These easy Harissa chicken recipe can be made in the slow cooker or Instant Pot (pressure cooker) and can be served so many different ways! Made with just two ingredients – jarred Harissa and chicken plus some spices!
Easy Shredded Harrisa Chicken
I love it with rice, chickpeas or cauliflower rice (pictured above) plus cucumbers and tzatziki on the side. Tommy loves it gyro style on a pocket-less or pita or naan with tzatziki!
To make this super fast and easy, I used Mina Harissa  (I love this stuff!). I buy the mild one, which is mild enough that even my eight year old loves this chicken too! But they also sell a spicy one if you like it spicy.
And since so many are asking, although I have and love my Instant Pot, I still love my slow cooker! I have the 6 Quart Hamilton Beach Set ‘n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker (affil link). I love it because you can adjust the time you want it to cook, and it automatically turns to warm when it’s done. It also has a probe for meat that automatically shuts off when done. I hated my old crock pot, it burnt everything and my food had a weird taste. This slow cooker is so great, I actually own several!
How To Make Shredded Harissa Chicken
What is Harissa?
Harissa is a traditional accompaniment with Moroccan and North African food. It’s as popular to them as ketchup and mustard is to us here in the states. You can serve it with everything from eggs, burgers, couscous, soups and more.
How to make Harissa:
If you can’t find Harissa, you can easily make it yourself. This is my favorite method, it’s so good you’ll want to drink it!
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large cloves garlic, peeled
- 12 ounce jar roasted peppers in water, drained
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, more or less to your taste
Sauté the garlic in oil until golden and fragrant then combine with the remaining ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve room temperature. See below for the chicken recipe!
More easy crock pot recipes you might enjoy:
- Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken Thighs
- Easy Shredded Salsa Chicken in the Instant Pot
- Easiest Slow Cooker Chicken Salsa Verde
- Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Easy Shredded Harrisa Chicken
Ingredients
Instructions
Slow Cooker Directions:
- Season the chicken with the cumin, garlic powder, pinch of salt, and pepper.
- Place chicken in a slow cooker, pour the harissa over the chicken, and cover. Cook on HIGH for 2 hours or LOW 4 hours.
- Remove chicken from the slow cooker and shred with two forks.
Pressure Cooker Directions:
- Season the chicken with the cumin, garlic powder, pinch of salt, and pepper.
- Place chicken in the pressure cooker, pour the harissa over the chicken and cook high pressure 20 minutes. Quick or natural release then shred with two forks. If using frozen chicken breasts, cook 25 minutes.
Last Step:
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I love this recipe. I eat it with chickpeas , cucumbers, and tzatziki . I meal prep it for lunch. Using chicken thighs this time.
Delicious and easy!
 An you eat this cold?
We make this over and over. Â I just finished making a triple batch and freezing two. Â Skinny taste is my go to recipe site!
Can you use dark meat cutlets?
This is such a yummy and easy dinner! We love Harissa and opted to use the spicy Harissa instead of the mild. A little hot for me, but I just piled on the Tzatziki to cool it down. My husband found the spice level to be perfect.
We love this on some homemade pita bread (adapted from the skinnytaste easy bagel recipe). We just make the bagel recipe as written, but add 1 tsp instant yeast to the dry ingredients. Let it rise in a warm place, then punch down the dough, divide into 4 servings, and roll out the dough flat. Cook in a cast iron at med high heat until brown starts form and bubbles in the dough rise.Â
Delicious! Another winner!Â
This is incredibly delicious and could not be easier. It also proves (again) a slow cooker can and does provide fantastic food for busy lives. Thanks, Gina, this is indeed a keeper and winner. You have me on the hunt for a homemade harrisa recipe.Â
I am glad you enjoyed it Denise! Look at this recipe- https://www.skinnytaste.com/easy-shredded-harrisa-chicken/?swcfpc=1 in the narrative there is a recipe for harissa. 🙂
I doctored this a bit based on reviews and taste and oh man, it was so good! I used the crock function on my instant pot to avoid burning. After shredding the chicken 2 hours in, I added a can of chickpeas, a bit of cayenne and several good dashes of garam masala. I served it with Naan and sliced cucumbers. Definitely a dish I would serve for guests!! Thanks to all for the inspiration.
I have a question for you. I am dying to make this recipe, but I can only find harissa paste, not harissa sauce. Can I make it with the paste instead, or no?
I don’t know about using the paste, but I found the sauce on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Mina-Harissa-Traditional-Moroccan-Pepper/dp/B004U771H4/ref=sr_1_3_mod_primary_new?crid=3MN382XTX4AHH&dchild=1&keywords=mina+harissa&qid=1614105938&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=mina+har%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-3
https://www.amazon.com/Mina-Harissa-Moroccan-Pepper-Sauce/dp/B0775335C6/ref=sr_1_9?crid=3MN382XTX4AHH&dchild=1&keywords=mina+harissa&qid=1614105973&sprefix=mina+har%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-9
This is great served over rice, a spiralized carrot salad, or in a wrap. Such a diverse protein base. I doubled the recipe for a larger yield to use as leftovers throughout the week.
Made this recipe tonight and OMG was it easy and delicious. Followed recipe as pictured with rice and cucumbers and topped with Trader Joe’s tzatziki sauce. I’m so full and only 2 blue ww points!! Thank you!!Â
Delicious! Even my children love it!
That’s the best!
We love this at our house! Â Even my 4 year old daughter is a big fan! Â I usually cook 3 chicken breasts that total 1.5 lbs and use the entire jar of Mina mild harissa. Â I cook it in my 6 qt Instant Pot per the instructions and don’t have any issues with it burning. Â My husband and I make bowls with arugula, garbanzo beans, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, and feta cheese. Â Sometimes we add homemade or store bought tzatziki and hummus. Pita chips and Cava Crazy Feta are also yummy additions. I serve the chicken warm from the instant pot, and leftovers are good cold or warm. Â I will warn that Mina spicy harissa is VERY hot compared to the mild. Â I used it once and was surprised by the spice level. Â Thank you Gina for another quick, easy, and delicious recipe!
Sounds great! I think I’m going to try a variation of this. I have a rotisserie attachment for my Weber Kettle grill and I frequently do two chickens at a time and pull the meat, portion and freeze it for future use so I typically have shredded chicken on hand. I would then just add the Harissa and chicken to a skillet to heat up together.