Musakhan - Palestinian Sumac Chicken

5 from 5 votes

Musakhan - Palestinian Sumac Chicken

Musakhan - Palestinian Sumac Chicken is a traditional Middle Eastern dish made with marinated chicken legs served over a flatbread with caramelized red onions, sumac, and pine nuts.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Diet: Low Lactose

Servings: people

Calories: 781kcal

Author: Ayla Clulee

Equipment

1 kitchen scale
1 measuring spoons
1 Sharp knife

Ingredients

For Marinating the Chicken

2 ⅕ lbs bone-in skin-on chicken thighs or legs (1 kilo)
2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoon good quality olive oil
1 ½ tablespoon sumac
4 cloves garlic (turned into paste or grated)
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Musakhan - Sumac Chicken

3 large red onions (thinly sliced)
2 tablespoon pine nuts
½ tablespoon olive oil
4 taboon, naan, or pita bread
4 tablespoon Greek yogurt or plain natural yogurt (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Marinating the Chicken

To make the marinade, mix together freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, sumac, garlic, cumin, allspice, cinnamon powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a large bowl.
Add the chicken pieces into the bowl and cover them with marinade, making sure all of them are nicely coated.
Cover the bowl and let it marinate for a minimum of 2 hours, preferably overnight. Don't let the chicken marinate for more than 24 hours!

Cooking the Chicken and Onions

Preheat the oven to 360° F (180° C).
Peel and thinly slice the red onions, and spread them evenly on the bottom of your baking dish.
Place the marinated chicken pieces over the red onions on a single layer, without overlapping each other.
Bake them for 40 minutes, remove the dish from the oven, and flip the onions on top of the chicken pieces to give them some caramelization. Bake them for another 10 - 15 minutes.

Assembling the Musakhan

Once the chicken is done, let it rest lightly covered with foil while preparing the flatbread.
Reheat the bread pieces either using a skillet on the stovetop or baking it in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes.
Lightly toast the pinenuts with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Arrange the flatbread on a plate, and top it with the caramelized onions, chicken pieces, and toasted pine nuts.
Sprinkle on extra sumac and chopped parsley, and serve with lemon wedges and salad on the side.

Notes

For a delicious and juicy Musakhan dish, use skin-on, and bone-in chicken pieces such as legs, drumsticks, or thighs.
Marinate the chicken for a minimum of 2 hours if you have time. Don't let the chicken marinate for more than 24 hours!
You can turn your Musakhan dish into Musakhan Wraps to make it easier to eat. Simply shred the chicken and place it onto flatbread along with some onions, pinenuts, salad, and a drizzle of yogurt. Roll it nice and tight and serve!

Nutrition