Musakhan - Palestinian Sumac Chicken
User Reviews
5
-
Prep Time
10 mins
-
Cook Time
50 mins
-
Total Time
1 hr
-
Servings
4 people
-
Calories
782 kcal
-
Course
Main Course
-
Cuisine
Middle Eastern
Musakhan - Palestinian Sumac Chicken
Description
This Musakhan recipe begins by marinating chicken thighs or legs in a mixture of freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, sumac, garlic paste, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper. The marinade, applied for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours, imparts deep, tangy, and warm spice notes to the chicken. The chicken is then layered atop a bed of thinly sliced red onions in a baking dish.
Baking at 180°C (360°F) for 40 minutes cooks the chicken and softens the onions, which are stirred over the top partway through to caramelize. The resulting dish features moist chicken with crispy skin, tender, richly flavored onions, and pronounced sumac aroma. This combination creates a distinctive taste profile of citrus brightness, spice warmth, and mild sweetness from the onions.
Musakhan is traditionally served with Taboon bread or similar flatbreads, which absorb the juices and provide a vehicle for eating. Adding Greek or plain natural yogurt to the side adds cool relief and creaminess. The dish can be turned into wraps by shredding the chicken with onions and pine nuts, making it easy to eat and share.
Bone-in, skin-on cuts are recommended for juiciness and flavor. Marinating beyond 24 hours is not advised to avoid overpowering or texture changes. Pine nuts offer a textural contrast and nutty flavor, often sprinkled on just before serving.
Ingredients
For Marinating the Chicken
- 1 kg chicken thigh bone-in skin-on, or chicken leg
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoon olive oil good quality
- 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 black pepper freshly ground
For the Musakhan - Sumac Chicken
- 3 large red onions (thinly sliced)
- 2 tablespoon pine nuts
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 4 Taboon bread or naan or pita bread
- 4 tablespoon Greek yogurt optional, or plain natural yogurt
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 180° C (360° F).
- 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
- Use bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces like thighs or legs for best juiciness and flavor.
- Marinate chicken for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to infuse, but do not exceed 24 hours.
- Transform Musakhan into wraps by shredding chicken and mixing with onions, pine nuts, and salad, then rolling in flatbread.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 782 kcal
% 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.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
