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    You Are Here Home » Entree Recipes

    Published: Apr 19, 2017 Updated: Jul 29, 2023 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 10 Comments

    Barbecued Sumac Chicken

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    sumac chicken pin

    If you love lemony chicken with crispy skin, you'll love this Barbecued Sumac Chicken recipe! The sumac in the marinade adds a delicious tangy flavor, while the garlic, thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes do their own magic. I often serve this chicken with Low Carb Cheesy Brussel Sprouts. 

    sumac chicken on a blue plate

    Sumac chicken is one of my favorite chicken recipes. I love the tangy, spicy flavor and how it pairs with so many other dishes! I predict you will love it too!

    This sumac marinade when making Musakhan. Musakhan is a Palestinian dish prepared with sumac-flavored chicken served on flatbread on a bed of grilled sumac onions. A sprinkling of pine nuts completes this amazing dish.

    It can be prepared ahead of time, and grilled when you're ready to eat. The recipe uses simple ingredients and the end result is the most flavorful barbecued chicken ever!

    I'll show you how to prepare sumac chicken both on your grill and in the oven.

    Jump to:
    • 🧐 Why This Recipe Works
    • 🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
    • 🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
    • 🍗 How to Make Sumac Chicken
    • 🎛 Oven Sumac Chicken
    • 🥣 Serving Suggestions
    • 🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
    • 👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips
    • 🌶 Related Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🧐 Why This Recipe Works

    • This grilled sumac chicken recipe is very straightforward, and best of all, you don't need any cooking skills to succeed! But don't let that detail fool you, it's definitely not just another barbecued chicken recipe. 
    • Sumac chicken fits in most diets, including low-carb, keto, and gluten-free lifestyles.
    • Leftovers can be shredded and added to a salad, or stuffed into a pita pocket, lavash, or naan bread. Don't forget the sliced red onion, chopped parsley, and sliced tomatoes. Pickled turnips would also go great in the sandwich!

    🛒 What You Need For This Recipe

    🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions

    • Oil: I like to use extra virgin olive oil for the sumac marinade, however, you can use almost any other oil, especially avocado oil and vegetable oil.
    • Lemon Juice: Fresh lemons or bottled lemon juice can be used in this recipe.
    • Spices: I like to add the following spices to my marinade: Salt, black pepper, thyme, sumac, and garlic. For a kick of spice, I add either a fresh serrano or jalapeno pepper or 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper. If you prefer milder flavors, the pepper can be left out. If you like it extra hot, add some cayenne!
    • Chicken: Sumac chicken can be prepared with your favorite chicken pieces. Feel free to use bone-in chicken thighs, boneless chicken thighs, drumsticks, and chicken breast (with or without skin).

    🍗 How to Make Sumac Chicken

    Step 1: Add marinade ingredients to a small bowl or measuring cup. Whisk to combing the ingredients.

    Step 2: Defrost the chicken, if frozen, and rinse thoroughly. Add chicken to a bowl then pour the marinade over the chicken and mix to really infuse the seasoning into the chicken pieces. Pour into a large plastic ziplock bag. Marinate for at least four hours, or overnight.

    Step 3: Barbecue chicken over low to medium heat until cooked through. Turn the chicken pieces a few times to make sure they cook evenly and keep from burning. The skin should be nice and crispy, but not burned.

    chicken on the grill
    grilled sumac chicken on the bbq
    grilled chicken on the grill

    🎛 Oven Sumac Chicken

    If you prefer, you can bake the marinated sumac chicken in the oven, just follow these easy steps!

    • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
    • Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy aluminum foil and lightly spray with cooking oil.
    • Place chicken thighs on the tray and bake on the middle rack for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is nice and crispy.

    🥣 Serving Suggestions

    This barbecued sumac chicken goes great with just about everything! I like to serve it with tasty mashed potatoes (merchanos), vermicelli rice, and tabouli.

    But you don't have to limit the sides to Middle Eastern options. This means it goes just as well with smoked corn on the cob or potato salad. Another great idea is to drizzle the chicken with balsamic vinegar glaze.

    🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

    What is Sumac and How is it Used?

    Sumac starts off as a small, low tree, or shrub, that grows in East Asia, Africa, and North America. "Sumac" means "red" in Arabic.

    The flowers (fruit) of this sparsely-leaved plant are called "Sumac Bobs." The fruit of some of the species is ground into a sour, crimson-colored powder. This powder, known as "sumac," can be found in many Middle Eastern recipes.

    sumac plant

    What Does Sumac Taste Like?

    Sumac powder has a sour, lemony taste. It's a great substitute in recipes that call for lemon, especially when used in marinades.

    👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips

    • Sumac should be stored in the freezer to last longer. The flavor can deteriorate over time if not frozen.
    • Add sumac to any recipe that needs a lemony flavor, but be aware that sumac doesn't dissolve completely and will be visible in the dish.
    • For best results, marinate the chicken for a minimum of four hours, or overnight.
    • This marinade gives the chicken skin a delicious, crispy flavor and texture. Just this once, don't toss the skin, eat it!
    • Sumac chicken Leftovers can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days.
    grilled sumac chicken on a blue plate

    🌶 Related Recipes

    • grilled boneless chicken thighs topped with sliced lime
      Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs
    • sumac substitute ingredients
      The Best Sumac Substitute Option
    • chicken fajitas being served
      Sheet Pan Mexican Fajitas
    • shawarma plate with chicken, hummus, salad, and pita bread
      Chicken Shawarma Plate Recipe

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

    Stay in touch with me through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

    📖 Recipe

    sumac chicken

    Barbecued Sumac Chicken

    The best chicken marinade you'll ever try!
    4.95 from 57 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Dish
    Cuisine: Assyrian, Middle Eastern
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    resting Time: 4 hours hours
    Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 people
    Calories: 614kcal
    Author: Hilda Sterner

    Ingredients

    Marinade

    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • ¼ cup lemon juice
    • 2 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 1½ tablespoon sumac powder
    • 5 cloves crushed garlic
    • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
    • 3 lbs chicken thighs, breast, or drumsticks

    Instructions

    Prepare marinade

    • Add marinade ingredients to a small bowl or measuring cup. Whisk to combing the ingredients.
    • Defrost the chicken, if frozen, and rinse thoroughly. Add chicken to a bowl then pour the marinade over the chicken and mix to really infuse the seasoning into the chicken pieces. Pour into a large plastic ziplock bag. Marinate for at least four hours, or overnight.
    • Barbecue chicken over low to medium heat until cooked through. Turn the chicken pieces a few times to make sure they cook evenly and keep from burning. The skin should be nice and crispy, but not burned.

    Notes

    • See post for oven instructions!
    • Sumac should be stored in the freezer to last longer. The flavor can deteriorate over time if not frozen.
    • Add sumac to any recipe that needs a lemony flavor, but be aware that sumac doesn't dissolve completely and will be visible in the dish.
    • For best results, marinate the chicken for a minimum of four hours, or overnight.
    • This marinade gives the chicken skin a delicious, crispy flavor and texture. Just this once, don't toss the skin, eat it!
    • Sumac chicken Leftovers can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2pieces | Calories: 614kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 190mg | Sodium: 1144mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0g
    Tried this Recipe? Please leave A Star Rating!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Hilda Sterner says

      May 03, 2023 at 7:19 am

      Hi Eileen, You can do whatever you want with the skin, leave it on or off. I love crispy chicken skin so I always leave it on but I realize it's healthier to remove it. Thanks!

    2. Eileen says

      May 03, 2023 at 6:00 am

      5 stars
      Could I not have the skin on the chicken before cooking?
      Thanks

    3. Hilda Sterner says

      August 12, 2022 at 5:55 pm

      Me too!

    4. Robin says

      August 12, 2022 at 4:33 pm

      I loved this dish.

    5. Hilda Sterner says

      August 21, 2021 at 4:39 pm

      Thank you, Tina! I'm glad to hear you and your husband enjoyed the sumac chicken. Thank you also for the review!

    6. Tina says

      August 21, 2021 at 4:31 pm

      5 stars
      My husband loved it and he does not favor chicken. I followed the recipe but just used a tsp of salt. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you!

    7. HildaSterner says

      May 16, 2020 at 2:31 pm

      I love that idea, I will have to give that a try. Thanks for the review!

    8. Novi says

      May 16, 2020 at 12:03 pm

      I made this chicken and then used the left over bits to make gravy. It was amazing! Thank you for a great recipe!

    9. HildaSterner says

      May 03, 2020 at 5:43 pm

      Thank you, Mariam! I really appreciate your feedback! 😘

    10. Mariam says

      May 03, 2020 at 5:41 pm

      5 stars
      I made this sumac chicken using thighs and it was sooooo delicious! I 100%
      recommend this!

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