Easy Grilled Honey Harissa Chicken Thighs Recipe

This Grilled Honey Harissa Chicken with Cilantro Cream Sauce have the perfect balance of sweet and heat! This fast and easy 4-ingredient marinade recipe is great for BBQs, and easy enough for a weeknight dinner! Grilled boneless chicken thighs have never been more flavorful!

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Easy and delicious Grilled Harissa Chicken

Whether you're looking for a great new grilled chicken recipe to serve at your next big BBQ bash, or for a simple weeknight delight- this Grilled Honey Harissa Chicken with Cilantro Cream Sauce will not disappoint.

With a 4-ingredient sweet and spicy marinade, this Honey Harissa Chicken is juicy and flavorful, with a crisp grilled exterior. Serve it up with a quick and easy Cilantro Greek Yogurt Sauce for a flavorful and healthy grilled chicken dinner any night of the week!

What is Harissa paste?

Harissa is a super flavorful, spicy chili pepper paste, originating in North Africa. It can be purchased in a tube or a jar, and there are many different variations- some spicier than others. I love the jarred version sold at Trader Joe's or Mina, but have also had luck with DEA brand, which comes in a tube. Experiment and find which brand you love! There are tons of options that will work great with the Harissa chicken marinade!

Making the marinade for the Harissa Chicken

The marinade could not be simpler to make! Here's what you need:

• Harissa paste. I like Trader Joe's or Mina.
• Honey.
• Fresh minced garlic.
• Fresh grated ginger.

Whisk or stir marinade ingredients together, and toss them to evenly coat your chicken thighs (I use boneless, skinless thighs, and I pound them out to about ¼" thickness with a mallet or rolling pin). Once the chicken is coated, transfer it to the fridge for at least 1 hour to help the chicken really soak up all the flavor. You can marinate up to 24 hours in advance.

What cut of chicken should I use?

I like to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. I pound them to a ¼" thickness, so they cook n ice and evenly. You could also use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken breast, but be sure to adjust the cooking time. Cook time will vary depending on the cut you choose. Chicken breast will grill faster, while bone-in thighs will take longer to cook.

Making the Cilantro Cream Sauce

To make the sauce, you will need:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced.
• The juice of 1 lime.
• 1 bunch of cilantro, stems and all. The stems have great flavor, and are pulverized by the food processor, so you won't notice them texturally.
• ¾ cup Greek yogurt (full fat or nonfat). You can also use sour cream.
• Salt and pepper, to taste. I like to add this to taste just before serving.
• ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar. This adds a great acidity and tang to the dip.

How to make Harissa Chicken

Make the Cilantro Cream Sauce:

In a food processor, pulse the whole garlic, lime juice and cilantro (pushing down the sides with a spatula as needed) until garlic and cilantro are finely chopped. Add the sour cream, coriander, salt and pepper and apple cider vinegar, and pulse until smooth. Sauce can be made up to a few days in advance (flavor builds as it sits).

Make the marinade for the chicken:

In a small bowl, whisk together harissa paste, honey, grated ginger and minced garlic until well incorporated. Once chicken has been pounded out to ¼” thickness with a meat mallet, transfer to a bowl or ziplock bag and coat all pieces evenly with the marinade. Marinate chicken for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight before grilling for maximum flavor.

Cooking the chicken on the grill:

Set one side of the grill to medium-high and one to low, close the grill lid and allow to grill to heat up for 15 minutes.Place the chicken on the grill on the high side first, and grill for 7-10 minutes until well browned/charred, checking occasionally to make sure the chicken doesn’t burn. Keep an eye out for flare-ups on the grill, and move chicken around as needed to ensure even browning/crust.

Once the chicken is browned on the first side, flip kit over and move to the cool side and grill, covered for an additional 5-7 minutes, checking occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, and an instant read thermometer reads 165 degrees.

Allow chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving/ slicing. Serve chicken warm with sauce on side, or even as a taco!

Tips for perfect the Harissa Chicken

1. Let the Harissa chicken marinade set as long as possible. Trust me, dong the marinade the night before or the morning of makes all the difference, and really lets the chicken suck up al that flavor. 
2. BEAT YOUR CHICKEN. Pounding out the chicken in a bag with a mallet or rolling pin not only tenderizes the meat and helps it cook more evenly, it also help you take out your frustrations. Who do you hate today? Picture them while you beat the chicken into submission. 
3. Make sure you’ve got a hot side and a cool side. That way you are prepared for any flare ups, and won’t risk burning the chicken. 
4. Keep a close eye on your Harissa marinated chicken thighs. With the honey involved, you want to keep a close watch to ensure the chicken doesn’t burn. We want charred and crisp, not burnt and black. 
5. Resist the urge to cut the chicken thighs right after it comes off the grill. I know it smells heavenly, but you’ll thank yourself for giving it 5-10 minutes to rest and redistribute all those precious juices. 

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Made this Honey Harissa Chicken? Leave a review and rating below!

If you make my Grilled Honey Harissa Chicken Thighs, please be sure to leave me a comment! I would love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Lastly, if you make the recipe and love it, please tag me on Instagram! I love to see your photos!

*Notes/Substitutions:

I LOVE Trader Joe’s Traditional Tunisian Harissa Hot Chili Pepper Paste With Herbs and Spices, but any harissa paste works for this recipe. It can be found in a jar or tube online and in most grocery stores.

You can use full fat sour cream, low fat sour cream, or greek yogurt for the Cilantro Cream Sauce. All are delicious!

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