40 harissa recipes

How to make your own harissa

Harissa is essentially a Tunisian chilli pepper paste, and there are thousands of variations. This one has heat, but it’s balanced, and has so many layers of flavour (including chilli, cumin and coriander), each one coming as soon as the previous has subsided. Click here for our harissa recipe.

Which harissa paste to buy

We love Belazu's rose harissa paste, buy online here.

Easy harissa recipes

Harissa chicken and white bean bake

This vibrant recipe sees chicken thighs slathered with harissa and cooked in a rich tomato sauce with beans and olives – a healthy, high-protein family meal with a punchy kick of heat.

Harissa lamb stuffed courgettes

Harissa is mixed with lamb mince, garlic and cumin and packed into courgettes to makes an impressive meal for two.

Harissa roast salmon with warm herby grains and yogurt dressing

Harissa-honey salmon served on top of herby wholegrains, with a quick yogurt dressing on the side – the perfect midweek meal for two.

Harissa chicken with sour cherry and pistachio freekeh stuffing

Gurdeep Loyal's roast chicken stuffed with nutty freekeh would make the perfect weekend roast for a family of four.

Prawn, basil and harissa pasta

Prawns, harissa and plenty of fresh basil are all you need to make this pasta dish really sing. Finish with a dollop of yogurt to cool that punchy spice.

Hasselback harissa roast squash

With sweet, spicy harissa and salty feta, vegetarians will not miss out with this stunning Middle Eastern centrepiece.

Sticky harissa sausages with parsnip mash

Got friends coming over? Keep them happy with sticky harissa sausages and creamy parsnip mash.

Crispy chicken with harissa honey butter

Use a punchy flavoured butter to elevate a quick-fix chicken or steak dinner.

Harissa lime prawn cocktail

An absolute classic, made that bit more exciting by adding rose harissa paste and plenty of fresh lime to the mix. With only 15 minutes prep time, this is the perfect dinner party starter.

Baked orzo with harissa prawns

Flavour prawns with harissa, dill, garlic and lemon, then serve swirled through orzo pasta for a speedy but sophisticated midweek dinner.

Harissa spaghetti

Stir rose harissa through spaghetti and juicy cherry tomatoes for a high-fibre, low-calorie vegetarian dinner.

Seared pork loin with harissa chickpeas

A healthy, low-calorie midweek dinner idea, using charred pork loin medallions, harissa, chickpeas and spinach. It's less than 500 calories per serving!

Roasted harissa cauliflower with warm coriander hummus and dukkah

Chunky wedges of roasted rose harissa cauliflower, served with warm hummus and a super-simple homemade dukkah.

Sticky harissa chicken

Our yummy sticky harissa chicken is a healthy option for a mid-week meal that isn’t short on flavour. There will be plenty of sauce, so serve with rice or grains to soak it up, and perhaps a bitter leaf salad.

Lamb neck, preserved lemon, white beans and harissa

Try this Lebanese-inspired lamb dish as part of a Middle Eastern mezze, full of flavour and perfect for sharing.

Roasted cauliflower and harissa chickpeas

There’s a careful balance of flavours here – a sweetness from the honey, a warming spice from the harissa, a freshness from the lemon – and they’re all soaked up by the perfectly roasted cauliflower, becoming a wonderfully hearty and warm salad.

Spiced pineapple and banana cake

With its tropical notes and its subtle harissa heat, this loaf cake serves up a big slice of holiday flavour, topped with creamy icing. Don’t be scared of the harissa – the flavour mellows in the cooking. Check out our best banana recipes here.

Harissa hot wings with hazelnut dukkah

Make your own nutty dukkah as a dip for these chicken wings spiced up with harissa and Frank's RedHot sauce. Discover more of our best party food recipes here.

Refried smashed roasties with green harissa and yogurt

Use up your leftover potatoes in this punchy dish. It's a quick recipe for an easy side.

Whole roast cauliflower with warm harissa hummus

Check out our vegan roasted cauliflower with warm harissa hummus. This cauliflower recipe makes for a great side dish when feeding a hungry crowd. Plus it's low in calories and it's gluten free.

Halloumi, harissa and honey toastie

Check out Sabrina Ghayour's take on everybody's favourite, the classic cheese toastie, spiked with harissa. It's vegetarian too, so your veggie friends don't have to miss out.

Chargrilled tuna with harissa and potato stew

The best way to enjoy a nice tuna steak... alongside harissa potatoes. All the ingredients are easy to get hold of and it's on the table in 25 minutes. Here are more stew ideas too try.

Sausage skewers with harissa and honey

Check out these honey glazed cocktail sausages with harissa. The quick and easy skewers are super simple to make and ready in just 30 minutes, a perfect side to your summer BBQ. More BBQ ideas here.

Roasted courgette, chickpea and harissa salad

This quick and easy vegan salad recipe sees roasted courgettes and crunchy chickpeas tossed in punchy harissa. It's ready in 20 minutes and low in calories too.

Chorizo and butterbean stew

Give our simple and speedy chorizo and butter bean stew a try. This warming recipe is a great midweek dinner for two, ready in 20 minutes.

Harissa-marinated poussin with tabouleh and saffron yogurt

This easy dish makes a great alternative to any weekend roast. Serve with freshly chopped tabbouleh salad and a smooth saffron yogurt.

Roasted sweet potato freekah salad with harissa-yogurt dressing

Harissa gives a kick to the dressing for this simple, low calorie sweet potato and freekeh dish. It's easy to prepare and can be made for a filling midweek meal.

Spiced cod fritters with harissa honey dip

These crunchy fish fritters with sweet and spicy harissa-base dip from Persian cooking guru Sabrina Ghayour are a great idea for a middle-Eastern dinner party spread.

Giant couscous with spicy fish broth

Spice up your life with this quick and easy recipe for fiery couscous, tomato and fish broth. The harissa gives the dish a wonderfully smokey edge.

Smoked lamb meatballs with sweet-sour harissa sauce

Our smoked lamb meatballs with sweet-sour harissa sauce are quick and easy to make but are packed full of flavour.

Harissa chicken meatballs with bulgar

This recipe for harissa chicken meatballs with bulgar is quick, easy and healthy, but packs a flavour punch.

Roasted sweet potatoes with harissa yogurt, toasted nuts and seeds

This recipe for roasted sweet potatoes with harissa yogurt, toasted nuts and seeds from Dan Doherty makes veg the star of the show.

Fiery chickpea and harissa soup

A fast-to-make and easy vegetarian soup made with chickpeas and harissa. Ready quickly in 20 minutes.

Harissa salmon with mixed grains and spinach

This recipe for harissa salmon with mixed grains and spinach is super easy to make, ready in just 15 minutes and gluten-free.

Grilled avocado halves with harissa hummus and tahini yoghurt

We love avocado! With this recipe for grilled avocado halves with harissa hummus, we've promoted it to BBQ star.

Halloumi flatbreads with harissa dressing

These quick halloumi flatbreads with harissa dressing are easy to make, ready in under 30 minutes and vegetarian. Perfect for a midweek meal.

Harissa-grilled salmon salad with supergrains

Get into the superfood revolution with this healthy combination of harissa-grilled salmon, farro or freekeh and herbs, all mixed together to create a spicy, filling salad.

Moroccan kofte and chorizo stew

You can make this Moroccan lamb and chorizo stew the day before you need to feed a crowd and chill until you’re ready for your guests to feast.

Green lentil harissa soup

Nourishing and delicious, this harissa-spiked soup comes stuffed with celery, parsnips, leek, kale and chickpeas.

Harissa chicken and couscous salad with preserved lemon dressing

Brushed with punchy harissa, this chicken breast dish is an easy everyday dinner for two.