Spice up your weeknight meal with this easy harissa chicken recipe! Juicy chicken and crunchy potatoes coated in a flavorful harissa marinade make this a delightfully savory and smoky sheet pan meal.
Chicken with Harissa
Pair this spicy harissa chicken with roasted veggies and baby potatoes for a well-rounded sheet pan supper!
Harissa paste brings any dish alive. Its bold, zesty, and aromatic flavor will absolutely wow your tastebuds! It creates chicken that is so juicy and delicious, with the perfect level of heat.
Email This Recipe
Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you!
How to Make Harissa Chicken
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Season the potatoes, toss to coat, and scatter on the baking sheet.
- In the same bowl, season the chicken and onion. Be sure to rub in the mixture evenly.
- Add the harissa chicken to the baking sheet and bake everything together.
- Rest for 5-10 minutes, before serving with lemon wedges and more harissa sauce, garnished with parsley.
Harissa is a North African chile paste made from roasted red peppers, Baklouti peppers, olive oil, and a mix of spices and herbs, such as garlic, caraway, coriander, and cumin. It is peppery, smoky, garlicky, and just a bit spicy.
Harissa is relatively mild, but you may also be able to find a hotter variety if you like more spice.
Harissa sauce is usually available in the International aisle or condiment aisle of most grocery stores. If it is not available at your local grocery store, you can find it on amazon.
You sure can! Just make sure to check the chicken for doneness a bit sooner, as chicken breasts can dry out quickly.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Harissa should be available at most grocery stores. You can usually find it in a jar by the chili sauces or in the spice aisle, but you can always make your own homemade harissa pretty easily too!
Make Ahead Instructions
If you’ve got a bit of time on your hands, you can marinate the chicken for as little as 30 minutes or as much as 2 hours before baking it.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover harissa chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes.
Freezing Instructions
Freeze harissa chicken in an airtight container or Ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Substitutions
- You can use any kind of potatoes you like; just be sure to cut them into equal-sized pieces (about ½-inch).
- In place of the garlic powder, you can use 2 cloves of minced garlic.
- Feel free to use all chicken thighs, all chicken drumsticks, or even chicken breasts.
- You can use a yellow or white onion instead of a red onion.
- Feel free to add more harissa sauce.
DIY Harissa Sauce
If you can’t find harissa sauce at your local grocery store, you can try making your own. Rehydrate 5 large dried chile peppers (such as New Mexico chiles)and 3 dried chiles de arbol by submerging them in hot water for 15-20 minutes. Drain, remove the stems and seeds, and add them to a food processor with ½ tablespoon toasted cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon toasted coriander seeds, ½ teaspoon caraway seeds, 2 cloves garlic, ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ tablespoon white wine or apple cider vinegar, and ½ tablespoon tomato paste. Blend for 1-2 minutes, then add 2 tablespoons of olive oil (or more if desired) to reach a saucy consistency. Homemade harissa sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
This harissa chicken turns out so deliciously spicy, and it’s perfect paired with the potatoes. Whether you make the full sheet pan meal, or just bake up the chicken, you’ll surely love this meal.
Harissa Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds baby potatoes halved if large
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 4 skinless chicken drumsticks
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- ½ red onion sliced
- 8 cloves garlic smashed
- 4 tablespoons harissa sauce plus more for serving (see note)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ lemon juiced
- lemon wedges optional, for serving
- fresh parsley optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.
- Place the potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle them with 1½ tablespoons of olive oil, oregano, garlic powder, and half the salt. Toss to coat and scatter on the baking sheet.1½ pounds baby potatoes, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- In the same bowl, place the chicken pieces. Add the onion, garlic, harissa, cumin, pepper, lemon juice, and remaining salt and olive oil. Use your hands to rub the mixture evenly into the chicken and onion.4 skinless chicken drumsticks, 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, ½ red onion, 8 cloves garlic, 4 tablespoons harissa sauce, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ lemon
- Scatter the contents of the bowl over the potatoes, nestling the chicken between evenly.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Rest for 5-10 minutes before serving with lemon wedges and more harissa sauce, garnished with parsley.lemon wedges, fresh parsley
Notes
- Note: If you can’t find harissa sauce at your local grocery store, you can try making your own. Rehydrate 5 large dried chile peppers (such as New Mexico chiles)and 3 dried chiles de arbol by submerging them in hot water for 15-20 minutes. Drain, remove the stems and seeds, and add them to a food processor with ½ tablespoon toasted cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon toasted coriander seeds, ½ teaspoon caraway seeds, 2 cloves garlic, ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ tablespoon white wine or apple cider vinegar, and ½ tablespoon tomato paste. Blend for 1-2 minutes, then add 2 tablespoons of olive oil (or more if desired) to reach a saucy consistency.
- You can use any kind of potatoes you like; just be sure to cut them into equal-sized pieces (about ½-inch).
- In place of the garlic powder, you can use 2 cloves of minced garlic.
- Feel free to use all chicken thighs, all chicken drumsticks, or even chicken breasts.
- You can use a yellow or white onion instead of a red onion.
- Feel free to add more harissa sauce.
This was delicious, pleasantly spicy but not overly hot, although my lips were tingling after we finished eating! I followed the directions but was confused when I looked at the pictures, which showed the chicken was marinated in a plastic bag. I didn’t do that but might the next time I make it to get even more of the harissa flavor in the chicken.
I tossed everything together in a bag for ease of cleanup, but you can also marinate the chicken for up to 2 hours before cooking it!