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Musakhan | Sumac Chicken & Onions on Flatbread

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Musakhan is a traditional Palestinian dish featuring sumac-marinated chicken, sweet caramelized onions, toasted flatbread, and pine nuts. It’s aromatic, tangy, and deeply comforting.

  • Author: Sophia
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 3 hours (including marinating)
  • Yield: 6 servings
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Middle Eastern
  • Diet: Halal

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), bone-in or boneless
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Juice of 1 medium lemon
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely pressed
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon sumac powder
  • 1 tablespoon Baharat spice blend
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (for onions)
  • 2 to 3 large onions, finely diced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Baharat spice blend (for onions)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sumac powder (for onions)
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (for onions)
  • 6 pieces flatbread, naan, or pita
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, sumac, Baharat, and black pepper. Add the chicken and coat well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
  2. Toast the pine nuts in a small pan over low heat until golden and fragrant. Set aside.
  3. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
  4. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken on both sides until lightly browned. Transfer to a baking dish and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until cooked through.
  5. In the same skillet, cook the diced onions over low to medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until caramelized. Stir in Baharat, sumac, and salt in the last few minutes.
  6. During the last 5 minutes of chicken baking, brush flatbread with pan juices and place on oven rack to warm and toast.
  7. To serve, spread caramelized onions over each toasted flatbread, sprinkle with pine nuts, top with a piece of chicken, and add more onions, pine nuts, and a dusting of sumac if desired.

Notes

  • For deeper flavor, marinate the chicken overnight.
  • Assemble just before serving to prevent soggy bread.
  • Boneless chicken makes for easier serving; bone-in adds more flavor.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://savorymomskitchen.com/musakhan-sumac-chicken-onions-on-flatbread/