Harissa is a famous and versatile North African red chili paste that will add incredible flavor, color, and kick to your food! It’s easy to make and keeps for several weeks in the fridge!
Use it to make Harira, Moroccan Chicken Tagine, Moroccan Chicken Salad, Moroccan Veggie Burgers, and more!
What is Harissa?
Harissa is a fiery North African chili paste that is popular in Tunisian and Algerian cuisine but is perhaps most commonly associated with Moroccan food. This harissa recipe is easy to make. It’s made up of dried chiles, olive oil, garlic and spices. The dried chilies are reconstituted in boiling water, the whole spices are toasted and ground, and everything is pulsed in a food processor or blender (or use a mortar and pestle) until a chunky paste is formed.
Once you’ve made your own you’ll never use store-bought again. The flavor of homemade harissa is much bolder and vibrant than any commercially made product. Whip up a batch in minutes, keep it in your fridge and use it whenever you want to add flavor, color and kick to your food!
How To Use Harissa
The sky’s the limit for this versatile sauce but here are a few ideas to get your started:
- Burgers – mix it into the burger meat or swirl it into your mayonnaise or ketchup. Try it in our Moroccan Veggie Burgers!
- Fry Sauce – stir it into your mayonnaise for a kickin’ Fry Sauce for dipping!
- Sandwiches
- Gyros
- Marinade or Rub – it’s perfect for meat, poultry and fish.
- Fish Tacos
- Sauces & Stews – a little goes a long way to adding a terrific depth of flavor with a touch of heat. Try it in our fabulous Moroccan Harira!
- Roasted Vegetables – toss your veggies with some harissa before roasting them in the oven.
- Yogurt Sauce/Dressing – a spicy and refreshing sauce for grilled meats and for salads.
- Salad Dressing – a touch of this is great in your vinaigrettes too.
- Hummus – stir a little harissa into your Hummus for additional flavor and some kick!
- Pasta – add some to your tomato sauce.
- Pizza – add some to your pizza sauce.
- Eggs – if you’re a fan of adding Tabasco sauce to your eggs, just wait until you try this!
Harissa Recipe
Let’s get started!
You can use a variety of red chili peppers, it’s your choice. New Mexico and Guajillo chilies work well. I use and recommend this brand or freshness and flavor.
Note: If you don’t want the harissa to be scorchingly hot, cut open the dried chilies and remove the seeds and membranes. (It’s always advised to use gloves for this.) Put the dried chilies in a bowl.
Pour boiling water over the dried chilies and let them sit for 20 minutes.
While the chilies are soaking heat a small skillet over medium heat and toast the caraway, coriander, and cumin seeds, frequently stirring them, until very fragrant, about 4-5 minutes. Be careful not to scorch them or they will be bitter. Let the spices cool completely and then transfer them to a spice or coffee grinder and grind them to a fine powder. I’ve been using my KRUPS coffee/spice grinder for over 10 years and it’s still going strong.
Drain and squeeze the chiles to release as much liquid as you can. Add them to a food processor along with the ground spices, olive oil, garlic, salt, and lemon juice. Process to a smooth paste. Add more olive oil if it’s too dry.
Transfer the paste to a glass jar and pour some extra olive oil on top, about 1/4 inch in depth. After each use, top it off with olive oil. Store in the fridge where it will keep for about 3 weeks.
Enjoy!
For more homemade condiments from around the world be sure to try our:
- Romesco Sauce
- Big Mac Sauce
- Ponzu Sauce
- BBQ Sauce Recipe
- Tartar Sauce
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Sweet Chili Sauce
- Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Hoisin Sauce
- Black Bean Sauce
- Yum Yum Sauce
- Tahini
- Eel Sauce
- Tzatziki Sauce
- Curry Ketchup
- Kecap Manis
Harissa (North African Chili Paste)
Ingredients
- 16 dried red chilies (New Mexico and guajillo chilies work well, remove seeds, membranes and stems. If you want a really hot paste, leave the membranes)
- 1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Put the dried chiles in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them sit for 20 minutes. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and dry roast the caraway, coriander, and cumin seeds, frequently stirring them, until very fragrant, about 4-5 minutes. Let them cool completely and then transfer them to a spice or coffee grinder (or mortar and pestle) and grind them to a fine powder.
- Next, drain and squeeze the chiles to release as much liquid as you can. Add them to a food processor along with the ground spices, olive oil, garlic, salt, and lemon juice. Process to a smooth paste. Add more olive oil if it’s too dry. Transfer the paste to a glass jar and pour some extra olive oil on top, about 1/4 inch in depth. After each use, top it off with olive oil. Keep refrigerated. Will keep for about 3 weeks.Makes about 1 cup.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet April 26, 2015
Patricia says
In comparison to jalapeno, how hot are the guajillo chilies? (no seed, just the pepper itself)
Look forward to making this!
Kimberly, I really enjoy your recipes and your writing!….makes me laugh :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Patricia, they’re quite a bit milder. Jalapenos have a Scoville heat unit of 8000 whereas guajillos are 5000. Guajillos have a great flavor and if you want your harissa hot you can leave the membranes in (that’s where most of the heat is) and add some hotter variety of peppers along with it.
Patricia says
Thanks, Kimberly! Btw, I also really enjoy the culinary/ingredient history in your writing content, so interesting! And love your humor as well :) Look forward to making several of your recipes, including preserved lemons.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Patricia! I occasionally get hate mail over that very same thing, lol (“I don’t need a history lesson, just give me the $@!& recipe!!”) but it doesn’t stop me from writing about the things I find fascinating – I’m glad you enjoy them as well! :)
Amy says
Could you use cayenne peppers in this? I grow and dry them myself. Ended up with a bumper crop this year. Would love to put them to use in this recipe. Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Absolutely, Amy!
Ashley F says
I love the step by step photos! It really helped in make this paste!
Stephanie says
I made this for our bbq and it was super delicious on top of my hamburger! Great idea!
Krissy Allori says
I knew you could buy this fiery paste but I didn’t even think to make it myself. I will now for sure. It really adds a lot of flavor to just about anything.
Raja says
I have been to Morocco many times and always brought some home with me. This time I looked at your recipe and decided I can to that. So I made this and it was wonderful, but I did not have the caraway seeds, so I used fennel. I also recommend sea salt so that it is not too salty and I used more fresh garlic. I am now experimenting with a green harissa recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Raja, thank you!
Citra Kale @Citra's Home Diary says
you are so awesome Kim! love your harissa version. It’s similar to acılı ezme here in Turkey, serve it with any kebab, kofta or any grill as side dish. thumb up!
Sabrina says
I’m always on the lookout for a good harissa recipe! Can’t wait to try this one!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
Gorgeous! I bet making this at home is divine! I would use it on so many dishes!
Dorothy says
I usually buy harissa in a jar, but so nice to know how to make it myself!
Matthew From Nomageddon says
I love harissa! I have these incredible tolerance for spicy so I can just eat spoonfuls of the stuff!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Matthew, compared to your crazy hot ghost pepper sauce this is child’s play! ;)
Nutmeg Nanny says
I can never find harissa when I try to find it in the store. I had no idea how easy it was to make your own!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Exactly, Nutmeg Nanny, that’s one of the reasons I I learned how to make it. Plus, homemade just always packs more flavor!
Steph @ Steph in Thyme says
I love making spices and pastes at home. Thanks for sharing such an easy recipe with so much flavor!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
You bet, Steph! Homemade is always the best!
Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens says
Wow – this is so easy to make! Harissa adds tons of flavor to recipes, and this is great since it can be stored in the fridge, at-the-ready, for several weeks! That fiery red color is so pretty, too!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Exactly, Shelley! It can be challenging to find harissa, depending on where you live, and it’s so easy and convenient to make it yourself!
Maria says
Oh man! That looks so flavorful! YUM-O
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
It’s super flavorful, Maria!