Harissa Chicken in Walnut Yoghurt Sauce
This is my take on muhammara, the Middle Eastern red pepper and walnut dip, turned into a proper dinner. The chicken is marinated in rose harissa and Greek yoghurt, then baked until tender enough to shred before being tossed with walnuts, pickled jalapeños and lots of fresh parsley. It’s spicy, creamy and really easy to make.
I love adding an extra spoonful of cold Greek yoghurt at the end — the cool, creamy flavour works so well against the heat of the harissa and jalapeños.
I served mine alongside homemade flatbread, fried halloumi and my Coriander Houmous with Jalapeño & Chilli Oil, which I shared in a previous recipe post here. It would also be lovely simply served with some fluffy boiled rice to soak up all those spicy, creamy juices.
Serves 4
Ingredients
600g boneless chicken thighs
3 tbsp Greek yoghurt
1½–2 tbsp rose harissa
1 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra for drizzling
Juice of ½ lemon
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Salt and black pepper
1 large red pepper, cut into chunky squares
A handful of walnuts, roughly chopped
A handful of red pickled jalapeños, for a little kick
2–3 handfuls fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Method
Make the marinade. In a large bowl, mix together the yoghurt, rose harissa, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic with a good pinch of salt and black pepper. Start with 1½ tbsp of harissa, adding a little more if you like more heat.
Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken thighs and turn until every piece is generously coated. Cover and leave in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes, or overnight for even more succulent, flavourful chicken.
Heat the oven 200°C (180°C fan / gas mark 6). Tip the chicken, red pepper and all of that lovely marinade into a ceramic baking dish, spreading everything out evenly.
Roast for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, turning everything once halfway through, until the chicken is cooked through, the peppers have softened and the edges are beginning to char.
Shred and finish. With around 10 minutes of cooking time remaining, remove the dish from the oven and roughly shred the chicken directly in the dish, letting it soak up all of those juices. Scatter over the roughly chopped walnuts and pickled jalapeños, along with some of the parsley, and toss everything together. Return to the oven for the final 5–10 minutes, allowing the walnuts to lightly toast.
Serve. Finish with the remaining fresh parsley, an extra squeeze of lemon and a little drizzle of olive oil. I added an extra spoonful of Greek yoghurt at the end because I love that little hit of cool, creamy flavour, but it’s completely optional.
If you make this, I’d love to know what you think. Leave a comment below, or come and find me on Instagram @alexandra_brunt and share how yours turned out. And if you know someone who likes a bit of heat, send this one their way.
