Sumac Chicken

Mediteranean feast of sumac chicken and hummus

Sumac Chicken is full of flavor

I made this Sumac Chicken when I moved to Germany. Not only did I miss my family, but the food we loved eating together. I missed the Mediteranean restaurants we used to gather at for every celebration. I had a great line up of recipes like my bright and fresh fattoush, fluffy pita bread and creamy hummus, all just like the ones I grew up eating. But I had yet to make that delicious grilled chicken. After a few tries I found the perfect balance of lemon and sumac, making this the perfect main course for my ultimate Mediteranean feast.

My inspiration for this is Musakhan, Palestinian slow roasted chicken flavored with sumac

While this dish is not a traditional Musakhan, the flavors are heavily inspired by it. The base notes are similar, but I do not add onions to the chicken, and I use breast meat. A traditional Musakhan is made with whole chicken or chicken thighs and is roasted in the oven. You can read more about it and countless other authentic Palestinian recipes in Joudie Kalla’s books ‘Palestine on a plate‘ and ‘Baladi‘ which I own myself and adore. They are full of spell binding stories, images and recipes. You can find Joudie’s books here.

The perfect Mediteranean feast

I never make this sumac chicken alone. When I make it, I really go for it and pull together homemade hummus, fattoush and if I’m really in the mood I’ll make pita bread too. They are the perfect meal in my eyes, and the flavors work together so well. I have, on occasion, just made this sumac chicken and used it to make pita pockets for a quick lunch. It’s so quick because there is so marinating time and it’s pan fried so it cooks quickly.

Mediteranean feast of sumac chicken and hummus

Sumac Chicken

Sconce&Scone
This Sumac Chicken is full of flavor and is inspired by the delicious Palestinian Musakhan.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 3

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound chicken breast butterflied or cubed
  • 1 tbsp sumac
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp garlic crushed
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1/4 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/4 tsp chili flakes or chili powder
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Add all the ingredeints to the chicken barring the olive oil. Marinate for 5 minutes.
  • Heat the olive oil in apan and pan fry the chicken for 3 minutes on either side, or until light golden brown and cooked through. Serve immediately with a side of hummjus and pita bread.

Notes

Bake it. I make this stove top for ease, but you can roast this in the oven at 380 F for 25-30 minutes. throw in some tomato and onions wedges with a drizzle of olive oil and bake till golden brown. 
Variations. I use breast meat because of picky eaters, but this would be great with skinless  chicken thighs. 
Keyword Sumac, Sumac Chicken

Did you try this delicious and flavorful recipe?

I love hearing your feedback! If you tried this recipe I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comments below.

FavoriteLoadingAdd to favorites
4.5 2 votes
Article Rating
4.5 2 votes
Article Rating

Your comments make my day! I love hearing your feedback and how this recipe worked for you

5 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

[…] some delicious falafel, hummus, fattoush and pita bread. I sometimes alternate this recipe with my lemon oregano chicken. Both are delicious, but this one seems to be my favourite […]

[…] On a lightly flour surface roll each ball into a relatively thin oval or circle. The dough will double in size so roll it out to 1/8 of an inch. If it’s too thick the dough won’t puff in the center, which isn’t a bad thing, but if you want the full restaurant effect, the thinner, the better. Cover the rolled out dough with a kitchen towel and let it rise for about an hour, or till doubled in thickness. Handle the dough very carefully and cook on a medium hot cast iron pan, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Once you flip the dough, press down softly with a spatula and the pita bread should puff up. Again, if it doesn’t puff up, it’s ok, it’ll still taste great! Serve piping hot with Hummus, Fattoush and Lemon Oregano Chicken.  […]

[…] I’m making fattoush, I’m making a whole meal to go with it. I love pairing it with my Sumac Chicken, Creamy Hummus and homemade pita bread that is so easy to make, you’ll be surprised. I call […]

[…] Sumac Chicken […]

[…] topped with a creamy tahini sauce and pita chips for a crunch. Then move on to the main event with Sumac Chicken that can be prepared with bone in or boneless chicken. Or go the other route with a stovetop […]