Looking for a new twist on the classic roast dinner? Try this mouth-watering spicy harissa roast chicken recipe, which pairs perfectly with roasted veggies, rice, salad, or good old-fashioned roast potatoes.
With juicy and tender meat and crispy skin that's bursting with flavour, this dish is ideal for a family dinner, or a more formal dinner party.
It's a real crowd-pleaser of a recipe and a delicious and easy way to add some spice to your usual roast chicken dinner.
👩🍳 Love roast chicken? Try my easy air fryer roast chicken next!
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What is Harissa?
Harissa is a North African spice paste made from a blend of roasted red peppers, chili peppers, garlic, coriander, cumin, and other spices. It adds a spicy and smoky flavour to the chicken, making it a favourite among spice lovers.
✔️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The perfect balance of spiciness, saltiness, and sweetness.
- Moist, juicy, and tender chicken meat that's perfectly flavoured with herbs and spices.
- Made with simple ingredients that you can find in your pantry or fridge.
- Leftover chicken can be used in salads, risotto, and pasta dishes.
- One-pan meal that is easy to prepare and clean up.
🛒 Ingredients
Whole Chicken - 1.6kg whole chicken.
Peppers - 2 red or yellow peppers, chopped into large chunks.
Red Onion - peeled, quarted, and broken into petals.
Olive Oil - to drizzle onto the vegetables.
Harissa Rub - harissa paste, brown sugar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic paste, salt and pepper
Herbs - chopped fresh parsley and mint
🔪 Instructions
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Preheat the oven to 180°C (160° fan/ 350F) and place the peppers and onions into a roasting tin. Drizzle with oil.
Two: Mix together the harissa rub ingredients and spread them onto the chicken.
Three: Roast in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes, until the juices run clear. Test the internal temperature with a meat themeometer (it should reach 75°C). Cover the chicken with foil after 45 minutes to prevent the harissa rub from burning.
💭 Expert Tips
Here are some expert tips to help you make the perfect harissa roasted chicken:
- Make sure to pat the chicken dry before seasoning it with harissa. This will help the harissa paste stick to the chicken better.
- For a milder flavour, use less harissa paste or mix it with some olive oil or yogurt.
- If you don't have harissa paste, you can make your own by blending together red chilli flakes, garlic, cumin, coriander, olive oil, and lemon juice
- Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. It should reach 75°C (165°F) for safe consumption.
- Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving to allow the juices to redistribute and the flavours to meld together.
🍴 Serving Suggestions
Harissa roast chicken can be paired with a variety of sides and salads. Here are a few serving suggestions:
- Tabbouleh white bean salad
- Coconut rice
- Rocket salad
- Roasted carrots
- Air fryer roast potatoes
- Greek orzo salad
- Grilled vegetables
To add a Middle Eastern twist to the dish, serve the chicken with a side of roasted red pepper hummus and warm pita bread. The creamy hummus will balance out the spiciness of the chicken perfectly.
You could also serve it with a cool, tangy yogurt sauce to complement the spicy heat of the harissa chicken. To make a simple yogurt sauce, mix together plain yogurt, lemon juice, chopped herbs (such as mint, parsley or coriander), and a pinch of salt.
📖 Variations
- If you prefer a milder flavour, you can reduce the amount of harissa used in the recipe. On the other hand, if you love spice, you can add extra harissa or even some chilli flakes to the mix.
- For a more intense flavour, you can marinate the chicken in harissa paste for several hours before roasting. This will infuse the meat with the spicy, aromatic flavours of harissa.
- Use chicken thigh pieces instead of a whole chicken and make a harissa chicken traybake.
- Swap the light brown sugar for clear runny honey.
🥡 Storage
Store - Leftover harissa roast chicken can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. It's recommended to store the chicken in an airtight container to keep it fresh for longer.
Reheat - When reheating the chicken, it's important to ensure that it's heated through to an internal temperature of 75°C. This can be done by reheating in the oven or microwave.
Freeze - If you want to freeze the chicken, wrap the chicken tightly in cling-film or aluminum foil and place it in a freezer-safe container or bag. The chicken can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use store-bought harissa if you don't want to make your own.
Harissa can be quite spicy, depending on the type and amount of chili peppers used. If you're sensitive to heat, start with a small amount and taste as you go.
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Recipe
Spicy Harissa Roast Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.6 kg Chicken
- 2 Red Peppers chopped into large chunks
- 1 Red Onion peeled, quartered and broken into petals
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Harissa Rub
- 3 tablespoon Harissa
- 2 tablespoon Light Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Lemon juice (but place the squeezed lemon into the roasting tray for extra flavour)
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Paste
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Garnish
- Parsley and Mint finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160° fan/ 350F).
- Place the peppers and onions into a roasting tin. Drizzle with oil.2 Red Peppers, 1 Red Onion, 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- Mix together the harissa rub ingredients in a bowl and spread onto the chicken with a spoon.1.6 kg Chicken, 3 tablespoon Harissa, 2 tablespoon Light Brown Sugar, 1 tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 Lemon, 1 teaspoon Garlic Paste, ½ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Roast in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes, until the juices run clear. Test the internal temperature with a meat themeometer (it should reach 75°C). Cover the chicken with foil after 45 minutes to prevent the harissa rub from burning. garnish with chopped mint and parsley before serving.Parsley and Mint
Notes
- Make sure to pat the chicken dry before seasoning it with harissa. This will help the harissa paste stick to the chicken better.
- For a milder flavour, use less harissa paste or mix it with some olive oil or yogurt.
- If you don't have harissa paste, you can make your own by blending together red chilli flakes, garlic, cumin, coriander, olive oil, and lemon juice.
- Swap the light brown sugar for honey.
- Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. It should reach 75°C (165°F) for safe consumption.
- If you prefer a milder flavour, you can reduce the amount of harissa used in the recipe. On the other hand, if you love spice, you can add extra harissa or even some chilli flakes to the mix.
- For a more intense flavour, you can marinate the chicken in harissa paste for several hours before roasting. This will infuse the meat with the spicy, aromatic flavours of harissa.
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