Musakhan is a spicy chicken and onion dish often prepared for special occasions, but it can be made ahead for a weeknight meal. It is usually served on a bed of flatbread.

Serve yours with your favorite seasonal vegetables, which you can grill or roast in the oven. Pictured here, served on flat bread with Mediterranean rice with roasted vegetables and a spicy yogurt sauce.

Note: Baharat spice blend is readily available in grocery stores and on Amazon. (Simply Organic brand is common.) Sumac is also available on Amazon if you are unable to find it locally. (Frontier and Badia brands are often stocked in stores.)

Musakhan

Marinated chicken –
8 chicken legs with thigh
6 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp lime juice
6 tbsp sumac
3 tsp ground cumin
1.5 tsp Baharat spice blend
1.5 tsp salt

Sautéed onions-
4 tbsp olive oil
6 c red onion, sliced
¼ c sumac
1 tbsp ground cumin
3 tsp Baharat spice blend
2 tsp salt

Place the chicken, olive oil, lime juice, sumac, cumin, Baharat spice blend, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir until the chicken is coated with the marinade. Let marinate for 3-4 hours. Place chicken pieces skin side up, on a sheet pan and pour any marinade remaining in the bowl over them. Bake the chicken at 350 F for one hour.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onions. Add the olive oil, sliced onions, sumac, cumin, Baharat spice blend, and salt into a sauté pan. Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are fully cooked.

For serving, place the chicken on a plate with a generous scoop of sauteed onions on top.

Pictured served on flat bread with Mediterranean rice with roasted vegetables and a spicy yogurt sauce.

Recipe and photo credit: Georgia Reader