Harissa – Recipe Coast

Harissa Chicken – WellPlated.com

admin — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 16:19:04 +0000

Harissa Chicken is bold, smoky, and tender, thanks to a simple marinade made with harissa paste. It’s easy enough for a weeknight, versatile enough for meal prep, and you can cook it however you like, whether it’s on the grill, in the oven, or in the air fryer.

Harissa will take your chicken game to the next level!

Harissa is spicy, but not necessarily hot.

Buy a mild version and it brings layers of roasted peppers, garlic, warm spices, subtle smokiness, and a little heat. (And if you do like it hot, opt for the spicy version.)

I’ve found that chicken thighs (and Juicy Lamb Meatballs!) are the perfect match for harissa. Their richness stands up well to the bold flavor. If you get bored of the same chicken recipes again and again, harissa chicken is here to help you shake things up!

Since harissa already contains plenty of complexity, you don’t need to add all that much to complete the marinade—just olive oil to help the marinade soak into the meat, garlic (because ALWAYS garlic), salt, pepper, and cumin for some warm, earthy flavor.

Ingredients and Substitutions

You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs. Chicken thighs stay juicier than chicken breasts and are more forgiving if they cook a minute or two longer than planned. Trim away any large pieces of excess fat before marinating.
Harissa Paste. Mild harissa delivers warm, smoky flavor with gentle heat, while spicy versions can be significantly hotter. I tested this recipe with mild harissa because it lets the other flavors come through while still providing plenty of personality.
Olive Oil. No need for fancy extra-virgin olive oil here. A good cooking olive oil will do!
Garlic. After mincing, measure the garlic; you should have about a tablespoon. Large or small cloves will yield different amounts, so it’s best to go by measurement rather than number!
Seasonings. Kosher salt, ground cumin, and black pepper.
Fresh Herbs. Cilantro, parsley, or dill all work well.
Greek Yogurt. A dollop of plain Greek yogurt cools the heat from the harissa.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Prepare the Chicken. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Dry chicken browns better than wet chicken, so don’t skip this step.

Marinate the Chicken. In a large bowl, stir together all the marinade ingredients (photo 1). Add the chicken and toss until every piece is evenly covered. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or refrigerate for up to 24 hours (photo 2).

Cook the Chicken (photo 3). Choose your preferred cooking method: grilling, baking in the oven, or air frying.

Rest (photo 4). Let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing, then ENJOY!

Erin’s Testing Notes

For this recipe, make sure you’re purchasing jarred harissa SAUCE, not harissa paste. The paste is much more concentrated, so your chicken will be suuuuper spicy. If you prefer more heat, use a spicy harissa sauce instead of mild.

How to Serve Harissa Chicken

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This easy harissa chicken is juicy, smoky and boldly spiced with an easy marinade. Instructions included for baking, grilling, and air frying!

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
¼ cup harissa sauce mild or spicy; I used mild
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro, dill, or parsley for serving
Plain Greek yogurt for serving

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and pat dry; trim off and discard any large pieces of extra fat.
In a large bowl, combine the harissa, oil, garlic, salt, cumin, and pepper. Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat. Let marinate for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 1 day (let the chicken come to room temperature prior to cooking).
TO BAKE: Preheat oven to 425℉. Place the chicken in a single layer in a foil- or parchment-lined baking dish large enough to hold it comfortably without the chicken touching. Bake the chicken until it reaches 165°F on an instant read thermometer inserted at the thickest part, about 15 to 25 minutes depending upon your oven and the size of the thighs. Cover and let rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
TO AIR FRY: Preheat the air fryer to 380°F, then add the chicken smooth-side down. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant read thermometer. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then enjoy warm.

TO STORE: Refrigerate cooked chicken in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
TO FREEZE: Freeze cooked chicken for up to 3 months.
TO REHEAT: Warm gently in the microwave or a covered skillet over low heat until heated through.

Serving: 1(of 6)Calories: 236kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 30gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 144mgSodium: 869mgPotassium: 427mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 119IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 2mg

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Harissa Meatballs with Whipped Feta Recipe

admin — Mon, 11 May 2026 04:44:25 +0000

These Harissa Meatballs with Whipped Feta are perfect for an easy SOS dinner! Store-bought meatballs, bell peppers, zucchini, harissa, and whipped feta all in one bowl. YUMMY!

This is a fan favorite recipe that’s part of our Fall 2022 SOS Series! View the full series.

Here’s a stunner for you.

You are looking at a big ol’ bowl of store-bought wonders such as hummus, olives, and pita bread, topped with a pile of meatballs (also store-bought! SOS life) that have been coated in a quick harissa / lemon / olive oil paste and baked to juicy-crisp perfection, roasted peppers and zucchini, and a super tangy, salty, whipped garlicky feta to add a little creamy punch to every bite.

It sounds fancy when I write it all out, and actually, every bite really does feel very complex and so delicious. But in reality, almost everything can be store-bought, and then you just have two tasks: roasting a meatball and veggie sheet pan, and whipping up a block of feta.

In This Post: Everything You Need For This Bowl

Ingredients You Need To Make This Happen

Here’s our shortcut-friendly ingredient list:

meatballs
harissa paste (it usually comes in a jar and is often sold in the “global foods” section at many grocery stores)
bell peppers
zucchini
hummus
pita
feta

And assuming you’ve got olive oil, S&P, and garlic…this big bowl of goodness is yours for the taking.

How To Make This Bowl Come Together

Essentially what is happening here is the meatballs, peppers, and zucchini get roasted on one single pan.

I know technically this isn’t the correct way to do it because you want each veggie to be cooked to its own perfection. And if you are particular about your zucchini, feel free to give it its own pan for optimal zucchini-specific roasting. But I found it most efficient (and 100% delicious) to just add the zucchini on the same pan – not for the whole time, but just for the last few minutes of roasting. If there’s an easy way to do something that still gets the same super-yum end results, you know I’m all over that. And in this case, everybody-on-one-pan is the way.

The Whipped Feta Is a Must-Make

The only other really “active” cooking step here is blitzing up a block of feta cheese in a food processor or mini chopper (I love this one (affiliate link)) until it becomes a creamy, spreadable, dollop-able wonder that you might be tempted to put on, like, everything from here on out.

This recipe, this combo of flavors, this textural heaven? This one is for those of us who like to go big. Lots of color, lots of puckery zip, lots of salt, and a good amount of heat from that harissa paste… more of all, please.

In terms of eating this, you can just fork-and-knife it, OR you can get right up in there with your pillowy pita and swoop it directly into the hummus, top with a meatball and some veggies, and do a final dunk into that whipped feta to just take this day right over the top. (10/10 would recommend.)

Harissa Meatballs with Whipped Feta: Frequently Asked Questions

What type of store-bought meatballs do you recommend?

Any kind! I’ve tried pork, beef, chicken, and turkey meatballs – and I think veggie meatballs would also work really well as a vegetarian option! This recipe is very forgiving – it can work with meatballs that are pre-cooked, and I’ve also enjoyed this recipe with the pre-made, UNCOOKED meatballs that you can often buy in the meat department. For a specific brand, I really enjoyed these with the ALDI pre-made uncooked Italian style meatballs (I know, wrong flavor profile, but it worked just fine and the meatballs were amazing). I just brushed them with the harissa sauce before baking.

I have some extra time. Can I make my own meatballs for this recipe?

Sure can! These baked chicken meatballs are perfect in this recipe, and major bonus – they’re freezer-friendly if you wanted to prep these ahead of time. Doubling the recipe is not a bad idea!

Is harissa paste spicy?

It’s not terribly spicy, but harissa paste does pack some heat. I would rate it as mild+ or medium- level heat. I left a few meatballs un-sauced for my toddler just to make sure it wasn’t too spicy for her.

I can’t find harissa paste. What else can I use?

Chili oil or even sriracha could work here instead! Just adjust the amounts as necessary so that you don’t make it too spicy.

Prefer To Watch Instead Of Read?

Click here to watch step-by-step stories for how to make this recipe!

Source Notes: Harissa paste is “a Tunisian hot chili pepper paste, the main ingredients of which are roasted red peppers, Baklouti peppers, spices and herbs such as garlic paste, caraway seeds, coriander seeds, cumin and olive oil to carry the oil-soluble flavors.” (definition from Wiki!) It reminds me a little bit of curry paste – it’s packed with flavor and vibrantly red in color. In the US, you can find it at many grocery stores that have a solidly stocked “global foods” section. It’s usually is sold in small jars. If you want to dabble with making your own (and I am actually tempted to after reading Suzy’s description), here is a recipe for homemade harissa paste.

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