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    Home » Recipes » Main Dish

    Musakhan Rolls

    By Samara・Published:Aug 19, 2020・Updated: Jun 4, 2021・Post may have affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    MUSAKHAN SUMAC CHICKEN ROLLS

    Musakhan rolls are made with shredded chicken, sumac, caramelized onions, flatbread, and olive oil. Sumac chicken, or musakhan, could probably be labeled as the national dish of Palestine. Originally, Palestinians used to make it to celebrate the olive harvest. But you'll definitely find it as a main dish at all events.

    Palestinian Chicken Sumac Musakhan

    Traditionally, you'd serve it as layers of thick, fresh flatbread called taboon. They're then drenched in olive oil and sandwiched between generous beds of onions and sumac. And you'll usually find a couple of whole chickens on top. I remember being so excited to grab a piece of bread so I can slather it with the heavenly onion mixture. I can't describe how amazing it is.

    What I Love About This Recipe

    Although this is probably one of the most delicious dishes you'll ever have (trust me on this one), it can also get really messy. Here's where the rolls come in. Perfectly packed into crispy rolls, I love how easy to serve this version of musakhan is.

    Ingredient Notes

    • Onions: Get your goggles out, because we're chopping LOTS of onions (around 9 to be exact). They're the base of the whole dish. To save time, I just like to slice them instead of chopping them up really small as you'll usually find in musakhan.
    • Chicken: You can use a whole chicken, or any parts you prefer because it will be boiled and shredded anyways.
    • Olive oil: Personally, I use authentic Palestinian olive oil that my mom gets from Palestine, but your next best option will be some good old extra virgin olive oil.
    • Flatbread: The key to this recipe is in the bread. You want to find a really thin flatbread like markook, shrak, or saj bread. They'll give you the perfect ratio between bread and the insanely delicious sumac chicken stuffing. The thinner the bread, the crispier your rolls will be.
    • Sumac: This is what gives musakhan its beautiful red color and its bold and tangy flavor (think a little bit like lemon but more fruity). I like adding even more on top.
    • Pine nuts: You can add some toasted pine nuts in the filling itself, but I like to sprinkle some right on top of the rolls so they stay crunchy. You can also use toasted almond slivers.
    • Spices: Since the chicken will be boiled, it's important to use the correct amount of spices to keep it juicy and flavorful. The combination in this recipe is my all-time favorite!! It includes cardamom, allspice, cinnamon, whole black pepper, and white pepper. Also, make sure to save the broth, I like to use it in soups, curries, etc. And also to brush on top of the rolls before I bake them.

    How To Make Musakhan Rolls

    In a pot, add the whole chicken, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, allspice, white pepper, black peppercorns, and about 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Boil for 45 to 60 minutes or until completely cooked through.

    While the chicken boils, slice up the onions, and in another pot add them in with the olive oil and cook on medium heat until translucent for about 20 minutes. To speed up the process, add ½ teaspoon salt.

    Spices for musakhan
    red onions

    Once the chicken and onions are both fully cooked, take the chicken out of the water and shred. Add the shredded chicken and sumac to the onion pot. Mix until well incorporated. Add pine nuts if using.

    Red Onions

    Fold the flatbread in half and cut down the middle so you have 2 folded halves. Place the chicken and sumac on the widest end, tuck in the sides, and roll.

    sumac chicken with saj bread
    rolling the sumac chicken rolls

    Do this until your mixture is all rolled up.

    rolling the musakhan chicken rolls

    Preheat your oven to 350 ℉ (180 ℃). Grease the baking pan with olive oil and line up your rolls. Brush with olive oil or leftover chicken stock. Bake until the tops are golden (about 15 to 20 minutes). Garnish with more sumac and pine nuts if using.

    Palestinian Sumac Chicken Rolls

    Tips and Tricks

    For both the traditional Palestinian sumac chicken and these musakhan rolls, cook the onions on medium heat. Make sure the olive oil isn't too hot, and let the onions slowly cook until translucent. Otherwise, the onions will be crispy. I like to stir it every couple of minutes to ensure it cooks evenly.

    Roll the bread tightly around the sumac chicken stuffing, and tuck in the sides so the stuffing doesn't fall out.

    Don't forget to brush the tops of your rolls with olive oil or chicken broth to get them perfectly crispy.

    Variations and Substitutions

    The best bread for musakhan rolls is markook, shrak, or saj bread at your local Middle Eastern bakery or supermarket. I would look for large flatbreads that are paper-thin.

    If you can't find anything similar and don't want to make your own, you can always use pita bread. I suggest pulling it apart into two halves so you'll get a thinner bread that's easy to roll.

    saj bread

    Equipment

    • 2 medium-sized stovetop pot
    • a spatula or something to stir with
    • a baking tray

    FAQs

    What is sumac?

    Sumac is one of the most famous spices in the Palestinian kitchen. It's a bright red/magenta colored powder that comes from the dried and then ground berries of the wild sumac flower.

    What does sumac taste like?

    It has a very distinct tangy and almost sour taste.

    What can I make with sumac spice?

    Sumac can be used in fattoush, musakhan, sumac eggs, and you'll find it added to meat, chicken, fish, salad dressing, etc. It's also used as a garnish because it adds the perfect kick to any dish.

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    Musukhan chicken sumac rolls

    Musakhan Rolls

    Author: Samara
    Course: Main Dish
    Cuisine: Middle Eastern
    Prep: 30 mins
    Cook: 1 hr
    Total: 1 hr 30 mins
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate Email
    Servings 5
    These musakhan rolls are made with sumac chicken and caramelized onions, rolled in flatbreads, then baked in the oven.

    Ingredients
     
    US Customary - Metric

    • 3 lbs chicken use chicken breast or whole chicken
    • 9 medium-sized onions
    • 4 tablespoon sumac heaped
    • ⅓ cup olive oil
    • 10 flatbreads roughly
    • 2 tablespoon allspice
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 1 teaspoon white pepper
    • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
    • 1 teaspoon cardamom ground or whole
    • 1 bay leaf
    • toasted pine nuts optional

    Instructions

    • In a pot, add the whole chicken, cinnamon stick, white pepper, whole black peppercorns, cardamom pods, bay leaf, allspice, and about 8 cups of water (don't add the sumac). Bring to a boil. Boil for 60 minutes or until completely cooked through.
    • While the chicken boils, slice up the onions, and in another pot add them in with the olive oil and cook on medium heat until translucent for about 20 minutes. To speed up the process, add ½ teaspoon salt.
    • Once the chicken and onions are both fully cooked, take the chicken out of the water and shred. Add the shredded chicken to the onion pot. Add all the sumac and mix until well incorporated. Add pine nuts if using.
    • Fold the flatbread in half and cut down the middle so you have 2 folded halves. Place the chicken and sumac on the widest end, tuck in the sides, and roll. Do this until your mixture is all rolled up.
    • Preheat your oven to 350 ℉ (180 ℃). Grease the baking pan with olive oil and line up your rolls. Brush with olive oil or leftover chicken stock.
    • Bake until the tops are golden (about 15 to 20 minutes). Garnish with more sumac and pine nuts if using.

    Notes

    1. Marinating the chicken is not necessary.
    2. Substitute 2 lbs of chicken breast for a 3lb whole chicken.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2rolls | Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 751mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g

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    About Samara

    Hi! My name is Samara Alkhammach. I’m half Syrian, half Palestinian, with a few other nationalities in the mix. I was born and raised in Kuwait, and currently live in Cairo, Egypt. I have a deep love for yoga, art, the kitchen, and bringing people together through them all.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Sheherazahde

      April 26, 2022 at 6:46 pm

      5 stars
      I use flour tortillas for the wraps.
      And sumac tastes like lemon. Sumac is that same plant that grows wild on the side of the road all over the US. The bright red cones of berries are the spice. If you get it fresh you can make pink lemonade out of the berries. Don’t worry about mistaking it for poison sumac. Poison sumac has white berries. The cones of red berries are definitely safe.

      Reply
      • Lily

        April 26, 2022 at 7:51 pm

        Thank you for the comment! I didn’t know that about sumac berries

        Reply
    2. Rubina Zaman

      December 15, 2021 at 12:24 pm

      Can you use puff pastry for these?

      Reply
      • Lily

        December 15, 2021 at 7:27 pm

        I've not tried puff pastry but would imagine the puff pastry can be baked separately, then topped with the chicken. If you try it any other way please let us know how it turns out!

        Reply
    3. Kelly

      December 11, 2021 at 9:16 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you Palestinian's have the best food

      Reply
      • Lily

        December 12, 2021 at 9:32 am

        Thank you!

        Reply
    4. Amy

      July 20, 2021 at 9:40 pm

      Can you use FILO or egg roll shells?

      Reply
      • Lily

        July 21, 2021 at 8:03 am

        Thanks for the comment! We haven't tried making this recipe with egg roll shells, so we aren't sure how it will turn out. You can use filo, but it will probably be hard to roll the musakhan chicken. The better way to assemble the musakhan chicken if using filo, is more like a a pie. So you would put the filo layers on the bottom, then the musakhan chicken as a filling, then som more filo layers on top. You can add some butter in between a few of the filo layers if desired.

        Reply
    5. Layla

      July 10, 2021 at 7:32 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious musakhan chicken recipe. I boiled the chicken a little longer than the recipe to make it extra tender.

      Reply
      • Lily

        July 10, 2021 at 7:42 pm

        Thanks for the comment!

        Reply
    6. Khadijah

      July 01, 2021 at 1:59 pm

      Do you not marinade the chicken in anything?

      Reply
      • Lily

        July 02, 2021 at 10:40 am

        Hi Khadijah, thanks for the question! This recipe doesn't require marinating the chicken, however you can if you want to. You can blend two medium onions in the food processor and then lather the onions all over the chicken with salt and pepper. Let the chicken sit for about 2 hours before boiling. This is not a required step and it does make the recipe take longer.

        Reply

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