Harissa-Honey Glazed Chicken Skewers

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 20 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

3 tablespoons (45 ml) harissa paste

3 tablespoons (45 ml) honey

3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil

2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, from 1 medium lemon

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt use half as much by volume

1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

4 to 6 (10- to 12-inch long) wooden or metal cooking skewers

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together harissa, honey, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, and salt.

Transfer about 1/3 of marinade to a small saucepan.

Add chicken pieces to large bowl with marinade and toss to evenly coat.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

Meanwhile, cook reserved marinade in saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it reduces by half, becomes thick and glossy, and coats the back of a spoon, about 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside.

Thread the chicken pieces onto skewers, packing them tightly as you go.

For a Charcoal Grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled 3/4 with charcoal briquettes (4 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over bottom of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.

For a Gas Grill: Turn all burners to high, cover grill and heat until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.

Clean and oil cooking grate. Arrange skewers on the grill and cook, turning as needed for even browning, until chicken is nicely charred, cooked through, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of each chicken piece registers at least 175°F (76°C), 8 to 12 minutes for thighs and 165°F (74°C), 6 to 10 minutes for breasts.

Transfer to a serving platter. Using a pastry brush, brush hot chicken with reduced glaze and serve immediately.

Notes

For best results, look for a mild-to-medium-spicy harissa to balance heat without overpowering the other flavors. I recommend mild harissa and prefer the brand Mina.

I prefer using chicken thighs in this recipe, but boneless, skinless chicken breasts will also work.

If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes before threading the chicken on and grill immediately after threading.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The marinade can be prepared and refrigerated in an airtight container up to 7 days ahead.

The glaze can be cooked and then refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 7 days ahead; gently reheat before brushing on the cooked chicken.

The chicken can be marinated for up to 8 hours

Nutrition

• Calories: 462 kcal
• Total Fat: 26 g
• Saturated Fat: 6 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 208 mg
• Sodium: 790 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 18 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2 g
• Total Sugars: 13 g
• Protein: 42 g