Musakhan (Palestinian Sumac Chicken with Onions)

Musakhan is a beloved Palestinian dish of roasted chicken piled onto flatbread with a mountain of sumac-stained caramelized onions and toasted pine nuts. It is traditionally eaten by hand, tearing off pieces of the onion-soaked bread along with the chicken. This home version uses pita or flatbread in place of taboon bread.

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sumac
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

For the onions and assembly

• 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons sumac
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 4 pieces flatbread or pita
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. Season the chicken
   Rub the chicken thighs with olive oil, sumac, allspice, salt, and pepper. Let sit 20 minutes at room temperature.
2. Cook the onions
   Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat and cook the onions slowly for 25-30 minutes, stirring often, until deeply softened and golden.
3. Season the onions
   Stir the sumac into the onions and season with salt. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Roast the chicken
   Arrange the chicken skin-side up on a baking sheet and roast at 425F (220C) for 30-35 minutes, until the skin is golden and the chicken is cooked through.
5. Assemble
   Lay the flatbread on a platter, spread most of the onions over it, and top with the roasted chicken.
6. Finish
   Spoon the remaining onions over the chicken and scatter with toasted pine nuts.
7. Serve
   Serve warm with lemon wedges, tearing the bread to scoop up chicken and onions together.

Leftover onions are wonderful stirred into rice or scrambled eggs the next day.