This easy Harissa Shrimp and Chickpea dish is super fast, made all in one skillet, and takes under 10 minutes to make. A great way to use pantry and freezer staples.
Harissa Shrimp and Chickpeas
Harissa Shrimp and Chickpeas is a quick, budget-friendly meal for a weeknight dinner made with some pantry and freezer staples. Canned white beans also work great in place of chickpeas. This recipe cooks in under ten minutes! The only prep is chopping the garlic and herbs. So easy!
The shrimp and chickpeas simmer in the skillet with the harissa, and then they are finished with fresh herbs and lemon juice, which brighten up the whole dish.
Let’s talk about ingredients!
Chickpeas
Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are one of my favorite pantry staples to keep on hand for everyday cooking. They are a nutrient-packed superfood, with lots of protein and fiber that help keep you full for longer. Chickpeas are also a great source of vitamins and minerals, like folate and iron. Some other chickpea dishes you should try are Chickpea Tuna Salad and Roasted
Cauliflower and Chickpeas with Minted Yogurt.
Shrimp
I always keep a bag of shrimp in my freezer for those nights that I need to whip up something quickly. Shrimp cook in just a few minutes, so they’re perfect for a busy weeknight.
For convenience and time, I prefer the peeled and deveined shrimp, so all I have to do is thaw them and add to whatever dish I am cooking. You can thaw the shrimp overnight in the refrigerator or run them under cold water if you don’t have
the time for an overnight thaw.
Harissa
Jarred harissa is another pantry staple I like to keep on hand. I recommend the harissa brand Mina. They have mild and spicy versions, so you can choose the one you and your family prefer.
What is harissa?
Harissa is a spicy North African red pepper sauce or paste made of red bell peppers, red chili pepper, garlic, olive oil, and salt and usually has other spices like cumin, caraway, and coriander too.
Harissa has many different uses. It’s great to add to couscous or stews or used as a condiment or marinade for meat. Some of my favorite harissa recipes are Harissa Eggs in Purgatory and Shredded Harissa Chicken, both easy weeknight dinners.
Variations:
- Substitute parsley for the mint or cilantro.
- Substitute white beans, like cannellini or great northern beans, for the canned chickpeas.
Other Shrimp Dishes You’ll Love:
- Lemon Chili Shrimp Quinoa Bowl
- Spicy Shrimp Fried Rice
- Buffalo Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
- Mexican Shrimp Diablo
- Air Fryer Cajun Shrimp
Harissa Shrimp and Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
- 1 10 ounce jar mild harissa sauce, (I like Mina)
- 2 15-ounce can chickpeas or white beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 pound peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 4 tablespoons each of chopped mint and/or cilantro
- crusty bread, optional for serving
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot add the garlic, and cook to nearly golden, about 1 minute.
- Reduce heat to low and add the harissa, 1/4 cup water and chickpeas. Bring to a boil and cover. Simmer on medium-low 5 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- Add the shrimp, cover and cook until the shrimp are cooked through and no longer opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Squeeze with lemon juice and garnish with chopped herbs. Divide in 4 bowls.
I wish I’d read the reviews before I made this with the Trader Joe’s Harissa.  I love spicy food, but this was a bit too much even for me.  I loved the idea of this recipe, and I liked the flavors.  Super easy.  I’ll definitely try it again, but maybe next time I’ll try half harissa and half tomato sauce.Â
This was easy and delicious! Rave reviews from the family and they loved that it was really different from the types of things I typically cook.
A couple of alterations- I added sliced sugar snap peas and celery when sautéing the garlic, which added wonderful crunch, color and flavor variation.  I was out of jarred harissa so made it from scratch, which took maybe 7 minutes.Â
This recipe is a winner – quick and flavorful! I use the Mina Harissa, and I mixed a few tbsp’s of the spicy harissa in with the mild harissa, which gives extra flavor and a little kick that is not overpowering.  I reduced the amount of water I added based on other reviews which turned out perfectly. I served with some brown rice to soak up the sauce and a dollop of Tzatziki sauce like Gina suggests with her slow cooker Harissa Chicken recipe and it was fantastic. My husband also loved it and went back for seconds!Â
I made this using Gina’s homemade Harissa and it was fantastic!! I recommend making your own Harissa if you can.
This recipe was so quick and delicious. The only change I would suggest is to forego adding the water. It made my chickpeas really thin and soupy and I had to boil them for a while to thicken the sauce back up. Also, my harissa was really mild so I would add some red pepper flakes. A dollop of greek yogurt on the side also is a delicious addition.Â
This is just a comment in general: I wonder if batches of Harissa –even Mina Mild vary in spiciness–I just did the meatballs with Harissa which is a similar recipe of cooking meatballs in the sauce, and came here looking for some comments that may help me–My mild Harissa was so spicy my mouth was on fire. I read some comments here and some thought Mina brand too mild, to me it was very spicy. Either it was mislabeled or I am super sensitive –which is partly true on my part. So I see comments to add some almond milk or light coconut milk to sauce to help tone it down a bit. Like your idea of yogurt. I may make Skinny taste recipe for Harissa next time and forgo store bought brands and control the spice that way.
I heard Trader joes is very spicy. I only use mina, its really mild. You can cut the heat by adding half, and half canned tomatoes
I made this for a quick lunch and it is insanely delicious. Thank you!!!
This was so fast, so easy, and so good – thank you, Gina!
Next time I’ll used the medium harissa for a bit more punch (guess I’m braver than I thought). I also had to add a pinch of salt because I used pressure cooked chickpeas instead of canned (so darned good!).
Thanks for the addition to my Meatless Monday rotation.
Edit to my last comment: because it was so incredibly spicy with the TJs harissa last time, I made this with the Mina mild harissa she suggests in the recipe and it has absolutely zero spice. My spice palate is usually well above the normal persons, but if you can handle a lot of spice I’d mix Mina’s mild and the TJs harissa for a good compromise.Â
I can handle spice. I made this with Trader Joe’s harissa which I like a lot better than Mina harissa. It was insanely spicy. This recipe is really good, super easy, filling and flavorful, but I’m definitely going to find another type of harissa before I make it again. Make sure to make rice or use a crusty bread with it to kill some of the spice and sop up the delicious sauce!
We used Trader Joe’s harissa as that was what I could find.  I think it’s more of a paste than a sauce, and could have been cut more with water/stock (I used a mix of stock/water that equaled about a cup to start) so that it was better balanced.  Both my husband and I like spicy food, but it ended up being a 5 out of 5.  Lots of almond milk, water, and wine to get through.  Next time will definitely either find Mina or be more careful!  Great flavors – will try again!
I used the Trader Joe’s harissa as mentioned below and the spice level must vary between batches. We love spicy food and this blew the roof off it was so spicy.Â
I was only able to get my hands on the harissa spice package. Do I just add olive oil to make a pasta? What would you suggest? Thank you, can’t wait to makeÂ
Loved this! Can’t wait to make it again. I added some spinach as well.Â
This looks delicious! Could you make it with any other meat if you don’t have shrimp?
I like this! It’s really easy and very healthy. I added  Juice of 1/2 a lemon Just to my bowl and some salt and I enjoyed it
Made this with some Trader Joe’s harissa I had in the back of the pantry. It’s a bit less than 10oz of sauce, so I added half an onion, extra garlic, and a handful of frozen chopped bell peppers, and used the juice of one whole lemon instead of half. Tasted pretty good! Was nervous about the spice level, since i’d never eaten this brand of harissa, but wasn’t too bad. Added green beans and fresh bread
I loved how easy this was, and it was very yummy! I bought the spicy Mina harissa and it was not super spicy at all. Very good!
I am the Jane from my March 20 post below questioning how to make a sauce from powdered Harissa.. After going online to search how to convert to a sauce, I used 1 tsp. of Harissa powder, 1/4 cup hot water and 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil. I made this in the morning so the flavors would meld for preparing the recipe for last night’s dinner. While this does not make 10 oz. of sauce, for my taste it had just the right amount of heat. I did add chopped kale and an additional 1/4 cup of hot water when adding the shrimp. I thought it was an easy and delicious dinner.Â
Thank you Jane!
Delicious and incredibly easy! I had to hunt for the mild Mina harissa, but I loved it!
Delicious! My whole family loved it! Super easy. Will definitely make again
This will make a great meal prep with the protein being skinless chicken breast
If I don’t have harissa sauce, can I make some with harissa powder?
May I use dried Harissa to make a sauce?
This looks great! Â I have harissa spice in my pantry – how would I make this into a sauce?
Looks delicious! Â What veggie do you recommend serving with this dish?
Thank you!! I needed inspiration w my canned and freezer goods.Â