Harissa Sauce

In this simple guide, you’ll discover how to make harissa sauce that’s as close to an authentic harissa paste recipe as possible, in addition to delectable serving suggestions, storage tips, and more.

Harissa recipes are essential to any spice-lover’s cookbook. If you’re in the mood for a succulent poultry main, my Grilled Harissa Chicken and Harissa Honey Chicken offer a brilliant flavor that will enrich any weekday dinner.

What is Harissa?

Harissa is a smooth, spicy condiment that originated in Tunisia. Sometimes referred to as “Tunisian ketchup” or “harissa paste,” this bold, red sauce includes a basic mixture of dried chilis, warm spices, tomato paste, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. This mix results in a delicious blend of hot, smoky, and mildly tangy flavors.

Since its creation, harissa has spread to neighboring countries, like Morocco, Jordan, and Algeria, and it’s now a staple in North African and Middle Eastern cuisine.

Harissa Ingredients

You only need a handful of ingredients to make this iconic Middle Eastern condiment. Plus, you can even customize your harissa’s main ingredients to ensure your sauce matches any menu.

• Dried chilies: I prefer using a mix of guajillo, ancho, and de arbol chilies in this recipe due to their balanced mix of heat and complexity. However, if you’re looking to make a spicy harissa recipe, you can incorporate Mexico chilies that fall higher on the Scoville Scale, or you can make a sweeter harissa sauce by using more New Mexico chilies (a milder variant). For the best harissa, I recommend using 7-8 dried peppers of different kinds. You should be able to find dried chilies at your local grocery store, or you can purchase them online (affiliate link) if desired.
• Spices: Cumin, coriander, and caraway seeds are essential to giving this condiment its warm, fragrant heat. I prefer using pre-ground spices in this mixture to save time, but you can also grind an equal amount of whole spices with a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
• Roasted red peppers: To make homemade harissa paste, you’ll need two whole roasted red peppers. I usually opt for a jarred version (be sure to drain its juices first!), but you can also make homemade roasted red bell peppers for a fresher, smokier taste.
• Fresh Garlic cloves
• Seasonings: I found that a simple mix of kosher salt and Spanish paprika was sufficient to give this African chili paste a savory, bright flavor. Smoked paprika—a version of Spanish paprika—will also work if you prefer a more robust smokiness. If desired, you can also add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to increase the recipe’s heat level.
• Tomato paste
• Lemon juice: I always opt for fresh lemon juice, which has the most vibrant, citrusy flavor. 
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A mild-tasting extra virgin olive oil such as  Costo’s single-origin organic olive oil (affiliate link) would work beautifully in this recipe.
• Honey (optional): The recipe below does not include honey, but harissa and honey are a wonderful combination that you’ll find in many recipes. If you prefer a sweet harissa, I recommend adding two tablespoons of honey, giving it a taste, and increasing it based on your preference.

How to Make Harissa Sauce?

It’s easy to make harissa paste worthy of a North African restaurant in your own kitchen. With my easy step-by-step instructions, you can prepare this condiment in under an hour.

1. Rehydrate the chilies: Place the dried chiles in a medium-sized bowl, add boiling hot water, and place a weighted bowl on top to keep the chilies submerged. Alternatively, you can cover it with plastic wrap. Let the chilies steep in the water for 30 minutes.
2. Deseed the chili peppers: Once the chilies rehydrate, remove them from the water and remove their stems and seeds. If you prefer a spicier blend, you can keep some of the seeds in the peppers.
3. Blend the ingredients for harissa: Place the rehydrated harissa peppers in your food processor bowl (or a blender, depending on what you’re using). Then, add the ground cumin, coriander, caraway seeds, roasted peppers, garlic, kosher salt, Spanish paprika, tomato paste, lemon juice, olive oil, and cayenne pepper. Pulse the mixture until smooth.
4. Enjoy: Use your harissa chili paste in your desired recipe or store it in an airtight container in the fridge if you plan to use it later.

How to Store & Freeze?

Once you make harissa paste, you’ll want to use it every day of the week. These storage tips guarantee easy meal prep and keep this condiment fresh whenever the craving strikes.

• Storage: To store your harissa sauce, transfer it to an airtight container or jar and store it in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. I also recommend pouring a thin layer of olive oil over the top of the sauce before storage to prolong its shelf life, as this layer will help limit exposure to oxygen and bacteria.
• Freezing: This red harissa recipe can be frozen for up to one month in an airtight, freezer-safe container. For easier portion sizes, pour your sauce into an ice cube tray, freeze until solid, and then transfer the individual cubes into a Ziplock bag.
• Thawing: To thaw frozen harissa, place it in the fridge overnight or until ready to use.

Aysegul’s Expert Tips

The best way to make homemade harissa is to use these chef-approved pointers. With tips on flavoring, safety, and consistency, this guide will ensure that even beginners can easily make harissa paste.

• Experiment with different types of dried peppers: Red chili peppers have a wide range in spice levels, with some (especially Mexico chilies) having greater amounts of heat and others (like New Mexico chiles) boasting a milder profile. Therefore, I encourage you to experiment with the blend of chilies to achieve your ideal level of spice.
• Wear gloves (or wash your hands well): When making this spicy condiment, you must protect yourself from the chilies’ spicy compound, capsaicin. Though flavorful, capsaicin often clings to the skin and can cause a burning sensation when exposed to eyes, airways, and cuts. Wearing gloves is a good idea when working with chili peppers or—if you don’t have any gloves—wash your hands thoroughly afterward.
• Toast spices: As I mentioned earlier, I used ground spices to save time. However, you can use whole spices and grind them yourself. If you decide to do so, I recommend toasting them in a cast iron skillet for 3-5 minutes before grinding them in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. 
• Consistency and texture: In its original Tunisian form, harissa has a smooth, condiment-like consistency. However, harissa has since taken on other commercialized forms, like “harissa sauce” (which purportedly has a thinner, sauce-like texture) and “harissa paste” (which is supposed to be thicker and less liquidy). Though these terms technically refer to the same thing, you can still adjust this recipe’s consistency using more or less olive oil, depending on your desired thickness. During our recipe testing, we compared our homemade version to commercial brands (like Trader Joe’s Harissa, NY Shuk, and Mina ) and thought ⅓ to ½ cup of olive oil was a good place to start. 
• Taste for seasoning: As with any recipe, it’s important to taste your sauce before serving and adjust the seasoning as needed. If your recipe already includes salt, be mindful of this when adding harissa sauce. You may need to reduce the amount of salt in your harissa to prevent over-seasoning your final dish.
• Gets better the next day: Letting your DIY harissa sauce sit in the fridge overnight is an easy way to let its flavors develop and mix, leading to a much tastier, more robust recipe.

If you make this Harissa Sauce 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.