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These harissa chicken thighs are spicy, sweet, and PACKED full of flavor. They are baked on a sheet pan and come out super crispy. If you love that tangy and sweet combination, these chicken thighs are for you!
My favorite way to jazz up a weeknight meal is to use bold, bright, delicious flavors.
This harissa chicken thigh recipe is just that!
Juicy chicken thighs with crispy skin, covered in spicy harissa and sweet honey, are the perfect flavor bomb for any night of the week.
I love to pair these harissa chicken thighs with fluffy white rice or my favorite Moroccan couscous with chickpeas.
Don’t be afraid to be bold in the kitchen! Trust me, your family is going to love this dish!
Ingredients for harissa chicken thighs
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs – Both the bone, and the skin, help keep these chicken thighs juicy and delicious.
- Harissa – A hot chili pepper paste with garlic and spices.
- Honey – To bring sticky, delicious sweetness to our dish.
- Lemon – Lemon helps bring a freshness to all of the spices.
- Butter – Butter is the fat used in this dish to help provide moisture.
How to make
One of the things I love most about this dish is that it all cooks up on one singular sheet pan. You know how much I love easy cleanup!
- In a small bowl, whisk together harissa, honey, lemon juice, melted butter, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Lay chicken thighs onto your baking dish. Baste each thigh (top and bottom) with the harissa mixture and place it back on the sheet pan, skin side up.
- Add to the oven, and cook for about 30 minutes, basting the chicken thighs with the remaining harissa mixture 1-2 times while baking.
- Keep an eye on the chicken near the end of cooking time to make sure the skin doesn’t burn. If the skin starts to brown too fast tent the chicken with foil.
My Pro Tips
Recipe Tips
- Using bone-in skin-on chicken thighs will reward you with super juicy chicken. You could use boneless skinless chicken thighs in their place, but the cooking time will need to be lessened.
- Don’t let the skin burn! Because the harissa mixture contains honey, it can and will burn quickly. Don’t walk away or forget you’re cooking when you make this. You can also tent the dish with foil to slow down browning.
- Harissa is usually sold in regular or spicy heat levels. Use whichever works for your family.
FAQ’s
What to serve with harissa chicken
Storage and leftovers
The leftovers for the harissa chicken thighs are easily stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating is as simple as placing the chicken thighs in a microwave safe dish, covered loosely with a wet paper towel, for 2-3 minutes or until heated thoroughly.
More chicken thigh recipes
- Looking for super crispy chicken? Try my Air Fryer Chicken Thighs.
- Love sweet and spicy? Try my Honey Spiced Glazed Chicken.
- Need an easy summer grilling recipe? Try my Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs.
- Want a perfect fall meal? Try my Maple Ginger Chicken Thighs.
Harissa Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoon harissa
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 6 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
- Kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, Silpat liner, or foil, set aside.
- In a small bowl whisk together butter, honey, harissa, and lemon juice.
- Lay chicken thighs onto your prepared baking dish and baste each chicken thigh (top and bottom) with the harissa mixture and place back on the sheet pan, skin side up.
- Add to the oven, and cook for about 30 minutes, basting the chicken thighs with the remaining harissa mixture 1-2 times while baking.
- Keep an eye on the chicken near the end of cooking time to make sure the skin doesn't burn. If the skin starts to brown too fast tent the chicken with foil.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Excellent looking dish! My mouth has a delicious burn going on just looking at the pictures!
This looks so delicious! I’m definitely adding this to next week’s menu.
These sound incredibly delicious!! YUMMY!!
This chicken looks delicious!
This dish is a winner! I’d love to try this, love the combinations of flavors!
I know for sure this would be a huge hit in my house!
Wow! These flavors sound amazing and the chicken looks so good!
My chicken is in the oven as I write this. The sauce is delicious. I have only just discovered the wonders of Harissa, since I recently made a Tajine, and I am now addicted. The honey and lemon and melted butter, is a fabulous combination. Thank you for this. I will make this again, I am sure.
Great recipe! Looking forward to scaling up this marinade and try it on chicken wings!