Arabic Chicken with Pistachio and Honey
Craving a flavorful dinner? Try this easy Arabic Chicken with Pistachio and Honey recipe! Tender, saffron-simmered chicken topped with a crunchy honey-nut glaze.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 585kcal
Equipment
- Deep pan
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken cut into 6-cm chunks
- 2 tbsps oil
- 1 large onion chopped
Marinate
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 tsps cumin powder
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsps salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
Braising Liquid
- 500 ml water
- 1 pinch saffron
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Honey Nut Paste (Mixed Well)
- 80 ml honey
- 1 cup pistachios coarsely ground
Instructions
Step 1: Marinate and Season the Chicken
- Place your cut chicken pieces into a large glass mixing bowl. Rub chicken with garlic, cumin, half the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Let the chicken sit for 15 minutes
Step 2: Sear the Onions and Chicken
- Heat oil in a wide, deep pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and stir-fry for about 4 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add the marinated chicken pieces to the pan. Sear the chicken for 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until the exterior turns a light golden brown color.
Do not crowd the pan during searing. Crowding creates excess steam, which prevents the meat from developing a nice golden surface.
Step 3: Braise in Saffron Liquid
- Pour 500 ml of water into the pan, scraping up any delicious browned bits stuck to the bottom. Add the pinch of saffron threads and the remaining fresh lemon juice.
- Bring the liquid to a rolling boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low. Cover with lid and let it simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Taste the simmering liquid near the end of braising and adjust salt if needed.
The braising liquid should be well-seasoned and aromatic, as it will serve as the base sauce for serving.
Step 4: Transfer and Apply the Honey Pistachio Paste
- Preheat oven to 180°C. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the coarsely ground pistachios and honey.
- Transfer the braised chicken pieces and their flavorful pan juice into a baking dish. Choose a smaller, snug baking dish so the liquid stays deep enough to prevent drying out. Evenly spread the honey nut paste over the top of each chicken piece.
If your nut paste feels too stiff to spread easily, warm the honey for 10 seconds in the microwave before mixing with the nuts.
Step 5: Bake till Crusty
- Place the baking dish into the preheated oven and bake for 20 mins. Halfway through the baking time (at the 10-min mark), carefully baste the chicken with the pan sauce from the bottom of the dish. Bake until a crusty crust is formed.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.