Skillet Pomegranate Chicken Breast Recipe
Pomegranate chicken is the perfect winter weeknight meal or holiday entree. The juicy chicken breast cooked alongside pomegranates, spices, and honey creates the most delicious flavor. If you’re craving something light, fresh, and savory this recipe will satisfy those taste buds!
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Pomegranate Chicken Recipe Inspiration
My husband and I are not huge fans of Turkey. We’ll enjoy a slice or two during Thanksgiving feasts with family but that’s about it. This year, we did an early Thanksgiving visit up in Indiana which means we’ll be home, in Tennessee, on the actual holiday.
With these circumstances, I wanted to create a main dish for our Thanksgiving feast that wasn’t turkey and still kept the holiday spirit. That’s how this pomegranate chicken breast recipe was born! It pairs well with holiday sides and is a perfect entree on any Thanksgiving menu.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Uses fresh in-season produce
- Has an extraordinary flavor profile of fresh, sweet, tart, and savory
- It only takes 30 minutes to prepare and cook
- It’s a healthy recipe that doesn’t make you feel weighed down after eating it
Tips for Making the Best Pomegranate Chicken
- Choose an organic pomegranate if possible for better taste ( I get mine at Trader Joes)
- Butterfly or horizontally slice a chicken breast for thin pieces that cook evenly
- Use avocado oil to keep this dish healthy (or olive oil)
- Use organic garlic and onion for an even bolder flavor
Pomegranate Chicken Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (or 1 large)
- 1 pomegranate
- 1 small yellow onion
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 1 Tbsp raw unfiltered honey
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
How to Cut Up a Pomegranate
- First, slice off the top of the pomegranate to expose the sections
- Second, slice vertical cuts where each section of the pomegranate membrane is
- Then use your hands to break each section apart
- Finally, use your thumbs to get each pomegranate seed out of the peel
How to Make Pomegranate Chicken
Heat avocado oil in a skillet on medium heat
Dice up onion into fine pieces and cut up the pomegranate. Add both to the skillet.
Add honey to the mixture and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
During this time, butterfly each chicken breast by making a horizontal cut almost through the breast so it’ll open and lay flat. Set aside.
In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, and garlic. Use this seasoning mix to season both sides of each chicken breast until it’s all used up. Set aside.
Once the pomegranates and onions have cooked for 2-3 minutes, move them with a spatula to the outsides of the pan.
Add chicken breasts to the skillet and cook for 8-10 minutes on medium heat.
Flip chicken and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes or until fully cooked.
Serve with pomegranates and onions on top of chicken breasts and enjoy.
Kitchen Tools To Make This Recipe
How to Store Leftovers
If you have leftovers let cool then place them in an air-tight container for up to 2 days in the fridge. You can also freeze leftover pomegranate chicken for up to 2 months.
What Sides to Serve
There are so many delicious sides you can serve with pomegranate chicken breasts. If you’re having a holiday feast, serve with your regular favorites. If you’re having this dish on a regular night, serve with sourdough honey butter biscuits or a slice of homemade garlic bread using a sourdough loaf.
Recipe FAQ
- Is this recipe healthy? Yes it is! The ingredients are all whole, never processed and you’re using pomegranates which are full of antioxidants.
- Can I bake this in the oven rather than in a skillet? Yes you can, bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes.
- Do I have to use the whole pomegranate? Yes, you’ll want to use an entire pomegranate, it’ll cook down and reduce the amount.
More Weeknight Chicken Recipes
- Healthy Buffalo Chicken Sweet Potatoes (Slow Cooker Recipe)
- Easy Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry (Healthy 20 Minute Recipe)
- Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe (in a Slow Cooker)
- Authentic Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich (Taste of Tennessee)
- Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas (with Seasoning From Scratch)
I love hearing how much you love our recipes, be sure to leave a review below! 😊
Skillet Pomegranate Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 1 pomegranate
- 1 small yellow onion
- 1 Tbsp raw honey
- 2 chicken breasts (or 1 large)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil (or olive oil)
Instructions
- Heat avocado oil in a skillet on medium heat
- Dice up onion into fine pieces and cut up the pomegranate. Add both to the skillet.
- Add honey to the mixture and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- During this time, butterfly each chicken breast by making a horizontal cut almost through the breast so it'll open and lay flat. Set aside.
- In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, and garlic. Use this seasoning mix to season both sides of each chicken breast until it's all used up. Set aside.
- Once the pomegranates and onions have cooked for 2-3 minutes, move them with a spatula to the outsides of the pan.
- Add chicken breasts to the skillet and cook for 8-10 minutes on medium heat.
- Flip chicken and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes or until fully cooked.
- Serve with pomegranates and onions on top of chicken breasts and enjoy.
what do you do with the honey?
Did you mean honey when you said onion in step 5?
Oh goodness, thank you for bringing this to my attention! It looks like during a time of editing/updating I didn’t completely remove the word, onion powder, that used to be in my recipe. It’s all fixed and correctly updated now!