Musakhan
Sumac chicken on flatbread with caramelised onions and pine nuts.
Ingredients
- 8 Chicken thighs
- 3 Onion
- 3 tbsp Sumac
- 4 Pita
- 1 tsp Allspice
- 6 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 50 g Pine nuts (optional)
Method
- Heat the oven to 200C (400F) and season the chicken thighs all over with the sumac, allspice, and salt.
- Roast the chicken until golden and cooked through, about 30 minutes.
- While the chicken roasts, slowly caramelise the sliced onions in the olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat with a little more sumac until soft and deep gold.
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat until golden, shaking often, about 3 minutes.
- Pile the onions on the warm pita, top with the chicken and toasted pine nuts, and serve.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Musakhan
Musakhan is widely regarded as the national dish of Palestine, a celebration of two ingredients the region is known for: olive oil and sumac. It is roast chicken and a mountain of caramelised onions, both heavily seasoned with tart, wine-red sumac, piled onto warm flatbread that soaks up all the oil and juices. Traditionally the bread used is taboon, cooked in a clay oven, and the whole dish was historically made to test the season's fresh olive oil. This version roasts sumac-and-allspice-rubbed thighs until golden while the onions cook down slowly with more sumac, and finishes with pine nuts toasted to a golden crunch.
Sumac is what defines the flavour, lending a bright, lemony sourness that cuts the richness of the chicken skin and the sweet, soft onions, while the toasted pine nuts add buttery crunch on top. The soaked flatbread underneath, saturated with oil and pan juices, is as much a part of the dish as the chicken itself and is often eaten by hand. It's a communal, celebratory plate meant for sharing among six, well suited to a gathering or a generous family dinner. Under an hour to make, it turns a handful of thighs and onions into something festive and unmistakably regional.
Musakhan: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Musakhan?
A serving has about 688 calories — 32.5g protein, 33.7g carbs, 46.6g fat, 4.9g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 32.5g of protein, roughly 19% of its calories.
Is Musakhan gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Pita. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
How long does Musakhan take to make?
About 55 minutes start to finish, but only around 31 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Musakhan?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out pine nuts — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Musakhan make?
This recipe makes 6 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.