Sweet meets spicy in the best way with this Harissa Honey Chicken. This is the kind of meal that makes your taste buds dance because the juicy chicken gets coated in a sticky honey-harissa glaze that’s bold, savory, and has a little spice to it. Paired with roasted veggies and fluffy quinoa, this dish is loaded with flavor, but most importantly, health benefits.

What is Harissa?

Harissa is a bold, flavor-packed North African chili paste that comes from Tunisia and Morocco. It has a smoky, garlicky flavor with a bit of citrusy taste to it that is layered in with warm spices like cumin and coriander for the perfect combination of flavors.

The spice level of harissa can vary depending on the brand and you can usually find harissa in the international aisle at most grocery stores or online. It comes in a few different forms but harissa paste is usually the most common and what I used in this recipe. Powders and sauces also exist but they aren’t as versatile and don’t have as concentrated of a flavor like the paste does.

Why This Harissa Honey Chicken Works

• Sweet & Spicy: Honey mellows out the heat from the harissa, creating bold flavor that’s warm and savory without being overpowering.
• Caramelization: As the chicken cooks, the honey-harissa marinade turns into a sticky, glossy glaze that clings to the chicken and adds depth.
• Forgiving: Chicken thighs are juicy and hard to overcook, and the marinade does most of the work, so this recipe is very beginner-friendly.
• Versatile: You can make this chicken and use it in a variety of ways like in grain bowls, salads, wraps, or meal prep.
• Weeknight Friendly: From start to finish, everything comes together quickly and easily, make this recipe ideal for busy nights. If you’re looking for more easy, weeknight meals, check out these Greek Dinner Recipes.

How to Make Harissa Honey Chicken

1. Preheat the oven for the vegetables – Preheat the oven to 400F and set aside a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
2. Mix the yogurt base – In a small bowl mix together the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Set aside in the fridge.
3. Marinate the chicken – Add all of the chicken marinade ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk together to combine. Add all of the chicken thighs to the marinade, toss to fully coat the chicken thighs and let sit for 30 minutes on the counter or 1 hour in the refrigerator.
4. Roast the vegetables – To the baking sheet lined with parchment paper, toss the sweet potatoes, red onion and pitted & chopped dates with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Spread everything out in a single layer and bake for 25-30 minutes or until tender. Set aside.
5. Prep and cook the quinoa – While the chicken marinates, toast the slivered almonds in a pan on medium-low heat until golden and then set aside. Then, add the rinsed quinoa to a medium pot with the chicken broth and cook according to the package instructions. When cooked to your desired doneness, fluff with a fork and stir in the toasted almonds, lemon zest and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
6. Cook the chicken – After marinating for 30 minutes, cook the chicken. Heat a large oven-safe non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the marinated chicken thighs and turn the heat down to medium-low, cook the chicken for 3 minutes, flip and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and place the chicken in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, 165F. Let the chicken rest on a plate until cool enough to handle then chop into bite-sized pieces. Alternatively, you can cook the chicken thighs in the oven on a baking sheet in the 400F oven since it’s already on for the vegetables.
7. Assemble the bowls – Once the chicken is cooked, assemble 4 bowls by dividing the Greek yogurt evenly between 4 bowls, layering on the bottom of each bowl. Then layer cooked quinoa, chopped chicken, roasted vegetables and ribboned cucumber. Garnish each bowl with 1 tsp sesame seeds and (optional) 1 tsp harissa paste, fresh chopped parsley and/or fresh chopped dill and enjoy!

Tips for the Best Results

• Chicken Thighs: Thighs are naturally more flavorful and forgiving than chicken breasts, staying juicy and tender even if they cook a little longer. They also handle bold marinades really well like this one.
• Sear: That quick sear at the beginning or a short broil at the end helps caramelize the honey in the marinade, giving the chicken a sticky, golden finish and way more flavor than baking alone.
• Taste Your Harissa: Harissa can range from mild to very spicy depending on the brand, so always give it a quick taste before adding it. Then you can adjust the heat accordingly.
• Let it Rest: Letting the chicken rest for a few minutes after cooking helps the juices redistribute, keeping every bite moist and tender instead of dry.
• Double the Glaze: If you love saucy meals, make a little extra marinade so you have more to drizzle over bowls at the table.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• Honey Burning: Lower your oven temperature or add the honey glaze towards the last 5-10 minutes of cooking.
• Chicken to Dry: The key here is to use chicken thighs vs. breasts because they are pretty hard to overcook and stay juicy/moist through even long cooking processes.
• Not Spicy Enough: If the dish is not spicy enough you can add more harissa paste or add chili flakes.
• Too Spicy: If you made the dish and you find it too spicy than you can add more honey to help balance the spice or serve it with a creamy sauce like tzatziki or yogurt.
• Sauce too Thick: You can easily thin your sauce with a splash of lemon juice or water.
• Sauce too Thin: Reduce the sauce for longer than the recipe suggests to help thicken it up and/or add a touch more honey.

What to Serve with Harissa Honey Chicken

This Harissa Honey Chicken is so versatile and there are many ways you can serve it. Here are some ideas:

• Loaded Grain Bowls: Serve the Harissa Honey Chicken over quinoa, couscous, or rice with roasted veggies, cucumbers, and a big spoon of tzatziki or tahini sauce.
• In a Salad: Toss the chicken into a hearty salad with arugula or kale, roasted sweet potatoes, dates, almonds, and a simple lemon vinaigrette.
• Wraps or Pitas: Stuff the chicken into warm pitas or wraps with crunchy veggies, pickled onions, and a drizzle of yogurt sauce or hummus.

What to serve on the side

If you want to make something different on the side than roasted veggies, here are some options:

• Fresh Veggies: Sliced cucumber, tomato salad, or a quick slaw can work great and are perfect for the summer.
• Creamy Sauces: Plain yogurt, tzatziki, whipped feta, or tahini sauce to cool things down and add contrast.
• Extra Carbs: Warm naan, flatbread, or pita for scooping up all that sauce.
• Toppings: Pickled red onions, olives, fresh herbs, or a squeeze of lemon can really add an extra pop of flavor.

Storage and Meal Prep

You can store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Keep the chicken and grains/toppings separate for the best texture. This chicken can also freeze well for up to 3 months. Just thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating and I would avoid freezing the sides with it.

Lastly, this dish is fantastic for meal prepping for the week. Cook the chicken up on Sunday and portion it into containers with your choice of sides or grains.

Dietary Information

• Gluten-Free: This recipe is gluten-free but make sure you check the ingredients of your harissa paste.
• Dairy-Free: This recipe is dairy-free except for the yogurt base. You’ll need to make some dairy-free substitutions there or omit entirely.
• Vegan/Vegetarian: Try this marinade on tofu, tempeh, or cauliflower instead to make this dish vegan or vegetarian friendly. If vegan, you’ll also need to swap out the yogurt base.

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Harissa Honey Chicken

Created By: Maria Koutsogiannis

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Sweet, smoky, and perfectly spicy harissa honey chicken with a sticky caramelized glaze. Ready in 45 minutes and perfect for bowls, meal prep, or easy weeknight dinners.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Marinating time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Lunch

Cuisine Mediterranean/Middle Eastern Inspired

Servings 4 bowls

Calories 706 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the yogurt base

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp kosher salt

For the boneless skinless chicken thighs:

• 450-560 grams (1-1.25 lbs) boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 heaping tbsp harissa paste
• 1 tbsp liquid honey
• 2 small garlic cloves, pressed
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp ground pepper

For the quinoa base

• ¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 2 cups chicken broth (or 2 cups water with 2 tsp Better than Bouillon Chicken Base)
• 1 lemon, zested
• ¼ tsp cinnamon

For the roasted vegetables

• 1 large sweet potato, skin on, cubed
• 1 medium red onion, chopped or wedges
• 6 medjool dates, pitted and chopped small
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp ground pepper

For serving

• 2-3 mini cucumbers, ribboned
• fresh dill, roughly chopped
• fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• 4 tsp sesame seeds
• 4 tsp harissa paste (optional)

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Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven for the vegetables – Preheat the oven to 400F and set aside a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
• Mix the yogurt base – In a small bowl mix together the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Set aside in the fridge.
• Marinate the chicken – Add all of the chicken marinade ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk together to combine. Add all of the chicken thighs to the marinade, toss to fully coat the chicken thighs and let sit for 30 minutes on the counter or 1 hour in the refrigerator.
• Roast the vegetables – To the baking sheet lined with parchment paper, toss the sweet potatoes, red onion and pitted & chopped dates with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Spread everything out in a single layer and bake for 25-30 minutes or until tender. Set aside.
• Prep and cook the quinoa – While the chicken marinates, toast the slivered almonds in a pan on medium-low heat until golden and then set aside. Then, add the rinsed quinoa to a medium pot with the chicken broth and cook according to the package instructions. When cooked to your desired doneness, fluff with a fork and stir in the toasted almonds, lemon zest and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
• Cook the chicken – After marinating for 30 minutes, cook the chicken. Heat a large oven-safe non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the marinated chicken thighs and turn the heat down to medium-low, cook the chicken for 3 minutes, flip and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and place the chicken in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, 165F. Let the chicken rest on a plate until cool enough to handle then chop into bite-sized pieces. Alternatively, you can cook the chicken thighs in the oven on a baking sheet in the 400F oven since it’s already on for the vegetables.
• Assemble the bowls – Once the chicken is cooked, assemble 4 bowls by dividing the Greek yogurt evenly between 4 bowls, layering on the bottom of each bowl. Then layer cooked quinoa, chopped chicken, roasted vegetables and ribboned cucumber. Garnish each bowl with 1 tsp sesame seeds and (optional) 1 tsp harissa paste, fresh chopped parsley and/or fresh chopped dill and enjoy!

Notes

• These bowls are great to meal prep for lunches. Alternatively, prep two elements of the bowls (for example make the quinoa and roast the vegetables) ahead of time, store in the fridge and then make the rest of the elements to complete the bowls for dinner.
• If you love these bowls, try our Couscous + Shrimp Meal Prep Bowls

Nutrition

Calories: 706kcal | Carbohydrates: 75.7g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 29.4g | Saturated Fat: 4.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17.4g | Cholesterol: 84.3mg | Sodium: 910.3mg | Fiber: 8.8g | Sugar: 33.9g

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