Jordanian “Sumac Chicken And Flatbread”

If you are looking to spice up your boring chicken dinners then this dish is for you. It is so easy and flavorful that you will absolutely love it. It is caramelized onions on flatbread with perfectly spiced chicken topped with toasted pine nuts and cilantro. It is so good.

The flavors in this dish pair really well with the caramelized onions and chicken. The pine nuts offer a nice crunch while the cilantro offers a nice fresh flavor. Top it with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and you have the perfect combo of flavors in just one dish. This will definitely take your boring everyday chicken and kick it up a notch or two. Let me share with you how to make it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tsp. Allspice
3/4 Tsp. Ground cardamom
1/2 Tsp. Coriander
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp. Cumin
1 1/2 Tbsp. Sumac spice
1/2 Tsp. Nutmeg
Salt and pepper – to taste
2 1/2 lbs. Chicken legs
1/4 C. Olive oil
2 Onions – Chopped
1/4 C. Toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds
Taboon bread ( see recipe on the blog) 1 per person
1 Lemon – quartered for serving
1/4 C. Water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350*.
2. In a bowl combine the allspice, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, sumac, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
3. Season the chicken legs all over with half of the spice mixture. Make sure to rub the spices into the chicken well.
4. Add the oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium-low heat.
5. Add the chicken and sear on all sides until golden, about 3 minutes per side. The chicken will not be cooked through at this point. Remove it to a plate and set it aside.
6. Add the onions to the same pan along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Turn the heat to low and cook the onions for about 25 to 30 minutes until they are caramelized. Be sure to stir often to prevent burning. You can add a little water to help the process along if you think you need to.
7. Add the remaining spice mixture to the onions and stir to combine. Cook while stirring for about 30 seconds to bloom the spices. Add the 1/4 cup water and scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan.
8. Add the chicken back in and turn the heat off. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through. Remove and let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
9. While the chicken is baking in the oven Add the pine nuts or almonds to a dry pan over medium-low heat and stir constantly until the nuts are golden brown. This should take about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a plate or bowl to cool.
10. At this point, you can heat up your flatbread by placing it directly on the eye of the stove over a medium flame. Using tongs, flip the flatbread over once or twice to heat it through. You do not want to burn it just heat it through. It adds a wonderful flavor to the bread. It should only take about 30 seconds to 1 minute to heat up the bread.
11. TO ASSEMBLE: Place 1 flatbread on your plate and spread over some of the spiced onions from the pan, and top with the chicken. Sprinkle over the toasted nuts and chopped fresh cilantro or parsley.
12. TO EAT: Tear off a bit of the flatbread and add a little bit of the chicken (tear it from the bone) and squeeze over some fresh lemon juice. Eat and enjoy. I love to add a bit of sumac spice, labneh, or hummus to this as well. It is so good. OR you can eat it separately.
    

• You can find my hummus recipe, labneh, and flatbread recipes on my blog. They are really easy to make and keep on hand for the week. They freeze really well too. Just thaw them out a few hours before your meal and heat them up on the stove, oven, or microwave. I prefer the stovetop method as I described in the directions above.
• I like to serve this with hummus, tabbouleh, and labneh. If you do not want to serve it this way then that is ok. Serve it how you want. It will taste just as good.
• If you want to see how I make any of my recipes you can check out my youtube channel. The link is in the “Social Media Accounts” tab on the homepage of my blog.