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My Harissa Chicken is So Good!
Although I’m biased towards Lebanese cooking, I love creating all types of Mediterranean recipes.
I’ve been experimenting with harissa paste lately and adding it to flatbreads, fish, and, now, chicken. This harissa chicken recipe uses harissa paste as the main ingredient along with fresh garlic, olive oil, and a few other spices. It’s a quick and easy marinade that has a sweet and smokey flavor. Basically, it’s the perfect way to punch up any chicken recipe! I love serving this chicken with a tangy Greek yogurt sauce, fresh herbs, and flatbread and making wraps out of it.
What is Harissa?
Before we get into the recipe, I want to talk about harissa! Harissa is a spicy North African chili pepper paste that originates from Tunisia. It basically brings alive any dish thanks to its aromatic flavor. You can make your own harissa sauce at home by smoking hot chili peppers and blending them with garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, and various spices (including cumin, coriander, and caraway).
However, it’s so easy to find harissa in many grocery stores these days. That’s why I chose to use store-bought harissa for this chicken recipe! I found mine at Trader Joe’s, and I’ve seen it at other local grocery stores like Meijer and Kroger. You can usually find it in a jar or tube sold in the Middle Eastern section of the international isle or sometimes in the condiment section.
A small jar goes along way! All I used was two tablespoons in this recipe with two pounds of chicken. If you’re looking for more ways to use up the paste, try this Harissa Glazed Salmon.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Olive oil: I like the flavor olive oil adds to this recipe, but you could use avocado oil!
- Harissa paste: Any store-bought harissa will work!
- Garlic: Minced garlic also adds a huge amount of flavor to this recipe. If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove (so, 2 teaspoons total!).
- Spices: Paprika and cumin are my go-tos, but you could add a ¼ to ½ teaspoon of coriander, curry powder, turmeric, or cayenne.
Popular Additions
- Lemon. I’ll sometimes add the juice or zest of one lemon to the marinade!
- Yogurt. This could help tame the spiciness of the harissa! Add ¼ cup of Greek yogurt to the chicken marinade (like with this yogurt marinated chicken).
- Honey. I love a sweet-spicy moment. Add up to ¼ cup of honey to the marinade!
- Herbs. Mix as much chopped, fresh parsley or cilantro as you want into the marinade. I don’t think you can go overboard.
How to Make Harissa Chicken
The recipe starts out as an easy marinade that includes the following: harissa paste, olive oil, minced garlic, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. You can play around with the measurements here to add more or less of certain ingredients as you like. But I think two tablespoons of the harissa paste for two pounds of chicken gives the perfect mild spice level!
I prefer to marinate the chicken in the morning and cook this in the evening. It also works well if you prepare it overnight and allow the flavors to really get absorbed.
My Best Harissa Chicken Tips
- Marinate the chicken. I recommend at least 1 hour and up to 24 for the best flavor! Don’t skip this—the flavorful harissa marinade is what makes this recipe.
- Taste the harissa first. Some store-bought harissa is spicier than others, so you may want to use just one tablespoon! I recommend tasting it first so you know what you’re working with.
- Grill the chicken during the summer. I like to thread the chicken pieces onto skewers and grill them for extra smoky flavor when it’s warm outside!
- Use a meat thermometer to check when the chicken’s done. This is what I always do! When the thermometer reads 165°F the chicken is ready.
What to Serve
- When you’re done cooking the harissa chicken, serve it over white rice, brown rice, quinoa, couscous, flatbread, salad or whatever you’re in the mood for.
- The classic way to eat is with over white rice, but it’s a flavorful chicken recipe that you can use in so many ways.
- My husband likes wrapping it up with pita bread, hummus, and tabbouleh. He’s basically living his best life!!
- I also like to pair it with a veggie like air fried cauliflower or a vegetable medley.
More Easy Chicken Recipes:
- Grilled Lemon Chicken
- Grilled Chicken Tenders
- Skillet Cilantro Chicken
- Butter Chicken
- Chicken Shish Tawook
- Pan Seared Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Lettuce Cups
- Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Chicken Marinade Recipes
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
If you try this Harissa Chicken recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Harissa Chicken Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons harissa paste
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 pounds chicken breast cut into 2-inch chunks
- Naan for serving
- Greek yogurt sauce for serving
- Fresh dill or parsley for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine olive oil, harissa, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken to the spice mix and mix well to incorporate. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Heat a large skillet on medium without any oil, then transfer the chicken from the bowl to the skillet. Cook until the chicken is well done, about 8-10 minutes. Serve over naan with yogurt sauce and fresh herbs, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Loved this recipe, thank you. I added coconut milk once chicken was cooked and had coriander on the side. Delicious.
That sounds delicious! So glad you liked it, Alexandra. Thank you!!
Hi! This looks delicious. Can I marinate this sauce with chicken thighs and then freeze it as meal prep? Thank you!
Yes, I think that would definitely work!! Enjoy!
Hi, amazing chicken recipe, it has so much great flavour and is so easy to make. What is the best method to reheat my leftovers? Thanks!
Thank you!! So glad you liked it! You can reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. I like reheating with rice, I find it helps keep it from drying out. Adding a splash of water will also do the trick. Hope that helps!!
Hi, this looks amazing! Does it freeze well?
It can be frozen after you make it but it’ll be freshest in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3-4 days. Hope that helps!
I used this marinade to make pork chops. I marinated a big batch of pork chops and cooked them in two groups, the first group was cooked after marinating for 4 hours and the second group continued to marinate overnight for a total of 28 hours. I found that 4 hours was definitely not enough time to impart much (if any) flavor and I was a little disappointed, but the ones I marinated overnight were excellent. Lesson learned! I’ll definitely make this recipe again, but only when I plan ahead enough to be able to marinate my meat for a good long time.
Thanks for sharing your experience with pork! I don’t eat pork myself but it’s helpful for other readers to hear. So glad the marinade worked for you!
Hi Yumna, I started making this dish before I saw your recipe. I marinated 1lb chicken tenders in Mina brand spicy harissa paste 2 tbsp for 3 hours and cooked the tenders on medium heat for 5 minutes on each side with a lid on it. The tenders were very mild in flavor so I added two more tbsp sauce and cooked the tenders on low heat for 5-10 minutes more. From your recipe, I see that I should have chopped the chicken and also added other spices on top of harissa paste as well as marinated it longer. However, is there anything I can do to amp up the flavor now? I coarsely shredded the tenders after they were cooked.
Can I add more sauce and cook the chicken on low? Do you have any other ideas on how to increase the harissa flavor?
Hi Spandana, I would try adding more sauce and spices (I recommend paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper) and cooking in a saucepan on low. Hope that helps!
This recipe has become a go-to in rotation for meals for work. I prefer to use boneless skinless chicken thighs but I have also used chicken breast. It comes out delicious every time. If you meal prep, it’s a great option if you want something different.
Thank you, Char! I’m so happy you enjoy this recipe and love that you meal prep it for work—such a good idea!!
I never make comments on recipes, but I had to say that this was an amazing recipe! I used the Harissa paste from Trader Joe’s, which I bought because it looked good but I was totally stumped on what to use it with. I made a batch of this for dinner (using diced chicken thighs) and even my picky husband liked it! That’s rare. I made another batch and froze the raw chicken in the marinade and will defrost for an easy weeknight meal.
Yay, so glad it was a hit!
Wow – I absolutely loved this recipe. Incredibly easy and the chicken was so good. Will definitely make again for guests!
So glad to hear, thank you!