Add some spice to your meals and try our incredible Moroccan Harissa Recipe. Great as a marinade, a steak rub, or add to stews and salads. We will show you two versions – raw and roasted; which will you try?
Tunisian Harissa is one of my family’s favourite spice pastes, we use it a lot on barbecued lamb cutlets as well as on roasted meats and poultry – sensational!
While it is now readily available from supermarkets (try the international food aisle) and delis, we still like to make our own. This recipe is our version of this Tunisian hot chilli pepper paste that we have used in our Tossed Salad, our Roast Carrot Salad and our Eggplant Salad.
What’s the Difference Between
Raw Harissa and Roasted Harissa?
Roasted Harissa has an earthier, richer taste than raw Harissa, and I will usually use it in things that do not require any additional cooking, such as dips, dressings, or to stir through dishes after they have been cooked.
I will use Raw Harissa when I am going to use it for cooking, such as a rub for meat or when roasting veggies and meat in stews and soups. I find that the roasted harissa loses some of its flavour when added to dishes that require cooking.
Let’s Talk Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chillies – used for their heat and colour, use your favourite red-coloured variety. If you prefer a milder harissa paste version, feel free to substitute with red capsicum/peppers or use half and half.
- Garlic – for its distinctive pungent taste, you can adjust quantities to your liking, but I don’t recommend leaving it out altogether as the paste will be a bit bland. To mellow it out, you can try roasting it.
- Cumin – used for its slightly sweet, warm earthy flavour.
- Coriander – used for its mildly floral, lemon-like taste.
- Salt – acts as a preserving agent; you can leave it out if you prefer; you just need to add some oil to the top of the jar, so it keeps longer in your fridge.
- Olive Oil – we used extra virgin; this is what will bring your Harissa paste together. As a substitute, you can try avocado oil but avoid vegetable oils such as canola, sunflower or safflower oil as they are tasteless.
How to Make Raw Harissa
Wearing gloves (so you don’t burn yourself), slice your chillies in half lengthwise.
Remove the seeds by pushing them out with your finger or with a paring knife. For an extra hot and spicy harissa, don’t remove the seeds.
Rinse them in a colander under cold running water. Roughly chop them and pat them dry.
Add them to the bowl of your food processor with the remaining ingredients (we use just under a quarter of a cup of salt).
Blitz your paste well to combine, and depending on the consistency, you may need to add some more oil and water.
We deliberately keep our harissa paste on the dry side to use as a rub, and if we need it a little runnier, then we will add some oil or water.
How to Make Roasted Harissa
Preheat your oven to 180oC/360oF.
Place your spices in a lined baking tray, and use two separate sheets so that you can easily transfer them to a spice blender later on. You will need to grind them separately as they are different sizes.
Put your spices in your hot oven and roast until golden (approximately 10 minutes or so).
When cool, add your spices to a spice grinder (separately) and grind them into a powder.
Wearing gloves (so you don’t burn yourself), slice your chillies in half lengthwise.
Remove the seeds by pushing them out with your finger or with a paring knife. For an extra hot and spicy harissa, don’t remove the seeds. Rinse them in a colander under cold running water.
Place them on a lined baking tray with some oil and sea salt. Roast in a hot oven until soft (approximately 10-15 minutes).
Put the chillis in the bowl of your food processor with the remaining ingredients (we use just under a quarter of a cup of salt).
Blitz your paste well to combine, and depending on the consistency, you may need to add some more oil and water.
We deliberately keep our harissa pastes on the dry side to use as a rub, and if we need it a little runnier, then we will add some oil or water.
What Can I Use Harissa Paste On?
- Great on lamb cutlets with lemon.
- On roasted meats and poultry.
- Great to use as a rub on chicken wings or ribs.
- Try it on roasted veg such as carrots, potatoes, cauliflower or broccoli
- Stir it through some yoghurt with lemon and fresh mint, or stirred through your hummus to use as a dip for crudités and pita bread.
- Rub it on corn with oil and then grill or barbecue.
- Stir it through pasta with prawns, cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs.
- Use it in your next meatball or burger mix.
- Add it to bean, lentil or chickpea dishes.
- Add it to dressings for a bit of heat
Common Questions and Tips
What is Harissa Paste Made With?
There are many versions of harissa; they all contain chillies, garlic, olive oils and various spices.
The spices used can be salt, cumin, coriander, caraway seeds or a combination of any of the three. Some versions may also include some acid, such as lemon juice or red wine vinegar.
Our version includes chillies, garlic, olive oil, cumin and coriander.
What Are the Best Chillies to Use?
Harissa is usually made with African chilli such as Tunisian baklouti peppers, but harissa can be made with any of your favourite chilli varieties, habanero, scotch bonnet, or Jalapeño.
I usually use long red chillis as they are larger and easier to handle.
How Can I Adjust the Heat?
- If you are not a fan of hot spicy food, you can use half red capsicum and half hot chilli.
- Alternatively, if you would like it extra hot, just add a teaspoon (or more) of chilli powder.
- But also add another tablespoon of oil so that the consistency remains the same.
How Much Harissa Paste Does It Make?
It will make one small jar of approximately 250ml consisting of approximately 48 teaspoons. The nutritional information is calculated for each teaspoon.
Storage Tips
Keep it in a tightly sealed glass jar with oil on top to prevent it from spoiling, and it should keep for approximately six months (if it lasts that long!).
Recipe Note
I deliberately keep my harissa paste on the dry side to use as a rub, and if I need it a little runnier, then I will add some oil or water.
More Spicy Blends & Other Condiments to Try
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 105 grams red chillies* (approximatley 3.7 ounces)
- 3 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
- ½ cup ground coriander
- ⅓ cup ground cumin
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup salt not quite full
- 320 grams red chillies* (approximately 11.3 ounces)
- 3 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
- ½ cup ground coriander
- ⅓ cup ground cumin
- 1 ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup salt not quite full
Instructions
- Wearing gloves (so that you don’t burn yourself) slice your chillies in half lengthwise.
- Remove the seeds by pushing them out with your finger or with a paring knife. For an extra hot and spicy harissa don’t remove the seeds.
- Rinse them in a colander under cold tuning water.
- Roughly chop them and pat them dry.
- Add them to the bowl of your food processor with the remaining ingredients (we use just under a quarter of a cup of salt).
- Blitz your paste well to combine and depending on the consistency you may need to add some more oil and water.
- We deliberately keep our harissa paste on the dry side to use as a rub and if we need it a little runnier then we will add some oil or water.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C/360°F.
- Place your spices in a lined baking tray, use two separate sheets so that you can easily transfer to a spice blender later on. You will need to grind them separately as they are different sizes.
- Put your spices in your hot oven and roast until golden (approximately 10 minutes or so).
- When cool add your spices to a spice grinder (separately) and grind into a powder.
- Wearing gloves (so that you don’t burn yourself) slice your chillies in half lengthwise.
- Remove the seeds by pushing them out with your finger or with a paring knife. For an extra hot and spicy harissa don’t remove the seeds.
- Rinse them in a colander under cold tuning water.
- Place them on a lined baking tray with some oil and sea salt. Roast in a hot oven until soft (approximately 10-15 minutes).
- Put the chillis in the bowl of your food processor with the remaining ingredients (we use just under a quarter of a cup of salt).
- Blitz your paste well to combine and depending on the consistency you may need to add some more oil and water.
- We deliberately keep our harissa pastes on the dry side to use as a rub and if we need it a little runnier then we will add some oil or water.
Notes
- The quantities in this recipe will make one small jar, approximately 250ml, consisting of approximately 48 teaspoons. The nutritional information is calculated for each teaspoon.
- RECIPE NOTE: I deliberately keep my harissa paste on the dry side to use as a rub, and if I need it a little runnier, then I will add some oil or water.
