Spicy Pomegranate Molasses Glazed Chicken with Lime Yogurt Dipping Sauce

This is the perfect marriage of spicy and sweet, tangy and earthy. You’ll get it all with this dish. This would be great with flatbread, I have a recipe for quick flatbread here. I like grilling this but you could definitely do it on the stovetop in a skillet, just make sure to keep an eye on the chicken so it doesn’t burn once you baste it with the pomegranate glaze. Never be afraid to adjust the heat if you think it needs to! Recipes are a guide, so trust your gut.

Recipe by: Tierney Larson

Servings 4

Ingredients:

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, filleted and slashed 3 times on either side

kosher salt

2 1/2 tbl ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground cardamom, or about 8 pods cracked open, pods removed and the inside seeds ground

A pinch of brown sugar

1 cup of Greek yogurt

the zest of 1 lime, and one half juiced

3 tbl of olive oil, divided plus more for brushing onto the chicken

1/3 cup of pomegranate molasses

3-4 arbol chiles, sliced

2 cardamom pods

4 oz of feta cheese

1/2 tsp sumac

1 bunch of asparagus, woody ends trimmed

a handful of dill tender stems and sprigs, roughly chopped

ok so…pat the chicken down with paper towels and season on both sides with kosher salt. Combine the ground cumin, cardamom and a pinch of brown sugar in a small bowl and then rub all over the chicken, into the slashes you made as well. Let the chicken sit with the spice rub in the fridge for 1-3 hours removing them from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to come to room temp.

In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, lime zest, the juice from half a lime, 1 tbl of olive oil and season with a good pinch of kosher salt. Taste and if it’s nice and lime-y you’re good, if not adjust by adding more lime juice and or salt. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, add the pomegranate molasses, 2 cardamom pods and the chopped Chile Arbols. Place over medium heat, the second you see small bubbles around the edges lower the heat and keep it at a very low simmer for 10 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let the flavors steep now together. Add a pinch of salt and taste adjusting if necessary. Set aside.

Preheat your grill on high heat for about 30 minutes. Place a grill pan on one side for your asparagus and let that preheat as well.

Mix together the feta cheese, 1 tbl of olive oil and the sumac and let sit until ready to serve.

Toss the asparagus in 1 tbl of olive oil and season with salt.

(cook the asparagus and the chicken at the same time)
Add the asparagus onto the hot grill pan. Let the asparagus char on both sides, not moving it too much. If it’s fully charred but needs more time, lower the heat or move it to a cooler side of the grill, until it’s tender but still has a bite. Remove and top with the feta and some torn dill.
Brush the chicken with a thin layer of olive oil on both sides and add it to the hot grill.
Let it cook on the first side for about 2 minutes, then flip and baste the first side with the pomegranate molasses mixture. Cook for another minute or so and then flip and baste the other side. Continue to flip and baste, letting it get dark and charred until fully cooked and the internal temp of the thickest part is 160-165F.
Remove and let rest for a few minutes, then serve with the yogurt dipping sauce on the side, and sprinkle with the rest of the dill. Enjoy!