Harissa Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner (with Olives and Potatoes)
With its bold, bright flavors and downright gorgeous looks, this sheet pan harissa chicken dinner is really just a big show-off. Made with chicken thighs for extra foolproof-ness and a store-bought harissa sauce, this one comes together so quickly you’ll have time leftover to actually enjoy your evening (only a couple of dishes to wash, too).
- Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 24 ounces baby gold or red potatoes, halved
- 2/3 cup store-bought harissa sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon balsamic or apple cider vinegar (red/white wine vinegars also work)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon honey, or to taste
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup pitted green olives, lightly smashed (give or take)
- 2/3 cup pickled banana pepper rings
- 1/2 large red onion, cut into bite-sized petals
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme, optional
Serving Suggestions: Fresh chopped parsley and/or mint
Instructions
- Put the chicken and potatoes in a large mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl, combine the harissa paste, oil, vinegar, garlic powder, honey, and some salt and pepper to taste. Pour half of this over the chicken and potatoes and toss to coat. You can add more or less of anything as you like, by the way.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Adjust the rack to the top third position (not the very top, usually the next one down).
- Arrange the chicken and potatoes in an even layer on a large sheet pan. Toss the onions with a little olive oil and scatter them, along with the olives and banana pepper rings, all around. Season everything with some salt and pepper. Toss the thyme sprigs on top of everything (they will scent/flavor the food gently this way).
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, turning halfway through, or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender and golden (it may take a little longer). If your chicken is done before your potatoes look great to you, just transfer the chicken thighs to a plate until the potatoes are done.
- Serve with the remaining harissa sauce on the side for dipping, and top with fresh herbs if you like (parsley and mint are really nice here).