Roasted Harissa Chicken and Potatoes

This recipe for Roasted Harissa Chicken and Potatoes is wonderfully delicious and full of flavors.

Baked on a sheet pan, it's an easy recipe to pull together. While it does take some time to roast, it's largely hands-off time.

Why You’ll Love this Sheet Pan Dinner

If you like lightly spicy and flavorful meals, you will love this sheet-pan chicken and potatoes recipe.

Harissa is a spicy red pepper dip from North Africa. It usually contains garlic, caraway seeds, cumin, coriander, and olive oil, making for a richly flavorful paste. It's fabulous on chicken and makes a great marinade for this dish.

After roasting the chicken, potatoes, and tomatoes, you'll top them with a herby garlic yogurt sauce that's sharp and bright. It livens up the dish and mutes any overly spicy bits.

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Ingredients for Harissa Chicken

Here's what you'll need to make this chicken thighs recipe.

• Chicken - For this recipe, we used 2 pounds of chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on) for maximum flavor. If you prefer chicken breasts you can absolutely use those instead.
• Marinade - You'll use ¼ cup of harissa paste to marinate the chicken
• Vegetables & Alliums - you'll need a pound of small potatoes (or if you have large potatoes, use a pound, but quarter them), 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, 3 shallots, and a whole head of garlic (this will go in the sauce).
• Seasoning - you'll need olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper.
• Sauce - to make the sauce, you'll use ⅓ cup plain yogurt, ½ cup chopped parsley, ¼ cup chopped dill, and a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

How to Make This Recipe

This recipe takes some time to roast, but it requires very little hands-on time. Here's how to make it.

1. Marinate the chicken - Combine the chicken and harissa. Toss to coat the chicken and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Prep the vegetables - Chop and prep your vegetables. Prick all the potatoes with a fork. Toss shallots, potatoes, and tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Bake - Place the chicken, shallots, potatoes, tomatoes, and head of garlic on a sheet pan and bake for 35 minutes at 425 F.
4. Make the sauce - Combine the yogurt, parsley, dill, lemon juice, and roasted garlic. Blitz in a blender till the sauce is creamy, and the garlic has broken down.
5. Serve - Drizzle the sauce across the chicken, potatoes, and tomatoes.

More North African Recipes to Try

If you like the rich flavors of North African food, try some of our other favorite recipes from the region.

• Moroccan Chicken with Preserved Lemon - the flavors of tajine made in a dutch oven
• Roasted Eggplant and Shrimp with Harissa - another delicious sheet pan meal with harissa
• Shakshouka Recipe - a hearty brunch recipe of baked eggs and tomatoes
• Ras el Hanout Recipe - an all-purpose Middle Eastern and North African spice blend that's great in soups or on chicken.

Tips for This Recipe

Cooking Tips - Lining your baking sheet with parchment ensures the chicken won't stick to the pan and makes cleanup easier!

Specialty Ingredients - For this recipe, we used our own homemade harissa. The type of peppers used in harissa determines how spicy it is - test your brand of harissa before using it to see how spicy it is. If it's too hot for you, use a little less and add a tablespoon of olive oil to it. If it's not hot enough, use another ¼ cup of it to marinate the chicken.

Storing Tips - Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. You can reheat it in the oven or microwave, but store the sauce separately, or it will dry out.