This Harissa Honey Chicken Recipe is a showstopper! The perfect balance of sweet, savory, spicy and salty. This recipe uses a whole chicken which you will need to spatchcock (butterfly). Don’t worry, I outline the process for you below with pictures too!
Serve this hot honey-glazed roast chicken with Saffron Rice, Vermicelli Rice, or Batata Harra (Spicy Lebanese Potatoes). You can even serve it with my garlic confit mashed potatoes too.
Ingredients
This recipe doesn’t call for too many ingredients. The only special ingredient here is the spicy Harissa, which you can buy ready to use or make your own.
- Whole Chicken: This recipe is written and tested with a whole chicken that is butterflied (spatchcocked - see steps below), so for best results, I recommend following the recipe as written. It’s how I like to roast whole chicken as it gives me more control over the cooking process and more crispy skin. But feel free to ask your butcher to break down the bird for you, or use chicken thighs. This recipe is very adaptable so use your favorite cut. If you have more whole chickens on hand (like I always do! Those Costco 3-packs are a bargain), try my Maftoul (Palestinian Couscous) recipe which also uses a whole bird.
- Harissa Paste: Harissa is a North African chili paste that is sweet, spicy, tangy, and savory. It’s an excellent base for stews and marinades because it contains chili peppers, red peppers, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and spices like ground cumin, ground coriander, and caraway. I like to make my own Harissa Paste because I prefer it to be a little more smooth for marinating recipes. Jarred Harissa is available in Middle Eastern, North African, and international markets. These days, you might also find it in a well-stocked grocery store (Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s). Check out my Harissa Chicken Skewers recipe too!
- Honey: The finishing hot honey glaze adds the perfect final touch to this delicious recipe. If you have a bottle or jar of prepared hot honey, you can use that instead of making your own.
- Fresh Herbs: I recommend using fresh thyme sprigs only. But if you must use dry, use half the amount specified as dried thyme can be quite powerful.
Refer to the recipe card below for the full recipe with quantities and instructions.
How to Make this Harissa Honey Chicken Recipe
Step 1. Make the Marinade. In a small bowl, combine Harissa paste, garlic, olive oil, and fresh thyme leaves.
Step 2. Make the Hot Honey. In a small bowl, combine the honey, Harissa paste, and fresh thyme leaves.
Step 3. Butterfly (Spatchcock) Whole Chicken. Place the chicken back side up. Using sharp kitchen shears, cut along the backbone from bottom to top. Spread the chicken like an open book. In order for the chicken to lay flat, you will also need to cut the back of the breast bone. Turn the bird around so that the legs are facing away from you. With the kitchen shears, crack the back of the breast but don’t cut all the way through. Flip the chicken over and press down on the breast. The chicken should now be lying flat.
Step 4. Season the Chicken. Liberally season the chicken with kosher or sea salt, pepper and olive oil on all sides, and in the nooks and crannies. Place the chicken on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan.
Step 5. Brush the Marinade. Brush the prepared marinade all over the chicken and on the back. You can also carefully separate the breast skin from the meat and using your hands, push some of the marinade under the breast skin. Tuck a few sprigs of thyme and onion slices under the chicken. Place the marinated chicken in the fridge for at least 1 hour so that the flavor can penetrate the meat.
Step 6. Roast. Preheat your oven to 350F/175C. Roast uncovered for 50-70 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and the internal temperature reaches 175F in the thickest part of the breast and in the thickest part of the thigh.
Step 7. Glaze. Glaze the cooked chicken with the hot honey mixture.
Step 8. Carve. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before cutting into portions.
Serving Suggestions
I got you covered with a bunch of sides that will pair perfectly with this recipe. Make your own Harissa honey chicken bowls.
When it comes to starch, serve it with my plain white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, saffron rice, vermicelli rice, or with my Batata Harra (spicy Lebanese potatoes) or garlic rosemary roasted potatoes. You can even serve it with my garlic mashed potatoes.
I also recommend making a refreshing salad. My Jerusalem salad (chopped salad) or Fattoush both work really well. Like it extra hot? Drizzle on some Sambal Oelek or Shattah (Middle Eastern Chili Paste).
If you have leftover chicken, you can use it to make shawarma-style wraps using Lebanese pita bread, pickled turnips, sumac onions, and sliced vegetables.
Expert Tips
- Control the heat level. Different brands of Harissa have their own recipe and spice level. If your family is not fond of overly spicy food, make your own Harissa paste (or use a sweet pepper paste instead).
- Sharp kitchen scissors only. Cutting through chicken bone can be intimidating, but using sharp kitchen shears or scissors will be the safest way to do it. If you are experienced, a sharp knife works as well. Or ask your butcher to butterfly the chicken for you.
- Use gloves! I recommend using gloves to help massage the marinade into the chicken. This avoids stains and helps protect your fingers from the spice in the marinade.
- Cook right away. Short on time? You can skip the 1 hour marinating in the fridge step and roast the chicken right after slathering it with the marinade.
- Cooking Time Advice: The cooking time for chicken will vary depending on the thickness of the meat and the oven used. Every oven is different. This is why I highly recommend that you invest in a meat thermometer (affiliate link). This will help you ensure that you end up with juicy chicken thighs and breasts.
- Meal Prep. Like many of my favorite chicken recipes (Chicken Shish Tawook, Chicken Kofta and Harissa Chicken Skewers), this recipe is perfect for meal prepping.
Recipe FAQs
If you want to cut down on the prep time, you can marinate the chicken a day before you cook it. Simply marinate it in a large bowl or in a plastic resealable bag. You can then take it out and roast it an hour or so before you need to serve it.
Leftovers should be stored in a glass airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy within 3 days. You can also shred the chicken and discard the bones. The shredded chicken can also be frozen for up to 6 months.
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Recipe Card
Harissa Honey Chicken (Butterflied Whole Chicken)
Equipment
- Meat thermometer
Ingredients
Harissa Marinade
- ¼ cup Harissa paste
- 2-3 Garlic cloves - Finely minced
- 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Fresh thyme leaves - Leaves stripped from 10-15 sprigs of thyme
Hot Honey
- 2 tablespoon Honey
- 1 tablespoon Harissa paste
- 1 teaspoon Fresh thyme leaves - Leaves stripped from 3-5 sprigs of thyme
Chicken
- 1 Whole chicken - Medium size, about 4-5 lbs
- 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 Red onion - Peeled and cut into wedges, for roasting pan
- 10-15 Thyme sprigs - For roasting pan
Instructions
- Make the Marinade. In a small bowl, add all the Harissa Marinade ingredients (Harissa paste, minced garlic, olive oil and thyme) and whisk to combine.
- Make the Hot Honey. In a small bowl, add the Hot Honey ingredients (honey, Harissa paste, and fresh thyme leaves) and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Butterfly (Spatchcock) Whole Chicken. Place the chicken back side up. Using sharp kitchen shears, cut along the backbone from bottom to top. Spread the chicken like an open book. For the chicken to lay flat, you will also need to cut the back of the breast bone. Turn the bird around so that the legs are facing away from you. With the kitchen shears, crack the back of the breast but don’t cut all the way through. Flip the chicken over and press down on the breast. The chicken should now be lying flat.
- Season the Chicken. Liberally season the chicken with olive oil, salt, and pepper on all sides, and in the nooks and crannies. Place the chicken on a parchment paper lined sheet pan, baking dish, or large skillet.
- Brush the Marinade. Brush the prepared marinade all over the chicken and on the back. You can also carefully separate the breast skin from the meat and using your hands, push some of the marinade under the breast skin. Tuck a few sprigs of thyme and onion slices under the chicken. Optional: Place the marinated chicken in the fridge for at least 1 hour so that the flavor can penetrate the meat.
- Roast. Preheat your oven to 350F/175C. Roast uncovered for 50-70 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and a meat thermometer reads 170F in the thickest part of the breast meat and thigh meat.
- Glaze. Glaze the cooked chicken with the hot honey mixture.
- Carve. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before cutting into portions.
Notes
- Whole Chicken: This recipe is written and tested with a whole chicken that is butterflied (spatchcocked). It’s how I like to roast whole chicken as it gives me more control over the cooking process and more crispy skin. But feel free to ask your butcher to break down the bird for you, or use bone-in and skin on chicken thighs or chicken breasts. This recipe is very adaptable so use your favorite cut.
- Harissa Paste: Harissa is a chili paste from North Africa. It’s an excellent base for stews and marinades because it contains chili peppers, red peppers, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and spices like cumin, coriander and caraway. I like to make my own Harissa paste because I prefer it to be a little more smooth for marinating recipes. Jarred Harissa is available in Middle Eastern, North African and international markets. These day, you might also find it in well stocked grocery stores. Mina Harissa is a popular brand but I find it too chunky.
- Honey: The finishing hot honey glaze adds the perfect final touch to this delicious recipe. If you have a bottle or jar of prepared hot honey, you can use that instead of making your own.
- Thyme: I recommend using fresh thyme sprigs only. But if you must use dry, use half the amount specified as dried thyme can be quite powerful.
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