• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cooking Gorgeous
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Contact Us
    • Media Mentions
  • Recipe Index
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Snapchat
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Cozy Soups
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Cozy Soups
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Cooking Gorgeous » All Recipes » Main Dishes

    Musakhan - Sumac Chicken

    Published: Jan 12, 2023 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Musakhan - Sumac Chicken is a traditional Palestinian dish made with marinated chicken legs served over a flatbread with red onions, sumac, and pine nuts. It is extremely easy to make with everyday ingredients you might already have in your fridge/pantry.

    sumac chicken served on pita bread with a piece of lemon wedge

    Ready in just one hour, this delicious and juicy sumac chicken dish is perfect for a weekday meal or for family gatherings.

    Jump to:
    • What is Musakhan?
    • Why This Recipe Works?
    • Ingredients and Substitutes
    • How to Make Musakhan?
    • Marinate the Chicken
    • Cook the Chicken and Onions
    • Assemble the Musakhan
    • Top Tips From the Chef
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Related Recipes
    • Musakhan - Sumac Chicken

    The recipe for Musakhan - Sumac Chicken might vary depending on the region. Most of the versions caramelize the onions separately and serve them on a flatbread called "taboon" along with roasted chicken and sautéed pine nuts.

    sumac chicken served on a taboon bread

    To simplify the cooking process and end up with less washing up, I roast the chicken pieces on top of the sliced onions.

    To give them a bit of caramelization, I spread the onions on top of the chicken pieces for 10 minutes at the end of the cooking time.

    The result is extremely delicious, and juicy chicken pieces with crispy skin and nicely caramelized onions.

    sumac chicken with red onions is freshly baked

    What is Musakhan?

    Musakhan is a popular chicken dish served on a taboon bread with caramelized onions, sumac, and sautéed pine nuts. The star ingredient is sumac, which gives a unique citrusy flavor to this dish.

    Sumac is a popular ingredient in Middle Eastern cooking and I use it in my many recipes such as Tantuni and Fasulye Piyaz (Turkish Bean Salad).

    Musakhan is a very simple dish made with everyday ingredients. Therefore, it is a very popular dish in Palestine and most Middle Eastern countries.

    The traditional way to eat this delicious sumac chicken dish is to eat it with your hands.

    musakhan is served on a Flatbread with pine nuts and caramelised onions

    Musakhan was traditionally made around the olive oil pressing season when fresh oil could be incorporated into the dish.

    The onions were typically braised in a generous amount of olive oil, a very similar method for cooking Turkish Zeytinyagli dishes such as Imam Bayildi (Turkish Stuffed Eggplant) and Mediterranean Green Beans (Taze Fasulye).

    Why This Recipe Works?

    • It is surprisingly easy to make this delicious Sumac Chicken dish with simple everyday ingredients.
    • You don't need to caramelize the onions separately, simply bake the marinated chicken pieces on a bed of sliced onions.
    • The leftover Musakhan is great for making wraps or shredding on salads.

    Ingredients and Substitutes

    Labelled picture of ingredients for musakhan
    • Chicken - I prefer using skin-on and bone-in chicken thighs. You can also use chicken legs or drumsticks if you prefer.
    • Bread - Traditionally, Musakhan is served over taboon bread. However, you can use any flatbread such as Greek Pita Bread, Garlic Naan - Indian Flatbread, and Pakistani Roghni Naan.
    • Sumac - It is a popular spice in Middle Eastern and Turkish cooking. It is a versatile seasoning that adds bright red color and tartness to a dish. You can buy it from the majority of large supermarkets as well as online from Amazon.
    • Onions - I use thinly sliced red onions to intensify the red color of the dish. However, you can use brown or yellow onions if you prefer.
    • Pine nuts - Toasted pine nuts in olive oil level up this recipe. You can substitute them with almonds if you don’t have pine nuts.
    • Oil - I use good quality olive oil to achieve the best flavor. 
    • Spices - I prefer adding allspice, cinnamon, cumin, salt, black pepper, and sumac to the chicken marinade. 
    • Garlic - It is a great flavoring for marinating the chicken. You can turn it into a paste with a mortar and pestle or grate it with a Microplane.

    How to Make Musakhan?

    Making this delicious Sumac Chicken dish is very simple and straightforward. However, to achieve the best results you need to follow a few tips and simple steps:

    Marinate 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.

    spices, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil are placed in a large bowl

    Add the chicken pieces into the bowl and cover them with marinade, making sure all of them are nicely coated.

    chicken pieces are covered with marinade

    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!

    Cook 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.

    sliced red onions are placed in a baking dish

    Place the marinated chicken pieces over the red onions on a single layer, without overlapping each other.

    chicken pieces are placed on top of the onions

    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.

    chicken and onions are baked until nicely browned

    Assemble 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 pine nuts 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.

    chicken, onions and pine nuts are arranged on top of flatbread

    Sprinkle on extra sumac and chopped parsley, and serve with lemon wedges and salad on the side.

    Scroll down to the recipe card for the full, printable recipe!

    Top Tips From the Chef

    • 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!

    Recipe FAQs

    Can I make Musakhan - Sumac Chicken ahead?

    Yes, you can marinate the chicken for up to 24 hours ahead and keep them refrigerated until you need them.

    How to store the leftovers?

    The leftovers would keep refrigerated for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container. You can freeze them and keep them for up to 3 months if you want to keep them for longer.

    Can I make this dish with chicken breast?

    I don't recommend using chicken breast but you can use them if you prefer so. Bear in mind that the chicken breast won't be as juicy as the legs.

    Related Recipes

    For more delicious and authentic Middle Eastern recipes why not try:

    • Maqluba (Makloubeh)
    • Muhammara - Acuka (Red Pepper Dip)
    • Lebanese Falafel Recipe
    • Baba Ganoush Without Tahini

    Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

    I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious and unique Musakhan - Sumac Chicken dish as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂 

    Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!

    Musakhan - Sumac Chicken

    Ayla Clulee
    Musakhan - Sumac Chicken is a traditional Palestine dish made with marinated chicken legs served over a flatbread with red onions, sumac, and pine nuts.
    No ratings yet
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 50 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Middle Eastern
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 782 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 kitchen scale
    • 1 measuring spoons
    • 1 Sharp knife

    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

    • 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

    • 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. <em>Don't let the chicken marinate for more than 24 hours!
    • You can turn your Musakhan dish into <strong>Musakhan Wraps</strong> 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

    Calories: 782kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 43gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 209mgSodium: 1056mgPotassium: 709mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 178IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 117mgIron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingorgeous or tag #cookingorgeous!

    This post use affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small amount of commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

    « Yellow Rice (Indian Turmeric Pilau Rice)
    Zeytinyağlı Pırasa Yemeği (Turkish Braised Leeks) »

    Sign up for Cooking Gorgeous Newsletter to get the latest recipes into your inbox!

    Thank you!

    You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

    .

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi! Thank you for visiting Cooking Gorgeous. My name is Ayla, and I’m a professional chef based in the UK. The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy. To me, food is more than ingredients and nutrition; it is a language of love, a way of expressing compassion.

    More about me →

    Soup Recipes

    • Mediterranean Lentil Soup
    • Traditional French Onion Soup
    • Sulu Kofte - Turkish Meatball Soup
    • Wild Garlic Soup
    • Chinese Hot and Sour Chicken Soup
    • Yayla Corbasi - Turkish Yogurt Soup

    Popular Recipes

    • Shish Tawook (Turkish Chicken Kebab)
    • Steak Pie
    • Lamb Beyti Kebab
    • Mushroom Rice (Mushroom Pilau)
    • Sigara Boregi (Turkish Cheese Rolls)
    • Saksuka (Turkish Vegetable Meze)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility Policy
    • FAQs

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Cooking Gorgeous

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT