs in two batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

  3. Soften and deglaze

    Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes, stirring. Cancel Sauté, pour in the chicken broth and scrape the base until completely smooth. Return the chicken and any juices, keeping all thick walnut and pomegranate ingredients out until after pressure.

  4. Pressure cook and release

    Lock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 8 minutes; allow about 12 minutes to reach pressure. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then vent the remainder in short controlled pulses. Open only after the float valve drops.

  5. Verify the chicken

    Check the thickest part of several thighs with an instant-read thermometer; each must reach 165°F. If any piece is below that point, lock the lid and cook at High Pressure for 2 minutes more, followed by a 5-minute natural release.

  6. Build the walnut-pomegranate sauce

    Transfer the chicken to a clean plate. Select Sauté on Low and whisk the ground walnuts, pomegranate molasses, 1 tablespoon brown sugar and cinnamon into the thin braising liquid. Simmer gently for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring and scraping the base frequently, until the sauce darkens, lightly glosses and coats a spoon. Do not let it scorch.

  7. Balance and finish

    Return the chicken and any juices and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until the chicken is hot and the sauce reaches 165°F. Cancel Sauté. Stir in the lemon juice, taste and add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, extra molasses for tartness or the remaining tablespoon sugar for sweetness only as needed. Serve over rice with optional pomegranate arils and parsley; pass pepper at the table.

Why this works

Why it worksPressure-cooking the chicken in thin broth before adding ground walnuts and molasses keeps dense, sugary solids away from the hot base and reduces burn-warning risk.
Why it worksToasting and finely grinding walnuts releases their oils during the post-pressure simmer, creating fesenjan's characteristic rich body without dairy or flour.
Why it worksPomegranate molasses brands vary sharply, so a taste-and-adjust finish balances tartness and sweetness without making the family base aggressively sour.

Useful kitchen gear

Tools that make this easier.

Compare the function and specifications first; skip anything your kitchen already handles well.

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Compare on Amazon6-quart electric pressure cookerThe thin-broth pressure stage and post-pressure walnut reduction are calibrated for this family-size capacity.See current options → Compare on AmazonInstant-read thermometerCheck several chicken thighs for 165°F before building the thick walnut-pomegranate sauce.See current options → Compare on Amazon8-cup food processorShort pulses grind toasted walnuts finely enough to thicken the sauce without turning them into nut butter.See current options →

Swaps & notes

Easy swaps

  • Bone-in skinless thighs can replace boneless thighs; use 2 1/2 pounds, cook 10 minutes at High Pressure and verify 165°F away from bone.
  • Unsweetened pomegranate concentrate is stronger than molasses; begin with 1/4 cup, then add more only after the sauce has reduced.
  • For a vegetarian meal, use roasted cauliflower and chickpeas, but cook them separately and fold them into the finished walnut-pomegranate sauce rather than using the chicken pressure cycle.

Cook notes

  • Total time includes walnut toasting, two browning batches, about 12 minutes to pressurize, the 8-minute programmed cycle, a 10-minute natural release and the post-pressure sauce reduction.
  • Written for a 6-quart electric pressure cooker. Stay below the model's maximum-fill line and follow its minimum-liquid and venting instructions; never force the lid.
  • Keep the walnut meal, pomegranate molasses and sugar out of the cooker until pressure has fully released. Their thickness and sugars can trigger a burn warning if placed on the base.
  • The base is mild and sweet-tart. Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper is best offered individually at the table.
  • Stir constantly during the final minutes because walnut sauce thickens quickly as water evaporates.

Storage

Cool the stew and rice in separate shallow containers within 2 hours. Refrigerate for up to 4 days and reheat gently with a splash of broth, stirring often, until the chicken and sauce reach 165°F. Freeze the fesenjan without garnish for up to 3 months; thaw overnight and whisk the sauce as it reheats.

Questions

Why is my fesenjan lighter than the photograph?

Color depends on the pomegranate molasses, walnut skins and reduction. Continue a gentle stirred simmer rather than raising the heat; the sauce will deepen as it concentrates.

Can I pressure-cook the walnuts with the chicken?

This recipe deliberately does not. Finely ground nuts and sugary molasses form a dense layer that can scorch on an electric cooker's base. Adding them after pressure is more dependable.

Is fesenjan supposed to be sweet or sour?

It can lean either way by household and pomegranate product. Start with one tablespoon sugar, reduce the sauce, then adjust one teaspoon at a time so the finished balance suits your family.

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Instant Pot Persian-Style Chicken Fesenjan with Walnut & Pomegranate
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1. Toast and grind the walnutsToast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant but not dark. Cool for 5 minutes, then pulse in a food processor until finely ground like damp sand; stop before they become nut butter.
2. Season and brown the chickenPat the chicken dry and season with 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper and turmeric. Select Sauté on High on a 6-quart electric pressure cooker, add the oil and brown the thighs in two batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
3. Soften and deglazeAdd the onion and cook for 4 minutes, stirring. Cancel Sauté, pour in the chicken broth and scrape the base until completely smooth. Return the chicken and any juices, keeping all thick walnut and pomegranate ingredients out until after pressure.
4. Pressure cook and releaseLock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 8 minutes; allow about 12 minutes to reach pressure. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then vent the remainder in short controlled pulses. Open only after the float valve drops.
5. Verify the chickenCheck the thickest part of several thighs with an instant-read thermometer; each must reach 165°F. If any piece is below that point, lock the lid and cook at High Pressure for 2 minutes more, followed by a 5-minute natural release.
6. Build the walnut-pomegranate sauceTransfer the chicken to a clean plate. Select Sauté on Low and whisk the ground walnuts, pomegranate molasses, 1 tablespoon brown sugar and cinnamon into the thin braising liquid. Simmer gently for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring and scraping the base frequently, until the sauce darkens, lightly glosses and coats a spoon. Do not let it scorch.
7. Balance and finishReturn the chicken and any juices and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until the chicken is hot and the sauce reaches 165°F. Cancel Sauté. Stir in the lemon juice, taste and add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, extra molasses for tartness or the remaining tablespoon sugar for sweetness only as needed. Serve over rice with optional pomegranate arils and parsley; pass pepper at the table.