This Sumac Chicken recipe with lemon and potatoes is bursting with flavor! A delicious one-pan Middle Eastern dinner your whole family will love!
Why You’ll Love This!
This sumac chicken brings me back home to my Egyptian father’s way of cooking- simple and rustic with savory Middle Eastern flavors. Juicy and flavorful, the tangy earthy chicken infuses the potatoes with so much goodness! I have such happy memories of my dad making this dish, he loved to cook!
The secret is in the spice! Sumac is a very unique spice- it tastes lemony and tart with surprising depth and complexity. It is often used in Middle Eastern recipes, added to everything from meat rubs and kebabs to salads and dips, giving dishes a flavorful, tangy brightness.
Sumac chicken Ingredients
- Chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in: Or use bone-in chicken legs.
- Sumac: With its unique lemony, tart, rich, and complex flavor, there is really no substitute for this!
- Lemons: Use Meyer lemons if you can find them. You’ll need both lemon juice and a thinly sliced lemon. Meyer lemons are worth searching for, but if they are not in season, use regular lemons.
- Fresh Garlic cloves: Grated garlic is used in the marinade to enhance its aromatic flavor.
- Red onion: Sliced red onions add a pop of color and delicious sweet, caramelized flavor.
- Potatoes: Use thin-skinned potatoes. Optional, but add an extra bit of heartiness to the dish!
- Other spices: Allspice, dried thyme, cumin, black pepper, and kosher salt.
- Fresh thyme: Place on the lemon slices during baking to create an herby, fragrant aroma.
- Garnishes: More fresh thyme, fresh parsley, and Aleppo pepper (or chili flakes).
How to Make Roasted Sumac Chicken
Step one: Make the sumac spice paste. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, Meyer lemon juice, sumac, allspice, dried thyme, cumin, pepper, garlic, and salt.
Step two: prep the chicken. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Cut small slits in the skin to allow more of the marinade penetrate. Rub the spice mixture over each chicken piece, coating all sides. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1-3 hours. Remove from the fridge and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
Step three: Assemble. Preheat oven to 425F. Spread lemon slices across the bottom of the baking pan, rimmed baking sheet, or large braiser. Place a few sprigs of thyme on the lemon slices, then place the chicken, skin side up, on top.
Step four: add optional potatoes. Toss potatoes and onion slices together in a large bowl with salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Tuck the potatoes and onions around the chicken.
Step five: Bake! Place the pan on the middle rack and roast 25 minutes. Rotate the pan, then bake 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. The chicken should reach 170F in the thigh, and the skin will be brown. Increase the crispiness by broiling for a few minutes if you wish! Just be sure to keep an eye on it.
Step six: Serve with a drizzle of sauce from the pan, fresh parsley and thyme sprigs, and a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper if desired.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
FAQs
Sumac has a tangy, lemony taste with a sour, acidic flavor. It has surprising depth and complexity!
It tastes wonderful when used in a marinade like this one, but we also love using sumac on roasted veggies or sprinkled over avocado toast, a hard boiled egg, or hummus.
You can mix sumac into marinades like we do here, or combine it with other spices for roasted and grilled meats or vegetables.
It is really worth searching to find it because there is no ideal substitute—it is just that unique! However, lemon pepper or za’atar could work.
💫So there you have it… one of my favorite Middle Eastern chicken recipes! Healthy and easy, this takes just 20 minutes of hands-on time! I hope you enjoy this- please let us know what you think in the comments below. Very appreciated! 🙏
Sylvia~xoxo
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Description
This Sumac Chicken recipe with lemon and potatoes is bursting with flavor! A delicious one-pan Middle Eastern meal your whole family will love! Allow 1 hour of marination time for the best flavor!
- Make the marinade: In a small bowl mix olive oil, Meyer lemon juice, sumac, allspice, dried thyme, cumin, pepper, garlic and salt.
- Marinate the chicken: Pat chicken dry. Cut 2 small slits in the skin of each thigh to allow the marinade to fully penetrate. Rub each piece of chicken, coating all sides well with the sumac marinade. Cover and let marinade in the fridge 1-3 hours. Let chicken rest at room temp for 1/2 hour before baking.
- Heat the oven to 425F degrees.
- Assemble: spread lemon slices on the bottom of the baking pan. Add a few springs of thyme over the lemon slices. and place the chicken pieces, skin side up, over the sliced lemons and thyme.
- Optional potatoes: In a medium bowl, toss potatoes and onion slices with salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Tuck in the potato slices and onion in between the chicken.
- Bake the chicken: Place in the middle of a hot oven and roast for 25 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake 20 minutes more, until chicken is cooked through, reaching 170F in the thigh, and skin is brown. To increase crispiness, broil for a few minutes under careful watch so as not to burn.
- To serve: spoon a little of the sauce from the pan, over the chicken, garnish with fresh parsley, thyme sprigs and sprinkle with Aleppo pepper (optional).
Notes
Aleppo chili pepper is a mild and sunny chile from the Aleppo region of Syria. It has a moderate heat that doesn’t overpower its fruity complex flavor. It’s truly divine.
Store leftovers in a sealed airtight container in fridge up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece with skin
- Calories: 165
- Sugar: 1.8 g
- Sodium: 709.3 mg
- Fat: 36 g
- Saturated Fat: 8.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 21.9 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 30.8 g
- Cholesterol: 166.6 mg
