# Palestinian Musakhan: Sumac Chicken on Taboon Bread

> Musakhan is a very large quantity of onion softened in olive oil with a great deal of sumac, spread over taboon bread moistened with olive oil and stock, topped with roasted chicken and baked for fifteen minutes. Generous quantities of sumac and olive oil are the identity of the dish.

**Palestinian Cuisine · 85 min · 5 servings · 620 kcal per serving**

Musakhan is the Palestinian national dish and the most olive-oil-driven dish in the whole region. This is not the moment to be sparing: plenty of onion, plenty of oil, and more sumac still.

## Ingredients

- 1 kg — chicken, quartered
- 6 large — onions, sliced
- ¾ cup — olive oil
- 4 tbsp — sumac
- 4 rounds — taboon or thick Arabic bread
- ½ cup — toasted almonds and pine nuts
- 4 pods — cardamom + bay leaves
- 1 tsp — mixed spice
- 1 tsp — salt and pepper

## Method

1. **Poach the chicken** — Simmer the chicken with the cardamom, bay, spices and salt until cooked, skimming the foam. Lift it out and keep the stock.
2. **Soften the onions** — In a wide pan, cook the onion in half the olive oil over low heat for twenty minutes until it collapses and sweetens without browning. Add the sumac and stir for two minutes.
3. **Roast the chicken** — Brush the chicken with olive oil and a pinch of sumac and roast at 220°C for fifteen minutes until crisp.
4. **Assembly** — In a tray: lay out the bread, moisten it with two ladles of stock and a little olive oil, then spread the sumac onions evenly over it.
5. **Bake and serve** — Arrange the chicken over the onions, pour over the rest of the olive oil, and bake for fifteen minutes at 200°C. Scatter over the almonds and pine nuts and serve with yoghurt.

## Tips

- The onions must soften without browning — browning turns bitter against the sumac.
- Olive oil here is an ingredient, not a cooking fat; use a good extra-virgin.
- No taboon bread? Use thick Arabic bread and moisten it more.

## FAQ

### My musakhan tastes too sour.
Too much sumac, or a strong batch. Cut it to three tablespoons and taste the onions before you spread them.

### Can I use lamb or turkey?
You can, but chicken is the original. Turkey needs longer poaching and more fat.

### How do I make a lighter version?
Cut the olive oil to half a cup, roast the chicken rather than frying it, and serve on thinner bread.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/palestinian-cuisine/palestinian-musakhan-chicken-sumac-recipe
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-10-29