Harissa Chicken Thighs

These flavorful chicken thighs were inspired by a New York Times dish, but I couldn’t resist adjusting the flavors and transforming it into a complete meal. The creamy potatoes pair deliciously with the fork tender chicken and the sharp lemony arugula brings a bright freshness to the dish. The harissa I used was relatively mild, so if you know yours is particularly hot, feel free to adjust the seasoning to taste. This serves about 3-4 people!

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil 

1 package chicken thighs (mine was 1.5 lbs) 

1 lb shallots, peeled 

1.5 lbs potatoes (I prefer small yukon or red potatoes but any can work) 

1 lemon

3 tbsp harissa

¼ tsp cinnamon 

3 cloves garlic, minced 

1-1.5 c chicken broth 

¼ c kalamata olives, halved 

4 oz Arugula 

Salt 

Pepper

Instructions 

Salt and pepper chicken thighs all over. Heat a dutch oven or high sided skillet over medium heat and add two tablespoons of olive oil. Place chicken thighs into the pan, flat side down and brown for about 7 minutes, then flip the thighs and cook for an additional 3 minutes on the other side. Don’t worry if the chicken thighs don’t look perfect or if a little gets stuck to the pan along the way. Remove the cooked thighs and place on a plate. 

While the chicken is browning, cut the peeled shallots. Remove the tip of the root end and slice lengthwise. The smaller shallots can remain halved and the larger shallots should be cut into quarters. Cut the potatoes into large cubes, trying to keep the pieces uniformed. Add one tablespoon of oil to the same pan used to cook the chicken and cook the shallots, potatoes and ½ tsp salt over medium heat. Allow to brown for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Slice ½ of the lemon into thin slices (reserve the other ½ to be used for juice later). It is very important to remove all the seeds from the lemon as they can add undesired bitterness to the dish, so be sure to check each slice carefully. 

Add the harissa, cinnamon, and garlic to the pot and mix to combine. Nestle the chicken into the mixture and place the lemon slices on top. Pour in the chicken broth and cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes check the tenderness of the potatoes and if needed continue to cook until the potatoes are done. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to make sure all the flavor gets incorporated. Taste the broth and adjust salt levels as desired. 

Add the juice from the remaining ½ lemon to the arugula with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and mix. Plate the potatoes and chicken, sprinkling the kalamata olives on top.  Finish with a handful (about an ounce) of arugula per plate and enjoy!