Authentic Palestinian Musakhan Recipe

Traditional Palestinian Musakhan Recipe is the epitome of a warm cozy chicken dish. It is a warm-your-heart juicy Middle Eastern chicken meal that is flavor-packed with sumac and caramelized onions. It will definitely dazzle your taste buds.

This traditional Middle-Eastern dish is known far and wide as a national Palestinian plate. This incredible recipe features tender chicken marinated in an aromatic blend of sumac, olive oil, seven spices, garlic powder, ground coriander, and salt. It is then brought to life by onions caramelized to perfection with sumac and olive oil, finally topped with crunchy pine nuts.

Savor every bit!

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Mouth-Watering Palestinian Musakhan Recipe!

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What is Sumac?

Sumac (also called Sumach) is originally a flowering plant. In Arabic, it is called “Summaq” which means dark red or crimson. These plants grow in East Asia, North America, and Africa. Sumac is very popularly used as a spice. Also, it has medicinal properties and in some areas of the world is used as an anti-inflammatory remedy.

Sumac has a sour acidic taste which adds zest to salads, fish, and roasted or grilled meat.  

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Useful Tips

Use a skillet instead of a saucepan when frying the onions. This will prevent onions from sticking.

If the onions are sticking in the pan, add a tablespoon of water.

Fry the onions on low heat for the best result.

To speed up the browning process while frying onions, add a sprinkle of sugar.

You can splash some balsamic vinegar. This will help in balancing the flavors along with the brownish color of the onions.

The best time to cook authentic Palestinian Musakhan is during olive oil season!

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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Our Beloved Middle Eastern Musakhan!

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How to Make the Perfect Traditional Palestinian Musakhan

GOOD QUALITY olive oil is a necessity. Palestinian olive oil is so rich and robust in flavor, and it is perfect for Musakhan.

GOOD QUALITY sumac is essential. Sumac is tangy and has a tiny bit of natural salt. It’s grown in abundance in Palestine and is the star of this dish.

BREAD: Traditionally, you’ll need Taboon (Palestinian bread baked in a rock/in-ground oven). However, because it’s not readily available here across the U.S, plain Naan works as a wonderful substitute. So, Musakhan bread alternatives are easy to find!

ONIONS: I LOVE using red onions for Musakhan rather than yellow onions. Red onions naturally have a slightly sweeter taste, and the combination of the onions and tangy Sumac creates a flavorful dish.

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Let’s Get in the Kitchen, Shall we?

For the Palestinian Musakhan Traditional Recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Red Onion

Olive oil

Chicken bullion powder

Sumac

Pine Nuts

Taboon or plain Naan (bread)

Chicken

Additional Spices

Musakhan Chicken

Small chickens

Olive oil

Sumac

7 Spices

Ground Coriander

Garlic

Salt

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Traditional Palestinian Masterpiece

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Instructions

Musakhan Onions

First, dice your onions. The onions should not be neither finely chopped nor coarsely chopped. They also should not be sliced into thin wings.

Next, sauté onions on low heat. At this point, there should not be any oil in the pot. After about 15-20 minutes, the onions should look soft and have a bright pink color to them.

Then, add the olive oil and mix. The heat should still be on low.

After, add the spices and mix once again.

Next, you want to cook on medium-low heat for 30 minutes.

Finally, spread a layer over the bread, then sprinkle sumac and nuts and repeat.

Musakhan Chicken

Preheat your oven to 450 Fahrenheit.

Cut the chicken into your desired pieces. Typically, chicken for Musakhan is cut either into 2 halves (of a whole chicken) or into 4 pieces.

Pat dry with a paper towel.

Mix the spices together with the olive oil, then brush onto each chicken piece, making sure to get the underside.

Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making sure the chicken is not tightly packed so it has enough room to crisp up.

Cover with aluminum foil, and bake for about 1 hour, then uncover and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, so the skin gets crispy and develops a golden-brown color.

Assemble the Musakhan once the onions are cooked.

Start with 1 Naan or Taboon. Using a slotted spoon, take some onions and spread them on top. Depending on the size of your bread, add enough to reach the edges but not enough to pile it in the middle.

Sprinkle some sumac all around.

Scatter some toasted or pan-fried pine nuts.

Serve each person their own piece of bread topped with a piece of chicken, or layer multiple bread pieces on top of each other.

Add the chicken on the final top layer. For gatherings, recommend layering them on top of each other.

Cut pieces as desired. You’d need 10 large pieces of bread.

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Must-Try Recipes:

Green Bean and Lamb Stew

Palestinian Purslane Stew Recipe

Fattet Betenjan

Lebanese Fried Kibbeh Recipe

Macarona Bil Bechamel (Bechamel Pasta Bake)

Authentic Muhammara Recipe

Middle Eastern Restaurant-Style Chicken

Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

Authentic Tandoori Chicken Recipe

Arabic Chopped Salad (Salata Arabiyeh)

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If you’ve tried this recipe, don’t forget to rate it and leave a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

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