Palestinian · Dinner

Palestinian sumac chicken flatbread (musakhan)

Name: Palestinian sumac chicken flatbread (musakhan)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Palestinian
Ingredients: 3 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs; 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground allspice; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 5 tablespoons ground sumac, divided; 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided; 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 6 large taboon, naan, or pocketless pita flatbreads; 1/3 cup pine nuts; 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Roasted sumac-spiced chicken over flatbread soaked with sweet olive-oil onions, finished with toasted pine nuts and parsley.

About 2 hrTotal

About 1 hr 30 minActive

$$$Cost

AdvancedDifficulty

Makes 6 servings

Equipment

A similarly sized 13 × 18-inch rimmed pan works; smaller pans make a thicker pizza.
Best starting point
Nordic Ware Naturals Half Sheet · 43100
View at Amazon
Another workable path: A similarly sized 13 × 18-inch rimmed pan works; smaller pans make a thicker pizza.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We compared exact half-sheet geometry, uncoated material, reinforced construction, heat limit, care, stable model identity, and the exact Amazon destination. Manufacturer specifications establish model 43100 and its UPC, while America's Test Kitchen reports comparative cooking and handling results. Kwilt has not baked with this pan.
Nordic Ware Naturals Half Sheet · 43100: Its 13-by-18-inch footprint gives this soft dough the intended thickness, and the uncoated aluminum supports browning on the oiled bottom. Trade-off: Hand washing is recommended, and acidic tomato left on uncoated aluminum can discolor or pit the surface over time.
Another workable path: Use another rimmed half sheet only if its outside dimensions are close to 13 by 18 inches. A smaller pan makes a thicker pizza and needs its own bake adjustment.
Sources
Nordic Ware product details
America's Test Kitchen result
Nordic Ware model and UPC registry
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 6 servings

3 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
5 tablespoons ground sumac, divided
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 large taboon, naan, or pocketless pita flatbreads
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

Season chicken with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, pepper, 2 tablespoons sumac, and 2 tablespoons oil. Refrigerate 30 minutes to 12 hours.
Heat oven to 425°F. Roast chicken skin-side up on a rack 35 to 45 minutes until browned and at least 175°F at the bone. Rest while the bread is assembled.
While chicken roasts, cook onions with remaining oil and salt over medium-low heat for 30 to 35 minutes until very soft and golden, not crisp. Stir in 2 tablespoons sumac and lemon juice; taste for bright tartness.
Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet. Lay flatbreads on , spoon enough onion oil over each to season without puddling, then spread with onions. Bake 5 minutes until the edges crisp but the centers remain pliable.
Set chicken on the onion flatbreads and warm together 3 minutes. Finish with remaining sumac, pine nuts, and parsley; serve family-style with each piece of chicken and its onion-soaked bread.

PalestinePalestinian household and celebration cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Musakhan is a Palestinian shared-platter dish centered on roast chicken, sumac-rich softened onions, olive oil, taboon-style bread, and pine nuts, with the onion-soaked bread carrying as much identity as the meat.

Musakhan is a quintessential Palestinian shared dish. Taboon bread is traditional; a sturdy pocketless pita or naan is an honest accessibility substitute when taboon is unavailable, but the sumac-onion olive oil and chicken-over-bread structure remain essential. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Lead with the familiar roast-chicken-and-flatbread description, preserve Palestinian authorship and shared-platter structure, and allow a sturdy accessible flatbread without changing the defining sumac-onion layer.

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