If you’ve never tried using harissa to marinate chicken, this is your sign to start! A harissa marinade brings a perfect balance of spice, heat, smoke, and sweetness, while the oils tenderize the chicken, and the spices infuse it with rich, aromatic flavor. If you are a fan of harissa chicken recipes, be sure to check out our simple grilled harissa chicken as well.
What is Harissa Honey Chicken?
Harissa honey chicken is an easy dinner in which chicken is marinated in a mix of harissa, garlic, lemon juice, and honey. The star ingredient of this recipe, harissa, is a North African chili paste made from hot chili peppers, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and various spices, such as cumin, coriander, and caraway seeds.
A short 30 minutes of marinating turns an otherwise bland chicken into a smoky, spicy, and subtly sweet, truly unique dish. Honey harissa chicken can be baked in the oven or grilled, with each cooking method resulting in deeply caramelized, juicy meat. The dish has been famous recently thanks to the popular restaurant chain CAVA.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
This harissa honey chicken recipe requires a handful of simple ingredients, all of which you can get from your local grocery store:
- Chicken: We love extra rich and juicy boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but skinless and boneless chicken breasts can also be used as a leaner option.
- Seasonings: A simple seasoning of Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper allows the harissa and honey to shine.
- Harissa: You have a few options when it comes to Harissa. You can make your own Harissa Sauce at home, which allows you to control the heat level and ingredients. If you are short on time, you can use Harissa Powder and make Harissa Paste from Powder. Or, you can save yourself a few steps in the kitchen and purchase a jar from grocery stores. Different brands have varying spice levels, ranging from moderately spicy to intensely hot, so I always like to taste the harissa before making the marinade. My favorite store-bought brand of harissa is Mina Harissa (affiliate link) (also available at Whole Foods), which is mild. There is also New York Shuk Harissa (affiliate link), which is a little more potent, or Trader Joe’s Tunisian Harissa, which is the least expensive.
- Fresh garlic cloves: While we think fresh garlic delivers the best flavors, you can use garlic powder (¼ teaspoon of garlic powder per 1 clove of garlic) if you prefer a milder garlic flavor.
- Fresh lemon juice & lemon zest: We used freshly squeezed lemon juice in the recipe, but apple cider vinegar can be substituted.
- Honey: Honey and harissa are a delicious combination because the sweetness of the honey balances and enriches the spicy chilis in the harissa without making it sweet. We felt that ¼ cup honey was a good amount for two pounds of chicken but feel free to add more or less depending on how spicy you want the chicken.
How to Make Harissa Honey Chicken?
This honey harissa chicken recipe is easy to make with just a few basic steps.
Here are the step-by-step instructions:
- Season chicken: Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. Season both sides with Kosher salt and black pepper.
- Make the harissa chicken marinade: In a large bowl, combine harissa, garlic, lemon juice, and honey.
- Marinate the chicken: Add the seasoned chicken thighs to the harissa marinade. Toss to coat them fully. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or a couple of hours.
- Preheat the oven: Place an oven rack in the center. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F/204 degrees Celsius. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Arrange chicken thighs: Place the chicken on the baking sheet, spacing them apart evenly. Brush any leftover sauce on top of the chicken thighs.
- Bake: Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the thickest chicken thigh reaches 165 degrees F when inserted with a meat thermometer.
- Rest, then serve: Tent the chicken with aluminum foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. Serve the chicken thighs whole, or transfer them to a cutting board and cut (or shred) as desired. Drizzle the remaining delicious honey harissa sauce left on the sheet tray over the chicken before serving.
How to Store, Freeze, Thaw, and Reheat?
Harissa baked chicken is an easy recipe to make ahead of time and store for later. Here are my storage tips so none of this bold and delicious chicken goes to waste:
- Make Ahead: You can marinate the chicken a day in advance. Simply make the marinade, add the chicken, cover it tightly, and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- Storage: Cool the chicken to room temperature. Then, store the leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Depending on your preference, you can freeze harissa honey chicken cooked or uncooked.
- Freezing cooked chicken: Allow the cooked chicken to come to room temperature. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Freezing raw chicken: To get ahead for meal prep, place the raw chicken thighs and harissa marinade in a freezer-safe plastic storage bag, portioning as desired. Push out as much air as possible, seal, label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw: Whether cooked or uncooked, thaw the frozen chicken overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheat: If reheating cooked chicken, reheat in a low oven (~300 degrees F) until warm, about 10 minutes. If cooking the raw chicken, remove it from the fridge 30 minutes beforehand, then bake as instructed in the recipe below.
What to Serve with Harissa Chicken?
Chicken with harissa and honey is a highly versatile meat that pairs beautifully with various dishes. The good news is that you can prepare a side dish while the chicken cooks and have dinner in no time. Here are a few ideas to help you with your menu:
- With Mediterranean condiments: Treat yourself to a restaurant-quality meal and serve it CAVA bowl style. Our favorite copycat CAVA harissa honey chicken bowls recipe includes Brown Rice, Tzatziki, Hummus, Crazy Feta or feta cheese, pickled onions or red onion, and avocado. Don’t forget to drizzle the whole thing with Harissa Vinaigrette for a refreshing dimension of flavor. Finish with fresh herbs like cilantro, and enjoy with warm pita bread on the side.
- Grain bowls: Make it a grain bowl, Middle-Eastern style, and serve this hot honey harissa chicken over a bed of Bulgur Pilaf, Quinoa, or Rice with Vermicelli.
- Salad (cooling side dishes): Harissa pairs beautifully with tangy and cooling ingredients, which helps to mellow its heat while enhancing its aromatic qualities. That’s why we love to serve it with a fresh seasonal salad such as Yogurt Cucumber Salad, Greek Cucumber Tomato Salad, or Spring Mix Salad.
Aysegul’s Expert Tips
- Pay attention to spice level: We recommend making your harissa from scratch, as this allows you to control the spice level, especially if you are serving kids or are spice-sensitive. If you use a storebought brand to save time, taste it before making the marinade and adjust the quantity as necessary.
- Broil for 2 minutes: While we didn’t find it necessary, if preferred, you can broil the chicken on high during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking to intensify those char-grilled flavors. However, keep a close eye on it to prevent it from burning.
- Don’t forget the juices: After the chicken is done cooking, there will be plenty of juice on the sheet pan. For best results, baste the chicken with these juices as soon as it comes out of the oven and drizzle the remaining juices over the chicken when serving.
FAQs
This depends on the spice of the harissa. If you are using a homemade harissa, then you can adjust the spice level. If you use a store-bought harissa, taste it before making the marinade and adjust the spice level to your liking.
We do not recommend it. Tomato paste is not a one-to-one substitution for harissa because one is tomato-based while the other has a base of hot chili peppers. If you do need a substitute for harissa, I’d recommend another chili-based sauce, such as sriracha, sambal oelek, or chipotle in adobo sauce. Keep in mind that this will alter the taste and flavor profile.
Diet Key
This Recipe is:
If you make your own Harissa Honey Chicken following our recipe, I would greatly appreciate it if you could take a minute to rate it and leave a comment below. It is a great way to support this website and help those planning to make it. Also, if you took pictures, I’d love to see them. Share your creations on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them with the Foolproof Living community.
Harissa Honey Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, or chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ½ cup harissa, homemade or storebought
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, *please see note
- 5 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup honey
Instructions
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season them with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the harissa sauce, garlic, lemon juice, and honey until fully combined.
- Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat them fully with the sauce. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F/204 degrees Celsius. Line the sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Arrange the chicken thighs on the baking sheet. Brush any leftover sauce on top of the chicken thighs.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken thigh, when a probe is inserted into the thickest part, reaches 165 degrees F.
- Cover with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. Drizzle the remaining liquid on the baking sheet over the chicken before serving.
Notes
- Yields: Depending on the size of your chicken, this recipe makes 5-6 harissa chicken thighs ideal for serving 4-6 people. I listed the serving as 4, but the portions would be large. The nutritional values below are per serving (of 4 servings)
- Olive oil: If you are making your own harissa you will not need this, but if you are buying it from the store, I recommend adding 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into the harissa chicken marinade. The storebought harissa tends to be thicker (with a paste-like texture) and could benefit from a small amount oil.
- Marinading time: While we thought that a 30-minute marinating time was necessary, you can marinade your chicken for upto 8 hours if you prefer to make it ahead of time.
- Tzatziki sauce: The sauce on the side of my harissa honey chicken in pictures is a bowl of tzatziki.
- Alternative cooking methods: While we love the hands-off cooking method of roasting the chicken in the oven, you can cook it on the stovetop or a grill.
- If cooking on the stovetop, preheat a cast iron skillet or large skillet over medium-high heat until it is very hot. Lightly grease with oil and cook the chicken in a single layer for 4-5 minutes per side.
- If you want to cook the chicken on an outdoor grill, preheat the grill to 400 degrees F. Grease the grates and cook for 5-6 minutes per side. The spicy honey harissa chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F with a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Is it me? I don’t see the nutritional info anywhere
Oh no! It was my error. It is in now. Thanks for pointing it out.