This One Skillet 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.
Harissa Chicken
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! Its warm spices and rich fragrance have defined a new style of comfort food for me.
Comfort food was traditionally defined by rich, heavy dishes, like Macaroni and Cheese, Short Ribs, or Osso Buco. But today, I’d like to think that the new comfort food is just a more healthful, mindful way of eating – eating to feel good.
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.
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.
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.
Wine Pairings for Harissa Chicken:
- 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.
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How do you define comfort food? Are you more traditional when it comes to those dishes, or have you created a “new” comfort food tradition of your own? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
More Chicken Recipes:
- Pretzel Crusted Chicken with Cheddar-Mustard Sauce
- Miso Chicken
- Mushroom Chicken
- Spinach & Artichoke Orzo with Chicken
- Curry Chicken Skewers with Lime
- Mexican Street Corn Chicken Tacos
- Grilled Chicken with Peanut Sauce
Harissa Chicken with Chickpeas (One Skillet)
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 6 chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)
- 1 onion (cut into large wedges)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 1/8-1/4 cup harissa paste (depending on how spicy you'd like the dish)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 lemon (sliced)
Harissa Yogurt Sauce
- 6 ounces 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.
Harissa Yogurt Sauce:
- In a small bowl combine yogurt, harissa and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
I need to get myself some harissa! Making this next week for sure.
Yay! I’d love to hear back on how you like it Catherine!
Erin – this looks AMAZING! I don’t how you are constantly coming up with such creative and beautiful recipes. Looks super yummy and love that it’s one pot with minimal clean-up.
Thanks so much Lisa! I’m constantly on the quest for more one-pot meals!
Delicious!
Everything about this recipe looks amazing! I haven’t cooked with harissa at home yet but this definitely makes me want to run out and get some to try this dish. Yum!
I hope you do Marlynn! I’m definitely becoming hooked on harissa 🙂
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!)!!
I definitely lean towards the side of spicy, Mary, so much so that it gives my boyfriend the hiccups… Oops.
I love harrisa, and the other flavours you have going on here sound fab. Think I may need to up my game on my weekend tray bake!
Thanks Matt 🙂
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!
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
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!
I have Harissa powdered seasoning, can I use that in lieu of the paste?
Hi Jean – I would add some oil and water to the powder until it reaches a paste like texture. Hope this helps!
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.
I’m so happy to hear that you liked it Grace!
This was delicious! Made tonight, subbed in some parsley instead of cilantro, and lemon juice instead of lemons because it’s what I had on hand, and turned out yum! Served over rice as well.
Awesome! Thanks for those swap in suggestions Kelly!
This was delicious
Wish I could post a photo
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!
I’m so glad you liked it Nicole! Different brands of harissa can vary so much in terms of heat! I’m sorry it was a bit too spicy!
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.
Thanks for sharing Jill! I’m so glad it’s a hit!
Good Evening Erin!
I have made this delicious recipe many times.
My daughter is in love with the Harissa Yogurt Sauce and puts it on everything. I was wondering what would the cooking time be if I
used boneless chicken breasts?
Hi Colleen – Thank you! I would reduce the cook time to about 15 minutes for chicken breasts. Hope that helps!