Textual Chef Textual Chef

Musakhan (Sumac Roast Chicken)

The quintessential Palestinian roast chicken dish: bone-in thighs roasted over a bed of deeply caramelized sumac-spiced onions and layered onto flatbread soaked in olive oil and chicken juices. Plan ahead: marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours or overnight.

105 minMediumServes 4580 cal/serving

Middle EasternDinnerOvenHigh ProteinLow CarbDairy-FreeLow-SodiumPork-FreeAlcohol-FreeCorn-Free

Ingredients

  • 4 thighs bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 4 tbsp ground sumac
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 4 rounds taboon bread or thick pita
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. 1

    Mix together half the 4 tbsp ground sumac, the 1 tsp ground allspice, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp black pepper, half the 2 tsp kosher salt, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to form a marinade. Rub the mixture all over the 4 thighs bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, including under the skin. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

  2. 2

    Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). In a large oven-safe skillet or roasting pan, warm the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add the 4 large thinly sliced yellow onions and the remaining salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are very soft and deep golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Stir in the remaining sumac and cook 2 more minutes.

  3. 3

    Arrange the marinated chicken skin-side up on top of the caramelized onions. Roast in the oven until the skin is crispy and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), about 35-40 minutes.

  4. 4

    While the chicken roasts, warm the 4 rounds taboon bread or thick pita in the oven for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

  5. 5

    Place the flatbread on a large platter. Spoon the caramelized onions over the bread, making sure to include all the pan juices. Set the roasted chicken on top. Scatter 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts and 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley over everything and serve immediately.

Questions

Can I make Musakhan (Sumac Roast Chicken) gluten-free?

Yes. The gluten in this entry is 4 rounds taboon bread or thick pita. Swap the bread or crumbs for a gluten-free loaf or gluten-free panko. Everything else proceeds as written.

How long does Musakhan (Sumac Roast Chicken) keep?

Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat them within three days. Reheat covered in a 300 F oven until warmed through.

Can I halve or double Musakhan (Sumac Roast Chicken)?

Yes. As written it serves 4. Every ingredient in this entry carries precomputed half and double quantities, and the app's batch dial rewrites them inside each step. Doubled, split it across two pans and rotate them halfway; one crowded pan bakes unevenly.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,512 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.

More Middle Eastern entries

All Middle Eastern recipes · All Dinner recipes · All Chicken recipes