With rustic Middle Eastern flavors, this Sumac chicken is an absolute stunner of a dish. The tangy Sumac comes together with the kick of harissa to lend a nice balance of flavor to the roasted chicken.
It comes together with some simple ingredients and just a few minutes of hands-on kitchen time, making it the perfect weeknight dinner option. If you like Middle Eastern recipes, also try my Turkish yogurt soup and crispy Turkish cheese rolls.
I’ve actually been trying a lot of recipes using Sumac. My Sumac onion salad and Sumac spiced nuts were both big hits in my household, but I really wanted to put this beautiful tangy spice to some more use.
And then I thought, why not prepare a quick marinade using it and make a nice roast chicken dish?
Quick Look: Sumac Chicken
- 🔪Prep time: 5 minutes.
- ⏲️Cook time: 25 minutes.
- 👪 Servings: 2 servings.
- 📋Main ingredients: Chicken, sumac, lemon juice, Harissa powder, red onion, seasonings, oil.
- ♨️Cooking method: Toss chicken with oil and seasonings 🡢 arrange in a baking dish 🡢 add onions 🡢 bake until cooked through.
- ⭐Difficulty: Easy.
- 🥣Serving ideas: Enjoy with some pita bread and Torshi Makhloot or Labneh balls to make it a filling meal.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
- My favorite part about this recipe is the fact that it is so simple, yet so flavorful.
- The caramelized onions complement the juicy and flavorful chicken make this recipe a great dinner for the entire family.
- Team it up with some lemon dill rice or pita bread, Middle Eastern hot sauce and you’ve got yourself a wholesome, filling meal.
Recipe Ingredients
Chicken: Fresh chicken drumsticks or legs are the best choice for this recipe.
Onion: I would recommend using red onion to lend the dish those classic Palestinian flavors, but you could also choose to use white onions if that’s what you have at hand.
Sumac: Sumac powder is the hero ingredient here. Start off with a little and then add more if you want to.
Harissa powder: I also added a bit of dry Harissa (yes, it exists!) to lend a bit of spice to the dish.
Salt and pepper: And of course, a bit of salt and pepper to season the chicken.
Oil: You’ll also need about a tablespoon of olive oil. You could use any other oil of your choice, but I would recommend using lemon infused olive oil for extra flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you don’t have the Harissa powder but still want a bit of heat, you can add 1 tablespoon of allspice into the marinade mix.
- Sumac and lemon are a match made in heaven, and if you’re able to get some lemon (ideally Meyer lemon), don’t forget to squeeze some of that juice over the top, right before you serve.
- To garnish, sprinkle some chopped fresh mint leaves (or a pinch of air fried dried mint) right before serving.
How to Make Sumac Chicken
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the onions.
Step 2: Mix well and set aside for 30 minutes.
Step 3: Heat oil in a skillet or a heavy bottomed pan and add the chicken and sliced onions.
Step 4: Pan roast until the chicken is cooked and tender on both sides. Serve with a salad or rice.
💭Top Tip
To lend some extra flavor and deliciousness to the dish, top it with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley (or air fried parsley) and some pine nuts too.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- I used chicken legs for this recipe, but you can also choose to use other cuts of chicken, or a whole chicken if you want to. I would recommend using a mix of thighs and drumsticks for best results- they get cooked super quick and are super tender too.
- If you want the chicken to have a bit of crispness on the outside, use skin-on chicken as opposed to skinless chicken.
- I used a heavy duty roasting pan to make the chicken, but you could also choose to cook it in a rimmed baking sheet or a greased sheet pan in the oven.
- I also like to add a bit of cumin powder into the marinade to lend it some delicious rustic flavor, like I did when I made my Middle Eastern spicy chickpea soup.
- Use chopped garlic to coat the chicken before baking for some extra yumminess. I added it to my spinach and feta crisps too and somehow, a little garlic always makes everything taste incredible!
- You can also choose to season the chicken pieces in advance and refrigerate them overnight. This will help them take in more of those flavors and will turn them more juicy and flavorful.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Sumac chicken actually makes for a super easy dinner for the whole family. You can pair it with some Taboon bread if you’re able to get your hands on it, or enjoy the baked chicken with some steamed rice or any other flatbread of your choice.
To take it up a notch, you can also team it up with a nice salad on the side. Fatoosh salad and Sumac cucumber salad are both great choices, but if you’re looking for something more filling and wholesome, you can also put together some fried boiled egg salad.
The chicken tastes amazing when paired with some marinated olives or a nice spicy Turkish salsa too.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
You can try this recipe in the Air Fryer too. All you need to do is air fry them for about 15 minutes, making sure you flip the chicken midway through the cooking process.
Transfer your leftover Sumac chicken to an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
To reheat the chicken, cover it up in foil and pop it in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes until nice and warm.
More Chicken Mains
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this Sumac chicken or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Sumac Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 chicken legs
- 1 tablespoon Sumac
- 1 teaspoon Harissa powder
- 1 red onion
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the onions.
- Mix well and set aside for 30 minutes.
- Heat oil in a skillet or a heavy bottomed pan and add the chicken and sliced onions.
- Pan roast until the chicken is cooked and tender on both sides. Serve with a salad or rice.
