This middle-eastern inspired chicken dish is sweet, from the caramelized onions to the raisin and cranberries, also savory with the cumin and coriander… it’s also got the citrusy aspect with the addition of lemon juice and Sumac.  

All in all, this Sumac Chicken is guaranteed to wow your taste buds!

I’ve used 1/2 chicken here, but you can definitely double the measurements and make a whole chicken. I’ve also made this with just chicken legs. You can definitely make it with chicken breasts, but just make sure you keep an eye on the cooking time not to over cook it.

Ingredients (Chicken):

• 1/2 whole chicken, about 2 lbs
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
• 1 tsp Sumac
• 1/2 tsp Zatar
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp pepper flakes (optional)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 tbsp yogurt or sour cream
• 5-6 garlic cloves, crushed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large onions, sliced

Toppings:

• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 1 tbsp raisins or dried cranberries (or both)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Chopped parsley leaves

Marinate:

• Add the chicken, yougurt, 2 tbsp oil, sumac, zatar, cumin, coriander, garam masala, pepper, lemon juice, garlic, salt in a bowl. Mix everything, rubbing all the spices into the chicken well. Marinate for 2-4 hours in the fridge. Take the chicken out an hour before cooking.

Instructions:

• Turn your broiler on. ** see notes.
• Put the chicken in a cast iron pan, leaving the onion and garlic in the marinate. Put it under the broiler and broil for about 12-15 minutes, until nicely charred.
• Once Charred, take the pan out and turn the oven down to 350 degrees.
• While the oven heat is reducing, add the onion, garlic into the pan with the chicken along with any leftover marinade. Put the pan back into the oven and cook for another 30-40 minutes, until chicken juices run clear. Once cooked, cover with foil and let it rest.
• While chicken is resting, make the topping. Heat a 1 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the pine nuts and fry for about 3-4 minutes, until just starting to brown. Add the raisins, cranberries, toss to combine and turn off the heat.
• Plate the chicken then pour the nut and raisin mixture on top.
• Serve with flatbread or rice.

**Note:

• There are many varieties of broiler. It varies from gas to oven, new to old, top to bottom, etc. So you have to adapt to your specific oven. Just keep an eye on it and pull the chicken out once it’s charred to your desire.