A sheet pan with 9 chicken thighs covered in a deep reddish sauce, blackened in spots.

5 / 7 votes

Pomegranate Sumac Chicken

I love this sticky roasted leg of chicken that can be marinated ahead of time and just popped into the oven shortly before eating. If you don’t want to use chicken thighs, this also works with a whole chicken, jointed into eight pieces.

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time4

Course: Mains

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Servings: servings

Calories: 375

Ingredients

For the marinade

▢ 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
▢ 1 tablespoon store-bought or homemade tomato paste
▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
▢ 2 teaspoons pul biber (Aleppo pepper*)
▢ 1 teaspoon ground sumac
▢ 2 fat garlic cloves, crushed
▢ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the chicken

▢ 8 large bone-in chicken thighs or a whole chicken (about 3 lbs | 1.4 kg), cut into 8 pieces
▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil

US - Metric

Instructions

Make the marinade

In a large bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

Marinate the chicken

Add the chicken to the marinade and, using your hands, massage the chicken until it is evenly coated, then cover and stash in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.
When you're ready to cook, take the chicken out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature (this will take about 20 minutes).
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
☞ TESTER TIP: Line your sheet pan with foil for easier clean up.
Place the chicken skin side up on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Roast until the juices from the chicken run clear when it is pierced at the thickest part, and the internal temperature is 165°F (74°C), 30 to 35 minutes.

Notes

*What is Aleppo pepper?

Named after the Syrian city, Aleppo pepper is a brightly colored, mildly spicy dried pepper that has a unique taste—a little raisiny, a little tomatoey, a little peppery. It's widely used in the Middle East and is becoming more popular in North America. It makes a terrific replacement for the ubiquitous red chile flake, but with a little more flavor. At the same time, you can use red chile flakes, hot paprika, or ancho chiles if you can't find Aleppo pepper.

Nutrition