Global Kitchen

The Best Recipes with Spicy Harissa Sauce

By Carl Hanson
Updated June 30, 2020

A staple of North African and Middle Eastern cooking, harissa is a hot pepper sauce that's great on almost anything! Plus, it's made from healthy ingredients -- including olive oil, chile peppers, and garlic. You can find prepared harissa in grocery stores, but it's also easy to make homemade harissa. Add it to cooked veggies, baked fish, stews, grilled chicken, scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, and more. Here are some of our favorite recipes featuring harissa!

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Harissa Fried Halloumi Panini

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"Upgrade your grilled cheese with Halloumi -- then add the heat with North African harissa," says Betty Soup. "You could also grill these on an indoor grill pan over medium heat."

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Sheet Pan Harissa Chicken Dinner

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"Spice up chicken dinners with a touch of harissa," says Juliana Hale. "The North African red pepper sauce adds depth and kick to this one-pan meal perfect for weeknights."

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Lamb Merguez Sausage Patties

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"Make a double batch, and experience not only this amazing burger but also use it in/on a number of things," says Chef John. "It's wonderful in beans, frittatas, pastas, soups, and especially crumbled on pizza or flatbread."

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Grilled Lemon Yogurt Chicken

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"There is something special about what yogurt does to chicken in its smoky, sizzling time over charcoal," says Chef John. "It imparts a tangy flavor that lifts all the other flavorings. It tenderizes slightly, without turning the meat into mush. It grills to a caramelized dark brown without tasting burnt." Serve with the yogurt harissa sauce on the side!

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Salmon with Harissa

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"Fiery harissa and smoky paprika in a mayo base stand up to the distinctive flavor of mighty wild salmon," says Cazuela. 

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Vegetarian Moroccan Harira

Credit: Vegetarian Moroccan Harira
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""Harira is a famous Moroccan soup, and here's a hearty vegetarian (and vegan!) version -- packed with tomatoes and chickpeas and flavored with paprika, turmeric, saffron, ginger, and harissa," says chouchou65.

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Saffron Couscous

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A light side dish or a great lunch box salad. The addition of saffron makes it just interesting enough!" says toastyfrenchy.

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Spicy Tarragon Yogurt Chicken

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Harissa is a great flavor partner for tarragon, "one of the most aromatic and sweetest herbs that there is," says Chef John.

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Grilled Harissa Chicken Thighs

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"The harissa-honey glaze takes these juicy grilled chicken thighs over the top," says France C. "Since most harissa spice blends have salt already added, there is no need to add any additional, but feel free to adjust to your tastes. Garnish with minced fresh parsley."

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Harissa Aioli

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This simple condiment combines a traditional Mediterranean aioli with harissa paste. "This recipe comes from the Northern region of Italy where they use a cooked egg and lemon-soaked egg yolks," says Buckwheat Queen. "This is delicious on just about anything. I like it with a frittata or oven-fried potatoes. It will last up to 4 or 5 days in the refrigerator."

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Harissa and Lemon-Pepper Wings

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"You don't need a bunch of ingredients to make out-of-this-world wings," says Buckwheat Queen. "A few flavor-packed ingredients will do! Tangy and woody lemon-pepper mixed with the complex, smoky spice of harissa will give your usual wings some extra lift."

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Moroccan-Style Lamb Shanks with Apricots

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"This is a gorgeous, easy, and pretty quick version of lamb tagine I made on Valentine's Day," says moonpig. "For an authentic feel we ate it with our fingers -- it was a complete hit!"

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Harissa Hummus

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"Need a last-minute dish for surprise guests or dinner at a friend's house? Using pre-cooked chickpeas means making hummus in no time," says Buckwheat Queen. "Adding harissa powder leaves out the need to add any other spices and gives the hummus a nice kick of spiciness. Serve with flatbread or vegetables for an appetizer or potluck hit. Best if hummus is left to sit to allow the flavors to meld, but it can be eaten immediately. Store in the refrigerator."

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Harissa Deviled Eggs

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"Deviled eggs take on a decidedly spicy flavor with the addition of harissa paste," says thedailygourmet. "Feel free to decorate them into pumpkins, eyeballs, or ghoulish faces for Halloween!"

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Coconut Quinoa with Harissa-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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"The coconut milk and sweet potatoes help tame the heat from the harissa in this flavorful meal," says Cally. "If you use low-sodium chicken broth, be sure to add a little salt to the quinoa while it's cooking."

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Roasted Potatoes with Harissa Butter

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"Harissa is North African chile paste that definitely packs a punch. In this recipe, I mixed it with butter and tossed it with roasted potatoes for a quick, delicious side dish," says LauraF. 

 

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Halloumi Three-Bean Salad with Pomegranate-Harissa Vinaigrette

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"Pan-fried halloumi, 3 types of beans, red onion, fresh coriander, and mint are tossed with homemade vinaigrette (featuring harissa sauce) for a unique salad your taste buds will love," says Buckwheat Queen.

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State of Home Cooking

We're serving up and celebrating the biggest home-cooking trends from the most enthusiastic cooks we know: our community. We crunched the data from 1.2 billion annual Allrecipes.com visits and 2.5 billion annual page views. Then we dug even further, surveying Allrecipes cooks about what's in their carts and fridges, on their stovetops and tables, and on their minds. Harissa is just one of the topics they're most curious about. See more of the "State of Home Cooking" special report.

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