It is no secret that I am obsessed with Cava right now. We moved and live less than 5 minutes from one and we can’t get enough. One of my favorite things at Cava is the harissa, which is a spicy roasted red chili paste. In attempt to save us some money and for those of you that don’t live close to a Cava, I made this Harissa Marinated Chicken. It is the perfect weeknight meal and is really simple to make.
Like I mentioned above, harissa is a spicy roasted red chili paste. You can get it at most stores, but I have found it to be really affordable at Trader Joe’s. It is really thick in the jar but can easily be thinned out or mixed into sauces, like this marinade. It is very spicy, so if spice isn’t your thing, be careful. Add a cool dipping sauce, like tzatziki, or simply adjusting the ratio in the marinade to tone down the spice.
For the chicken in this recipe, I diced it up so it would cook faster and be perfect for a bowl, but you can use this marinade on whole chicken breasts or thighs. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time if you use either of these. The cubed chicken only needs an hour or two to marinate then it is ready to cook!
Tips for Harissa Marinated Chicken:
- If you don’t want it as spicy, decrease the amount of harissa and increase olive oil and lemon juice.
- Serve this chicken on its own or over some veggies and rice.
- This marinade would go great on chicken wings and thighs too!
- In this bowl I use Cava Tzatziki, that I found at Whole Foods. Like I mentioned Tzatziki can be a really nice balance for the spice.
If you are looking for another easy marinade, check out this Steak Fajita Marinade.
Harissa Marinated Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Chicken Breast cubed
- 2 Tbsp Harissa
- 1/2 Lemon juiced
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1/4 tsp Oregano
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients except the chicken into a bowl. Mix until combined to create the marinade.
- Put the cubed chicken into a large ziplock bag and add the marinade. Refrigerate the chicken and let marinade for up to two hours.
- Heat the grill or pan to medium heat depending on how you want to cook the chicken.
- Add the chicken to the grill, being sure to use non-stick spray, and cook on each side for about 4 minutes. If you are using the pan, cook the chicken about 4 minutes each side. When the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F it is finished.
- Serve over your favorite veggies and rice or alongside your favorite side dish.
Notes
- If you don’t want it as spicy, decrease the amount of harissa and increase olive oil and lemon juice.
- Serve this chicken on its own or over some veggies and rice.
- This marinade would go great on chicken wings and thighs too!
- In this bowl I use Cava Tzatziki, that I found at Whole Foods. Like I mentioned Tzatziki can be a really nice balance for the spice.
Pingback: Lemon Harissa Chicken Wings - Whole30- Real Food With Altitude