Persian Khorak Morgh | Persian Chicken & Vegetable Stew
Looking for an easy Persian chicken recipe for a weeknight dinner? This stovetop Khorak Morgh is a comforting Persian chicken and vegetable stew made with tender chicken, potatoes, carrots and green beans simmered in a flavorful turmeric and tomato sauce.
Unlike some Persian stews that require a long cooking time, this version comes together in one pot on the stovetop. It’s rustic, hearty and exactly the kind of home-style meal that is perfect for serving with Persian rice.
What Is Khorak Morgh?
Unlike more formal Persian khoresh dishes, this Khorak Morgh is an easy stovetop meal that doesn’t require a complicated cooking process. Serve it with Persian rice to soak up the flavorful sauce, or enjoy it with flatbread for a comforting one-pot dinner.
Khorak Morgh (خوراک مرغ) translates roughly to “chicken dish” in Persian. Khorak is a category of everyday Persian home cooking that can be simple, hearty and adaptable. This version combines chicken with potatoes, carrots and green beans in a savory tomato and turmeric sauce.
This version is intentionally rustic. I use chicken drumsticks because they are accessible, flavorful, and hold up beautifully while simmering with the vegetables. You can substitute with other cuts of chicken as well. The chicken and vegetables cook together in a savory sauce flavored with turmeric, tomato paste, black pepper, and just a touch of cinnamon.
The result is tender chicken surrounded by potatoes, carrots, and green beans coated in that delicious golden-red sauce.
Why You’ll Love This Persian Chicken Stew
- Easy stovetop dinner – no oven required
- One-pot meal – fewer dishes to clean
- Made with simple, easy-to-find ingredients
- Packed with vegetables
- Chicken drumsticks stay juicy and flavorful
- Turmeric and tomato create a rich, savory sauce
- Delicious served with Persian rice, white rice, or crusty bread
- Great for a cozy family dinner or easy meal prep
Ingredients for Khorak Morgh
For this Persian chicken and vegetable stew, you’ll need:
- Chicken drumsticks
- Avocado oil
- Yellow onion
- Turmeric
- Tomato paste
- Carrots
- Green beans
- Baby potatoes
- Salt and pepper
- A dash of cinnamon
- Water
How to Make Stovetop Khorak Morgh
1. Brown the chicken
Heat oil in a large pot with a lid over medium-high heat. Season the drumsticks with salt and pepper and brown them on both sides for about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and set aside.
2. Build the flavorful sauce
Add more oil to the same pot and sauté the diced onion until translucent. Add the turmeric, salt, and pepper and cook for about a minute.
Add the tomato paste and fry it in the oil for a few minutes. Don’t skip this step! Cooking the tomato paste helps deepen its flavor and gives the sauce a richer color.
Add the water and stir well, scraping up any flavorful bits from the bottom of the pot.
3. Simmer the chicken and vegetables
Return the chicken to the pot and add the carrots and potatoes. Bring everything to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer.
Cook for about 15 minutes, then stir the ingredients so everything cooks evenly. Add the green beans and continue simmering for another 15 minutes, or until the chicken and vegetables are tender and cooked through.
What to Serve with Persian Chicken Stew
My favorite way to serve Khorak Morgh is with fluffy Persian-style rice. The rice soaks up the flavorful tomato and turmeric sauce beautifully.
You can also serve this chicken and vegetable stew with:
- Persian rice with saffron tahdig (click for recipe!)
- Plain white rice
- Crusty bread or lavash
- A simple Persian salad such as Salad Shirazi
- Fresh herbs or sabzi khordan
A Weeknight-Friendly Persian Dinner
This stovetop Khorak Morgh recipe is a great example of how Persian-inspired cooking can be both deeply flavorful and practical for a busy weeknight.
If you love my oven-braised turmeric chicken recipe, think of this as its more rustic, vegetable-packed stovetop cousin. Instead of waiting for the chicken to braise in the oven, everything cooks together in one pot on the stove.
The combination of turmeric, tomato, onions, tender chicken, and hearty vegetables creates the kind of comforting meal that makes you want to scoop up every last bit of sauce.
Serve it with rice or bread and you’ve got a complete Persian-inspired meal.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see it! Tag @BeatsEats on Instagram and let me know how you served your Khorak Morgh.
More Persian Recipes to Try
If you enjoyed this Khorak Morgh, check out more Persian recipes here on BeatsEats, including my oven-braised Turmeric Chicken, Persian-style Pan Kabab, and other easy Persian-inspired weeknight meals.
Stovetop Khorak Morgh | Persian Chicken & Vegetable Stew
Looking for an easy, flavorful Persian chicken recipe you can make on the stovetop? This rustic Khorak Morgh, or Persian chicken and vegetable stew, is a comforting one-pot meal made with chicken drumsticks, potatoes, carrots, green beans, and onions simmered in a rich tomato and turmeric sauce.
Ingredients
- 10 chicken drumsticks
- 6 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- Dash of cinnamon
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 5 carrots, cut into approximately 3-inch pieces
- 2 handfuls green beans
- 10 baby potatoes
- 3+ cups water
Instructions
Heat 2 tablespoons of avocado oil in a large pot with a lid over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken drumsticks and brown for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pot and set aside.
- Add 2 more tablespoons of oil and the diced onion. Cook until translucent.
- Add turmeric, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the tomato paste and fry in the oil for several minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add 3 cups of water and stir to create the sauce.
- Return the chicken to the pot. Add the carrots and potatoes.
- Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Stir gently to redistribute the chicken and vegetables. Add the green beans.
- Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes, or until the chicken and vegetables are cooked through and tender.
- Serve hot with Persian rice, white rice, or bread.