Harissa Chicken with Chickpeas (One Pot Recipe!)

This One Pot Harissa Chicken with Chickpeas is a fuss free dish that’s easy to make at home. Spicy, fragrant harissa reduces and coats the chicken and chickpeas as they roast, and a creamy yogurt harissa sauce finishes it all off.

Close up of harissa chicken in skillet with chickpeas.

Harissa has my heart lately. 💛 💛 💛

From Harissa Hummus to Lemon Chicken Skewers with Harissa Yogurt Sauce, harissa has been finding its way into lots of my recipes!

This One Skillet Harissa Chicken with Chickpeas and Yogurt is my new comfort food. With the rich, spiciness of the harissa, the creamy chickpeas and the tangy yogurt, it’s an all around feel good dish that’s easy to make on a weeknight, but fancy enough to serve at a dinner party.

I love that this dish finishes off in the oven, giving you a bit of a break before dinner.

It’s the perfect time to whip up the harissa yogurt sauce, pour a glass of wine, and clean up the kitchen before digging in.

Ingredients for harissa chicken labeled on counter.

Ingredients Needed

  • Chicken Thighs – I prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
  • Harissa Paste
  • Olive Oil
  • Onion & Garlic
  • Tomato Paste
  • Canned Chickpeas
  • Chicken Broth
  • Cilantro
  • Lemon
  • Greek Yogurt
  • Salt & Pepper

How to Make It

  • Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
  • Meanwhile, heat some olive oil in large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken for 4-5 minutes per side, until browned. Note: The chicken does not need to be fully cooked through.
  • Set the chicken aside to a plate.
  • Reduce the skillet heat to medium and add the onion and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add tomato paste and allow to brown for a minute or two.
  • Add chickpeas, harissa and chicken broth.
  • Return the chicken to the skillet and scatter lemon slices around.
  • Place in the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
  • While the chicken is cooking, make the harissa yogurt sauce by combining yogurt, harissa and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Top the chicken with cilantro and serve with harissa yogurt sauce on the side. Enjoy!
Harissa chicken and chickpeas cooked in skillet topped with yogurt sauce.

Is Harissa Spicy?

  • Different brands of harissa can have varying degrees of heat. You should taste yours first and modify the amount you use from there. You may need anywhere from 1/8 cup of harissa to ¼ cup. It also depends on how spicy you like your food. I used ¼ cup, and the end result was quite spicy – the way I like it. However, if you’re sensitive to heat, I would definitely dial it down a bit, using half the amount.

Harissa Wine Pairing

  • Sauvignon Blanc – Fresh and fruity with abundant citrus and herbal notes, it makes a great match for the tanginess and spiciness of the harissa.
  • A dry Rosé or Riesling would also make a great match for this dish, their bright acidity and balanced sweetness play nicely off the harissa.
  • If you’re looking for a red wine to pair with this dish, consider something with a light body and minimal tannins – A Grenache or Beaujolais Nouveau would work well here.
Prepared harissa chicken in skillet ready to be served.

More Easy Chicken Recipes

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Harissa chicken in skillet topped with dollops of yogurt sauce.

Harissa Chicken with Chickpeas

One Pot Harissa Chicken with Chickpeas is a fuss free dish that's easy to make at home. Spicy, fragrant harissa coats the chicken and chickpeas as they roast and a creamy yogurt harissa sauce finishes it off at the end.
5 from 17 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

Harissa Yogurt Sauce

  • 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1-2 Tablespoons harissa paste
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

Chicken:

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Heat oil in large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken for 4-5 minutes per side, until browned. (The chicken does not need to be fully cooked through.) Set aside.
  • Reduce heat to medium and add onion and garlic to the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add tomato paste and allow to brown for a minute or two.
  • Add chickpeas, harissa and chicken broth.
  • Return chicken to the skillet and scatter lemon slices around. Place in oven and roast for 20-25 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Top with cilantro and serve with harissa yogurt sauce on the side. If you'd like your chicken more browned on top, pop it under a broiler set on high for a minute or two.

Harissa Yogurt Sauce:

  • In a small bowl combine yogurt, harissa and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Notes

Different brands of harissa can have varying degrees of heat. You should taste yours first and modify the amount you use from there. You may need anywhere from 1/8 cup of harissa to ¼ cup.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!

Nutrition

Calories: 453kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 219mg | Potassium: 554mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 320IU | Vitamin C: 5.9mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 1.5mg

This post was originally published in 2020. It was updated in 2023 to add new information and photographs. The one pot harissa chicken recipe remains the same. Enjoy!

32 thoughts on “Harissa Chicken with Chickpeas (One Pot Recipe!)”

  1. Holy crap that looks delicious! I’ve also never tried cooking with harissa at home and now feel the need to go buy some. Totally agree about the rosé too. Would be very refreshing and cooling to the palate, especially if you make it on the spicy side (like I totally would!)!!

    Reply
  2. This recipe sounds great. Would like to try it — but have one question: I’m assuming you use plain yogurt, but how much? Your standard small size or is more required.

    Thanks for your response.

    Mary Beth

    Reply
    • Hi Mary Beth – I used 6oz. plain Greek yogurt and stirred in 1 Tbsp. harissa paste. You may need to adjust based on the heat level of your harissa and personal spiciness preference. Enjoy!

      Reply
  3. 5 stars
    I made the Harissa Chicken last night and it was excellent!! I followed the recipe to a T and it was perfect. I will definitely make this again.

    Reply
  4. 5 stars
    This was delicious!! It was a little spicy for us, so I’ll reduce the amount of harissa next time. I’m so glad that I stumbled across you website!

    Reply
  5. 5 stars
    My family just loves this recipe. So rich in flavor and doesn’t break the budget. It’s my daughter’s birthday and she asked me to make this again instead of going out to dinner. We serve it with plain steamed rice and Naan bread.

    Reply
  6. 5 stars
    Yum, found this recipe searching for a use for Harissa and didn’t disappoint! Sauce seemed a bit thinner than pictured so maybe I’ll cook off some of the chicken broth next time and see if that helps. I errored on a little more than 1/4c. Harissa and 👍 not too spicy!

    Reply

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