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prep time
10 min
cook time
45 min
ready time
55 min
Paleo Middle Eastern Sumac Chicken ( Musakhan)
This warm chicken musakhan will tickle your taste buds in the best way possible. Chicken thighs are heavily scented with sumac and cumin, roasted until golden and crispy, then served over caramelized red onions and paleo flatbread. This dish is the epitome of all paleo Middle Eastern food.
What is chicken musakhan?
Musakhan is a Middle Eastern chicken dish smothered in silky onions and bright, lemony sumac, set on top of flatbread. Traditionally, it’s made by roasting a whole chicken, but to simplify this paleo Middle Eastern chicken recipe, we use skin-on thighs for easier browning and faster cooking. The skin traps moisture and flavor as well as prevents the meat from drying. The onions are cooked in a generous dollop of olive oil on low heat until soft and sweet. Once these two elements are cooked, they are served on flatbread, which soaks up the delicious juices. Finally, toasted nuts are added for a crunch and deeper flavor.
Can you use white/yellow onions instead of red?
Using red onions is essential in an authentic musakhan. The deep purple color from the sumac and red onion is part of this dish’s identity. Plus, red onions are sweeter than other types, balancing out the tang of sumac.
How do you eat this dish?
Traditionally, this meal is eaten by tearing a piece of flatbread, pinching a bit of chicken, and scooping some onions and nuts, all by hand. While this method might be messy, you can serve this meal differently for more convenient handling. Once the chicken is cooked, you can shred it and set it aside. You can serve the onions and chicken on a plate, with the paleo flatbread on the side, or fill the wraps with the components and serve them as a soft taco.
What can you serve with this dish?
Many paleo Middle Eastern recipes are rich and loaded with spices, so it’s best to pair them with light and refreshing side dishes. We recommend serving this dish with leafy greens or this Lebanese Tabbouleh: https://my.carbmanager.com/meals/recipes?dialog=food-detail:ug:69c9b1399ca24980b0ea3c6255a3cac0
Net Carbs
20.9 g
Fiber
4.5 g
Total Carbs
25.7 g
Protein
34.5 g
Fats
55 g
721 cals
#1 Low Carb & Keto Diet App Since 2010
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Ingredients
Extra virgin olive oil
7 tbsp
Ground Sumac Spice
2 tbsp
Cumin, ground
3 tsp
Salt
1.25 tsp
Black pepper
0.25 tsp
Cinnamon
0.13 tsp
Chicken thigh with skin
4 large
Pine nuts
0.25 cup
Almonds
0.25 cup
Onion, white, yellow or red, raw
1 large
Arrowroot flour
0.5 cup
Coconut milk
0.5 cup
Parsley
2 tbsp, chopped
Lemon
4 slice - 1/8 of medium
Recipe Steps
steps 11
55 min
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 200C/400 F and prepare a casserole dish. To a bowl, add 3 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp sumac, 2 tsp cumin, ½ tsp salt, black pepper, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine.Step 2
Add the chicken thighs to the bowl and toss to season. Rub the seasoning under the skin and in all the folds and creases. Transfer to the casserole dish.Step 3
Bake for 30 minutes until the meat is cooked all the way through and the skin is crispy and golden. Meanwhile, to toast the nuts, add the remaining olive oil to a heavy-base pot and add the nuts. Cook on low-medium heat, stirring regularly, for 3-5 minutes until golden.Step 4
Remove them from the pot using a slotted spoon, leaving the oil in the pot, and place them on a plate lined with paper towels. Drop the heat to low, and thinly slice the onions. Add them to the pot and stir.Step 5
Add 1 tbsp sumac, 1 tsp cumin, and ½ tsp salt to the onions. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until super soft. Take the pot off the heat and set it aside.Step 6
Finally, to prepare the flatbread, add the arrowroot flour and ¼ tsp salt to a bowl. Whisk to incorporate, then add the coconut milk. Whisk until the batter becomes smooth.Step 7
Place a nonstick pan over medium heat and lightly grease it. Add a cookie scoop’s worth of batter to the pan and spread it using a spoon. Drop the heat to low and cook for 3 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through.Step 8
Repeat with the remaining batter and place them on a plate. You should get 4 small tortillas at this point. Cover with a plastic bag and set them aside for assembly.Step 9
By the time you prepare the onions and flatbread, the chicken should be done cooking. Take it out of the oven and set it aside to cool slightly. Don’t discard the juices.Step 10
To assemble, lay the bread flat onto a serving plate. Pour the chicken juices over the tortillas and let them soak (you can skip this step if you want this meal to be lighter). Add half the onions and spread.Step 11
Add the chicken and top with the remaining cooked onions. Sprinkle the toasted nuts on top. Garnish with chopped parsley and some lemon slices.
Comments
Yamizuma 3 years ago
This sounds so good. Do you have any suggestions to lower the carb count? I can (and will) just reduce my portion size for a start, but I feel that might be quite a challenge!
recipewriter 3 years ago
The majority of carbs are in the flatbread, so you can replace that with a low-carb tortilla or omit it.