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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 Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 782 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Ingredients

For Marinating the Chicken
  • 1 kg chicken thighs or legs (bone-in skin-on)
  • 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)

Instructions

Marinating the Chicken
    Cup of Yum
  1. 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.
  2. Add the chicken pieces into the bowl and cover them with marinade, making sure all of them are nicely coated.
  3. 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
  1. Preheat the oven to 180° C (360° F).
  2. Peel and thinly slice the red onions, and spread them evenly on the bottom of your baking dish.
  3. Place the marinated chicken pieces over the red onions on a single layer, without overlapping each other.
  4. 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
  1. Once the chicken is done, let it rest lightly covered with foil while preparing the flatbread.
  2. Reheat the bread pieces either using a skillet on the stovetop or baking it in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes.
  3. Lightly toast the pinenuts with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
  4. Arrange the flatbread on a plate, and top it with the caramelized onions, chicken pieces, and toasted pine nuts.
  5. 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 Information

Calories 782kcal (39%) Carbohydrates 43g (14%) Protein 43g (86%) Fat 48g (74%) Saturated Fat 11g (55%) Polyunsaturated Fat 10g Monounsaturated Fat 22g Trans Fat 0.2g Cholesterol 209mg (70%) Sodium 1056mg (44%) Potassium 709mg (20%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 178IU (4%) Vitamin C 10mg (11%) Calcium 117mg (12%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 782

% Daily Value*

Calories 782kcal 39%
Carbohydrates 43g 14%
Protein 43g 86%
Fat 48g 74%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Polyunsaturated Fat 10g 59%
Monounsaturated Fat 22g 110%
Trans Fat 0.2g 10%
Cholesterol 209mg 70%
Sodium 1056mg 44%
Potassium 709mg 15%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 4g 8%
Vitamin A 178IU 4%
Vitamin C 10mg 11%
Calcium 117mg 12%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.