Harissa Chicken
Harissa chicken is a spicy chicken from North Africa made from harissa (red chili paste), olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and spices. It’s unabashedly flavorful, bursting with complex, warm, nutty, savory, smoky, garlicky notes. But don’t let the word “spicy” scare you – YOU can control the heat by adding more or less harissa. This simple marinate-and-cook harissa chicken recipe is SO simple to make – the marinade literally does all the work with only 10 minutes of prep! Next, cook the harissa chicken thighs on the grill, stove or in the oven (all instructions included). This harissa chicken recipe is excellent for meal prep, make ahead lunch/dinners, entertaining and leftovers – you will love having this chicken on hand!
Servings 6 -8 servings
Ingredients
CHICKEN MARINADE
- 2-3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, pounded to an even thickness
- 10 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons harissa paste
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 TBS EACH ground cumin, ground coriander
- 2 tsp EACH smoked paprika, ground cardamom, salt
- 1 tsp EACH onion powder, pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
CILANTRO YOGURT SAUCE (OPTIONAL)
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup packed cilantro
- 1/3 cup packed parsley
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp EACH ground cumin, salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
MARINATE CHICKEN
- Whisk all of the Marinade ingredients together in a large bowl or freezer size plastic bag. Add chicken and turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator 4 to 24 hours. Let chicken sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before cooking.
YOGURT SAUCE
- Make the yogurt sauce and prep your sides while the chicken is marinating. Add all of the Sauce Ingredients to a blender and blend until the herbs are chopped, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed. If you would like a thicker sauce, stir (don’t blend) in additional yogurt. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
HOW TO COOK CHICKEN ON THE GRILL
- Grease and preheat the grill to medium heat, 400-450°F. Grill chicken, covered for 5-7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 170 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
HOW TO COOK CHICKEN ON THE STOVE
- Heat one tablespoon vegetable oil a large cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium high heat. Working in batches, add chicken in a single layer and cook for 4-5 minutes. Turn chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook approximately 3-5 additional minutes (depending on thickness of chicken), or until chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 170 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
HOW TO COOK CHICKEN IN THE OVEN
- Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Add chicken to baking sheet in a single layer so they aren’t touching. Bake at 425 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until an internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.