19 Recipes With Harissa
Garlic, spice, and smoke are flavors we crave time and again—and these recipes with harissa give us all three. Actually, the North African (specifically Tunisian) chili paste delivers more than that: It makes us thankful…to be…alive? Not kidding; it ranks high on our list of things to be grateful for.
Made from sun-dried red chile peppers, ground and blended with olive oil, garlic cloves, cumin, coriander, caraway seeds, and sometimes other ingredients like smoked paprika or vinegar, harissa is fiery yet complex. You can make your own—find a recipe for homemade harissa here—or, since it's gained popularity in the modern American pantry, you can probably pick up a tube or jar at your local grocery store. Note that there will be differences in heat levels and texture: Many brands make hot and mild varieties, and harissa can range from loose and sauce-like to thick and pasty. We’re fans of the brand NY Shuk; its consistency is almost jam-like (yet another thing to put on the gratitude list).
As for how to cook with harissa: Use it as a marinade for chicken thighs, toss it with roasted vegetables right on a sheet pan and call it sauce, or dollop it like you would a condiment on many Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Moroccan dishes. Or, of course, make one of our favorite harissa-laced recipes, which you’ll find below.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Micah Morton1/19Creamy Spinach and Chickpeas
Transform frozen spinach into this super lush recipe with harissa by simmering the greens in cream. Round it out with a hit of protein from spiced chickpeas.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Kat Boytsova2/19Steak Salad With Harissa Potatoes and Crunchy Radishes
Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski3/19Slow-Roasted Salmon With Harissa
Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li4/19Spicy Carrot Hummus
Simple but well-seasoned with cumin and kosher salt (one reason to love this recipe), sweet from the addition of roasted carrots (that’s two), punchy thanks to a heaping tablespoon harissa (three), and tangy (that’s a fourth reason) from lots of lemon juice.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell5/19Harissa Sweet Potato Tarte Tatin
You’ll usually find tarte tatin made with apples and served for dessert, but this savory iteration with sliced sweet potatoes could and should become equally as well-loved. Why? It has a sticky, caramelized top offset by the heat and grounding spice of harissa.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Pearl Jones6/19One-Pan Chicken Thighs With Burst Tomatoes, Harissa, and Feta
This harissa chicken recipe with salty feta is a one-pan wonder. Serve it with some toasted flatbread for scooping. (Trust us, you won’t want to waste any sauce.)
Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Claire Saffitz7/19Slow-Cooked Green Beans With Harissa and Cumin
Okay, maybe we’re on a bit of a slow-and-low kick, but take the approach with green beans, and you’ll end up with an impossibly soft and cozy caramelized situation. It works either as a side or a meatless main next to crusty bread or pita—or go gluten-free by piling it over rice or, well, that carrot hummus we just mentioned.
Alex Lau8/19Harissa-Crusted Swordfish
While this recipe calls for DIY harissa paste, you can easily substitute a store-bought jar. Perhaps this commenter’s feedback will encourage you to roll up your sleeves, though: “This was really flavorfully delicious. Also great for roasting a mix of quartered carrots and mushroom, and broccoli florets/stems @ 425F for about 18 min.” Thanks for the tip!
Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Sophie Strangio9/19Harissa-Roasted Eggplant With Fried Capers
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Heather Greene10/19Creamy Tahini and Harissa Beef
This quick skillet dinner, loosely inspired by the flavors of arayes (Lebanese-style meat-filled pita pockets), is crunchy and creamy, and yields enough to feed the whole family.
Photograph by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Christina Allen12/19Weeknight Harissa Eggplant Parm
This is not your typical eggplant parm. It’s still plenty cheesy—we wouldn’t take away the mozzarella or Parmesan; we’re not complete fools—but the addition of harissa is a pleasant, earthy surprise.
Photograph by Isa Zapata. Food Styling by Kat Boytsova. Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca13/19Harissa-Honey Popcorn Chicken
A very good idea: boneless chicken thighs (or chicken breasts, if you prefer) cut into bite-size pieces, fried, and tossed in a sweet and spicy harissa-honey sauce.
Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski14/19Shingled Sweet Potatoes With Harissa
This side dish earned a spot on the list for multiple reasons, but the textural contrast between creamy roasted sweet potatoes and crunchy sesame seeds, fennel seeds, and pistachios is definitely one of them. Serve it with harissa-roasted chicken for a double dose of heat.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Kendra Vaculin15/19Baked Eggs and Greens in Harissa Tomato Sauce
This speedy weeknight dinner is similar to shakshuka, which means it’s also great for brunch. And since the black pepper-y croutons are baked right in, you don’t need to worry about serving toast on the side.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by D’mytrek Brown, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime16/19Slow-Roast Lamb With Harissa and Apricots
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua17/19Blistered Asparagus With Labneh and Harissa
Alex Lau18/19Poached Eggs in Tunisian-Style Red Pepper Sauce
If you’re hesitant about poaching eggs, fried eggs would be equally tasty served on top of this harissa-spiked red bell pepper sauce.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski19/19Black Lentil and Harissa-Roasted Veggie Bowl
