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.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 7 Dried New Mexico Chiles or Guajillo Chiles, or a combination of dried New Mexico Chiles and another kind of dried hot chiles such as de arbol or chipotle chiles
- 6 ounces jarred roasted red peppers, drained rinsed, and dried (2 large peppers)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 large garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted and ground (use a mortar and pestle, grinder or food processor)
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt
- Juice of 1 large lemon, 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons quality extra virgin olive oil, more for later
Instructions
- Soak and prepare the dried chiles. Place the dried chiles in a heat-safe bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside for 30 minutes until the chiles are tender and re-hydrated. Drain the chiles and remove the stems and seeds.
- Combine chiles with the remaining ingredients. Transfer the chiles to the bowl of a large food processor fitted with a blade. Add the tomato paste, roasted red peppers, garlic, ground caraway seeds, coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne (if using), and a large pinch of kosher salt. Add fresh lemon juice.
- Make the harissa paste. Run the food processor, and while it’s running, drizzle the extra virgin olive oil from the top opening. Stop the processor to scrape down the sides and run again until you reach the desired paste-like texture. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking (remember that harissa paste will deepen in flavor as it sits in the fridge over the next day or two).
- Store. Transfer the harissa paste to a clean mason jar. Cover with a very thin layer of extra virgin olive oil, then cover the jar with its lid tightly and refrigerate.
Video
Notes
- This recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups of harissa paste. A serving size is 2 tablespoons.
- Cook’s Tip: You can use this homemade harissa paste as soon as you make it, but for best flavor allow it at least 1 to 2 days in the fridge.
- Storage: Homemade harissa can last in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks, properly stored in a covered mason jar and the top the harissa paste covered with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil. You can use a little bit of the harissa paste at a time, but be sure to add a bit more extra virgin olive oil to cover the top before storing in the fridge again.
- Can you freeze it? Yes! You can freeze harissa paste for up to 1 month or so. Best to freeze individual smaller portions.
- Visit Our Shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including spices and extra virgin olive oil used in this recipe.
Nutrition
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I have fresh New Mexico Hatch chilies that I roasted myself and then froze. Can I use these instead of the dried ones?
Hi, Suzan. I’ve never tried that personally, but I think it should work. If you give it a go, I’d love to hear how it turns out.
I’ve never had harissa before so I dont know what its suppose to taste like. Either way this stuff is AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS! I could eat it straight out of the jar with a spoon. I did make a few changes based on what I had in my pantry. Used fennel seeds in place of caraway and used 1/8tsp liquid smoke in place of paprika. I’m making your Harissa Chicken recipe tonight and looking forward to seeing how it turns out.
Thank you, Chelsea!
Thank you for this recepie!
Regards, Maria
You are very welcome, Maria! Hope you enjoy it!
This is the first time I ever made this paste It was relatively easy and delicious. It looked a little scary getting the large package of dried chilies but it all worked and saved me $$ not buying the store jar
Yay! Thanks, Maurita!
Love it – very easy and so delicious!
Thanks for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed it, Angel!
can I substitute go-chu-jang for harissa – i have that already!!!!
Gochujang has a completely different flavor profile 🙂
Hey …. we get something locally called Harra. I’ve been searching for the recipe but in vain . Would it be the same the thing as harissa. The ingredients and appearance feels same . Or do you have any other recipe of Harra…?
I’m not so familiar with harra other than the actual word means “spicy,” but it could very well be a similar thing.
Love Harissa but didn’t want to go to store, had all ingredients in my pantry and 45 minutes later…deliciousness! I cannot wait until tomorrow when it has time for the flavors to blend it can only get better from here and it’s fantastic now!
Awesome, Jerri1 So glad you gave it a try!
Wow! This recipe is so simple to follow, and yields a beautiful full-flavored sauce/paste. I want to eat it on everything!
Enjoy! 🙂
Hi Suzy,
Is it possible to use harissa powder in place of the dried chiles? If so, how many tablespoons would be equivalent to 7 dried chiles? This recipe looks so easy and I would like to try to make it, but I want to use up my harissa powder too… 🙂
Thank you so much.
Hi Jennifer, to make the paste, you do need to use the actual chiles here.
SO good! I’ve been to Morocco ALOT…have many friends who live there. This takes me there…yum. Made it for a friend that visited me at my house (she’s from Moroc) she said it was better than most she’s had! Boom! 🙂
Awesome!! Thanks so much!
I love harissa but unfortunately some of these ingredients are hard to find where I live. Can I use fresh chilis and fresh roasted red peppers instead of dried/jarred?
Hi Jess, you do need dried chiles for harissa paste, unfortunately. You can use fresh chiles to make a hot sauce, but it would not be harissa. I can recommend making something like zhoug which is an herb and chile sauce: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/zhoug-spicy-cilantro-pesto-recipe/
You can find dried chili’s in the International area of the grocery. Venture into a “Mexican” grocery with a big smile, say “Hola (ola)” and look around. You’ll find dried peppers there! Be adventurous ?
I love this Harrisa paste recipe although I have a question. I taste a little bitterness. Is it possible i used too many chilis? I used 7 Mexican chilis and 5 Arbol chilis plus the 6 ounces of roasted red peppers.
I also have a question about the grilled Harissa Chicken recipe. Do you grill the sliced onion along with the chicken?
Thank You
Shelly
Hi Shelly, thank you! The taste of the harissa paste will depend on the amount and kind of chiles used. I did not have the same problem with New Mexico chiles alone.
This looks so tasty! Looking forward to trying this recipe!
Thank you! Hope you love it!!
Harissa is so delicious and versatile, I love being able to make it at home! I can control the heat to the level that’s perfect for my family!
Thanks, Wilhelmina!
I love how flavorful this is!!
Thanks, Toni!