Mussakhan Wellington: Palestinian Village Food In a Fancy Package

posted on: Feb 1, 2026

By: Blanche Shaheen/Arab America Contributing Writer

Let’s face it: special occasions have gotten ridiculously expensive. A “romantic dinner out” these days costs the same as a small appliance, when all you really wanted was good food, a candle, and not to be rushed out after 90 minutes. Plus winter is a time when people prefer a cozy night in rather than a freezing night out. 

Enter Mussakhan Wellington—where Palestinian village food meets luxurious restaurant energy in a fancy package that costs under $20. 

What Is Mussakhan, Really?

At its heart, mussakhan is humble, soulful food. This dish originated from the Palestinian village called Ein Arik,  built around what people had: chicken, onions, olive oil, and sumac. Traditionally, the chicken is roasted with onions swimming in olive oil and tangy sumac, then served over taboon bread that soaks up every last drop. The dish celebrates the fruits of the annual olive harvest, and is meant to be shared, eaten slowly, and remembered.

So Why Turn Mussakhan Into a Wellington?

Because puff pastry has a way of making anything feel like an occasion. A Wellington-style wrap locks in moisture, adds buttery crunch, and creates that dramatic “ikteer wow” moment when you cut it open. Inside that golden puff pastry, everything you love about mussakhan is still there: jammy onions, cooked low and slow in olive oil, sumac, bright and tangy, cutting through the richness, and juicy chicken, seasoned simply but confidently.

When wrapped and baked, the onions melt even further, the chicken stays tender, and the pastry becomes crisp and buttery. The best part is this dish looks like something you’d order at a fancy restaurant… but it’s made from everyday ingredients. This dish is perfect for: Valentine’s Day, dinner parties, anniversaries, or anytime you want to impress without stress. To see the technique,  just click on the new video below:

Ingredients for 10 Wellingtons

• For Chicken Marinade
• 8-10 garlic cloves
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp sumac
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, chopped into chunks
• 20 squares of puff pastry
• 1 large onion, chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil, plus 2 tbsp of olive oil
• ¼ cup pine nuts or slivered almonds plus 1 tsp olive oil for toasting
• 1 egg, whisked with a little water

Directions

In a food processor, add the garlic, sumac, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp olive oil, and 1 tbsp sumac, and blend. Add to the chicken, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours up to overnight. Once the chicken has been marinated, heat ¼ cup oil in a skillet and saute the onions until soft and caramelized, add a little salt to tast along with 1 tbsp sumac, then set aside in a bowl. 

To the same skillet heat another 2 tbsp of olive oil and saute the chicken until no longer pink inside and all the marinade liquid has evaporated. In a separate small skillet, toast the pine nuts until golden. 

Now to assemble, take out one 5 by 5 inch square of puff pastry. Add a couple of tbsp of chicken, 1 tbsp onion, and sprinkle with pine nuts. Add a seal of egg wash around the edges of a second piece of puff pastry, and put on top of the chicken. Press around edges with fingers or a fork. Brush with the egg wash and score diagonally if desired. Put all the pastries on a cookie sheet and cook at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately. 

Blanche Shaheen is an Emmy Award winning  journalist, host of the YouTube cooking show called Feast in the Middle East, and cookbook author. For more authentic and classical Middle Eastern recipes, you can purchase her cookbook, “Feast In the Middle East here: https://secure.mybookorders.com/mbo_index.php?isbn=9781545675113   For her cooking video tutorials, visit https://www.youtube.com/user/blanchetv   Her recipes can also be found at https://feastinthemiddleeast.wordpress.com/

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