This honey harissa chicken recipe is truly amazing! The sticky and juicy chicken thighs are smothered with cherry tomatoes and red onions in a sweet, spicy, and delicious honey harissa sauce.
These honey harissa chicken thighs are one of my favorite chicken dishes. The thighs are sticky, spicy, sweet, and savory, and the red onion and cherry tomato gravy make the whole dish perfect. The meal is cooked in one pot in just a few simple steps.
Pair the harissa honey chicken with rice and a salad for a meal that's great for an easy dinner yet impressive enough for serving guests.
Check out more sticky and spicy chicken recipes, such as Sticky Lime Chicken or Sweet and Sour Chicken Thighs.
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Recipe ingredients
Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs.
Harissa paste is a spicy blend of red chili peppers, garlic cloves, and spices. It's often used in North African cooking to add heat and flavor to dishes. Different brands of harissa have different heat levels; mine was pretty hot. Harrisa paste should be fairly easy to find at grocery stores nowadays. Use some of it to make Beetroot Yogurt Salad.
Honey adds sweetness and makes the thighs wonderfully sticky. Try the Honey Baked Chicken Thighs or the Honey Chicken Wings next!
Apple cider vinegar to balance the sweetness. You can replace it with white or red wine vinegar.
Vegetables: Red onions (you can replace them with shallots) and cherry tomatoes.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make harissa chicken thighs?
Step #1: Combine the harissa paste and honey sauce ingredients in a small mixing bowl.
Step #2: Season the meat generously with salt and black pepper.
Step 3: Give the thighs a nice sear on both sides on medium-high heat in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Remove them from the pot.
Step #4: Cook the red onion wedges on both sides until nicely golden.
Step #5: Add the harissa honey sauce and let it thicken slightly. Add the chicken parts in a single layer and cook for a few minutes, then add the tomatoes and cook for another few minutes.
Step #6: Finish the dish in the preheated oven (check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer - 165°F/74°C). Broil for a couple of minutes.
Good to know!
You can also use boneless chicken thighs, but be sure to adjust the cooking time, as they will cook faster than bone-in thighs.
When searing the skin side of the thighs, avoid moving them too soon. Initially, the skin will stick to the pan, and trying to move them prematurely can cause the skin to tear. Flip the thighs only when they release easily from the pan.
Quarter the red onions through the root so the wedges stay together while cooking.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freeze leftover harissa chicken for up to 3 months, defrost in the fridge, and reheat thoroughly before serving.
You can reheat the thighs at 350°F/ 175°C for about 15 minutes or until warmed through (check) or on the stovetop, adding a bit of extra broth if the sauce is too thick and flipping the thighs a couple of times during reheating. You can also reheat them in a microwave, covered, for 2-3 minutes on medium power.
Honey Harissa Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pot
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs Note 1
- fine sea salt and ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Harissa honey mixture:
- 1 ½ tablespoons harissa paste Note 2
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 ¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock, 300 ml
Vegetables:
- 3 small red onions
- 15 cherry tomatoes
Instructions
Harissa honey mixture:
- Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. Set it aside.1 ½ tablespoons harissa paste + 3 tablespoons honey + 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar + 1 teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon ground black pepper + 2 teaspoons cornstarch + 1 ¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth / 300 ml
Chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/ 200°C.
- Season: Dry the thighs with paper towels and season them generously on both sides with salt and pepper.6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs + fine sea salt and ground black pepper
- Sear the chicken: Heat the oil in the pot. Add the thighs, skin side down, and sear on medium-high heat without moving them for 5-6 minutes until the skin is crisp and golden. Once they release easily from the pan, flip them and cook the other side for another 5 minutes. Remove them from the pan and very carefully (the pan is heavy and hot), remove the excess fat, leaving only about 2 tablespoons of it behind.2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Red onions: Peel and quarter them through the root so the wedges stay together while cooking. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the onions and sear them until lightly golden on the flat side (1-2 minutes). Flip them and let them cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add the harissa honey mixture, turn the heat up to medium-high, and cook until the mixture thickens slightly, about 3-4 minutes.
- Cook the chicken: Nestle the chicken thighs in the sauce with the skin side up. Spoon some of the sauce over the skin and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium heat.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Roast harissa chicken: Carefully transfer the pot to the preheated oven. Roast for 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (Note 2).
- Broil the chicken for about 3 minutes, keeping an eye on it at all times to prevent the skin from burning.
Notes
- Chicken: Boneless thighs work, too, but adjust the cooking time accordingly; they need less time to cook, so make sure to check.
- The heat level in Harissa might vary from brand to brand. Mine was pretty hot, and 1 ½ tablespoons was enough. If you like things even spicier, use more harissa.
- Check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer; the safe temperature is 165°F/ 74°C. Or make a cut close to the bone; the meat should be white without traces of red or pink.
Raymond says
Just made these honey harissa chicken thighs, and they were so good! Juicy, flavorful, and just the right amount of heat. Will definitely make them again! Thanks for all your recipes.
Adina says
I am so glad to hear it, Raymond; it's one of our favorite chicken recipes.