Grilled Quail with Pomegranate and Fresh Herbs

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Palace of Knossos

📍 Where this dish comes from: Crete · Palace of Knossos
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Grilled Quail with Pomegranate and Fresh Herbs, plated and ready to serve

Quail is one of Greece’s great underappreciated grill birds — small, fast-cooking, and intensely flavored with dark, rich meat that takes a glaze beautifully. Butterflied so they lie flat on the grill and cook evenly in minutes, these quail finished with a pomegranate and herb glaze are extraordinary: sweet, savory, herbaceous, and deeply satisfying. The perfect dish for when you want to cook something exceptional and unexpected.

What You’ll Need

Ingredients for Grilled Quail with Pomegranate and Fresh Herbs

Grilled Quail with Pomegranate and Fresh Herbs

Quail is one of Greece's great underappreciated grill birds -- small, fast-cooking, and intensely flavored with dark, rich meat that takes a glaze beautifully.
Print Recipe
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 445kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 whole quail butterflied (spine removed, pressed flat -- or ask your butcher)
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tsp each dried thyme and dried oregano
  • Salt and cracked black pepper
  • 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses (or 2 Tbsp sugar-free pomegranate syrup)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp fresh rosemary minced
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme
  • 1 small garlic clove grated
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • To serve: fresh pomegranate seeds mint leaves, and lemon

Instructions

  • Butterfly quail: using kitchen scissors, cut down each side of the backbone and remove it. Press the bird firmly flat with your palm.
  • Rub quail with olive oil, garlic, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper. Marinate 30 minutes.
  • Whisk all glaze ingredients together.
  • Grill quail breast-side down on high heat 4-5 minutes. Flip and cook skin side 4 minutes. Brush with glaze and cook 2 more minutes per side until caramelized.
  • Internal temperature should reach 165F (74C). Rest 3 minutes.
  • Arrange on a platter. Scatter pomegranate seeds and fresh mint over the top. Serve with lemon wedges.

Nutrition

Serving: 2quail | Calories: 445kcal | Protein: 44g | Fat: 28g | Fiber: 0.5g
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Cooking Grilled Quail with Pomegranate and Fresh Herbs in the kitchen

Health Benefits

  • Quail is among the most nutrient-dense poultry available — its dark meat delivers iron at nearly double the concentration of chicken, plus high levels of zinc, phosphorus, and all eight B vitamins.
  • Pomegranate polyphenols, particularly punicalagins, are among the most potent antioxidants in the plant kingdom, with documented effects on blood pressure, arterial health, and inflammation.
  • Fresh herbs provide a cocktail of volatile bioactive oils that support immune function.

Pairs Well With

  • Classic Greek Salad (Horiatiki)
  • Fasolakia — Greek Green Beans in Tomato
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