Homemade Harissa Recipe

Harissa is a North African red chili paste or sauce with chilies, garlic, olive oil, citrus, and a few warm spices. This versatile harissa recipe is slightly sweet, smoky, tangy, and spicy but not too hot.

What is Harissa?

Today we’re going to chat about harissa sauce! This, along with my toum garlic sauce, belongs under versatile Mediterranean dips and condiments you’ll find yourself using over and over again!

I’ve heard people describe harissa as the ketchup or sriracha of North Africa and the Middle East.

It may be a red condiment that is as popular as ketchup because of the many ways it is used and enjoyed. But comparing the two does not do harissa justice. Harissa is much more complex in flavor and altogether addictive!

Originally from Tunisia, harissa is a chili sauce or paste typically made with dried red chilies, garlic, citrus, extra-virgin olive oil, and a few warm spices, including cumin, coriander, and caraway seeds.

What does it taste like? This harissa sauce recipe is mild with just enough kick, sweet, smoky, and a little bit tangy. Absolutely addictive!

And although you can find it at specialty grocery stores sold in jars or tins, homemade harissa is a completely different experience. Making harissa at home is easier than most people think; be sure to watch the video below.

The Best Chilies to Use When Making Harissa

Each batch of homemade harissa sauce may taste slightly different than the other, depending on the kind of chilies used. And as a result, some can be fairly hot, while others are mild. Think of it as a DIY chili paste where you control the spice level.

You can pretty much make harissa out of any dried red chile according to your own personal heat index.

Because I like to control the heat factor in my harissa paste, I like using:

• New Mexico chilies, which are milder but offer enough of a kick. (Cookbook author Paula Wolfert believes that Guajillo and New Mexico chiles are closest to the peppers of Nabeul and Gabès in Tunisia.)
• Use a combination of chili peppers rather than sticking with just one kind for a more complex flavor.
• Need more heat? Add a couple of de arbol peppers.
• If you like smokiness, add chipotle chilies.  

Homemade Harissa Ingredients

When I tested my harissa paste recipe, it was important for me to find the perfect balance of spicy, sweet, smoky, and tangy all in one red chili paste, and the following ingredients did just that:

• Dry red chilies (7 whole chilies). I prefer New Mexico chiles or Guajillo chiles, which are milder (this allows me to add more heat as needed).
• Roasted red peppers (6 ounces or 2 large roasted red peppers). Jarred peppers will work here, just drain them well. You can also roast your own peppers. These will add sweetness and also support the texture of the harissa paste.
• Tomato paste (2 tablespoons) for the umami factor.
• Fresh garlic cloves. I usually use 4 cloves, but if you enjoy more garlic, go for it!
• Spices. A combination of North African flavors from 2 teaspoons each of coriander and cumin; 1 teaspoon caraway seeds toasted and ground (use a mortar and pestle, grinder, or food processor); 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (this adds depth and smokiness without adding more spice). I also use a pinch of cayenne pepper; start with 1/2 teaspoon and go from there.
• Kosher salt enhances the other flavors.
• Citrus. Juice of 1 large lemon. (Do not skip this as it adds brightness and rounds out flavor.)
• Extra virgin olive oil. This is drizzled into the food processor as the rest of the ingredients are mixing. Use a quality EVOO that you enjoy; I used Early Harvest Greek EVOO.

How to Make Harissa

• First, you’ll soak the dry red chilies (whatever combination of chili peppers you selected) in hot water to rehydrate. If you don’t rehydrate them, you can’t easily turn them into paste.
• From there, seed the chiles and blend them in a food processor with the roasted red peppers, garlic, tomato paste, spices, and lemon juice.
• Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil as the ingredients are mixing until you arrive at a beautiful, slightly chunky paste. That’s it!

It’s Even Better the Next Day!

You can use harissa sauce as soon as you make it, but if you refrigerate it and use it the next day or two, the flavors will meld well and create a much deeper chili paste you’ll love!

How to Store Harissa

Store homemade harissa in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Keep it in an airtight jar (like a ball jar) and cover the top of the harissa paste with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to help seal it and keep it fresh.

To freeze harissa, transfer it to a freezer-safe jar, and store it in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Ways to Use Harissa

Once you make harissa paste at home, you’ll find yourself using it in many different ways. Here are a few ideas:

• One of my favorite ways to use it is in this harissa chicken recipe. But it’s also great to season fish, fish kofta, or vegetables for grilling or baking. I also love the heat it brings to my Chicken Kofta Kebabs with Garlic-Mint Yogurt.
• Add a couple of tablespoons of homemade harissa to a soup like this red lentil soup or Moroccan vegetable stew or lamb stew. Or add some to your shakshuka for a little kick!
• Stir it into hummus or aioli to add a kick or as a topping to your chicken kofta or lamb burger in place of Tzatziki.
• Use on scrambled eggs just like hot sauce, or whisk it into your Tunisian-style frittata.

Try These Mediterranean Sauces Next!

Moroccan and Tunisian

5-Minute Chermoula Recipe

Turkish

Turkish Red Pepper Paste (Biber Salçası)

Lebanese

Traditional Toum (Whipped Lebanese Garlic Sauce)

Middle Eastern

Tahini Sauce