Baked Harissa Chicken with Chickpeas

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This super-tasty harissa chicken is full of smoky spices and gentle heat, and it’s simple to prepare in one baking pan. All you need to do is bake boneless, skinless chicken thighs with the sauce and add chickpeas.

Serve with cooked couscous or rice for an easy dinner any night of the week.

It’s been a busier time than usual in my life, and I’ve been making this stick-it-in-the-oven-and-walk-away harissa chicken at least once a week. I think you’re going to love it as much as I do!

There’s a variation of this recipe in my cookbook, but this is my latest “tweaked” version.

• Cooking boneless chicken thighs
• Step by step recipe instructions
• Description of harissa
• Make ahead tips
• What goes with harissa chicken

The chicken thighs bake in the oven, smothered in a savory, spiced sauce blended with harissa paste, lemon, smoked paprika, cumin and garlic and sweet red onion (or shallots).

Throw in some chickpeas when the thighs are almost cooked, and you have a one-dish and done meal.

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are a family favorite

We LOVE cooking and eating boneless, skinless chicken thighs in our house. First of all, they are tasty as AF. Plus you can be sure they’ll turn out tender and juicy every time, which is not often the case with chicken breasts.

And chicken thighs go with just about any sauce or preparation you could possibly imagine throwing at them — the bolder the better!

I’m talking about seasoning them with everything from a Korean-inspired gochjang glaze to Italian white wine sauce to Dijon and shallots in a baked chicken casserole.

Steps for making baked chicken with harissa

1. Blend harissa, spices, garlic and lemon juice in a bowl.
2. Arrange the chicken thighs in a baking pan/dish. Season with salt and pepper and toss with sliced red onion or shallot.
3. Toss the chicken with the sauce. At this point, you can bake immediately or marinate up to 24 hours ahead.
4. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Add chickpeas to the chicken and bake 10 more minutes
5. Serve warm with your choice of side (see below for suggestions).

Mediterranean ingredients

If you’ve been cooking with me for a while, you know that I have a love affair with Mediterranean food and all the flavors that go with it.

lt all started after I devoured the cookbooks (and recipes) from experts on Mediterranean cooking, like Claudia Roden, Paula Wolfert and Yasmin Khan.

I highly recommend any of their books if you want a deeper dive into this cuisine, which is full of seductively vibrant produce, olive oil, lemon and spices.

What is harissa

Harissa is a traditional condiment in North African countries such as Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. It’s one of our all-time favorite pantry ingredients.

It has a consistency of a paste or thick sauce, and it’s usually made with a blend of dried red peppers, dried chilies, garlic, spices and olive oil. Sometimes spices like caraway seed are in the blend, as well as tomatoes.

Adding a few tablespoons harissa as a seasoning adds amazing savory depth to food. It has such intriguing layers of flavor that are smoky, sweet and spicy, along with mild heat from the chilies.

If you’re up for a small project, you can make harissa fairly easily at home, using my recipe for homemade harissa paste.

Otherwise you can find jars of harissa is most well stocked grocery stores. This is my latest favorite brand of prepared harissa that’s widely available.

The spice base

• Cumin: Ground cumin creates an earthy, aromatic base for the sauce.
• Smoked paprika: This spice is made with ground smoked paprika chili peppers. It adds that seductive quality to the dish that makes you want another bite.
• Harissa: The best prepared store-bought harissa to use for this recipes is one from a jar. If you only have harissa in a tube, thin it out with a tablespoon or so of water or broth to loosen up the texture.

Make ahead tips

• To make your life even easier, mix the harissa sauce and toss it with the chicken in your baking dish.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight or while you’re at work, then pop into the oven when you’re ready to bake.

What to serve with harissa chicken

You could serve this chicken right out of the pan with a salad or vegetable on the side. I suggest serving it in shallow bowls with cooked couscous to soak up the tasty juices.

Harissa baked chicken is also delicious with:

• Short grain paella-style rice
• Brown rice
• Farro
• Warm flatbread

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