Hot Honey Harissa Grilled Chicken
Ultra juicy chicken thighs are tossed through a flavor PACKED harissa honey sauce and then grilled to perfection for an easy weeknight-friendly meal. It takes just 30 minutes and can be served in multiple delicious ways (piled on top of soft two-ingredient flatbreads is a delicious choice!)
Harissa paste is a flavor powerhouse and something I love to have on hand. Here, it pairs BEAUTIFULLY with honey and lemon to create a seriously delicious sweet, sour, spicy sauce that is just SO moreish. Add juicy grilled chicken thighs and you have a wonderful, versatile recipe using just six base ingredients.
The great thing about this recipe is you can serve it in so many different ways, and it’s a fab one for meal prep or easy entertaining. The chicken can be marinated up to 24 hours ahead of time, and will last for four days in the fridge once it’s cooked.
Here, I’m serving it on top of soft 2-ingredient dough flatbreads, with shredded lettuce, tahini sauce, crumbled feta, and honestly? Obsessed.
This is the same sauce I use for my honey harissa glazed halloumi, if you’d like to try a vegetarian twist on this recipe. And if you’re a fan of these flavors, you might like to try this air fryer viral chicken doner kebab platter, or juicy chicken shawarma crispy rice salad.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken thighs. I’m using skinless, boneless, free-range chicken thighs here. I prefer thighs because they’re juicier and more flavorful than chicken breasts, but you can use breasts if you like, or tenderloin.
- Harissa paste. This fiery North African spice paste is loaded with chilies, lemon, and garlic and is a flavor powerhouse. I’m using Belazu Rose Harissa paste here, but you can use any harissa paste you like. Different brands have different levels of heat, so give yours a taste before using it and reduce the quantity (use 1 tablespoon) if it’s very spicy.
- Lemon. I’m using fresh lemon because the flavor is better, but you can use bottled lemon juice if you like.
How to Make Honey Harissa Chicken
This is a step-by-step overview of how to make the chicken – the full recipe with ingredient quantities is at the bottom of the page for you.
- Mix the harissa paste, honey, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
- Arrange the chicken on a lined oven pan, ideally on a single layer, so it can cook evenly and get lovely and charred.
- Cook the chicken until it’s beautifully golden and charred around the edges
- Serve the chicken piled onto a platter with more cooking juices drizzled on top, or, as I have here, serve it on top of soft flatbreads with a drizzle of tahini, a little feta, and shredded lettuce.
Kate’s Top Tip for Cooking Chicken
If you’re worried about whether or not the chicken is cooked and ready, you can cut into a piece to check if it looks white.
OR, use a probe thermometer. Chicken should be at least 165°F (75°C) all the way through.
Five Ways to Serve Honey Harissa Chicken
- Slice it and pile it on top of creamy white bean dip or creamy oil-free hummus, with green goddess salad on the side.
- Pair with skin-on roast potatoes, miso sweet potatoes, dukkah roast potatoes or crispy oven fries.
- Pile onto soft, garlic flatbreads and dollop sundried tomato and feta dip on top.
- Stuff into steamed bao buns with garlic aioli and a crunchy Asian-style salad.
- Turn the chicken into a loaded miso chicken poke bowl, serve it on top of grilled chicken Caesar salad, toss through pasta salad (like this orzo pesto salad), or serve on top of risotto.
Watch How to Make Honey Harissa Chicken
Honey Harissa Chicken FAQs
Can I use chicken breast for this harissa grilled chicken?Yes, you can. Cut your breasts into about 3 pieces, then proceed with the recipe.
How long will the harissa and hot honey chicken keep?It will keep well once cooked for 4 days, stored in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also marinate the chicken in the harissa honey sauce up to 24 hours ahead of time.
What’s the best harissa paste to use?I love using Belazu Rose Harissa when I’m in the UK, but any brand of harissa will do here.
Is harissa paste very spicy?It very much depends on the brand. Always taste before you use – if yours is super spicy, reduce the quantity in the recipe to 1 tablespoon.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave a recipe rating and a comment below. And remember to tag @Zageer on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok if you’ve made one of my recipes. Seeing your recreations really makes my day 😊.
Ultra juicy chicken thighs are tossed through a flavour-packed harissa honey sauce and then grilled to perfection for an easy weeknight-friendly meal. It takes just 30 minutes and can be served in multiple delicious ways. Here I’m serving the chicken on top of soft 2-ingredient dough flatbreads, with tahini garlic sauce, shredded lettuce, crumbled feta and crispy chickpeas. Prep Time 10 minsCook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course, meat
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes
Ingredients
- 1 lb (500g) boneless, skinless, free-range chicken thighs, diced
- 2 tablespoons harissa paste
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
Method
- Prepare the chicken.Heat your oven to 480°F (250°C fan) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper (or use a baking dish). Add 2 tablespoons of harissa paste, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 crushed garlic cloves and a pinch of salt to a mixing bowl. Using a fork or a small whisk, mix into a cohesive paste, then add the chicken. Toss through the marinade so each piece is well coated. PRO TIP: At this point, you can pop the marinating chicken into the fridge for up to 24 hours.
- Cook the chicken.Oven instructions: Transfer it to the lined pan (ideally) in a single layer. This way, the chicken can cook evenly and get nicely charred around the edges. Transfer to the oven and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it's starting to char around the edges and the chicken is cooked through. Air fryer instructions: Transfer the chicken to your air fryer, and air fry at 400℉ (200℃) for 8 to 10 minutes, giving it a shake halfway through the cooking time. HOW TO TELL IF YOUR CHICKEN IS COOKED: Either use a probe thermometer to ensure the chicken is at least 165°F (74°C), or cut into the chicken to check – it should look white, and the juices that run out when you cut should be clear, rather than cloudy.
- Garnish and serve. Transfer the chicken to a serving plate, then spoon over the cooking juices. Serve with pomegranate seeds, scallions, mint leaves, and nutty dukkah sprinkled on top if you like.
Nutrition
Serving: 125gCalories: 413kcal
Carbohydrates: 21g
Protein: 44.5g
Fat: 16.3g
Saturated Fat: 3.5g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 11.3g
Cholesterol: 211.5mg
Sodium: 976.6mg
Fiber: 0.1g
Sugar: 19.6g
