Good morning friends and Happy Monday!!
Before we get to this incredibly tasty chicken dish, I’ve got a quick personal update. There have been some big changes happening in my life during the month of April that have been occupying my time and attention. I’m not going to announce these changes just yet, but they’re all good and exciting. I’ll share all the deets in May! Expect more recipes and faster question/comment responses in May as well. Thanks for being patient!! Now let’s dig into the recipe.
I’m a big fan of crispy chicken skin, so pan seared chicken thighs are a frequent meal at our house. Chicken cooks in a skillet skin-side down until the fatty exterior turns golden and crisp. The thighs are then finished in the oven until fully cooked through. Super simple. Super delicious. Seasoning with just salt and pepper is sufficient, but sometimes I like to add lemon and herbs to amp up flavors.
A few years ago, I tested out this Bon Appetit recipe that simmers seared chicken with chickpeas and a tomato-based broth infused with onion, garlic and fiery harissa. Fresh parsley and lemon juice are added at the end to brighten flavors. I loved this recipe so much, that I immediately added it to my weeknight repertoire. The saucy chickpeas are so rich and deep in flavor that it’s hard to believe the dish only takes 45 minutes to prepare! Continue reading for the recipe.
Harissa is a North African chile paste that is readily available in grocery stores or online. If you’ve got some extra time, you could also try making it at home. This recipe calls for a good amount of harissa (1/4 cup), and the finished sauce is definitely on the spicy side. You can use less harissa if you’re sensitive to spice. Canned chickpeas work just fine here as well. No need to prepare from dried.
Last summer, I purchased an outdoor gas burner based on a recommendation from another San Diego food blogger, Justin of Salt and Pepper Skillet, and I’ll have to say that it really helps to achieve a good sear. The burner gets extremely hot, and the outdoor factor helps alleviate the typical indoor issues of smoke and oil splatter. If you’ve got some space outdoors next to your grill, I’d highly recommend getting one. If not, be sure to turn on your hood and use a splatter screen when searing chicken indoors!
Pan Seared Chicken with Harissa Chickpeas Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup harissa (learn how to make your own here!)
- 1/2 cup chicken stock (homemade recipe here!)
Chopped parsley, for serving
Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
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Preheat an oven to 425°F. Season chicken on both sides with kosher salt and black pepper.
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Warm olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken in the skillet skin-side down, and cook until golden (4 to 5 minutes per side). The oil will pop and splatter. Use an outdoor burner or splatter screen to keep your kitchen clean! Transfer chicken to a plate.
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Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan, then add the onion and garlic, stirring and scraping to pull up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft (about 3 minutes). Stir in the tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the chickpeas, harissa and chicken stock, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Nestle chicken, skin side up, in the chickpea mixture. Transfer skillet to oven, and roast until chicken is cooked through (20–25 minutes).
To serve, spoon 1 or 2 thighs with chickpeas into a shallow bowl. Top with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
Here are some other chicken recipes on Kitchen Konfidence:
Honey Sriracha Chicken Bowls
Beer Can Chicken
Curried Chicken Soup
Chicken Larb
Roast Chicken with Lemon
Lisa @ The California Table says
Super excited to hear more about your upcoming changes!!
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Lisa :)!!
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
Brandon this is gorgeous! And I love that you even have a homemade harissa recipe, years before harissa became ‘trendy’. I adore chickpeas and with the harissa, I bet there is so much flavor in this recipe! And it’s ready in 45 mins no less!
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Averie :)!! Haha yes, I’ve loved harissa for a while now, and I’m sure it’ll always have a spot in my pantry.
dixya @food, pleasure, and health says
outdoor grill is going to be my first purchase once i have a house…this looks so beautiful. so happy that good things are happening in your life <3
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks so much Dixya :)!! And YES, I do love my outdoor appliances. We get to use them frequently here in SoCal.
sippitysup says
Quick and crispy! This is a beautiful recipe. GREG
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Greg. The crispy is where it’s at!
Willow | Will Cook For Friends says
Now that is one gorgeous pan full of chicken! I do pan-seared chicken thighs all the time, the same way, for that crispy beautiful skin, but have actually never cooked with harissa (gasp!) — I am adding it to my shopping list, though, because this recipe sounds amazing. Also, such a smart idea to cook it outside — I always have smoke issues due to grease spattering, and I do have an outdoor gas burner, I just never thought to do it that way. Great tip!
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Willow! You definitely need to use your outdoor burner for cooking the chicken. Makes it such a snap! What sort of flavors do you add to your chicken?
Willow | Will Cook For Friends says
I’ll definitely have to try that next time. Sometimes I make it very simply with just salt and pepper, other times I add fresh herbs to the pan like rosemary, or some slices of lemon. Looking forward to trying it with harissa! 🙂
Megan @Meg is Well says
I love how colorful this dish is! I finally tried harissa after seeing so many gorgeous pictures from food bloggers and I went through a whole jar in less than a week so I will absolutely LOVE this.
Brandon Matzek says
It’s so good right?! Definitely give this recipe a try then. You’ll love it!! Thanks Megan.
Grace | eat, write + explore says
I’ve never made my own harissa but I am a harissa fiend so I’ll have to give it a go! This dish looks gorgeous.
Brandon Matzek says
I make my own harissa from time-to-time, but I also keep a tube of store-bought in the fridge as a backup. Both at good. Thanks Grace!
Cherylee lye says
Im going to make this for my family. What would you have with it?
Brandon Matzek says
I’ve served this with rice and warm flatbread. Roasted potatoes would be nice too. Enjoy!!
Heather says
That’s a beautiful dish. Love that is uses chickpeas. What drink or wine would be your selection with this meal?
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Heather! I would go with a lighter, fruitier red wine. Zinfandel perhaps. A lager would also really pair well with this dish.
GiGi Eats says
Oh hello HEAVEN! Seriously, this looks AMAZING!
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks GiGi :)!
Garinn Morton says
Can’t wait to make it! Thanks
Sheryl says
Brandon, I saw your beautiful photo of the finished recipe on Instagram and decided I would have to try it. I thought I had everything on hand, but discovered to my horror that the harissa jar was empty. I substituted an equal amount of Patak’s hot curry paste (I’m into spicy ethnic foods) and it turned out well. I’ll look forward to making this again when I restock my supply of harissa.
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Sheryl, so glad this worked out for you!! I’m going to have to check out that hot curry paste. Sounds like a good substitution.
Tina says
Yum i love harissa and i love your pan even more. Definately going to give this one a shot.
Brandon Matzek says
Please let me know how it turns out. Thanks Tina!!