One Pot Harissa Chicken With Prunes

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This one pot harissa chicken recipe is a favorite in my arsenal of Mediterranean recipes. With the warm spices and added heat from the harissa paste, this dish is balanced by preserved lemons and the additional sweetness of prunes.

As far as harissa chicken goes, this dish stands alone as a one pot feast with vegetables, meat, and plenty of flavors. For a fresh and crunchy side dish element in your meal try out this cucumber ribbon salad or edamame salad and keep it gluten free.

Check out more chicken recipes on my blog such as chicken chaat or another one pot chicken recipe, chicken chasseur.

Try out this new recipe next time you’re having a gathering or for an easy weeknight dinner anytime.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

It only uses one pot, which means easy clean up
It’s delicious with elements of spiciness, warmth, and sweetness
It’s healthy and balanced with protein and vegetables
The chicken can easily be replaced with tofu or more vegetables to make a vegetarian version

EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

Oven safe casserole dish – for this one pot meal your most important piece of equipment will be this dish
Mixing bowl – you will need this for mixing your harissa paste and spices to create the sauce
Chef’s knife – a good sharp chef’s knife is the best tool for cutting vegetables or breaking down chicken

SPECIAL INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

Harissa paste – made of red chiles, garlic, oil, and an acid (lemon juice or vinegar work)
Preserved lemons – essentially a pickled lemon, preserved lemons are packed in a salty brine and left to ferment for a few weeks to soften the skin and make a beautifully aromatic addition to your dish. And yes, the skins are edible!

There is something very satisfying about a dish that has all the elements that this one pot harissa chicken does. As far as a chicken recipe goes, this one has it all.

The hot chile peppers from the harissa paste compliment the warm spices that accompany it; turmeric, ginger, cumin, and cinnamon, while the floral aromatics of the preserved lemons and garlic amp up the flavor.

WHAT IS HARISSA?

Harissa is an ingredient used to flavor meats and vegetables. The heat can vary from mild to medium heat, to spicy, depending on your preference. Simply made from red chilies, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice or vinegar, harissa adds a kick to whatever recipe it is incorporated into. This harissa chicken recipe is no exception.

You may not have heard of all of the ingredients in this dish, but if you enjoy cooking middle eastern and Mediterranean dishes, you’ve likely used some of the spices in this dish, maybe even harissa. Harissa paste has become more commonly available in grocery stores such as Trader Joe’s in the past couple of years.

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

Combining ingredients for a harissa marinade.

Place the harissa, spices, sugar, preserved lemons, garlic and oil in a processor.

Blend until a thick paste forms with little chunky bits, if you like.

Marinate the chicken in half of the sauce.

Fry onions until softened, then add cauliflower and potatoes.

Adding prunes, cauliflower, onion and potato to a large cooking pot.

Add the prunes.

Stir in the remaining harissa sauce.

Add the chickpeas.

Raw harissa chicken in a pot seasoned and ready to cook.

Arrange the marinated chicken pieces in a single layer on top of the vegetables.

Bake until golden and everything is cooked and tender.

Cooked one pot Harissa chicken topped with cilantro.

Decorate with cilantro and chopped preserved lemon peel.

Top Tip

To make your chicken totally wow flavorful, marinate it in the harissa for a couple of hours, allowing it to soak up even more of the spicy sauce.

WHAT TO PAIR WITH THIS RECIPE

DESSERTS

After eating this slightly spicy one pot harissa chicken, you may want to cool down with a nice sweet and cold dessert. Try one of these desserts:

COCKTAILS

I like to enjoy a cocktail before or during a good meal. Pair your harissa chicken with one of these for a double treat:

VARIATIONS TO THIS RECIPE

Replace chicken thighs with boneless skinless chicken breast if you prefer white meat. Chicken breast cooks a little differently because there is less fat in the meat, but it should be fine as long as you do not overcook the chicken breasts.
This recipe calls for the only dry fruit being prunes. If you prefer to add dried apricots in addition or instead of prunes, they will also work really wonderfully with the spicy harissa chicken.
Add finely chopped fresh mint leaves instead of or in addition to cilantro as a garnish to your dish of harissa chicken.
For more vegetables, added peppers will give this harissa chicken dish some freshness, flavor, and color. Any kind of bell peppers will do.

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS?

Store your one pot harissa chicken leftovers in a covered dish. Allow the chicken to cool in a covered dish before putting it in the refrigerator.

HOW LONG WILL THIS RECIPE LAST IN THE REFRIGERATOR?

In a properly covered dish, this recipe should last for 4 days in the refrigerator, although I doubt that it will make it that long. As the leftovers sit the flavors will become even better, making it a great dish to reheat.

CAN I MAKE THIS RECIPE BE MADE IN ADVANCE?

Yes, this one pot dish can be made ahead of time if you are looking forward to a busy week. The leftovers are simply delicious and the flavor will improve upon reheating.

Don’t forget to come back and let me know how your recipe turned out!