Sheet-Pan Pomegranate Chicken With Walnut Relish

There are hundreds of weeknights in a year. That’s a lot of dinner! Test kitchen editor Kendra Vaculin is here to help. In her series Speedy Does It, she shares whoa-worthy meals you can get on the table like *snaps fingers* that.

This dish is inspired by fesenjan, a sweet-and-sour Persian stew featuring pomegranate and walnuts. This weeknight version swaps a quick roast and broil in for a lengthy braise. A mixture of pomegranate molasses, balsamic vinegar, savory Worcestershire sauce, and ground cumin provides a robust base of flavor—coating chicken thighs before roasting, and thickening into a glaze to brush them before a stint under the broiler. The sugar in the molasses helps the chicken brown and blister in spots, adding a long-cooked flavor to something that takes just a little more than 20 minutes in the oven.

While the chicken is great alone, it’s best dressed up with all the fixings: a garlicky toasted walnut relish for crunch, sliced scallion and torn mint for freshness (don’t be shy here, the herbs are crucial!), and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds for a pop of color and sweetness. Don’t have walnuts? Sub in almonds or pistachios for a similar nutty crunch—just watch the toast time to ensure they don’t burn.