The Best Homemade Harissa
Harissa is a North African hot sauce/spread and being half Moroccan/half Libyan, I grew up putting it on everything and I mean everything! It’s so flavorful and adds a nice kick to so many dishes from sandwiches to eggs and even marinades. It takes less than 30 minutes to make this beautiful vibrant spicy red sauce so let’s do it!
Servings cups
Ingredients
- 12 fresno chilis, cut in half and stem removed
- 1 cup roasted red bell peppers
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic, more to taste
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 cup water (or use liquid from roasted red pepper jar0
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- optional: squeeze of lemon juice
Instructions
- To a food processor, add the Fresno chilis and roasted red bell pepper. Pulse a few times until broken up and no more chunks. It should be like a thick puree. Don't over-blend it.
- Heat a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, tomato paste, and garlic. Cook down the tomato paste to remove any acidity. It should turn a darker red color, about 2 minutes.
- Then add in the chili pepper paste to the pan. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes and then add the liquid from jar or just water and cumin, coriander, and salt. Optional, add a squeeze of lemon here.
- Mix together, lower the heat, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Taste and adjust anything to your liking. I like to add more olive oil at the end.
- Transfer to an air-tight jar and store in the fridge for a week or in the freezer longer.
Notes
- To keep more fresh in the fridge, add a layer of olive oil directly on top in the jar.
- If you don't want it to spicy, you can remove some of the seeds from the Fresno chilis (for example, remove the seeds from 4 chilis, 6 chilis, etc).
Did You Make This Recipe?
If you make this recipe, leave a comment below and let me know how it turns out. I love hearing from you!