Musakhan (Palestinian Sumac Chicken with Onions)

Sumac chicken thigh on a bed of onions and naan.

5 from 11 votes

Musakhan (Palestinian Sumac Chicken with Onions)

Musakhan or mussakhan is a sumac roasted chicken recipe originating from Palestine, and is commonly served all over the Levant region. Made with sumac, baharat, onions, lemon, pine nuts, and flatbread, it's a great dinner recipe.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Levantine, Middle Eastern

Servings: people

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $20

Ingredients

1 Whole chicken - Cut into 6-8 pieces
½ cup Extra virgin olive oil - Divided
1 Lemon - Cut in half
3 tbsp Sumac - Divided
3 tsp 7-Spice (baharat) - Divided (see note)
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
¼ cup Pine nuts
2 Large red onions (chopped) - or use 3 medium-sized red onions
3-6 Flatbread - Naan, Taboon or Greek Pita
2 tbsp Parsley, chopped

Instructions

Prepare the chicken. Preheat your oven to 375F. Season the chicken with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 1/2 tbsp sumac, 2 tsp bharat, kosher salt and black pepper. Arrange the chicken pieces on a parchment-lined baking tray, baking dish or in a braiser. Add 2 lemon halves (they will bake alongside the chicken and caramelize). Bake for 30-45 minutes. Depending on how large your chicken pieces are, you may need more or less time. Chicken is ready when the internal temperature is at least 175F.
Toast the pine nuts. While the chicken is baking, toast the pine nuts. To a small pan, add 2 tbsp of olive oil and pine nuts. Toast on medium heat, swirling the pan constantly, for 2-3 minutes. The pine nuts should be golden brown. Be careful, they can burn quickly. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
Saute the onions. To a large frying pan, add 2-3 tbsp of olive oil and the chopped onions. Season with a generous pinch of kosher salt. Cook on medium heat until the onions have softened, for about 15-20 minutes. We don't want the onions to caramelize too much, they should stay soft and pliable. Add 1 1/2 tbsp sumac and 1 tsp bharat to the onion mixture. Saute for another 5 minutes until fragrant. Set aside.
Toast the flatbread. Place the flatbreads on a large baking pan or sheet and broil in the oven for 3-4 minutes. You're looking to warm through and toast the flatbreads slightly, so they shouldn't take on too much color.
Assemble. Divide the onion mixture equally over the flatbreads and top with the cooked chicken pieces (you can keep the chicken pieces whole or shred them). Any leftover meat juices can also be drizzled on. Garnish with toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley.
Serve. Serve the roasted chicken over the flatbread with a side of salad. Don't forget the caramelized lemons, they will add a nice tang to the dish.

Notes

Refer to the blog post above for step-by-step recipe photos.

If shop-bought taboon bread is not available near you, use Greek pita or naan. Or even better yet, make your own flat bread using my taboon bread recipe.

Serve with Jerusalem Salad.

Spice notes:

Sumac: a slightly tart and citrus-like red berry that's dried and typically sold in its ground form, sumac is commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking. Sumac isn't sour, and it's a good addition to lots of recipes, especially chicken.
7-Spice: also called baharat, this is a Levantine spice blend, usually consisting of a blend of coriander, allspice, cumin, cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. If you can't get it or don't have everything to make your own, substitute equal parts cumin, coriander, cinnamon in this recipe.

Nutrition