Harissa Honey Chicken is savory, sweet, and spicy all in one and it makes for the most delicious chicken to add to a mediterranean inspired rice bowl, salad, or even wrap! This recipe was inspired by a menu item at Cava but if you don’t live nearby one, you can now make it at home and even better.
If you’re not familiar with Cava, think of it as a Middle Eastern version of Chipotle. You can build your own bowls, salads, or pitas with a bunch of options from proteins to dips and even proteins. I used to go all the time when I lived in SoCal but I no longer have one anywhere nearby me so I just had to recreate it myself. The chicken comes together in 30 minutes and is perfect for meal-prep. Let’s get into it!
The Marinade
For the chicken, we’ll be using boneless skinless chicken thighs. You can use chicken breast but chicken thighs are preferred.
Here are the ingredients you need:
- olive oil
- lemon juice
- harissa
- garlic
- parsley
- cilantro
- spices
To a mixing bowl, add the chicken thighs along with the olive oil, lemon juice, harissa, garlic, parsley, cilantro, paprika, coriander, cumin, and salt. Combine all together and now it’s ready to go. You can do this the night before or the morning of so the flavors develop even more and less work for you leading up to dinner.
Cooking the Chicken
You can cook these on a pan over the stove or if you want to BBQ, you can definitely throw these on the grill! Make sure to grease the grill or pan with a little olive oil and add the chicken. Don’t overcrowd them, cook in two batches if needed. Sear on one side over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes until golden and then flip over. Cook on the other side 5 to 6 minutes.
Then add a bit of butter and a drizzle of honey over the chicken. Lower the heat and cook for an additional minute or two until the chicken is cooked through.
Take off the grill or pan once it’s beautifully seared and cooked all the way. Chop into small pieces and then it’s ready to enjoy!
The Harissa
Obviously, for Harissa Honey chicken you are going to need harissa. I actually make it homemade and it’s super simple. A recipe will be coming on the blog very soon for it. You can either make it from scratch or buy it pre-made from the store. There is a really popular Moroccan brand called Mina that makes an incredible harissa I recommend. If you can’t find North African Harissa in the store, you can also use the Vietnamese chili paste as a solid replacement.
In this recipe, I used 3 tablespoons of homemade harissa. Now the chicken didn’t turn out spicyyyy, it just had a small quick. Feel free to add more if you’d like it hot. But just remember every harissa or hot sauce is different with the heat level so make sure to taste it first and add accordingly!
What to Serve it With
My favorite way to enjoy this chicken is with yellow rice and white sauce from the Halal Cart recipe on the blog. Then I like to add a bunch of toppings like cucumber, roasted red bell pepper, pepperoncinis, feta, lettuce, tzatziki, and hummus! You can also skip the rice and use the lettuce or mixed greens as a base instead to enjoy as a salad. Another option is to stuff a pita with the chicken and all your favorite sauces and veggies.
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Harissa Honey Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons harissa, more to taste
- 1 1/2 tablespoon garlic, finely minced
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons coriander
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- To a large bowl, add the chicken thighs, olive oil, harissa, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, cilantro, paprika, coriander, cumin and salt. Mix to marinade evenly.
- Heat oil in a cast iron skillet, pan, or grill over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook on each side until a nice brown crust develops, about 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Then turn the heat to low, add the butter and honey, and cook for a minute or two more until cooked in the center.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Once cooled to touch, chop into small pieces and enjoy!
Did You Make This Recipe?
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