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Overhead shot of musakhan chicken parts served on flatbreads with sumac onions
5 from 6 votes

Musakhan (Sumac Roasted Chicken)

Slow-roasted chicken flavored with lemony sumac, smothered in soft onions, topped with crunchy pine nuts, and piled onto delicious flatbread!
Author Diana
Servings 5 servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken broken into 8 or 10 parts
  • 2 teaspoons baharat aka 7 spices, optional
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup (160 ml) olive oil divided
  • 2 pounds (900 g) yellow onion diced
  • 4 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon sumac divided
  • 5 small flatbreads
  • ¼ cup (40 g) nuts pine nuts or blanched, sliced, or silvered almonds
  • chopped fresh parsley for garnish
  • Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
  • Add chicken to a baking pan, rub with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with baharat if using, salt, and pepper. Cover with foil and roast for 35-40 or until cooked through. If I’m using leg quarters I start checking at 30 minutes, and remove the wings and the breast and set aside so they don’t overcook. And cook the chicken quarters until the internal temp with an instant read thermometer is 165°F/74°C.
  • Place under the broiler for 5-10 minutes or until you reach the desired color. There WILL be juices/stock at the bottom of the pan, you can use this to soak the bread if you wish.
  • Meanwhile as the chicken is being roasted, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium-low heat and add the nuts, cook for a minute or 2 until light brown then remove from the pan immediately (they will get darker as they sit on the plate, if making 2 different nuts cook each separately as they will brown at different rates).
  • Add the remaining oil to the pan, and add the onions. Cook until the onions have wilted (not browned) about 10 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons of sumac, and mix it in. Remove from heat, and set aside.
  • Place the flatbreads on a baking sheet, spread the onion mixture over the flatbreads and place 1-2 chicken pieces on top of each. Sprinkle with the remaining sumac, toasted nuts, and fresh parsley. Serve warm with a drizzle of lemon juice and a side of plain yogurt.

Notes

  • Make it Vegetarian Friendly: Replace the chicken with thick slices of roasted eggplant or chunky cauliflower florets as a vegetarian alternative. Toss in the same spices as the chicken and roast at 425°F/200°C for 25 minutes for the cauliflower and 35 minutes for the eggplant. Serve the vegetables with the flatbread in the same way you would with the chicken.
  • Sumac can be sourced at most Middle Eastern stores, or specialty retailers at the spice section. You can also find it on Amazon.

Nutrition

Calories: 543kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 26g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 667mg | Potassium: 440mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 14IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg