Spicy Harissa Chicken Thighs

Morrocan harissa chicken thighs, roasted with wedges of onion and a glaze of spiced harissa paste, honey & butter with dried mint and sumac!

Spicy Roasted Chicken Thighs

You can’t beat a good simple chicken dinner and for me that invariably means some chicken thighs.

They are loaded with great flavour, are as cheap as chips and they are really versatile.

Whether you use them with classic European flavours like this lemon and garlic chicken thighs or look East with this chicken adobo with coconut milk recipe they just take it in their stride.

This recipe, like my pomegranate chicken thighs, lamb and bean fasolia and chermoula chicken, takes its flavour influences from North Africa and Persia.

We make a simple glaze of butter, Moroccan harissa paste and honey, then pour it over chicken thighs.

To turn up that flavour to 11 we season the chicken with salt, sumac and dried mint.

There is no searing, just chuck them in a hot oven and leave them alone! This is easy cooking!

Equipment Used

What size roasting tin should I use?

The first thing that you need to do is ensure that the roasting tin that you use for this recipe is not too big.

You need to pack the thighs in pretty tightly as you can see from the image above. If your pan is too large it will allow the juices to evaporate.

This will mean no sauce at the end of the dish and will also lead to less juicy chicken.

Can I remove the skin from the chicken?

One area of this recipe that you have complete freedom over is whether to leave the skin on or remove it.

I prefer to leave it on but it will not get crispy! If you are counting calories or are not a fan of gelatinous chicken skin then you should remove it.

Can I use fresh mint rather than dried mint?

Do not be tempted to replace the dried mint with fresh mint, the flavour is completely different.

My harissa salmon fillets, harissa pork chops and sweet potato tagine all use it so there is no need to fear of it going to waste!

What is sumac?

Sumac is a spice that comes from the dried berry from a shrub that is used in both cooking and as a seasoning on cooked food.

It is very popular in North African and Levantine cuisine and has a wonderfully tart flavour.

Serving Suggestions

The North African influences in this Moroccan spiced harissa chicken recipe make buttered couscous an obvious choice as a side dish.

I like to run a load of snipped chives through the couscous to add a fresh onion flavour to complement the roasted onion.

Another great North African option would be some simple bulgur wheat or even a tabbouleh salad.

But you need not stick to North African flavours!

The sweet and sour tones in the glaze lend themselves really well to salty potato wedges or fried potatoes. It also works particularly well with cheesy polenta chips.

If you wanted to add some lighter vegetables this Shirazi salad would be great. It picks up on the flavours of dried mint and helps cut through the rich glaze.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Oven.
• Stovetop.
• Small roasting tin.
• 15cm or 6″ saucepan.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• Weighing scales and or measuring spoons.
• Stirring and serving spoons.
• Pastry brush.
• A quick read meat thermometer, optional but I swear by using mine.