Sticky Harissa Honey Glazed Chicken
This Sticky Harissa Honey Glazed Chicken is the most delicious honey glazed chicken ever. The sweet and sticky sauce is spiced with harissa, a North African paste that is super flavourful. It will be a huge hit with your whole family!
I have a confession to make: I've been holding out on you.
I don't know what to say except that I am so very sorry. Things got away from me and, well, there really is no good excuse. You guys deserve not to wait for the most delicious recipes, and for making you wait I truly apologize. Really, I do.
You see, you should have been eating this honey glazed chicken weeks ago, and I hope you can forgive me for making you wait.
I know you live busy lives. You work, have friends, are active and, between all that, you like to find at least a little time to feed yourself (and maybe the awesome peeps around you) well.
This honey glazed chicken will do that for you: It will let you eat deliciously well in 30 minutes flat.
This is one of those fast and easy weeknight meals that you can whip up quickly when you get home and serve with a simple salad on the side for an easy and healthy dinner.
I like to make this with the skin on the chicken because that's just the way I roll. If you'd rather do away with the extra fat from the chicken skin then obviously feel free to leave it off.
Can you make this with chicken breasts?
Yep, you sure can. But … I don't personally think it's as good. I never choose chicken breasts though since I find they don't have as much flavor as thighs and are generally drier. If you prefer breasts though, this recipe is definitely customizable so feel free to use them instead.
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Easy Chicken Recipes
- Baked Chicken Breasts
- Honey Garlic Chicken
- Sweet and Spicy Paleo Chicken Fingers
- Crispy Garlic Butter Chicken and Brussels Sprouts
- Sweet and Sticky Mango Chutney Chicken
Sticky Harissa Honey Glazed Chicken
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in chicken thighs
- Ā¼ teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil, if you choose skinless chicken
- Ā¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons harissa
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, grated on a microplane
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken thighs (and the oil if you're using skinless thighs) in a small ovenproof (preferably cast iron) skillet and season it with sea salt and pepper. Cover the pan (with a lid or foil) and bake it for 15 minutes.4 bone-in chicken thighs, Ā¼ teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce. Whisk the honey, harissa, white vinegar, and garlic in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil and continue to boil it, whisking constantly, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the sauce from the heat.Ā¼ cup honey, 2 tablespoons harissa, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- After 15 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven and drain off any liquid. Increase the oven temperature to broil. Place the chicken back in the oven, uncovered, on the second rack from the top. Broil for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and drain off any liquid. Pour the honey harissa sauce over the chicken and toss it to coat then put it back in the oven to broil for 5 minutes more. Serve it immediately.
One of the best chicken dishes I’ve ever made. Very easy recipe. Will be making it many more times
Can you cute the boneless chicken breasts into small cubes or will this dry the chicken too much?
You could do that, but I would adapt this to make on the stovetop in that case. Sear the chicken pieces lightly then add the sauce and let it thicken. Should take you about 15 minutes total.
I’m sorry but in what universe do chicken thighs cook enough covered in a 350Ā° oven for 15 mins? Mine were basically raw so back in uncovered at 375Ā° for another 12 mins before I felt even remotely safe covering them in the sauce and broiling them.
You’re right, 15 minutes is not enough time to cook chicken thighs. The recipe calls for the chicken to be cooked covered for 15 minutes, uncovered for 10 minutes, and broiled for 5 minutes. Hope that helps clarify!
Hi I’m an American living in Tunisia land of harrisa they use it on everything I’m making this now as I type I just tasted the sauce this going to be really good I can tell wish hubby wasn’t Stuck in USA cause of what’s going on now he’d love this done on a grill ???
I’m so happy that you like the recipe! And yes, I bet it would be amazing on the grill!
I love harissa, and this was so delicious. Ā Pinned, and now a favorite! Ā Even my 3yo likes it. Ā I made sure one thigh had hardly no sauce, but just enough to taste.
Love hearing that your whole family enjoyed the recipe!
What sort of white vinegar is recommended please?Ā
I use basic white vinegar. Nothing fancy is needed for this recipe.
I marinate the chicken in the harissa the day before for extra flavour. This recipe is delicious!
Hooray! Iām so happy that you love the recipe!
Made this today…AMAZING!!! The whole family enjoyed it….even my fussy LittleMiss 8! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Hooray! Iām so happy that you love the recipe!
Can we use harrissa paste?
Absolutely!
Hi Kirsten, I tried this recipe as a bb, pre baked for 15 mins since it was an open grill) then on the grill to finish cooking and make the skin crisp. It was so delicious!!
I’m so happy you liked it! And great call on grilling them!
I cannot wait to try this recipe. It sounds so delicious. Thank you so much for sharing! I love harissa and am always looking for new ways to use it!
Hi,
When you say white vinegar, do you mean white wine vinegar or general white distilled vinegar?
I’m making this just tomorrow, can’t wait ?
Lizzie
In this recipe, I used white distilled vinegar. If you have white wine vinegar on hand, that would work, too. I hope you like the recipe as much as I do!
I know I’m a year or so late… but i’m going to try this out tonight as a stir fry glaze.
My harissa is in powder form. Do I need to make it into a paste first?!
Hi Abby! I hope I’m not too late in getting back to you. I’ve honestly never worked with powdered harissa before, but since the one I use is a jam-like consistency I would add water to your powder until it is like that.
Hope that helps!
Wow! This turned out so amazing! My boyfriend literally poured the leftover sauce onto his salad as to not waste any and licked his plate clean. This was a huge win! I’ve got leftovers for lunch today and I can’t remember the last time I couldn’t wait to eat leftover lunch Haha Is it noon yet?
Ha ha that is seriously awesome! I’m so pouring the extra sauce over my salad next time I make this, too!! š
I love a good sticky chicken dinner! I love the use of harrisa here! Pinnnnned for sure!
Thanks for the pin!!
Just love this North African paste. These chicken thighs look succulent, sticky and absolutely delicious. Always have harissa on hand, so I’ll be making these soon!
It really is one of my favourites too!
You’ve gone and done it again Kristen! Amazing!!!
Thanks, Nicky!!
Kristen, this is what I’m saying – your photos are ridonk! You literally kill me. Every time. I want to eat these very badly and will someday fosho!
Awww thank you so much, Rachael! You seriously just put the biggest smile on my face. š
Oh my goodness, this looks so awesome. I’ve got a roast chicken to make tonight and am looking for a new recipe; do you think this one would work? Should I put on the glaze while it’s roasting (since it’ll be roasting at a lower temp)? Thanks — and thanks for all the great recipes!
Thank you so much, Jennifer!
I would be afraid that the honey in the glaze would burn if you put it on too soon. My suggestion would be to cook the chicken (with no glaze) at the temp your roast chicken is at and then, when the roast is out of the oven, turn up the temp and add the glaze for the final few minutes.
The reason for the high temp at the end is to give a nice rich colour to the chicken and crisp the skin just a touch. š
Hope you love the recipe as much as I do!!
Whoa – look at the glaze on that chicken. I can almost taste that wonderfully sweet and tangy chicken – I would totally make a mess.
Thanks, Kathleen! Making a big sticky mess when you’re eating is always fun, right?! š
Dropping by from YG to thank you for your submission – this chicken looks terrific!
Thank you so much!!!
This looks amazing. The colours in the photograph are fantastic and I am sure I could eat that whole skillet worth in one sitting.
Thank you so much, Caroline! I have to admit I find this dish a hard one to share. All I want to do is eat the whole skillet-full myself. š
Beautiful photos! You’ve got me craving a second dinner! š
Thanks, Maryanne!!
I want this right now. And totally agree with you about the thighs, so much more flavor.
Thanks, Allyson! And I’m so happy to hear that other people feel the same about chicken breasts. Thighs all the way!
Now this is one incredibly delicious looking dish. I totally am drooling over that sticky, sweet and spicy glaze!
Thank you so much, Thalia!!
I literally almost fell off my chair when I saw this. OMG. LOOK AT THAT GLAZE!! I love that you have a good balance of flavours, adding a splash of vinegar is key!! And I agree re: breast. World’s most boring meat. Only way I eat it is if it is shredded or loaded with sauce!! š
It’s good to hear I’m not the only one who feels that way! I usually think I’m alone in the world of those who don’t like chicken breasts lol.
These look fabulous. I have always been curious about harissa and this recipe gives me a great reason to finally go buy some to try out. Thanks.
Thanks, Nguyet!