Baked Harissa Chicken Thighs

Name: Baked Harissa Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 160 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs; ¼ cup harissa paste; 2 tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 3 cloves minced garlic; 1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lime juice; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon cracked pepper; Minced parsley (for garnish)

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These baked Harissa Chicken Thighs are perfectly juicy and tender with lots of bold peppery flavor thanks to the harissa paste.

Overhead view of harissa chicken thighs on plate with cauliflower and green beans.

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If you’ve never tried a recipe with harissa paste then you’ve definitely been missing out! This spicy (or mild! there are options) chili paste has incredible flavor and it’s perfect when combined with juicy chicken thighs.

If spicy foods aren’t your thing you can still enjoy this! You’ll just need to find a mild harissa paste or use less in our marinade.

For those who enjoy spicy flavors, you’ll love some of the fiery harissa pastes you can find out there.

This Harissa Chicken recipe turns out so moist, thanks to the Greek yogurt marinade, and bakes up with gloriously crispy skin that’s coated in a world of flavor. Hard to beat!

We like to pair this with rice pilaf and some sort of veggie on this side, such as bacon wrapped green beans or roasted sweet potatoes.

Table of Contents

Ingredient Notes:

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Chicken Thighs – This recipe starts with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. They always cook up nice and juicy. If you prefer white meat, it will work well here too.

Harissa Paste – This flavorful chili paste is just what you need to take juicy baked chicken to the next level! You can use a milder harissa paste if you don’t want it too spicy, or use the really spicy kind! It’s up to you.

Greek Yogurt – You’ll need some nonfat Greek yogurt to combine with the harissa paste. It sounds strange, but the creamy yogurt helps cut some of the spicy heat from the paste, and it helps tenderize the chicken and keep things juicy.

Olive Oil – You’ll mix this up with the harissa, yogurt, and other marinade ingredients to go on the chicken.

Garlic – Always an addition in our recipes. 😉

Lime Juice – You’ll want to use some freshly squeezed lime juice here if you can. Fresh is best, but you can use the bottled kind if that’s all you’ve got. This adds a little zip and brightness to the marinade.

Salt & Pepper – Some kosher salt and black pepper for mixing up with the harissa chicken marinade.

Parsley – Some minced parsley for garnish!

What We Love About This Recipe:

We like switching things up with a spicy recipe now and then. Much like our Buffalo Chicken Pizza, this is easy to customize the heat level so we can keep the family happy.
The chicken turns out so moist and flavorful after just a couple of hours marinating.
We love introducing our family to new flavors from other countries and harissa is a major flavor bomb introduction to Tunisia.

How To Make Harissa Chicken:

Collage showing how to make harissa paste marinade for chicken.

Marinade: Add the harissa paste, Greek yogurt, olive oil, minced garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper to a medium sized bowl and whisk together until it is well combined!

Chicken: When the marinade is mixed up you can add the chicken thighs to the mixing bowl and toss/mix together until each of the chicken thighs are well coated in the spicy harissa marinade!

Refrigerate: You’ll want to give it some time for the marinade to soak in, so cover up the bowl and place it in your fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.

Bake: After marinating the chicken you can start baking. Line a baking sheet with some parchment paper and then the chicken thighs. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until it reaches a safe temp of 165 degrees.

My Favorite Thermometer!

I love using this meat thermometer for making sure the meat is fully cooked! Easy for beginners & absolutely worth the low cost.

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Serve: When the baked harissa chicken is all done we like to garnish it with some freshly minced parsley and serve it hot!

This harissa chicken would go well with something green like these honey balsamic brussels sprouts, or with this air fryer bacon wrapped asparagus recipe! Some charred green beans are another great choice!

FAQ’s:

What is harissa paste?

It’s a spicy blend of roasted chili peppers, garlic, and spices. It ranges from mild to very hot so you’ll want to look for one that matches your preferred level of spice.

Why use Greek yogurt?

The acidity in the Greek yogurt helps to tenderize the chicken. It also helps to balance the heat from the harissa pasta in this recipe.

How to store harissa baked chicken?

You can keep any leftovers stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 4-5 days. You could also freeze the chicken for up to a few months.

Make It a Meal!

Turn this into a sheet pan meal by adding halved new potatoes to the sheet pan and roasting them right alongside your chicken. We like to coat the potatoes in olive oil and a blend of seasonings, such as garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt.

You can also toss fresh green beans or broccoli on the sheet pan to roast along with your chicken.