Pomegranate and Sumac Roast Chicken

An easy chicken sheet pan recipe that can be marinated ahead of time and has an amazing Middle Eastern flavour. Sumac, known for its deep burgundy colour and lemony flavour, pairs beautifully with the deep, sweet notes of pomegranate molasses, creating a meal that’s exotic, exciting and deeply comforting. I have served it with a bulgur salad, but a rice pilaf or bread would be just great too. If you don’t want to use chicken legs, the recipe also works with a whole chicken, jointed into eight pieces.

	Marinade
4 Chicken legs (1.2-1.4 kg) 3 tbsp Olive oil 1 tbsp Sesame seeds	1½ tbsp Ground sumac ©angiesrecipes 2 Large garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tsp Pul biber 1 tbsp Tomato paste 1 tbsp Pomegranate molasses ©angiesrecipes ¾ tsp Sea salt

Mix all the marinade ingredients together, rub well into the chicken legs and leave in the fridge 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. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
Place the chicken in a roasting tin, drizzle with the olive oil and scatter the sesame seeds over. Roast until the juices from the chicken run clear when it is pierced at the thickest part, and the internal temperature is 74C/165F, 35 to 40 minutes.

33 comments:

Tom 17/8/26 12:31: ...sumac is a weed tree here with red seed heads, is this the same?
Angie's Recipes 17/8/26 12:52: Tom, I think that might be the poison sumac.
My name is Erika. 17/8/26 15:13: I've never used sumac or think I've had food where its been used. I like to try new ingredients, so I should look for some. Hopefully it's not crazy expensive. Happy new week Angie.
DEZMOND 17/8/26 15:19: Ewww on the chicken part, nom nom nom on the pomegranate part. I read last night an article on how Kazakhstan or Armenia, I forgot which one, wants to become worlds biggest producer of pomegranates.
Christine 17/8/26 15:22: Looks so good
Modrina Neba - Blue sky 17/8/26 16:36: My specialty...yum!
mimi rippee 17/8/26 16:55: Fantastic! I printed this!
🇺🇸Baking with Nessa🇺🇸 17/8/26 16:59: What a lovely marinade! Roasted chicken is my absolute favorite especially if served with taboule! ~Nessa
DVArtist 17/8/26 18:02: This looks very good. I haven't has Sumac and have never seen it in the stores. I should look for it on line. Thank you for the recipe.
Norma2 17/8/26 18:09: Angie didn’t know that spice, I’ll try to find it around here. I research and read that its flavor is very unique and hard to compare with any other spice, as it’s closer to the notes that citrus peels can provide. Sumac is somewhat acidic, with bitter but very fresh touches, reminding you of red fruits with floral hints. It’s not overly overpowering but very fragrant, gradually developing the complexity of its nuances on the palate. I read that although it’s used in the Middle East, it can be easily found in North America.
Hugs
Kathylorraine 17/8/26 18:23: Good morning your chicken looks delicious. at our woods property we had sumac-grew on bushes or small trees if I remember right-I had made a tea with it-will see if I can buy some
Happy new week Kathy
Kathylorraine 17/8/26 18:27: was curious-I found it on amazon-in a bottle still on the stems--the birds always loved it too thanks again for recipe
Linda's Relaxing Lair 17/8/26 18:57: This looks scrumptious, Angie.
Angie's Recipes 17/8/26 19:30: Yes, I have read that birds love sumac plants.
Judee 17/8/26 19:54: pomegranates and sumac sound so good together. Maybe I'll try it with tofu.. thanks Angie
DeniseinVA 17/8/26 20:14: A great combination of ingredients, looks wonderful. Thanks Angie!
Lowcarb team member 17/8/26 21:56: I'm sure this will be very tasty ... thank you for sharing the recipe.

All the best Jan
J.P. Alexander 18/8/26 01:15: Gracias por la receta. Te deseo una buena semana. Te mando un beso.
Garfield 18/8/26 02:47: Nada supera um bom frango desfiado que derrete na boca.

Nova Tirinha Publicada. 😼

Abraços 🐾 Garfield Tirinhas Oficial.
Anne in the kitchen 18/8/26 02:57: this looks delicious
Tandy | Lavender and Lime https://tandysinclair.com 18/8/26 05:53: I'm going to make an adaptation of this tonight!
Ruby Rose and the Big Little Angels 3 18/8/26 07:03: That looks like perfection
Margaret D 18/8/26 08:02: Looks delicious Angie. I always check the temperature of the meat just before finished cooking. It's become a habit.
eileeninmd 18/8/26 10:42: Looks delicious Angie! Thanks for sharing.
Take care, enjoy your day and the new week ahead.
David M. Gascoigne, 18/8/26 11:46: Tom is talking about Staghorn Sumac.
Pam 18/8/26 17:38: I'm sure the pomegranate and sumac added such wonderful flavors to this chicken.
Lori 18/8/26 19:44: This looks and sounds delicious.
Ben | Havocinthekitchen 18/8/26 20:05: Looks fantastic, Angie! Sumac and pomegranate are such a great pairing with chicken.
MELODY JACOB 18/8/26 21:31: Pairing sumac with pomegranate molasses creates the ultimate flavor profile for roasted chicken legs. Serving that juicy poultry over a fresh bulgur salad looks completely mouthwatering. I definitely need to try marinating chicken in olive oil, garlic, tomato paste, plus pomegranate molasses this weekend.
David Scott Allen 19/8/26 01:13: I love how dark the chicken gets -- just beautiful! Just bought a new bottle of pom molasses, and I want to garnish with our home-grown pomegranate seeds -- they are just about ripe!
Ananka 19/8/26 20:36: Looks great :-D
Raymund | angsarap.net 21/8/26 01:14: That mix of tangy sumac and sweet pomegranate molasses feels like such an effortless way to make a simple sheet‑pan dinner taste special. Honestly, it’s the kind of dish that looks like far more work than it actually is.
Happy Retiree's Kitchen 23/8/26 02:07: Love the Middle Eastern flavours in your dish Angie