Sumac Chicken and Onion (Sheet Pan Dinner)

This Sumac Chicken and Onion sheet pan dinner was cooked two days in a row at my house. Yep, it's that good. Husband and kids were happy, and I was also happy because guess what? It takes me 10 minutes to throw it together and the rest is all my oven. This recipe is inspired by Palestinian Musakhan, which is an authentic dish consisting of chicken and onions spiced with sumac and other spices, served on top of traditional bread.

How to make this Sumac Chicken sheet pan

If you know me well, you know that I love an easy weeknight recipe. Those are every busy mom's favourite type of dinner, am I right? This one is basically top of my "easy dinners" list. So little time, and the flavour pay off is exceptional. Here's how it goes down:

• Mix the spices together to make a mixture you can use to marinate the chicken as well as the onions
• Marinate the chicken by mixing the spices in evenly. You can do this for 1-2 hours in the fridge, or just cook it right away. Obviously marinating it longer will amplify the flavours more but I honestly always cook right away and its still phenomenal
• Slice your onions and season with the spice mixture as well. You can use white or red onions
• Lay everything out on the sheet pan. I usually do the onions on the bottom then add the chicken on top, and add a few pieces of onion on top of each chicken piece. That way the chicken juices make the onions super delicious
• Bake, garnish and serve. I love it sprinkled with parsley for a pop of colour and some freshness, along with a squeeze of lemon

How to serve Sumac Chicken

I usually serve this Sumac Chicken with some pita bread or any type of flatbread. In the picture below I used mini naans which were SO good with it. I simply shred the chicken while in the pan still, then make mini sandwiches or tacos by adding the chicken, then the onions, and topping with parsley and a squeeze of lemon. It is also so delicious served with my 5-minute toum sauce. You can also serve it with a side of rice, salad, or potatoes.

For more easy dinner recipes, check out:

• Sheet Pan Arabic Shawarma
• Pomegranate Drumsticks
• Musakhan Rolls
• Spicy Arayes (Middle Eastern Stuffed Pita Bread)

If you tried these recipes, please consider leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page - I'd love to hear from you! You can also hop on over to Instagram and say hello!

Sumac Chicken and Onion (Sheet Pan Dinner)

This Sumac Chicken and Onion sheet pan dinner is bursting with Middle Eastern spices and requires very little effort to make! Simply marinate the chicken and onion slices then pop in the oven and you’re done! The flavours are inspired by classic Palestinian Musakhan. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner.

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Course: Mains

Cuisine: middle eastern

Keyword: Chicken Legs, Sheet Pan, Sumac Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 3

Author: Amina Al-Saigh

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 boneless skinless chicken legs you can also use thighs
• ▢ 3 Onions white or red both work well
• ▢ 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the spice mixture:

• ▢ 2 tablespoons sumac
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon allspice
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1.5 teaspoon salt

For garnish (optional):

• ▢ Parsley
• ▢ Lemon wedges

Instructions

• Start by pre-heating the oven to 400F
• In a bowl, mix together all the spices until they're well combined. Remove about 1 tablespoon of the spice mixture for the onions, and use the rest of the chicken
• Wash and pat dry the chicken legs. If there is extra fat, feel free to trim it. Ensure you use room temperature chicken (take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking)
• Marinate the chicken with spice mixture, using your hands to evenly coat all the pieces. If you have time, you can pre-marinate for 1-2 hours in the fridge, but it's fine if you don't 
• Thinly slice the onion into rings (or half rings is also fine) and toss in the spice mixture
• On a sheet pan, lay the onions in one layer, then drizzle with the olive oil
• Add the chicken legs on top of the onions, adding a few pieces of onion on top of each chicken leg as well
• Bake in the oven for roughly 30-35 minutes, until juice run clear and chicken is white on the inside (you can test a piece)
• Broil for 5 minutes if you want to slightly brown/crisp the chicken
• Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges. Serve with bread or a side of rice and enjoy

Notes

• Not recommended to use chicken breast, since I have not tested the optimum cooking time, and chicken breast tends to dry out faster in the oven due to low fat content
• You can also add in other vegetables to this dish that have a similar cooking time to the onions

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