Chicken Musakhan

Chicken Musakhan is a hugely popular national dish of Palestine. This delicious dish features seasoned roasted chicken placed over taboon bread covered with caramelized onions cooked in olive oil and spiced with sumac.

If you're looking for more traditional Palestinian dishes, try my malfouf recipe, shish barak, or mulukhiyah.

You can also try my Musakhan rolls a delightful variation of this classic chicken musakhan recipe.

This authentic Palestinian musakhan recipe is very easy to make, a perfect weeknight supper, and a delightful option for any family gathering.

Musakhan is a dish that I often enjoy with my family and friends, tearing pieces of bread with my hands and scooping the topped caramelized onions cooked in extra virgin olive oil and spiced with sumac, such a flavorful delicious meal.

Jump to:

• What is Musakhan?
• Equipment
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitution and Variations
• Expert Tips
• Storage and Reheating
• FAQ
• More Delicious Recipes
• Chicken Musakhan

What is Musakhan?

The Arabic word "Musakhan" translates to 'heated', a name that catches the essence of this warm, comforting dish. 

Musakhan is a traditional recipe that is considered the national dish of Palestine, it consists of lots of caramelized onions cooked in extra virgin olive oil and lots of sumac spice, spread on traditional Palestinian taboon bread, (taboon bread is a flat bread made of white and wheat flour baked in a clay oven) and topped with roasted chicken then with some toasted crunchy pine nuts and almonds.

It’s believed that this recipe originated in Tulkarem and Jenin, two northern cities in Palestine. Traditionally, Palestinians made this dish during the fall, celebrating the olive harvest season using the first freshly pressed oil.

Mushakhan is a dish that is served during family gatherings, and celebrations. It’s a layered dish that you eat with your hands cutting pieces of bread topped with caramelized onions soaked with olive oil.

Equipment

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Roasting Pan– To roast chicken

Knife - For chopping onions and slicing chicken.

Cutting Board - To use for cutting onions.

Pot – For cooking the onions.

Ingredients

Chicken legs – or whole chicken cut into 4-6 pieces.

Red Onions –  Red onions are less sweet and work well with this recipe.

Sumac Spice – Sumac is a spice derived from a berry fruit tree, it has a deep red color with a tangy flavor and is an essential ingredient in this recipe, it can be found at any of the Middle Eastern grocery stores.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – A good quality of EVOO is highly recommended, it makes a big difference in the taste.

Flat Bread – If you can't find taboon bread use any type of flatbread or naan bread.

Spices - I use allspice, cinnamon, and a good grind of black pepper to season the chicken.

Sea Salt

Lemon Juice - I like to use some fresh lemon juice with the chicken.

Toasted Pine Nuts and Almonds - This gives an extra nutty crunch to this recipe.

Instructions

Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

COOKING CHICKEN

Cooking Onions

Step 3 | Chop onions finely.

Step 4 | In a pot heat olive oil over medium-high heat, then add chopped onions. Cook until onions are soft and caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. Then season with salt, black pepper, and sumac.

Assembling

Step 5 | With a spoon take some of the caramelized onions and spread over the bread. Then place it over the broiler for 2-3 minutes.

Step 6 | In a large platter place a piece of chicken over the bread and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and almonds.

Substitution and Variations

• You can use other types of onions, such as sweet onions or yellow onions, but I prefer red as they're less sweet and taste great with this dish.
• You can use whole chicken with this recipe, and cut it into 4-6 pieces or ask the butcher to cut it for you.
• You can use boneless chicken breast, slice it after baking, and place it over bread.
• Cornish chicken can work with this recipe, you can cut each chicken in half.

Expert Tips

• Tips for cutting onions without tears:
  • Cut onions next to an open flame, such as a gas stove or candle lighting.
  • Chilling onions by storing them in the fridge or giving them 30 minutes to blast in the freezer.
• Toast pine nuts under a broiler for 2-4 minutes, or in a skillet heat neutral or olive oil and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
• You can marinate the chicken with the spices and keep it in the fridge overnight.

Storage and Reheating

• Leftover chicken and bread can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days
• To reheat the chicken, place it in a skillet add a few drops of water, cover, and lower the heat, for 4-5 minutes, or place in the microwave.
• For bread, place in a toaster oven and toast for 3 minutes.

FAQ

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