Palestinian Taboon-Style Musakhan Rolls

Name: Palestinian Taboon-Style Musakhan Rolls
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Palestinian
Ingredients: 2 lb (900 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, patted dry; 1 tablespoon (8 g) ground sumac; 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground allspice; ½ teaspoon (1 g) ground cinnamon; 1½ teaspoon (6 g) kosher salt; 2 tablespoon (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 2.2 lb (1000 g) yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons (about 7 cups / 1.6 L); ⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 teaspoon (4 g) kosher salt; 3 tablespoon (24 g) ground sumac; ½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon, freshly squeezed juice (from about ½ lemon); ⅓ cup (45 g) pine nuts; 4 whole (400 g) large soft flatbreads, about 10 inches (25 cm) wide, cut in half into 2 half-moons each, to make 8 pieces; 2 tablespoon (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing; 2 tablespoon (8 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, for garnish (optional); 1 cup (245 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, cold, for serving (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Soft flatbread rolled around juicy sumac-spiced chicken, sweet olive-oil-slow-cooked onions and toasted pine nuts, then baked at high heat until the edges crisp and the tops glisten. A handheld take on Palestine's beloved musakhan, perfect for a weekend breakfast or brunch spread.

Prep: 35 min
Cook: 1 hr 15 min
Wait: 15 min
Total: 2 hr 5 min
Makes: 8 rolls

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the chicken
2 lb (900 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, patted dry
1 tablespoon (8 g) ground sumac
1 teaspoon (2 g) ground allspice
½ teaspoon (1 g) ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoon (6 g) kosher salt
2 tablespoon (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
For the onions
2¼ lb (1000 g) yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons (about 7 cups / 1.6 L)
⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon (4 g) kosher salt
3 tablespoon (24 g) ground sumac
½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon, freshly squeezed juice (from about ½ lemon)
To assemble
⅓ cup (45 g) pine nuts
4 whole (400 g) large soft flatbreads, about 10 inches (25 cm) wide, cut in half into 2 half-moons each, to make 8 pieces
2 tablespoon (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
2 tablespoon (8 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, for garnish (optional)
1 cup (245 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, cold, for serving (optional)

Equipment (7)

Large heavy skillet or Dutch oven (12-inch / 30 cm)
Rimmed baking sheet, 18×13-inch (46×33 cm), for roasting chicken
Second rimmed baking sheet or large baking tray for the rolls
Small dry skillet for toasting pine nuts
Instant-read thermometer
Pastry brush
Two forks or tongs for shredding

Steps

Before you start

Use large, soft, pliable flatbreads about 10 inches (25 cm) across, such as taboon-style, saj, or large pita without pockets. Stiff bread will crack when rolled.
Slice the onions evenly so they caramelize at the same rate. Expect them to cook down by about two thirds.
The chicken can be roasted or poached the day before, which makes assembly quick.
Preheat the oven only when you reach the assembly step.

1
Season the chickenOven 425°F / 220°C
- Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the middle.
- In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon sumac, the allspice, cinnamon and 1½ teaspoons salt.
- Place the chicken thighs on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and rub the spice mixture all over, including under the skin.
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Ready when: Spices coat the meat evenly with no dry pockets.
Tip: Pat the chicken dry first so the skin browns rather than steams.
2
Roast the chickenOven 425°F / 220°C
- Roast the thighs skin-side up for 35 to 40 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part (not touching bone) reads at least 175°F (80°C).
- Dark meat is more tender at this temperature than at the minimum safe 165°F (74°C).
- Rest 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Skin is deep golden and juices run clear; thermometer reads 175°F (80°C).
Tip: Leave the oven on if you plan to assemble right away; lower it in step 7.
3
Start the onions
- While the chicken roasts, warm ⅓ cup (80 ml) olive oil in a 12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the sliced onions and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Stir to coat.
- Cook, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes, for about 15 minutes, until the onions have collapsed and turned translucent and pale gold.
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Ready when: Onions are limp, translucent and releasing liquid.
Tip: Salt draws out moisture so the onions soften without scorching.
4
Caramelize and season
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and keep cooking, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes, for 15 to 20 more minutes, until the onions are soft, jammy and deep golden brown.
- Stir in 3 tablespoons sumac, the black pepper and the lemon juice.
- Cook 2 minutes more, then remove from the heat.
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Ready when: Onions are deep golden, sweet-smelling and spreadable, with a glossy, tangy-red tint from the sumac.
Tip: If the pan looks dry or onions stick, add 1 tablespoon water and scrape up the browned bits.
5
Toast the pine nuts
- Place the pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat.
- Toast, shaking the pan constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden and fragrant.
- Tip them onto a plate immediately so they stop cooking.
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Ready when: Nuts are evenly golden and smell nutty.
Tip: Pine nuts go from golden to burnt in seconds; don't walk away.
6
Shred the chicken
- Remove and discard the chicken skin if you prefer, or chop it finely and keep it.
- Pull the meat off the bones and shred it with two forks into bite-size pieces.
- Pour in any pan juices and fold the chicken into the caramelized onions along with two thirds of the pine nuts.
- Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.
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Ready when: Filling is moist and cohesive, not dry or soupy.
Tip: If the filling looks wet, simmer it 2 minutes in the skillet so it doesn't soak through the bread.
7
Fill and rollOven 400°F / 205°C
- Reduce the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Lay a flatbread half-moon on a board with the straight edge facing you.
- Spoon about ⅓ cup (about 100 g) of filling in a line along the straight edge, leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) at each side.
- Fold in the sides slightly and roll up tightly like a cigar toward the curved edge.
- Place seam-side down on the sheet.
- Repeat to make 8 rolls.
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Ready when: Rolls are snug, seams tucked underneath.
Tip: If the bread cracks, warm it 10 seconds in the microwave wrapped in a damp towel.
8
Brush and bakeOven 400°F / 205°C
- Brush the tops and sides of the rolls with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 12 to 15 minutes, until the bread is golden and the ends are crisp.
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Ready when: Tops are golden brown and crisp at the edges, filling hot and fragrant.
Tip: Rotate the pan halfway if your oven browns unevenly.
9
Garnish and serve
- Let the rolls cool 5 minutes.
- Scatter the remaining pine nuts and the parsley, if using, over the top.
- Serve warm with cold yogurt for dipping.
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Ready when: Rolls are warm, not molten, and hold together when lifted.

Good to know

Tips

Cook the onions low and slow. Rushing them over high heat gives bitter, browned edges instead of sweet, jammy onions.
Don't skimp on the olive oil; it is the traditional flavor base and keeps the onions silky.
Make the filling fairly moist but not wet, so the bread stays crisp outside and tender inside.
Taboon bread is traditionally baked in a very hot clay oven; a baking sheet in a hot home oven gives a similar crisp edge.

Make ahead

Roast and shred the chicken and caramelize the onions up to 2 days ahead; combine and refrigerate in an airtight container. Rolls can be assembled (unbaked, unbrushed) up to 8 hours ahead, covered in the fridge. Brush with oil and bake 2 to 3 minutes longer if cold.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: baked rolls up to 3 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 2 months, wrapped individually. Reheat from fridge at 350°F (175°C) for 8 to 10 minutes, or from frozen for 18 to 20 minutes, until hot throughout and crisp.

Substitutions

bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs → 3 cups (about 450 g) shredded rotisserie chicken. Skip steps 1 and 2; the filling will be a little less rich, so add 1 extra tablespoon olive oil to the onions.
pine nuts → slivered almonds. Toast the same way; the flavor is milder but the crunch is similar.
large soft flatbreads, about 10 inches (25 cm) wide → large flour tortillas (10-inch / 25 cm). Use whole tortillas without cutting, 4 rolls instead of 8, and bake 10 to 12 minutes.
ground sumac → 1 tablespoon lemon zest plus an extra 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Gives the tang but not the color or earthy flavor of sumac.