Sumac Chicken Recipe
This Sumac Chicken recipe with lemon and potatoes is bursting with flavor! A delicious one-pan Middle Eastern meal your whole family will love!
How to Make the Best Sumac Chicken
Sumac chicken is a vibrant Middle Eastern dish that brings together tangy, earthy, and aromatic flavors in one stunning pan. The star ingredient, sumac, is a deep red spice with a bright, lemony tartness that pairs beautifully with roasted chicken thighs. Combined with fragrant allspice, cumin, and fresh thyme, this marinade transforms ordinary chicken into something truly special.
What makes this recipe so appealing is its simplicity—everything roasts together on one pan, with the chicken nestled over a bed of sliced lemons and surrounded by tender potatoes and sweet red onions. As everything cooks, the juices mingle together to create an incredibly flavorful sauce that you’ll want to spoon over every bite.
This dish is perfect for a weeknight dinner or impressive enough to serve to guests. The gorgeous colors and intoxicating aroma make it a centerpiece-worthy meal, while the hands-off cooking method keeps things stress-free. Serve it with warm pita bread, a simple cucumber salad, or fluffy couscous to soak up all those delicious pan juices.
Sumac Chicken
This Sumac Chicken recipe with lemon and potatoes is bursting with flavor! A delicious one-pan Middle Eastern meal your whole family will love!
Ingredients
Sumac Marinade
Chicken and Vegetables
Garnish
Instructions
Prepare the Marinade
- In a small bowl mix olive oil, Meyer lemon juice, sumac, allspice, dried thyme, cumin, pepper, garlic and salt.
- 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 marinate in the fridge 1-3 hours. Let chicken rest at room temp for 30 minutes before baking.
Roast the Chicken
- Heat the oven to 425°F.
- Spread lemon slices on the bottom of a 2.5-3 quart brazier or 9x13 baking pan. Add a few sprigs of thyme over the lemon slices and place the chicken pieces, skin side up, over the sliced lemons and thyme.
- 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.
- 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 170°F in the thigh, and skin is brown. To increase crispiness, broil for a few minutes under careful watch so as not to burn.
- Spoon a little of the sauce from the pan over the chicken, garnish with fresh parsley, thyme sprigs and sprinkle with Aleppo pepper.
Notes
- Allow 1 hour of marination time for the best flavor—the longer, the better!
- The potatoes are optional but highly recommended for a complete one-pan meal.
- You can substitute regular lemons if Meyer lemons are unavailable.
- For extra crispy skin, make sure to pat the chicken completely dry before marinating.
