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Lebanese Pomegranate Chicken: Sticky, Caramelized, and Worth the Wait

Nina Ghamrawi, MS, RD, CDE
October 2, 2026

If you've never roasted chicken glazed in pomegranate molasses, get ready — this is the kind of dish that makes the whole kitchen smell incredible and disappears fast. The molasses caramelizes into a glossy, sticky, tangy-sweet finish over juicy thighs, with warm cumin, paprika, and allspice rounding it out. It looks impressive but the method is simple: marinate, roast, and glaze at the end.

Prep time: 10 min (plus marinating) | Cook time: 40 min | Total: ~50 min + marinate | Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2–2.5 lbs)
  • ½ cup pomegranate molasses
  • 2–3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp allspice
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Mix everything except the chicken to make the marinade.
  2. Add the chicken and marinate for several hours (or overnight).
  3. Heat oven to 425°F.
  4. Arrange the chicken on a lined pan and roast until nearly cooked through.
  5. Brush generously with the reserved marinade during the last 10–15 minutes so the pomegranate mixture caramelizes without burning.
  6. Roast until the chicken reaches 165°F internally.
  7. Rest 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts (per serving, 2 thighs)

Calories: ~420 | Protein: 34g | Carbs: 18g | Fat: 23g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: ~380mg

Cooking Tips

  • A note on pomegranate molasses: Look for a brand whose only ingredient is pomegranates — that's what gives the true sour-sweet depth. If yours is sweetened with sugar, it still works; just add extra lemon to restore that tart pomegranate flavor.
  • Don't glaze early. Because pomegranate molasses contains sugar, glazing from the start can burn it. The late glaze is what gives you that gorgeous sticky, browned finish.
  • For less fat per serving, use skinless thighs (drops it by roughly 5–7g fat).

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