Harissa Chicken Traybake Recipe

This harissa chicken traybake recipe is a boldly spiced, one-pan dinner. Spatchcocked chicken roasted over a bed of potatoes and onions, everything soaked in a harissa-ghee marinade that turns into the best pan gravy. Hands-on time is just 15 minutes; the oven does the rest.

• ⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
• 🍳 Cook Time: 55 minutes
• 👥 Servings: 3
• 🔥 Cook Method: Oven
• ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
• 😋 Recipe Highlights: Harissa marinated chicken
• 🎯 Key to Success: Marinate in the morning... even 30 minutes makes a difference to colour and depth of flavour.

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How I found harissa

I was introduced to Harissa through an online recipe club, a small, lively corner of the internet where home cooks from across the Middle East and North Africa shared the food they actually made at home. It doesn't exist anymore, but it's where I first understood that a condiment could carry an entire cuisine's personality!

You could try making harissa from scratch, but honestly, the jars I find at the supermarket here are genuinely good. If you have a brand you love, use it. I'm not going to tell you to roast your own chillies on a Tuesday night 🙂

What I do want is for people who've never tried harissa to give it a chance. The flavour makes the dish taste like you spent the day on it.

The honest version: I still buy harissa, and I have no plans to stop. Expat kitchens run on practical decisions!

Harissa Chicken Traybake Idea

I got hooked on roasting whole chicken with veggies as a quick, hands-free dinner idea. So, from making my own poultry rub or spice blends, I decided to try with Harissa too.

This traybake came out of wanting that deep, smoky harissa flavour on a spatchcocked chicken; fast-cooking, even roasting, and all the juices running down into the vegetables below. A roasting tin (not a flat sheet pan) is what makes it work: the deeper sides hold the drippings together with the onions and potatoes, building a pan gravy you will love!

What you'll need

Full quantities are in the recipe card below. Here's what actually matters:

Marinade essentials

• Harissa paste: The star. I have used chilli-forward brands. Don't forget to taste before you season.
• Ghee + olive oil: Ghee adds a nutty richness that the olive oil alone won't give. If you don't have ghee, use all olive oil... you'll lose some of the nutty depth, but it still works.
• Yoghurt: tenderises and helps the skin brown evenly
• Honey: balances the heat and helps caramelise

Traybake base

• Potato: thin wedges or ½cm rounds; rounds absorb more juice
• Onion: roughly chopped, goes almost jammy underneath the chicken
• Green chillies: I leave them whole, optional, but we love to add them for the extra heat!
• Garlic bulb: optional but worth it; roasted cloves squeezed over at the end

No spatchcocked chicken at your butcher? Ask them to do it or watch this guide to spatchcocking chicken if you've not done it before.

How to Make Harissa Chicken Traybake

Measure with your heart and adjust the seasonings how you like. The recipe is a guide and idea, but this is truly versatile, so you-do-you!

Preheat oven to 180°C fan (200°C conventional). Toss chopped veggies in the roasting tin with olive oil, salt and pepper. At this point, you may also stir in a spoonful of harissa paste.

Place the chicken skin-side up over the vegetables. Spoon over any remaining marinade. Roast for 55-60 minutes until deeply golden and the juices run clear.

Rest, then serve.

Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before cutting. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon and chopped coriander or parsley.

Serving Suggestions

This Harissa chicken needs something simple alongside. Steamed white rice or warm khubz to mop up the pan juices are the two I come back to every time. If the potatoes are soft, coated in harissa drippings, slightly caramelised at the edges, then, honestly, you don't need much else. I sometimes double the potatoes and call it a day.

If you want a cooling element alongside, a bowl of baba ganoush or plain yoghurt with a squeeze of lemon works beautifully against the heat.

Harissa Chicken Traybake Questions, Answered

Can I use chicken pieces instead of a whole spatchcocked chicken?

Yes, bone-in thighs and drumsticks work best. Reduce the cook time to around 40-45 minutes and check that the juices run clear. Skin-on pieces get the best colour.

Which harissa brand should I use?

Any good supermarket harissa will work here. Use what you can find and what you already like. The main thing to know is that brands vary widely in salt and heat, so always taste the marinade before adding it to the chicken and adjust accordingly.

Can't find harissa at all? A mix of red chilli paste, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, and a little olive oil gets you most of the way there.

Can I skip the marinating time?

You can, but even 15 minutes makes a difference. If you're short on time, at least get it on before you do everything else and let it sit while the oven preheats.

Why use a roasting tin instead of a sheet pan?

The chicken releases a lot of flavourful juice while roasting. A flat sheet pan lets that liquid spread and evaporate quickly; a roasting tin holds it against the vegetables, essentially braising them in harissa-spiked drippings while the chicken crisps on top.

More North African Recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Do you have a harissa brand you swear by?

📖 Recipe Card

Harissa Chicken Traybake Recipe

Spatchcocked chicken rubbed with a harissa marinade, roasted over potatoes, onions and green chillies until the pan juices turn into a spicy gravy. One tin, minimal effort.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Resting Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 3 people

Calories: 670kcal

By: Famidha Ashraf

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Equipment

• 1 Roasting Tin

Ingredients

 

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For the Marinade

• ▢ 2 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ghee
• ▢ 2 tablespoon harissa paste
• ▢ 1 tablespoon yoghurt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon hot sauce, (optional)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon honey
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves, grated
• ▢ Zest of ½ lemon
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or vinegar
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste
• ▢ 800 grams whole chicken with skin, spatchcocked

For the Traybake

• ▢ 3-5 green chillies, whole
• ▢ 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• ▢ 1 large potato, cut into thin wedges or ½ cm roundels
• ▢ 1 whole bulb of garlic, halved (optional)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Prepare the marinade by mixing the olive oil, ghee, harissa paste, yogurt, hot sauce if using, honey, grated garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning. When tasting the marinade, you need it to be saltier, and tangier.
  2 tablespoon olive oil

  1 tablespoon ghee

  2 tablespoon harissa paste

  1 tablespoon yoghurt

  1 tablespoon hot sauce (optional)

  1 tablespoon honey

  3 garlic cloves grated

  Zest of ½ lemon

  1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar

  Salt and pepper to taste
• Add the spatchcocked chicken and rub the marinade all over, including under the skin where possible. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge for a deeper flavour.
  800 grams whole chicken with skin spatchcocked
• Preheat the oven to 180°C fan forced.
• Add the chopped onion, potato, green chillies, and halved-garlic-bulb, if using, to a roasting tin. Drizzle with olive oil, season lightly with salt and pepper, and toss well. At this point, you may also stir in a spoonful of harissa paste.
  3-5 green chillies whole

  1 large onion roughly chopped

  1 large potato cut into thin wedges or ½ cm roundels

  1 whole bulb of garlic halved (optional)

  1 tablespoon olive oil

  Salt and pepper to taste
• Place the marinated chicken skin-side up over the vegetables. Spoon any remaining marinade over the top.
• Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until the chicken is deeply golden and cooked through with the juices running clear. Remove from the oven and check if the potatoes are done. You may remove the chicken and return the tray to finish cooking the potatoes.
• Let the chicken rest for 5 to 8 minutes before serving. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon and chopped coriander, mint or parsley if desired.

Notes

• Harissa brands can vary in heat and saltiness, so adjust the seasoning to taste.
• Thin potato slices cook faster and absorb the pan juices beautifully, while wedges stay firmer.
• Marinating overnight gives the chicken a deeper flavour and better colour while roasting.
• Serve with flatbread, couscous, rice, or a simple yoghurt salad.

How I spatchcock the chicken: Place it neck-side down, cut down through the edge of the backbone to the neck, open it out and press the breastbone firmly to flatten. I don't remove the backbone- keeping it in actually adds flavour as it roasts. I also score the leg quarters a few times before rubbing in the marinade.

Nutritional Disclaimer: Nutritional information is an estimate provided for informational purposes only. Values may vary based on ingredient brands, cooking methods, and portion sizes.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 670kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 44g

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: North African

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