Roasted Sumac Chicken with Meyer Lemons…juicy flavorful Middle Eastern, baked chicken dish that will make your mouth water!  Keto, low-carb
Roasted Sumac Chicken with Meyer Lemons...juicy flavorful Middle Eastern baked chicken dish that will make your mouth water! #paleo #lowcarb #keto #sumac #sumacchicken #easy #roastedchicken #Gluten-free.#bakedchicken #feastingathome| www.feastingathome.com
Roasted Chicken infused with Sumac and Lemon brings me home to my dad’s way of cooking -simple and rustic with Middle Eastern flavors. Juicy and flavorful, this Sumac Chicken recipe is delicious served alongside simple basmati rice and a leafy green salad.   It’s worth tracking down the ingredients- but if you can’t get your hands on Meyer lemons due to the season don’t let this stop you — regular lemons work great too.
Sumac powder is made from the flower buds of a Sumac tree. It grows here in the Northwest and ironically I’ve had one growing in my yard for years, unidentified until recently. In fall, pick the red upright blossoms and dry them in the sun. Grind them into a powder and store in an airtight container.

Sumac is a very unique spice- there is nothing else like it, and it’s hard to substitute because nothing else really comes close in terms of flavor.  It’s lemony and tart with surprising depth and an unusual complexity. It is traditionally used in Middle Eastern cuisine, added to everything from meat rubs and kebabs to yogurt dips giving dishes a unique brightness. I love it roasted with cauliflower, on avocado toast, or sprinkled over a soft boiled egg or hummus. I hope you track down this spice and add it to your repertoire. There is so much to love about it!

Roasted Sumac Chicken with Meyer Lemons...juicy flavorful Middle Eastern baked chicken dish that will make your mouth water! #paleo #lowcarb #keto #sumac #sumacchicken #easy #roastedchicken #Gluten-free.#bakedchicken #feastingathome| www.feastingathome.com

A whole chicken is quartered. You can also use skin on, bone in chicken thighs or breasts for this too…just remember to adjust cooking time.

Roasted Sumac Chicken with Meyer Lemons...juicy flavorful Middle Eastern baked chicken dish that will make your mouth water! #paleo #lowcarb #keto #sumac #sumacchicken #easy #roastedchicken #Gluten-free.#bakedchicken #feastingathome| www.feastingathome.com

Make the simple marinade and coat the chicken.

Roasted Sumac Chicken with Meyer Lemons...juicy flavorful Middle Eastern baked chicken dish that will make your mouth water! #paleo #lowcarb #keto #sumac #sumacchicken #easy #roastedchicken #Gluten-free.#bakedchicken #feastingathome| www.feastingathome.com

Slice the Meyer lemons and lay them down in a baking dish.

Roasted Sumac Chicken with Meyer Lemons...juicy flavorful Middle Eastern baked chicken dish that will make your mouth water! #paleo #lowcarb #keto #sumac #sumacchicken #easy #roastedchicken #Gluten-free.#bakedchicken #feastingathome| www.feastingathome.com
Roasted Sumac Chicken with Meyer Lemons...juicy flavorful Middle Eastern baked chicken dish that will make your mouth water! #paleo #lowcarb #keto #sumac #sumacchicken #easy #roastedchicken #Gluten-free.#bakedchicken #feastingathome| www.feastingathome.com

Lay the marinated chicken and all the juices over the lemons.

Roasted Sumac Chicken with Meyer Lemons...juicy flavorful Middle Eastern baked chicken dish that will make your mouth water! #paleo #lowcarb #keto #sumac #sumacchicken #easy #roastedchicken #Gluten-free.#bakedchicken #feastingathome| www.feastingathome.com
Roasted Sumac Chicken with Meyer Lemons...juicy flavorful middle eastern chicken. Gluten free! | www.feastingathome.com

Roast in a hot oven until cooked through ( thigh reaches 170F).

Roasted Sumac Chicken with Meyer Lemons...juicy flavorful middle eastern chicken. Gluten free! | www.feastingathome.com

Spoon the flavorful pan juices over the chicken, and sprinkle with Aleppo chili pepper ( optional) .
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.

 

Serve with rice and salad.

Roasted Sumac Chicken with Meyer Lemons...juicy flavorful Middle Eastern baked chicken dish that will make your mouth water! #paleo #lowcarb #keto #sumac #sumacchicken #easy #roastedchicken #Gluten-free.#bakedchicken #feastingathome| www.feastingathome.com

Roasted Sumac Chicken with Meyer Lemons...juicy flavorful middle eastern chicken dish that will make your mouth water! Gluten free.| www.feastingathome.com

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Roasted Sumac Chicken with Meyer Lemons

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 9 reviews

Description

Roasted Sumac Chicken with Meyer Lemons- a flavorful chicken recipe with roots in Middle Eastern Cuisine, deliciously tangy and earthy.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 56 pound whole chicken, or purchase bone-in pieces.
  • 2 meyer lemons ( or use regular lemons)
  • 1 tablespoon sumac- or sub Zaatar spice
  • 5 cloves garlic- finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 cup olive oil
  • 68 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • Aleppo pepper- garnish ( or chili flakes)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375F
  2. Rinse and pat dry chicken. Remove the backbone of chicken using kitchen scissors and cut the chicken into quarters.
  3. In a small bowl mix garlic, oil, salt,  sumac and juice from ½ a Meyer lemon juice ( about ⅛ Cup).
  4. Cut the remaining 1 ½ lemons into ¼ inch slices and spread out on an edged sheet-pan. Add a few springs of thyme over the lemon slices.
  5. Rub each piece of chicken, coating all sides well with the sumac marinade and place it skin side up, over the sliced lemons and thyme, with ample room around each piece. (The photos are deceiving, don’t crowd them like shown here.)
  6. Place in the middle of a hot oven and roast for 50 minutes or longer, until chicken is cooked through, reaching 170F  in the thigh, and skin is crispy.  To increase crispiness, broil for a few minutes under a careful watch, not to burn.
  7. To serve, spoon a little of the sauce from the pan, over the chicken, garnish with fresh thyme sprigs and sprinkle with Aleppo pepper (optional).


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 piece with skin
  • Calories: 165

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Comments

  1. LOVE this recipe!! So simple and delicious. The sumac takes chicken to a whole other level. I used regular lemons as that’s what I had on hand. I’ve made it numerous times introducing the sumac spice to my family and friends… a big hit! A regular dish in my rotation. Thank you.






    1. We’re so happy you enjoyed this Margarett! Thanks for circling back and rating it for us.

  2. Great recipe with very little effort. A large sheet pan is all that’s needed to roast the chicken and an assortment of veggies. The skin was beautifully charred, the meat was very moist, and the veggies were well caramelized from the chicken drippings. I didn’t have fresh lemons so used sliced preserved lemons and would do that again because they made a delicious edible garnish for the chicken. I added a pinch of cumin, allspice and cinnamon to the marinade, slashed the thighs a few times, and marinaded them for about 3 hours. A definite keeper!






  3. Incredibly quick, but oh so, so delicious. I am sure it will become a firm favourite. I served it with garlic and ginger stir fried Pak Choi and tender stem broccoli along with basmati rice -great dish.






  4. This is excellent and easy!! We had the basmati rice with middle eastern flavors and it was fabulous! You should have a recipe section just for your father inspired meals.






  5. I’m making this for the 3rd time tonight. It’s delicious, and so simple!! Thank you for sharing so many wonderful recipes! I have tried dozens. Black pepper tofu is another favorite. I even bought an instant pot after reading some of your recipes! (Divine minestrone, anyone?) I am fortunate to live in NAPA, CA, where I have access to wonderful ingredients.






  6. First recipe with Sumac, this is delicious, I had to stop myself eating another piece, this going in the favourites book

    1. Hello Sylvia! Can I marinade and freeze? I’m doing meal prep and would like to marinade and freeze so when I’m ready to cook it, I’ll just thaw it and stick in the oven.

      1. Oh interesting, we have not tried this tho seems like this would work. As long as it has time to absorb the marinade in the thawing process.

  7. I made this the other night, but think I may have done something wrong. The chicken didn’t have the lovely color yours did, despite putting it under the broiler at the end. The lemons got soggy and the chicken seemed to be swimming in the juices so it was more like a poached chicken rather than a baked chicken. Thoughts on what could have gone wrong? Perhaps my dish was too big so the chicken wasn’t raised enough above the lemon juices? Is it because I didn’t use meyer lemons–do they get less soggy? The marinade smelled wonderful and I’d love to try this again, but would love your thoughts on how to give it more of a crust. Thanks!

    1. Hi Janelle, I’m so sorry about that! Did you use a baking dish or a baking sheet? My guess is a baking sheet ( where the chicken is spread out) would be better in this case… but unfortunately my photos don’t reflect this. I will remake the recipe and adjust as needed. I really appreciate your feedback and we will get this figured out. Also didi you use bone-in, skin on chicken?

  8. I had become tired of cooking recently but now feel inspired to try your amazing recipes. Have made three dishes so far and they were all delicious. Thanks for sharing so many lovely recipes, ideas and tips! Your instruction are spot on and each recipe tastes sooo good without any tweeks – which I always find necessary with other recipes. Can’t wait to try more!






    1. Thanks Annette! Glad the dishes were a success! Always makes me feel good to hear this. All the best tot you and welcome to the blog!

  9. Just home after a day out. Chicken in the oven in no time at all. Looking forward to this meal very much. Thank you. I now have a new favourite website.

  10. Where is Sumac sold? And what is the difference in taste between the lemons you use and regular lemon. I will definitely try this recipe, just need to find out where to find your lemos and sumac.. I love rice, so that would be a perfect combo.

    1. Sumac is sold locally in Spokane at Huckleberries and the Oriental Market on Trent. If you live in a bigger city many ethnic markets, or gourmet markets that have middle eastern section will have sumac. Just call around. Meyer lemons are now out of season, but regular lemons will work great too!!

    2. Regular lemons are veeeerrrry tart and delicious. Meyer lemons are smaller than common ones but their perk is that you can peel them as you would a clementine and eat the sections. Each winter, once or twice, I would buy a bunch and have them in a basket on my school bus. I would let each child take one getting off and they could take them in the house and share with mom or dad. Zingy but sweet. Very, very delicious and different.






  11. The chicken looks delightful. My interest is sooooo tantalized with sumac? Never heard of it.
    It sounds wonderful. I am going to have to track it down.

  12. I found your blog via Food Gawker and have to say I am SO impressed! Your photography is beautiful and I can’t wait to start following along! I’ve never cooked with sumac but am a huge fan of citrus roasted chicken! I will have to try this out for myself and see what I’ve been missing!

  13. This is such a beautiful dish! Making this would mean a lot of firsts for me, especially cooking with Sumac, and I have yet to prepare a whole chicken. But it would certainly be worth it!

  14. Love my Middle Eastern flavours and aromatics – so this sumac chicken is perfect for me. I can imagine how good it tastes!

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