Today, I’m sharing this gorgeous Tunisian Chicken Recipe with Harissa, Squash and Olives. Hailing from Tunisia, the gorgeous, glossy, vermilion-hued harissa sauce acts as the anchor for this recipe, bringing all of the big, bold flavors together so well. As it cooks, your home will become perfumed with the rich, heady aromas of cinnamon, garlic, shallot, olives, and the lush harissa sauce. This is an absolutely beautiful skillet of food, and if you love sweet/salty flavor combos as much as I do (I could go on and on, and I do …), then you will fall hard for this one, I have a feeling.

In This Post

Tunisian Harissa Chicken & Olive Skillet with Acorn Squash — Tunisian Harissa Chicken and Olives

Tunisian Chicken Recipe with Harissa and Olives

Simple, affordable boneless chicken breasts will dress their very best when they’re coated in a warm, North African-inspired spice dust of cumin, smoked paprika, and cinnamon. The browned chicken will simmer in the pan with some shallot, crushed garlic, dates, and olives and then we’ll top everything with half-moons of golden acorn squash, making it a true full meal.

I like to serve this Tunisian chicken recipe alongside some fluffy couscous, as that would be rather traditional, given the North African roots of this recipe. But, some basmati rice would be wonderful as well, or just some fluffy flatbread, to sop up all of the sauce would be nice.

Speaking of the sauce … let’s talk a little about harissa and why, along with the dates and olives, it helps qualify this recipe as distinctly Tunisian-inspired …

What is Harissa?

Sometimes referred to as “Tunisia’s main condiment,” harissa is a spicy Tunisian chili paste. It sports a distinctive bright red color, and is served with many meals as a dip or spread, or as an ingredient in soups and stews. Harissa paste is also used to give deep flavor to couscous, or as a rub for meat and vegetables.

This traditional condiment has regional variations, with the simplest versions consisting of just chilis, garlic, salt, and olive oil. Extras such as cumin, coriander, lemon, onions, tomato are used sometimes, and variations from some Saharan regions often possess a smoky flavor. Harissa is a common ingredient in other Middle Eastern cuisines as well – in Israel it is often used as a topping for shawarma and in Morocco, you will see it served as a condiment alongside tagines.

Tunisia, however, is the world’s largest exporter of prepared harissa and as such, this fantastic and easy recipe wouldn’t be complete without it.

Want Browner Squash? Here’s a Tip:

I added a note in this recipe, to offer a bit of instruction for further browning the squash, if you so choose. Essentially, if you want to really get a brown char on the squash (it won’t quite get their during the bake time), simply transfer the squash slices to a baking sheet under the broiler for a few minutes, after they’ve cooked with the chicken/sauce. That should brown things up in a hurry for you …

Also, if you’re interested, and because the olives and olive oil are so important in this one, I use a local (to Charleston, SC) olive oil company, Olinda Olives and Olive Oil, and theirs are the olives and oil pictured in this post. I call it “liquid gold” because, well, it tastes like a million bucks.

What you’ll need for this Tunisian Chicken Recipe:

1 acorn squash
2 to 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise
Salt and pepper, as needed
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons cumin
Olive oil, for cooking
2 diced shallots or 1 cup diced onion
1 lemon, thinly sliced
5 or 6 pitted dates, halved
6 oz. pitted green olives (I use Olinda)
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 cup harissa sauce (found in the international foods aisle)
½ cup chicken broth (or water is fine)

Serving Suggestion: couscous or rice

How to make this Tunisian Chicken Recipe :

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Adjust the rack to the middle position.
Begin by pre-roasting the squash. When the oven is pre-heated, place the squash directly on the rack and roast for 30 minutes. Cool slightly, if needed for handling, and then trim, slice, and seed.
Meanwhile, prepare the chicken and sauce. Combine the smoked paprika, cinnamon, and cumin in a small bowl and coat the chicken with it. Season also with salt and pepper to taste.
Place a large oven-proof skillet over med-high heat and add a couple TBSP olive oil. When the oil is hot and shimmering, brown the chicken on both sides until browned; about 3 to 4 minutes per side. (TIP: I cover with a splatter screen to prevent the sputtering from getting out of the pan).
Transfer the browned chicken to a plate or platter for now. Reduce the heat to medium. Add a little more oil, if needed, and add the shallot/onion, sliced lemon, dates, olives, and smashed garlic. Season lightly with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 to 5 minutes.
To finish this Tunisian chicken recipe, Add the harissa sauce and chicken broth (or water) and stir to mix. Slide the chicken into the pan and top with the squash. Brush the squash with a little olive oil and place the skillet into the oven and roast for 12 to 15 minutes, just to finish cooking the chicken and to further soften the squash.