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30 Minute Harissa Butter Chicken. Chicken cooked with butter, spices, honey, Harissa sauce, and creamy coconut milk. It’s creamy, a little spicy, and filled with the yummiest flavors. Serve the chicken and sauce over bowls of rice. Add pomegranate arils, herbs, and salty feta cheese. And if you have some, warm buttery naan on the side is so great! The perfect bowl of comfort food – and the leftovers are even more delicious the next day.
When January hits, I always crave a little more variety. The holiday recipes are my favorite of all time, but they tend to be more traditional, and they can lack in color.
With so much winter white and the beyond-cold days and nights, I’m always inspired to create cozy dinners that have color and so much flavor. This is when I start really digging deep and outside the type of recipes I’ve been sharing.
I adore using harissa sauce to give added spice and flavor. But I only have a handful of recipes with harissa, which is just shocking!
So long ago, I made a Moroccan-style chicken with harissa in the sauce. I was so excited when I stumbled upon this old recipe. It inspired me to make another!
This is kind of like a Moroccan-style butter chicken using honey and harissa. But I added some coconut milk to make a creamy sauce. The flavors are spicy-sweet, and the chicken is SO DELICIOUS.
Here are the details
Ingredients
- salted butter
- chicken breasts or thighs – I love a mix
- yellow onions
- garlic
- smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, and chili flakes
- red harissa sauce – I love Mina Harissa and usually get the spicy
- honey
- canned coconut milk
Ingredients – for topping
- pomegranate arils
- mixed herbs – mint, cilantro and scallions
- lemon juice
- toasted sesame seeds
- crumbled feta cheese
Tools
You need a skillet and not much else. Easy!
Steps
Step 1: start cooking the chicken
In a skillet, cook the chicken and onions with butter. Once the chicken is seared, add the garlic and spices. I use smoked paprika, cumin, and chili powder.
Then, season it all with salt, pepper, and chili flavors.
Step 2: add the harissa
Next, I usually like to add a couple more tablespoons of salted butter. Then mix in the harissa and the honey. Cook until the harissa is sticking to the chicken. Lastly, mix in about a cup of canned coconut milk.
This will already smell amazing.
Step 3: simmer
Simmer until the sauce thickens around the chicken. And then it’s ready!
Step 4: serve
For serving, I mix pomegranate arils with lots of fresh herbs – cilantro is a favorite. Then lemon, sesame seeds, and plenty of feta cheese.
Add some rice to bowls, spoon over the chicken, and top with the pomegranate, herbs, and feta mix.
Altogether, this should take less than 30 minutes, but we’re going to say 30 just to be on the safe side!
Most importantly, “It’s fire!” as my brothers always love to say! Meaning this dish is so DELISH!
Looking for other busy weeknight-night recipes? Try these!
One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake
Crockpot Crispy Chicken Tinga Tacos with Avocado Jalapeño Crema
Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Salmon with Caesar Roasted Potatoes
One Skillet Cheesy Green Chile Chicken
Lastly, if you make this 30 Minute Harissa Butter Chicken, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
30 Minute Harissa Butter Chicken
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 488 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs, cut into chunks
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- salt and black pepper
- chili flakes
- 2-3 tablespoons Harissa sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
- 2 cups pomegranate arils
- 1 cup mixed herbs: mint, cilantro, and scallions
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- steamed rice and naan for serving
Instructions
- 1. In a large skillet, add the butter, chicken, and onion. Set the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until golden, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, cumin, chili powder, and season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, then mix in the harissa and honey.2. Reduce the heat to low. Add the coconut milk. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken.3. In a bowl, combine the pomegranate arils, herbs, feta, lemon juice, and sesame seeds.4. Serve the chicken over bowls of rice with the pomegranate mix and fresh naan. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on January 9, 2025
Hi! Thank you for making yummy recipes that are fast enough to put together while trying to entertain a 5mo old!
Question- I may have bought the wrong Coconut milk. How would you suggest in the future I thicken the sauce? Flour?
Thank you!
Hi Christina,
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe!! You could thicken using a cornstarch slurry, that would work nicely. I hope this helps! xx
I am very much impressed how you come up with all kind of recipes and use ingredients from all over the world. Where is your inspiration from for a Maroccan style dish with that little travel and restaurant visits?
BTW it seems to be all the same for you (Europe, Africa, Asia whatever) but a small detail; Harissa originates from Tunisia even though variations are also known in Morocco and Maghreb in general. The Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity did include Harissa for Tunisia. Plus you don‘t use coconut milk for recipes „inspired“ from Maghreb.
Wouldn‘t hurt to learn a bit about food and (non-american) culture.
So does this mean you tried the recipe and didn’t Like it?
What could you substitute for the pomegranate seeds?
Hi Sam,
You could just skip them, no big deal:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Can I use dry Harissa instead?
Hi Malvina,
I would recommend using the harissa paste for this recipe for best results. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
This is sooo delicious. I used about 3/4 can of coconut milk. Thought is was too much without rice. I sliced and roasted sweet potato and served this over the sweet potatoes. Delicious. I’m gonna make this with cauliflower next. Oh and I only used 1/4 tsp of harissa, otherwise it wb be too spicy for us. xx
Thanks so much, Pamela! So glad to hear you enjoyed this dish! I appreciate you making it. Happy Monday! xx
Another winner winner, chicken dinner from Tieghan! When I saw the recipe this week, I knew I had to make it. I was also convinced I had all the ingredients on hand, except, I went to my pantry and discovered I had no more harissa paste. Cut to me driving unexpectedly to Whole Foods and buying the exact Mina spicy Harissa recommended here. Yum! I doubled the recipe so lucky me, I have leftovers. Thanks for another great dinner.
Hi Kerry,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have the best week! xxT
This is so delicious!
Hi Diana,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I’m so glad to hear it turned out well for you! Happy Sunday! xT
On my birthday for the last couple years I have asked my daughter to make me your butter chicken, because it’s delicious. This year, when you dropped this a day before my birthday, I asked for this instead. It’s fabulous, very creative! Not sure which one I will ask for next year?
Thanks so much, Katie! I’m so glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed just as much as the butter chicken:) Happy Birthday! xT
Why don’t you provide nutritional information? I, like I assume many others, am on a very restrictive diet. I don’t try recipes that don’t provide information that helps me ensure they will fit into my diet.
Just wanted to say, several of the food bloggers I follow have posted links to Jose Andrés World Central Kitchen if you want to donate. They are ALWAYS there to help in any world disaster.
Hi Bob,
Unfortunately, the nutritional calculator that we are required to use by google is not 100% accurate, so it’s not something I feel comfortable using at this time. We are looking for better options:) Have a great weekend! xx
There are many tragedies and heartbreaks all over the world. If anyone wants to set up a fundraiser or bring awareness, it’s their choice. What they do with their platform is up to them also. This is a food blog. We can click on recipes that look good and choose to make them, and if we want to leave a comment about her food because she posted about nothing but her food, we can do so. Otherwise, move on. Don’t lecture people on things that are not related to their blog- my humble opinion.
Sorry, but she does not post only about food, and she does post about her very frequent trips to LA and collaborations with people there. Just saying.
Nah. You’re right that it’s up to whatever blogger to post whatever they want, and that’s fine, but actively defending self-centered behavior as your “humble opinion” is not it.
What do you think about doing this with cauliflower instead of chicken? I have an upcoming dinner party with kosher and vegan friends and this might work? Cheese on the side. I think the honey is fine for this person too.
Hi Emmy,
I think cauliflower would be a great idea! Please let me know if you give this dish a try, I hope you love it! xT
This was a homerun. Added to my favorites. I have a house full of teenage boys and ALL of them LOVED this dish. Thank you for making me look like I know what I’m doing 🙂
Yay! Love to hear this, Carmen! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe and your comment! Have a great Friday! xT
Wow. The briny and tanginess flavor of the feta cheese mixture, combined with the spicy creamy coconut flavor of the chicken! What a great combination. This was a delicious and quick meal that didn’t taste quick.
Hi Cortney,
Thanks so much! Love to hear this dish turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! Happy Friday! XxT
Tieghan while the country is grasping the enormity of the fires in LA and the devastation we all see playing out on TV, this is a perfect opportunity for you to do something worthwhile and helpful (as I see other bloggers are doing as well) by setting up a fundraiser to help the victims. You certainly have the platform to reach MILLIONS since you apparently have that many followers. Imagine the good you could do!
Okay Wendy….aka Karen. I haven’t seen other bloggers doing that and it’s not Tieghan’s job to take care of LA. Please go find a hobby or something to keep you busy.
No offense Wendy, but I am not going to donate to celebrities who make millions of dollars who 3rd house has burned down. Keep your 20 dollars and buy local to help your own community.
Why do you think that only celebrities or people with 3 homes are suffering from these wildfires? Regular people also lost their homes, businesses, and things they worked hard for. People lost their sense of safety and sentimental belongings. Entire communities are gone. Not to mention the animals, both wild and domestic, who have been displaced, horribly hurt, or worse from the fires. Tieghan has also traveled to LA before for work, so I’m going to assume that she probably knows at least one person who has been impacted by these wildfires. Seems like a little empathy could do you some good.
I can’t wait to make this dish! One question – I have harissa powder. How would I make that into a paste?
Thanks so much Jan!! I have actually never tried that, you could see if there are instructions on the powder packaging. Otherwise, I would just get the paste:) I hope you love this recipe! xT
I think you could actually just add some fresh garlic minced, tomato paste, olive oil and lemon juice to your powder! We’re making Cava style bowls for dinner tonight and I actually might try this now, haha! We have harissa powder but I’d love to make it into a sauce to go with.
Thanks Emily – my king if flavors!
You can make harissa paste by combining 2 tbsp harissa powder with 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp water
You can make harissa paste by combining 2 Tbsp harissa powder with 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp water. Not sure if paste is the same as harissa sauce?