To make the best recipes with chicken and harissa paste, you first need to choose the right chicken cut. There are many different cuts to consider, but chicken breast or chicken legs are the most common varieties used in this recipe. Chicken breasts allow the harissa flavours to shine through and are well-suited to being cooked quickly in the pan after marinating. Equally, chicken legs feature regularly in harissa chicken recipes. Some chefs prefer this cut as thighs have a higher fat content, making them less prone to drying out during the cooking process.
And it’s worth familiarising yourself with the ultimate way to make chicken marinade, to get the most out of this recipe. The most important factor to consider when making a marinade is to strike the right balance between the ingredients. It needs a mixture of fat, acid, sugar and seasoning, and you can vary the marinade shared in the recipe above by adding ingredients, such as lemon, to brighten the flavours.
A key component in the marinade is, of course, the harissa paste. Harissa is a spicy, smoky, peppery red chilli paste, hailing from North Africa, and is usually made from a selection of simple ingredients, including dry red chillies, garlic, citrus, olive oil and warm spices. You can make harissa paste at home, but it’s also widely available from well-stocked supermarkets. The shop-bought pastes can vary hugely in levels of heat, however, so it’s best to experiment with a few brands to find the spicy kick that works best for your palate.
In the recipe above, we’ve suggested pan-searing the marinated chicken for ease. However, you can follow other cooking methods too. It’s possible to roast the marinated chicken if you want to ensure you have greater control over the method. Or, transfer to a hot grill to add visually appealing charring lines to the chicken and a smokier note to the dish. Whichever way you choose to cook the chicken, we’d recommend using a meat thermometer to check it’s fully up to temperature. Both chicken breasts and thighs should reach an internal temperature of 75°C.
How to serve it
Harissa chicken is best served warm straight away. It’s delicious with a dollop of Greek yoghurt on the side, for dipping the chicken into. Many chefs will also garnish the chicken with fresh herbs, such as parsley. For a heartier meal, you can mix harissa chicken with ingredients such as couscous to make a Moroccan harissa chicken recipe. You could also wrap it up in pita or flatbread to create an elevated lunchtime dish.
Or, if you’re making this dish for a light supper, plate your harissa chicken with a selection of roasted vegetables, such as grilled courgettes and peppers. Traditionally, it’s often served on a bed of rice, but there are many interpretations of the dish now globally.
Make-ahead tips
As this recipe includes marinating time, you’ll need to factor this into your cooking plans. You can marinate the chicken for as little as an hour, if pushed for time, but if you allow it to sit in the fridge overnight, you’ll get the most out of the flavours. You can also freeze marinated chicken in the freezer for up to two months, but it’ll need to thaw in the fridge overnight.
For another time-saving tip, make the marinade the day before cooking. Once combined, the marinade will keep in the fridge for up to three days when stored in an airtight container.
