If you love bold Mediterranean flavors, this Lemon Harissa Chicken with Sheet Pan Veggies is about to become your go-to dinner! Juicy stovetop chicken harrisa recipe is marinated with garlic, lemon, spicy (or mild) harissa, and rosemary, then sautéed to perfection. Paired with colorful roasted peppers and onions, this recipe delivers the perfect balance of smoky heat, brightness, and a hint of sweetness—all in under 45 minutes. Whether you're cooking for your family or meal prepping for the week, this dish is easy, healthy, and full of flavor.
Adding Harissa is a great way to add spice and flavor to your weekday meals! Whether veggies and rice, some grilled salmon, or a sheet pan dinner - it's a win every time.
Jump to:
What is Harissa?
Harissa paste or Harissa sauce is a zesty and aromatic that's considered a staple in North African and Middle Eastern cooking.
There are a few variations out there, but recipes with harissa all usually include roasted red peppers, smoked chile peppers, garlic, olive oil, and warm spices like cumin, coriander, and caraway.
You can usually find Harissa as a paste in a jar, can, or tube in the international aisle or condiment aisle of your grocery store.
If you’re feeling particularly energetic, you can also make your own homemade harissa, but ain’t nobody got time for that around here.
So the first ingredient you’re going to need for this harissa chicken is... You guessed it - Harissa!
Now you can decide if you want it flavorful or flavorful with a kick. You gotta love options!
Spicy Harissa vs. Mild Harissa
A question I'm asked frequently - Is Harissa Chicken Spicy? Which brings me to a very important point for me to go over. You can purchase Harissa in different heat levels: spicy or mild. You know where you and your crew live, so you do you.✌️Mild or spicy, either is delish!
But the spicy version is spicy.🔥 Just saying.
And the mild version of Harissa sauce tastes like pureed red peppers. So a little sweet and earthy.
If you wanted something in between, you could mix the two varieties or add some cayenne pepper or hot sauce to the mild harissa sauce.
We like it hot over at the Taste And See kitchen, so I went with the spicy version. It was spicy but not too hot for us. Here’s how I know: the B man gets hiccups when food is too spicy. I’m happy to report he was completely hiccup-free during this meal.
Check, it passed the “B not too spicy” test.
Why You'll Love it
- Full of flavor – This delicious chicken is packed full of smoky, sweet, and zesty flavors from the Harissa marinade. The chicken turns out so tender and juicy.
- Easy to make – An easy dish to make that can be brought together in less than an hour if needed. Ideal for when you’re in the mood for a restaurant-quality meal, but don’t want to go out.
- Versatile Recipe - You can adjust the heat to your preferences by using mild or hot Harissa Sauce. Make it sweeter by adding some honey. And swap out the veggies with zucchini, broccoli, green beans or whatever you prefer.
- Introduce new flavors – If you're looking for a new flavor profile for your chicken, this recipe is a great way to introduce your family to new and exciting tastes.
- Naturally Gluten-Free! - Be sure to check the recipe label for the Greek yogurt and the brand of harissa you use.
I truly love Harissa sauce and Harissa paste. So much that I made several other Harissa recipes you should try after making this one. There's my Honey Harrisa Carrots, another one would be Harissa Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner, and also Cedar Plank Harissa Smoked Salmon.
Stay posted... I think some Harissa chicken thighs are up next on my recipe creation list!
Ingredients
For the Chicken & Marinade
- Olive oil – Helps carry the flavors from the marinade into the chicken and gives a golden sear when cooked.
- Garlic cloves, minced – Adds bold, savory depth to the marinade.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice – Brightens the dish with a fresh citrus kick and balances the heat from the harissa.
- Fresh rosemary, finely chopped – Brings an earthy, aromatic flavor that pairs perfectly with the smoky spices.
- Paprika – Adds warm, smoky notes and enhances the color of the chicken.
- Spicy harissa (or mild harissa)– The star flavor! Brings smoky heat, bold spices, and a little kick.
- Salt and pepper – Essential seasonings that boost all the other flavors.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1½-inch cubes – Lean, protein-rich, and perfect for soaking up the bold marinade.
- Plain Greek yogurt (for garnish) – A cool, creamy topping that balances the heat.
- Parsley, finely chopped (for garnish) – Adds a fresh pop of color and flavor.
- Sliced green and black olives (for garnish) – A salty, briny touch that adds Mediterranean flair.
- Capers (for garnish) – Tiny bursts of tangy, briny flavor if you want to level up the garnish game.
For the Roasted Vegetables
- Paprika – Gives a smoky, warm flavor and ties the veggies to the flavors in the chicken.
- Olive oil – Helps the veggies roast evenly and adds richness.
- Yellow bell pepper – Mild and sweet, adds color and crunch.
- Red bell pepper – Slightly sweeter than yellow, adds more color and flavor variety.
- Red onion – Roasts beautifully and brings a subtle sweetness to the veggie mix.
- Salt – Draws out moisture and enhances the natural veggie flavors.
- Pepper – Adds a mild bite that complements the sweet roasted vegetables.
HOW TO MAKE HARISSA CHICKEN:
Make the Marinade
Cut up your boneless skinless chicken breast just like you would if you were going to make kebabs. Drop the cut-up chicken into a gallon-size resealable bag.
Then make your Harissa marinade. Mince your garlic. And add it to the resealable bag.
Chop some fresh rosemary and add it to the marinade.
Now add the Harissa paste...
... olive oil (not extra virgin olive oil) and lemon juice.
Finally, add your spices... salt, pepper, and paprika.
Massage all of the harissa chicken recipe ingredients together in the resealable bag and place it in the fridge for at least 3 hours - 6 is even better. (But 1 hour will due.)
Cook the Chicken
Add your chicken and the marinade to a medium heat pan and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees.
Let me just take a quick moment to urge you to purchase a meat thermometer. There is no way for you to know if your chicken is fully cooked unless you temp it!
And if you’re over-cooking it to make sure it’s fully cooked, then you’re never gonna enjoy the succulent, tender chicken harissa you should be experiencing.
The meat thermometer I use is amazing, and it’s relatively inexpensive – $25 (check it out here in my shop). It's a small price to pay to guarantee perfectly cooked chicken.
And that’s my public service announcement for the month.
The soapbox is put away under the bed. I promise.
Ahem, back to the recipe: it's time to cut up the veggies, season them, and slide them into the oven.
Prep and Cook the Veggies
Cut up the peppers into square pieces.
Now, cut up the red onion into similar-sized pieces.
Add the cut veggies to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Mix in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika and mix. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 18-20 minutes.
Now plate this delcious Harrissa chicken recipe over your favorite rice or cauliflower rice, add your harissa chicken and those roasted vegetables, and top it off with a little Greek yogurt or sour cream, then garnish with sliced olives, capers, and chopped parsley (all optional, of course!)
💡 Top Tips
- Don’t skip the marinade—it adds major flavor.
- Let the chicken come to room temp for 15 minutes before cooking for more even results.
- If you don’t like too much spice, use a mild harissa or you can reduce the amount of the spicy harissa to 1 tablespoon.
Storing, Freezing, and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat the chicken and veggies in a skillet over medium-low to medium heat or microwave gently.
You can freeze the cooked chicken in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Freeze the veggies separately for the best texture. (They may soften a bit once thawed.) Or you can cook them from fresh when you're serving the defrosted chicken.
This quick, flavorful, easy Harissa marinated chicken recipe will totally wow you and your guests!
And it’s a really fun way to spice up an average weeknight meal. Plus, it will allow you lots of time to kick back, relax, and pin all of your favorite photos of it!
Enjoy, my friend!
Other Delicious Chicken Recipes You Should Try:
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken
- 30-Minute Mongolian Chicken
- Spinach Feta Chicken Meatballs
- Chicken with Creamy Parmesan Mushroom Sauce
- Shredded Mexican Chicken (Instant Pot + Slow Cooker)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you’ve made this Lemon Harissa Chicken, tap the stars below to leave a rating and let us know how it turned out in the comments!
Lemon Harissa Chicken with Roasted Vegetables Recipe
Easy Lemon Harissa Chicken with roasted veggies! Smoky harissa flavored veggies and tender chicken. With just the right spice for a quick, easy, and healthy, weeknight chicken dinner!
Ingredients
For The Chicken And Marinade
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons spicy Harissa
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 ½-inch cubes
- ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt for garnish
- Parsley, finely chopped for garnish
- Sliced green and black olives for garnish, (optional)
- Capers for garnish, (optional)
For The Roasted Vegetables:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow pepper
- 1 red pepper
- 1 red onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- For the marinade, combine olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, rosemary, paprika, harissa, salt and pepper in a ziploc bag. Seal and mix the ingredients together.
- Add the cubed chicken. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 6 hours.
- Cut up the peppers and onions. Mix in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika and mix together. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 18 minutes.
- While the veggies are roasting, pour the chicken and marinade into a saucepan and cook on medium until the chicken temperature is 165 degrees, about 8-10 minutes.
- Layer the roasted veggies over jasmine rice, then add the chicken and sauce. Finally, add a dollop of Greek yogurt over the chicken, and garnish with parsley, sliced olives, or capers.
Notes
The nutrition calculations in this recipe do not include rice.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
8 ouncesAmount Per Serving Calories 299Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 69mgSodium 739mgCarbohydrates 10gFiber 3gSugar 3gProtein 29g
This nutrition card uses an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. This estimate is not a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you’ve made this Lemon Harissa Chicken, tap the stars below to leave a rating and let us know how it turned out in the comments!
Lauren
Hi! I’m excited to make this recipe. But do you use sweet or smoked paprika? Thank you!
holly
Hi Lauren! I use sweet paprika in this recipe. Although now that you mention it, I bet smoked paprika would be really tasty.:D I'm excited for you to try it! Let me know what you think.
Lorraine
Made this exactly as the recipe, wasn't our favourite, we didn't like the flavour and will not be making it again ☹️
holly
Sorry to hear that, Lorraine. Thanks for giving the recipe a try.
MJ
It was okay, not very flavorful. Probably my mistake. Love moroccan food.
holly
Hmm, that's not what want to hear. Try this harissa chicken recipe... it has tons of flavor and get's great reviews. https://tasteandsee.com/lemon-harissa-chicken/
heather
can i tell you how much i love this marinade? i use it to marinate pressed tofu. usually i bake the tofu but grilling would also be amazing. i love it with veggies and couscous. thank you for sharing!
holly
Hi Heather I'm so happy you love the marinade! It goes great with just about everything which you have obviously learned! Thank you so much so sharing your kind words about the marinade!
Melissa
Hi There! I just made this recipe and it’s so strong with paprika, that’s all we can taste. Is it supposed to say 2 tablespoons or should it be 2 teaspoons? Thanks!
holly
Hi Melissa the recipe is supposed to call for 2 tablespoons if the paprika is to strong feel free to edit the ingredients to make it perfect for you!
Julie
Your nutrition info indicates
1288mg Sodium per serving. Is this a typo?
holly
Hi Julie, yes - that would be a typo. It looks like 739mg is the more realistic sodium count.
Georgia
How much does this cost per serving?
holly
Hi Georgia, I think the cost per serving to make this would vary depending on where you live.
Yoland
This dish was amazing. This will be a staple in our home. Thx for this. I cooked the chicken breast and the marinade in my instapot for 5 mins and all I can say is my house smelled amazing. My husband said make that again. Thx
Bryan
Thank you so much Yoland, we love hearing that! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, we are huuuge fans of harissa! 🙂 - H&B
Margie
Wow... great meal! Really enjoyed... first time Harissa users. :-p Came across this on Pinterest, had to try!
Spicy but a different spicy. The lemon was a fantastic balance with the spice. And the veggies... sweet & lovely, with a touch of smoke.
Definitely making again. Will use chic tenderloins next time.
Thank you!
Bryan
Thank you for your comment Margie! So glad you found it and that you loved it! 🙂 -H&B
Alaina
Hi there - excited to try this tonight!
Quick question - for your nutritional content - is that for just the chicken, or the chicken + veggies, or chicken + veggies + rice? Additionally, is that 10 oz fully prepared? Wanted to confirm.
Thank you!
Bryan
Hi, the nutrition card is for chicken + veggies, but does not include rice. Same for the serving size that is 10oz not including rice. Hope you enjoy it!! 🙂 - H&B
Kristen
Thanks for sharing the recipe...I look forward to making it. BIG question...I have dried harissa powder, not paste. How do I convert the measurements? Thanks!
Bryan
Hi Kristen we've not found a precise conversion for this. Instead you'll probably want to make your own paste from the powder. This will also depend on how spicy your powder is. In a separate bowl or glass measuring cup, combine 1/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Then add a tablespoon of harissa powder and mix thoroughly. Check for spiciness, and if you want more kick then add another tablespoon of powder. Then you'll want to use 2 tablespoons of your homemade paste and follow the recipe as written, reserving the rest of your homemade harissa paste for future use. **Note that the original recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of olive oil, but you will probably want to use less olive oil since your homemade harissa will have some olive oil in it. Good luck! 🙂 - H&B
Kristen
Thanks! I found a conversion that says to mix equal parts harissa powder, olive oil and water. So I used 2 tsp. of each. My harissa was made with ancho chili powder, so it was not too spicy.
Everyone in the family LOVED this. It was delicious...thank you for the recipe. I can’t wait to make it again! 5 stars!
Taylor
Would this be good to make with tofu/chickpeas? Definitely making it with chicken this week, but I would also like to try out a vegetarian version if you think it would work! Thank you for sharing this recipe 🙂
Bryan
Hi Taylor, a vegetarian version sounds great! If you try it with tofu please let us know how it turns out. 🙂
Patricia Schulz
Hi-You mention tomatoes, cumin, coriander and caraway, but none in recipe. Are they in your harissa jar?
Bryan
Hi Patricia, yes those flavors/ingredients are the main components in the harissa sauce. If you can't find it near you, Amazon has both the mild: https://www.amazon.com/Mina-Harissa-Moroccan-Pepper-Sauce/dp/B07JPJ3M7V/ and the spicy: https://www.amazon.com/Mina-Harissa-Spicy-Pack-10oz/dp/B00634JM8I/. Hope you enjoy!
Naomi
The recipe calls for 3/4 cup of yoghurt for the chicken and marinade but doesn’t say when to add? Apart from a dollop at the end when cooked? 🙂
holly
Hello Naomi, The yogurt is just for the dollop on the top! Thank you for your comment!