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This super simple Harissa Chicken, is one of my favourite ways to cook chicken thighs. Imagine tender chicken thighs with irresistibly crispy, crunchy skin, marinated in spicy, smoky harissa, served on top of creamy chive-infused labneh, roasted onions, sweet peppers and zesty lemon, sprinkled with crunchy, buttery almonds…
I know that the name ‘Harissa Chicken, Labneh, Roasted Red Peppers and Red Onion’ makes this dish sound rather fancy, but, trust me, it is actually really easy. Don’t be put off by the cooking time either – it is the oven doing all the hard work! I cook chicken thighs all the time, they are such a good go-to (like in my one-pan Greek chicken), so easy to cook, and they just come out perfectly every time with gorgeously crispy skin.
If you want to make your own labneh, you could use my deliciously creamy Garlic Labneh, but you really don’t have to (and if you can’t find it in the shops, thick Greek yoghurt works really well).
Table of Contents
Why you will love recipe:
- It is super simple and fuss-free – the oven does most of the work!
- It is versatile – you can serve with warm crusty bread and salad or make a delicious rice/grain salad.
- It is full of flavour and texture thanks to the crispy chicken skin, spicy harissa, sweet roasted peppers, creamy labneh, herby chives, zesty lemon and crunchy almonds.
- It is a balanced and delicious chicken dish that might be a little different to what you usually make.
Ingredients:
Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!
Harissa paste – I always have a jar of this North African spicy, smoky, garlicky chilli paste in my larder. It packs in so much flavour and you can now find it easily in most large supermarkets.
Chicken thighs – opt for large, chicken thighs from free-range chickens (bone-in have so much flavour and keeping the skin-on gives the most incredible crispy texture).
Jarred roasted red peppers – these sweet, smoky peppers are a store cupboard staple in my house (try to choose the ones stored in oil instead of brine).
Substitutions and Variations:
Chicken: You could use chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs. These tend to be smaller and take less time to cook. For those, I would get the onion and pepper mixture in the oven first for 15 minutes to give them a head start and while they are cooking, the chicken breasts can be marinating. Then add the chicken breasts and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. If you want it to get a little colour and be a little crispy, pop it under the grill for the last 3 minutes. But watch the onions don’t burn!
Harissa: I have used a classic harissa for my harissa chicken, but you can get all sorts of flavours and have fun trying out rose or apricot varieties.
Extra vegetables: I have roasted onions with the chicken thighs and used ready-roasted peppers, but you could easily add more veggies to the tin. You could add sliced peppers if you wanted to roast your own – or aubergines and courgettes if you wanted. You could also throw in some baby potatoes too.
Here’s how to make this easy harissa chicken tray bake:
Here’s a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe below for detailed instructions.
ONE: Pop the chicken thighs in a bowl and add the harissa, half of the lemon zest with salt and pepper. Mix well.
TWO: Pop the onion wedges and chopped red peppers into a roasting tin and lay the lemon slices on top.
THREE: Using tongs, place the chicken thighs on top, skin-side up. Drizzle the whole tray generously with olive oil, then sprinkle with sea salt – paying particular attention to the chicken skin (the salt will help it go crispy).
FOUR: Roast in the oven for about 45-50 minutes – or until the chicken is crispy and cooked through. Place on top of the herbed labneh and enjoy with bread and almonds on top.
Cooking Tips:
Balancing flavours: Harissa is a rather spicy paste. If you feel the dish is a bit too hot, simply drizzle with a little honey for sweetness and squeeze over some more lemon juice.
Make ahead: you could prep the chicken in advance and leave to marinate in the harissa-lemon covered in the fridge overnight. This would help intensify the flavour too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Harissa is a delicious smoky, spicy chilli pepper paste from Tunisia that is popular in North African and Middle Eastern cuisine. I always buy it from the supermarket and it can be used in SO many different ways; as a marinade (like in this harissa chicken), stirred through soups, sauces and tagines, swirled through yoghurt or hummus for a spicy dip, spread on toast.
Although you can use both in this harissa chicken recipe, labneh is much thicker and creamier than yoghurt as it is double-strained (so has less liquid whey) – its consistency is closer to that of whipped cream cheese. It also has a more tangy, salty flavour which is similar to feta.
No, you could use chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs. These tend to be smaller and take less time to cook. For those, I would get the onion and pepper mixture in the oven first for 15 minutes to give them a head start and while they are cooking, the chicken breasts can be marinating. Then add the chicken breasts and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. If you want it to get a little colour and be a little crispy, pop it under the grill for the last 3 minutes. But watch the onions don’t burn!
Other recipes you might enjoy:
My Harissa Cod with Cherry Tomatoes is the ultimate weeknight winner – packed full of flavour and texture or so is my Harissa Yoghurt Chicken with Couscous. For another healthy chicken recipe, try my Baked Chicken Skewers with Crunchy Salad and Raita.
If you want to learn how to make your own labneh, check out my deliciously creamy Garlic Labneh. Speaking of homemade dips, don’t miss my Whipped Ricotta Cheese – it is topped with the most incredible combination of honey, chilli flakes and fresh mint.
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Quick Harissa Chicken and Couscous
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If you tried this Harissa Chicken or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a comment and let us know how it went!
Harissa Chicken with Labneh, Roasted Red Peppers and Red Onion
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 lemon
- 1 ½ tbsp harissa paste
- 4 large chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 red onion, peeled and cut into 8 wedges
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For the labneh:
- 4 tbsp labneh, heaped
- 4 chives, finely chopped
To plate:
- 4 jarred roasted red peppers, cut into strips
- 4 chives, finely chopped
- 2 spring onions, finely chopped
- 15 g toasted Marcona almonds
To serve:
- Warm crusty bread
- Fully-prepared mixed leaf salad and/or tenderstem broccoli
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C.
- Start by zesting the lemon. Divide the zest in half and pop into 2 small bowls. Cut the lemon into slices.
- Add the harissa paste to one of the bowls and mix well.
- Pop the chicken thighs into a large bowl and add the lemon-harissa mix. Season with salt and pepper. Give it a good stir to coat the chicken (you could use your hands but I don’t recommend that with harissa as it can really stain!).
- Pop the onion wedges and chopped red peppers into a roasting tin and lay the lemon slices on top. Using tongs, place the chicken thighs on top, skin-side up. Drizzle the whole tray generously with olive oil, then sprinkle with sea salt – paying particular attention to the chicken skin (the salt will help it go crispy).
- Roast in the oven for about 45-50 minutes – or until the chicken is crispy and cooked through. Give the onions a good stir after 20 minutes, basting with the pan juices, to prevent them colouring too quickly (you don’t want them to burn and become bitter). If any look like they might, carefully tuck them under the chicken thighs.
- Meanwhile, prepare the labneh: place the labneh in a bowl, add the chives and remaining lemon zest. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well to combine. Set aside.
- To serve: spread the labneh onto a plate. Top with the sliced roasted red peppers, followed by the roasted onions and lemon slices. Add the crispy chicken thighs, then drizzle over the delicious harissa chicken juices from the tin. Sprinkle with freshly chopped chives, spring onions and toasted Marcona almonds.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made the Harissa Chicken with Labneh, Roasted Red Peppers and Red Onion for our friends tonight, and it was absolutely delightful! Bursting with flavour, colour, and texture—it was a real hit with everyone. We couldn’t get enough of it! What made the experience even better was Margie’s quick and helpful response when I reached out for a bit of advice. Thank you for such a fantastic recipe, Margie—I’m definitely looking forward to trying more of your amazing creations!
Made this for my family for dinner and it went down a treat. Chicken was tender and so flavourful, really good with the yoghurt (I couldn’t find labneh so used really thick greek yog)
Such a delicious full of flavour dish! Absolutely divine