Harissa Honey Chicken Thighs
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My harissa honey chicken has juicy bone-in chicken thighs baked until the skin is crispy, then broiled with a sticky, sweet, and gently spicy harissa honey glaze. It’s a proper family dinner version of a flavor combination you’ve probably had at CAVA.
I developed this sweet and spicy chicken recipe back in 2015, well before harissa honey chicken became the CAVA favorite it is today. My version is quite different from theirs. Where CAVA slices chicken thin and serves it over a bowl, this one leans into a proper family dinner: whole bone-in chicken thighs baked and broiled until the skin is crispy and the glaze is sticky and slightly caramelized.
My two-step cooking method is what makes it work. First, the chicken bakes until it’s cooked through and the skin has crisped up. Then I drain off the rendered fat, pour the harissa honey sauce over the top, and broil for 5 minutes. That short broil is where everything comes together. The sauce clings to the crispy skin, browns just slightly under the direct heat, and turns sticky and glossy without the sugars burning.
If you skip the initial bake and just pan-sear the chicken with the sauce (like most versions do), the honey will scorch long before the meat cooks through. Baking first, then saucing, is what makes this feel restaurant-quality while staying foolproof at home. Serve it with rice, roasted vegetables, or a big green salad and dinner is done.
What to serve with harissa honey chicken
The sticky, sweet, and gently spicy glaze pairs beautifully with almost any side, but a few things work especially well:
- A soft, fluffy grain to soak up the extra sauce, like basmati rice, lemon butter orzo, or warm pita
- Something creamy and cooling to balance the harissa’s warmth, like hummus, a dollop of Greek yogurt, or a simple tzatziki
- A fresh, bright salad to cut through the richness, like a cucumber tomato salad or a lemony arugula salad
- Roasted vegetables that hold up to bold flavor, like roasted fingerling potatoes
Harissa Honey Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup harissa
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic (very finely minced)
- Minced cilantro (to serve)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Season both sides of your chicken thighs with salt and pepper and then place them in an oven-proof pan. Drizzle the oil over the top and then bake the chicken for 35-40 minutes, until it is cooked through. The juices should run clear and the internal temperature should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit.8 bone-in chicken thighs, 1 teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce. Whisk the honey, harissa, vinegar, and garlic in a small pot 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, about 3 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat.½ cup honey, ¼ cup harissa, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Turn the oven to broil – see notes. Remove the chicken from the oven and carefully drain off all the liquid in the pan.Minced cilantro
- Pour the harissa honey sauce over the chicken then return the chicken to the oven and broil for about 5 minutes, until the top of the chicken looks sticky and starts to darken. Serve the chicken with some cilantro over the top.
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
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. Pinned, and now a favorite! Even my 3yo likes it. 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?
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! I’m 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! I’m 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!! 🙂
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!
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. 🙂
Hope you love the recipe as much as I do!!
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!
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!! 🙂
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!