Musakhan rolls are a delightful variation of the classic traditional Palestinian dish, Musakhan. A delicious flavor of chicken mixed with caramelized onions cooked in extra virgin olive oil and lots of sumac spice, then all wrapped in a thin flat bread into small rolls.
The musakhan chicken rolls are a modern twist to turn the traditional musakhan recipe into a fun finger food that can stand alone or added as a side option for any dinner party.
These delicious rolls can be enjoyed next to a bowl of plain yogurt, a cucumber yogurt salad, or any other simple basic salad.
What is Musakhan?
The term "Musakhan" translates to 'heated' in Arabic, 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 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 cities in the northern part of Palestine. Traditionally, Palestinians made this dish during the fall, celebrating the olive harvest season using the first press of olive 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.
However, the musakhan chicken rolls are a modern take on turning this traditional recipe into a great appetizer, snack, or even the main course. So, let's embark on the cooking journey to learn how to prepare these delightful rolls.
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Equipment
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Pot – For cooking the onions.
Skillet - For cooking the chicken.
Cutting Board - To use for cutting onions.
Knife - For chopping onions and slicing chicken.
Baking Sheet – To bake musakhan rolls.
Ingredients
Chicken Breast – I like to use boneless breast chicken.
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 Thin Bread – tortilla wraps or shrak bread to wrap the chicken stuffing into a roll.
Toasted Pine Nuts - Give an extra nutty crunch to the rolls.
Lemon Juice - I like to use some fresh lemon juice while cooking the chicken for an additional tangy flavor.
Instructions
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Cooking Onions
Step 1 | Chop onions finely.
Step 2 | 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.
Cooking Chicken
Step 3 | Slice chicken into small pieces, add salt, lemon juice, and spices and mix well.
Step 4 | In a large skillet heat oil over high-medium heat, and cook chicken.
Step 5 | Pour cooked chicken over the onion mixture and integrate everything well together. Adjust taste by adding salt and extra sumac if needed. Add toasted pine nuts.
Assembling Musakhan Rolls
Step 6 | With a knife or a pizza cutter cut each tortilla into four triangle pieces.
Step 7 | Place one tablespoon of musakhan stuffing on the top of each triangle, tuck in the sides then roll over the filling to create a roll. Place the rolls seam side on a baking tray, and continue the process until all filling is done.
For Baking
Step 8 | Brush the tops of the rolls with some olive oil and sprinkle with sumac, then bake on a preheated 400 oven for 15-20 minutes or until they’re golden brown and crispy.
Substitution and Variation
- You can use shredded rotisserie chicken or any leftover chicken.
- You can use tender chicken.
- You can use saj bread or any thin flatbread.
Pro Tips
- You can use any leftover cooked chicken with this recipe, shred it, and add it over cooked onions with olive oil and sumac, then wrap it with any pita bread you already have.
- These rolls can work well to pre-make and store unbaked in the freezer for future parties or family gatherings.
- 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.
Storage and Reheating
- Unbaked musakhan rolls can be stored in the freezer in an ait-tight container or a zip bag for up to 2-3 months.
- No need to defrost them once frozen, just place them on a greased baking sheet, brush them with olive oil, and follow the same baking instructions.
- Baked musakhan rolls can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- You can reheat baked rolls in the microwave, to maintain a crunchy texture when reheating place them in a toaster oven for a few minutes.
Absolutely, this recipe can be easily turned into vegan musakhan rolls.
Plain yogurt or cucumber yogurt salad pairs well with Musakhan rolls or any basic cucumber and tomato salad.
Water residue usually comes while cooking chicken, therefore it's best to cook it separately first so you don't have to add all this residue when mixed with the onions and olive oil.
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MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES
Musakhan Rolls
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Method: Stove Top and Oven
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Description
Musakhan rolls are a delightful variation of the classic traditional Palestinian dish, Musakhan. A delicious flavor of chicken mixed with caramelized onions cooked in extra virgin olive oil and lots of sumac spice, then all wrapped in a thin flat bread into small rolls.
Ingredients
Onion Mixture
- 2-3 large red onions
- ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon of sea salt
- 1 tablespoon of sumac
- ¼ cup of toasted pine nuts or almonds
For Chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 breast chicken
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Juice of one lemon
For Wrapping
- 5 flour tortillas cut into 4 pieces.
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to grease baking sheet and brush rolls.
Instructions
- Chop onions finely and add in a pot over heated olive oil.
- Cook over medium-high heat while sautéing until onions are soft and caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. Then season with salt, black pepper, and sumac.
- Meanwhile, slice chicken into small pieces, add salt, lemon juice, and spices and mix well.
- In a large skillet heat oil over high-medium heat and cook chicken.
- Once chicken is cooked pour over the onion mixture and integrate everything well together. Adjust taste by adding salt and extra sumac if needed.
- Add toasted pine nuts over the mixture.
- Prepare tortillas for stuffing: with a knife or a pizza cutter cut each tortilla into four triangle pieces.
- Place one tablespoon of musakhan stuffing on the top of the triangle, tuck in the sides then roll over the filling to create a roll.
- Place the rolls seam side on a baking tray and continue the process until all filling is done.
- Brush the tops of the rolls with some olive oil and sprinkle with sumac, then bake on a preheated 400 oven for 15-20 minutes or until they’re golden brown and crispy.
Notes
- You can use any leftover chicken with this recipe, shredded and add it over cooked onions with olive oil and sumac, then wrap with pita bread.
- These rolls can work well to pre-make and store unbaked in the freezer for future parties or family gatherings.
- 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.
- Unbaked musakhan rolls can be stored in the freezer in an ait-tight container or a zip bag for up to 2-3 months.
- No need to defrost them once frozen, just place them on a greased baking sheet, brush them with olive oil, and follow the same baking instructions.
- Baked musakhan rolls can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- You can reheat baked rolls in the microwave, and to maintain a crunchy texture when reheating place them in a toaster oven for a few minutes.
- 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.
Keywords: Musakhan, Musakhan Rolls
Em says
These were amazing. I used yellow onions because that’s what I had and grilled chicken thighs. We had it with a side of plain yogurt and bulgur. The flavors were so good I will definitely make this again.
★★★★★
Wafa Shami says
Yellow onions work as well. That's great I'm glad you liked them.
Chiara says
Hi Wafa, can I make this with fillo/ phyllo dough? Thanks!
Wafa Shami says
Hi Chiara, I've never tried it, but absolutely I think that's a great idea. Follow phyllo instructions and use the same stuffing. Would love to hear how it'll turn out. Share a photo on social media if you can.
Aleesha says
Hi may I have the yield for this recipe ? <3
Wafa Shami says
Hello Aleesha, I had a total of 32 pieces, I used 8 large tortillas each cut into 4. Hope this helps.