Harissa Honey Chicken (Butterflied Whole Chicken)

Harissa hot honey chicken pieces on a platter with fresh thyme and lemon wedges.

5 from 1 vote

Harissa Honey Chicken (Butterflied Whole Chicken)

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!

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: North African

Servings: people

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $20

Equipment

Meat thermometer

Ingredients

Harissa Marinade

¼ cup Harissa paste
2-3 Garlic cloves - Finely minced
1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp Fresh thyme leaves - Leaves stripped from 10-15 sprigs of thyme

Hot Honey

2 tbsp Honey
1 tbsp Harissa paste
1 tsp Fresh thyme leaves - Leaves stripped from 3-5 sprigs of thyme

Chicken

1 Whole chicken - Medium size, about 4-5 lbs
1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp Kosher salt
1 tsp 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

Refer to the post above for step-by-step recipe photos. Highly recommended especially if you have never butterflied a whole chicken before.

Ingredient 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.

Serve this roast chicken with saffron rice, vermicelli rice, or Batata Harra (spicy Lebanese potatoes). You can even serve it with my garlic mashed potatoes.

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