* This is a sponsored post for Thermapen *
We have given roast chicken a spicy, but simple, makeover with this harissa and garlic sauce. Perfectly crispy skin with a kick of heat - why not change things up for your next Sunday roast and give this Roasted Harissa Chicken a try. You can even shred it up to add to tacos, salads or sandwiches too.
Roast dinners are a Sunday tradition in households across the world. If you are anything like my family growing up, then roast dinners didn't stray too far from the norm. It was usually a plain roast chicken or beef and then turkey at Christmas of course.
Now we have our own little family, we still stick with the roast dinner on a Sunday tradition, but we try to make something a little different, like this harissa chicken.
We wouldn't cover it with gravy, as you need to let the harissa flavour shine, but it's a great roast chicken alternative. A traditional roast chicken doesn't get much different than with a harissa glaze! Our love of harissa knows no bounds!
Jump to:
Why should you try it?
- A great Sunday roast alternative
- Just 360 calories a serving
- Leftovers are delicious in tacos, sandwiches and salads
- Great for feeding a crowd
- An easy way to use harissa
Step by step
One: Mix together the harissa, honey, oil and lemon juice with some minced garlic.
Two: Smother it on the whole chicken.
Three: Put it in the oven and roast for about an hour and a half, until the chicken is cooked through.
Where does harissa come from?
If you haven't tried, or even heard of, harissa before, then you need to head to the supermarket immediately and stock up on some.
This North African hot red chilli paste can usually be found in a small jar next to the ready made pastes/lazy chilli garlics or in a tube in the world food aisle.
Is this spicy?
The main ingredient is roasted red peppers and that is mixed with chillies, garlic, herbs and spices with a little rose and some oil, so it does have a little bit of a kick to it. It really is a unique flavour and a little goes a long way, so you can use less if you don't like a lot of spice.
How to cook chicken perfectly
Cooking a roast chicken can be a bit of a risk, as you can't see if it is cooked on the inside without hacking in to it and that will spoil your beautifully roasted chicken.
But you don't need to cut into it to see if it is perfectly cooked, you just use a Thermapen to check that it is the perfect temperature.
What is a thermapen?
Using a Thermapen to check that it is the correct temperature, means perfect chicken every time. “With a Thermapen thermometer, you can be sure about the timing of every step and the "done-ness" of every piece of meat you cook.
A key part of the Thermapen’s popularity is its simplicity and ease of use. No buttons to use, no switches to press. Just unfold, probe and read the temperature – very accurately and very FAST!”
Since using a Thermapen, we have never had a undercooked piece of chicken. So, if you are cooking a lot of meat this Christmas, then it is a must. It’s not only meat that it can be used for - it can be used to check the temperature of cakes, caramels, tempering chocolate and so much more, so even more essential for Christmas.
What we also use it for it to check the temperature of leftovers when we have reheated them, to make sure they are not in the bacterial “danger zone”.
We all love leftovers at Christmas, don't we? A Thermapen is a simple but essential kitchen must have, so head on over and order one! You don’t want to be making your Christmas guests sick, do you?!
Will you be having the traditional roast turkey this Christmas? Or do you fancy something a little bit different? Add some of our Easy Roast Potatoes and some roasted carrots to this, and it would make a delicious alternative Christmas dinner. I think we'll make this on Christmas Eve, and then the leftovers will be good for Boxing Day too.
FAQs
We would serve this with some mini roasted potatoes and some freshly steamed vegetables and a creamy dip like our homemade tzatziki on the side. Have some flatbreads or pita handy to stuff everything in to.
Got some chicken left? There is so much that you can do with the leftovers of this harissa roast chicken. We have shredded it up and added it to soft tacos with some slaw and goats cheese. It also goes well in pasta for a quick weeknight meal, or thrown together with some salad for an easy take-to-work lunch.
For ease, we used a whole chicken, but you don't have to. You could use the same sauce and put it on chicken breasts or thighs, but cooking time would vary.
Another way to cook this would be to chop up some chicken breasts, mix the marinade in them and thread on skewers and put them on the BBQ.
Extra tips
- If harissa isn't your thing, then you can use any kind of spice blend and follow the recipe in the same way. Pesto chicken works really well.
- Got lots of leftovers? Make tacos or enchiladas with them.
- There is a little bit of spice to this, so if that isn't your thing then use less of it.
- You can use chicken breasts or thighs instead of a whole chicken, but cooking times will vary.
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Recipe
Harissa Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.3 kg whole chicken
- 2 tablespoon harissa
- 1 tablespoon runny honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 0.5 Lemon (juice only)
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together the harissa, honey, oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken in a baking dish and pour the mixture on to it, rubbing it in well.
- Put the chicken in a preheated oven at 200C and cook until the Thermapen registers the chicken at 74C (around an hour and 30 minutes).
- Serve with some Flatbreads, tzatziki and sprinkle some fresh chopped mint over the chicken.
Notes
- If harissa isn't your thing, then you can use any kind of spice blend and follow the recipe in the same way. Pesto chicken works really well.
- Got lots of leftovers? Make tacos or enchiladas with them.
- There is a little bit of spice to this, so if that isn't your thing then use less of it.
- You can use chicken breasts or thighs instead of a whole chicken, but cooking times will vary.
Anita
I've never tried using harissa before, but that roasted chicken looks mouth watering. I'm going to look for the spice and make this ASAP. :)
Eraj Siddiqui
Yummy this is so delicious .. thanks for sharing :)
Scarlet
I love harissa and it sounds lovely on the roasted chicken. So flavorful!
Christina
Oh, snap! I've never heard of harissa before but after googling it, discovered I love the taste of all the spices! This roasted chicken recipe is right up my alley! I bet these flavors would be incredible couple with grilled beer can chicken. Have you ever tried that?
sue | theviewfromgreatisland
I adore harissa, so I'll have to try this chicken asap, and I totally rely on my instant read thermometer, it makes all the difference!
chris
Oh my goodness this looks unbelievably mouthwatering!! Nothing better than harissa & chicken, thanks for the awesome recipe!
Sarah
Wowzers- that chicken looks incredible with the bright red rub and the green!!
Yvonne
We love roast chicken, but also get bored of having it the same way all the time. I can't wait to give this a try. The leftovers would be great in tacos.
Danielle
That chicken looks perfect. I have never had harissa before, but I definitely want to try it after seeing this.
This thermometer will make a great stocking filler for my husband, he never cooks chicken properly.
Charli Bruce
I love roast chicken and am always looking for ways to change it up, I think adding the harissa sounds amazing x
Anna @Annatheapple
God I love roast chicken. This sounds SO good. What a centre piece as well!
Angela Ricardo Bethea
That looks absolutely amazing. I think the important part of Thanksgiving is not whether chicken and turkey but getting together with the family and bonding.
Sarmistha Goswami
Oh my God! This looks too good. I am not a very good cook, so will share this recipe with my mom for sure :)
Thanks for sharing.
Do drop by my blog as well : http://styleovercoffee.com :)
Joanna
I don't do roast chicken for the same reason, I never know if it's cooked on the inside or not. The idea of using a meat thermometer is great! The idea of harissa and garlic glaze sound really yummy.
Emily Leary
Look at those colours!! I can almost taste the flavours through my screen, everything looks amazing.
kirsty
I love Harissa it's such a warming spice, I've tried it with chicken fillets but never thought to do a roast chicken, so I shall be giving this a go very soon. It would make for a lovely sunday roast with a modern twist x
maggie smith
hi Danni don't u give out the calorie count on your recipes anymore have noticed a few recipes without it ....just inquiring thanks .maggie
Tanya Brannan
Wow I have never heard of a Thermapen before however this seems to take all the guess work out of cooking meat, especially fowl. I think this would be perfect for the Thanksgiving and Christmas Turkey x
five little doves
Gosh that looks SO tasty! You can't go wrong with roast chicken but that literally looks so full of flavour and so juicy!
Dee
My family will love the tuna fishcakes. Thank you.