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Home > Meal Type > Main Dishes > Easy Persian Chicken Breasts

Easy Persian Chicken Breasts

Updated: Mar 29th 2020 • Published: Oct 14th 2019 • 7 Comments

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close up on a cooked chicken breast on a bed of rice with writing at the top
overhead view of a cooked Persian chicken breast on a bed of rice with writing in the top left and middle bottom
chicken breasts being marinated and then a picture of them cooked with text in the middle and top
chicken breasts being marinated and then a picture of them cooked with text in the middle
overhead view of a cooked Persian chicken breast on a bed of rice with writing in the top left
overhead view of a cooked Persian chicken breast on a bed of rice with writing in the top left
overhead view of a cooked Persian chicken breast on a bed of rice with writing in the top left
close up of a cooked Persian chicken breast on a bed of rice with writing in the top and bottom
overhead view of a cooked Persian chicken breast on a bed of rice with writing at the top and bottom
overhead view of a cooked Persian chicken breast on a bed of rice with writing at the bottom
Close up on a cooked spiced chicken breast on a bed of rice with writing at the top

These Persian Chicken Breasts are quick and easy, making an exotic yet comforting dinner, perfect for serving with some jeweled rice and salad.

The chicken sits in a simple marinade that includes olive oil, turmeric, pepper, paprika, cinnamon, and allspice. This infuses the meat with sweet and savory flavors, perfect for cooking on the grill or in a skillet.

This Persian Chicken and rice recipe is based on a traditional Iranian dish, that is bursting with flavor yet mild enough for the whole family.

a cooked chicken breast on a bed of rice on a white plate with a blue napkin

Jump Menu

  • Persian Chicken Spices
  • How to cook Persian Chicken
  • Filleting Chicken Breasts
  • What to serve with Persian Chicken
  • Easy Persian Chicken Breasts Recipe

Persian Chicken Spices

The seasonings used to marinade the chicken breasts are all common spices that you probably already have in your pantry/cupboard.

The Persian chicken seasoning includes:

  • Tumeric
  • Paprika
  • Cayenne 
  • Cinnamon
  • Allspice
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper

These are all mixed together with some olive oil and a crushed garlic clove. The chicken can then be covered and left to marinate for an hour or up to 24 hours. 

We usually add it to the marinade in the morning and cook it for dinner, so it gets around 10 hours.

spices being mixed in a dish and used to marinate chicken breasts

How to cook Persian Chicken

Once the chicken has had its time in the marinade, you want to bring it out of the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to take off the chill from the meat and allow the olive oil to soften.

The chicken can then be cooked on a grill or in a heavy skillet/frying pan. The chicken needs just 3 minutes on each side and it will be juicy and tender. (This is because we are using chicken breast fillets – see below)

Be sure to cook it over high heat so you get some wonderful color on the outside of the breast.

4 Persian Chicken breasts in a cast iron skillet garnished with parsley and lemon slices

Filleting Chicken Breasts

The recipe calls for two large chicken breasts and these are going to be cut into 4 fillets. You can buy chicken fillets or escallops from the butcher if you prefer. 

The beauty of chicken fillets is that they cook quickly and are usually more even in thickness. This ensures that the whole fillet stays juicy and tender when cooked and makes the time needed to cook less. 

To fillet a chicken breast, lay the chicken breast flat on a chopping board with the smooth side facing up. Take a long sharp knife and carefully cut horizontally through the chicken breast, trying to keep your knife parallel to the chopping board at all times. The chicken breast will start to open up like a book and if you continue to cut through you will be left with two fillets.

Cutting through a chicken breast on a wooden board, to produce two fillets.

What to serve with Persian Chicken

Persian chicken is traditionally served with jeweled rice pilaf. 

Jeweled rice is long grain rice, cooked with onions, spices, and stock, with nuts and dried fruit stirred through at the end. You can get my recipe for Persian Rice here on Wednesday.

Alternatively, serve this Persian Chicken with some potatoes and a salad. These Garlic Butter Potatoes would be a fabulous addition as would a salad made with this  Sriracha salad dressing! 

super close up on a cooked chicken breast on a bed of jewelled rice

Enjoy x

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overhead shot of a golden red Persian Chicken breast on a bed of rice
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4.72 from 7 votes

Easy Persian Chicken Breasts Recipe

These Persian Chicken Breasts are quick and easy, making an exotic yet comforting dinner, perfect for serving with some jeweled rice. The chicken sits in a simple marinade that includes olive oil, turmeric, paprika, cinnamon, and allspice. This infuses the meat with sweet and savory flavors, perfect for cooking on the grill or in a skillet. This Persian Chicken and rice recipe is based on a traditional Iranian dish, that is bursting with flavor yet mild enough for the whole family.
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Marinating Time6 hrs
Total Time15 mins
Course: Main
Cuisine: Persian
Servings: 4
Calories: 275kcal
Author: Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts
For more great recipes follow me on PinterestFollow @sprinklessprout
Need Metric Measurements?Use the options below to toggle between cups and grams (if relevant)

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne – optional
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • lemon
  • parsley – for garnish

Instructions

Start by filleting the chicken breasts

  • Lay the chicken breast flat on a chopping board with the smooth side facing up. Take a long sharp knife and carefully cut horizontally through the chicken breast, trying to keep your knife parallel to the chopping board at all times.
  • The chicken breast will start to open up like a book and if you continue to cut through you will be left with two fillets. Repeat with the second chicken breast.

To marinate the chicken

  • Pour the olive oil into a non-metallic dish and then add in the turmeric, salt, paprika, cayenne (if usincinnamon, allspice, and pepper. Mix together to create a paste.
  • Slice up the garlic clove, add to the spice paste and mix well.
  • Add the chicken fillets and turn to coat.
  • Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

To cook the chicken

  • Remove the chicken from the refrigerator for 15 minutes before cooking.
  • Place a heavy-based frying pan, skillet or griddle over medium-high heat and let it get hot.
  • Remove the chicken from the marinade, pushing off any bits of garlic.
  • Place the chicken breasts flat into the frying pan and cook undisturbed for 3 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook for a further 3 minutes or until cooked through.
  • Brush the chicken with honey and served garnished with chopped parsley and lemon slices.

Nutrition

Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 714mg | Potassium: 446mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 152IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg
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Filed Under: All Recipes, Chicken Breast Recipes, Main Dishes, Valentines Day

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sylvia says

    Jan 30th 2021 at 4:33 pm

    My family loved this so easy but I used thigh fillets . It will be a family favorite great for casual entertaining ❤️

    Reply
    • Claire McEwen says

      Feb 4th 2021 at 10:11 am

      I bet it was fabulous with thigh fillets!
      Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment Sylvia.
      Cx

      Reply
  2. Danielle says

    Aug 31st 2020 at 10:16 am

    5 stars
    My husband absolutely loved this! Just made it tonight and he is used to arabic food so I thought I would make a cuisine similar. I was curious, do you know the traditional name of this chicken dish? Or if there is a dish similar, what the name would be in farsi?

    Reply
    • Claire McEwen says

      Sep 2nd 2020 at 1:20 pm

      Hi Danielle,
      I am SO happy your husband enjoyed it 🙂 Cooking for those we love is my greatest foodie pleasure!
      The recipe is roughly based around a dish I had called Fesenjan, but it is a bit of a homemade adaption as that is more of a stew, so I just took the flavours and turned them into a quick dinner idea for chicken breasts.
      Sorry I couldn’t be more help.
      Cx

      Reply
  3. Candice says

    Apr 18th 2020 at 1:08 am

    I made this recipe via stovetop and it was great! I’m putting more on the grill tonight! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Claire McEwen says

      Apr 19th 2020 at 11:24 am

      Oh I am so pleased you enjoyed it Candice!
      It is wonderful on the grill!!
      Cx

      Reply
  4. Marcellina says

    Oct 14th 2019 at 3:44 pm

    5 stars
    Oooh this would be sooo good!

    Reply

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Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts

I believe cooking for those you love should be stress free and simple.

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