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Four harissa roasted chicken thighs with crispy skin served over golden couscous in a ceramic roasting dish

Harissa Roasted Chicken Thighs with Couscous

Harissa-coated bone-in chicken thighs roasted at high heat, served over couscous finished in the pan drippings. Bold, quick, and easy to clean up.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 4 pieces (approx 1 kg total) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs patted dry with paper towels
  • 3 tbsp harissa paste rose harissa or regular
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper freshly ground
Couscous
  • 250 g medium-grain couscous uncooked
  • 350 ml chicken stock hot
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 whole lemon zest and juice separated
  • 2 garlic cloves finely minced
  • 0.5 tsp fine sea salt
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped, to finish

Method
 

Marinate the Chicken
  1. Heat the oven to 200 C / 390 F with the fan on if available.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the harissa paste, olive oil, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper.
  3. Add the dried chicken thighs and turn to coat all over, pressing the paste under the skin where you can.
  4. Leave to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
Roast the Chicken
  1. Arrange the marinated thighs skin-side up on a lightly oiled rimmed sheet pan, spaced at least 2 cm apart.
  2. Roast for 25 minutes, until the skin is deeply colored and an instant-read thermometer reads 74 C / 165 F at the thickest part.
  3. Remove the pan from the oven and rest the chicken for 5 minutes. Reserve the pan drippings.
Make the Couscous
  1. While the chicken rests, place the couscous in a heatproof bowl with the olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, and salt.
  2. Pour the hot chicken stock over the couscous, stir once, then cover tightly with foil or a plate.
  3. Leave to steam for 5 minutes, then uncover and fluff with a fork until all the liquid is absorbed.
  4. Drizzle 1 to 2 tbsp of the reserved pan drippings over the couscous and stir through for color and flavor.
  5. Squeeze lemon juice over the couscous and fold in the chopped herbs.
Assemble and Serve
  1. Divide the couscous between four plates or shallow bowls.
  2. Place one harissa chicken thigh on top of each portion, skin-side up.
  3. Finish with extra fresh herbs and a wedge of lemon on the side if desired.

Notes

If your harissa paste is very thick, thin it with a teaspoon of water before coating the chicken so it spreads evenly without tearing the skin.