Harissa is a North African chili paste that’s sweet, spicy, and aromatic. Made with fresh and dried peppers and spices, my recipe is easy and delicious.
Move over, ketchup and hot sauce—this homemade harissa recipe is one of my favorite condiments to keep on hand. Made with a blend of roasted red peppers, dried chiles, warming spices, garlic, and lemon, my version of this North African chili paste is sweet, smoky, and bright, with a subtle kick of heat. I love stirring it into shakshuka for spice, slathering it in falafel wraps, and dolloping it on roasted veggies to punch up the flavors.
I started making homemade harissa years ago, back before it was widely available in grocery stores in my area. These days, it’s much easier to find, but I still like to make this harissa recipe from scratch when I can. It has a richer depth of flavor and is easy to customize depending on how mild or spicy you’d like it to be. I hope you love it as much as I do!
What is harissa?
Harissa is a North African chili paste or sauce. Originally from Tunisia, it consists of fresh and/or dried red peppers; earthy spices like cumin, coriander, and caraway; oil, garlic, and lemon. Exact recipes vary, but harissa generally has a thick, paste-like texture and sweet, tangy, smoky flavor that can range from mild to spicy depending on the peppers used to make it.
Harissa Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this homemade harissa recipe:
- Dried chiles – Dried chiles are the star ingredient in this harissa recipe, giving it a thick texture and adding fruity, smoky, spicy flavor. The kind you use will impact the overall flavor of the sauce. See my notes on choosing dried chiles below!
- Roasted red bell peppers – For sweet and smoky flavor. Feel free to use jarred roasted red peppers or make roasted red peppers from scratch. I find that the sauce needs an extra pinch of salt when I use homemade roasted peppers.
- Fresh lemon juice – For brightness.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – For richness.
- Garlic – For sharp, savory bite.
- Whole caraway seeds – They add earthy, nutty, anise-like flavor to the sauce.
- Ground cumin and coriander – For extra earthy, citrusy flavor.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Choosing Dried Chiles
My favorite types of dried chiles to use in this harissa recipe are ancho, guajillo, and pasilla. All of these chiles are only mildly spicy and they give the sauce nice fruity undertones, each adding notes of plums, berries, or raisins. They’re also widely available in grocery stores.
For a spicier flavor profile, use a mix of mild and hot chili peppers. Try using 1 or 2 dried chipotles (which are spicy and smoky) along with 4 or 5 of one of the milder peppers above. If you don’t want to buy more than one kind of pepper, you can also use all mild chiles and season to taste with red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper for extra heat.
How to Make Homemade Harissa
The first step in this recipe is rehydrating the dried chiles. This makes them soft and pliable enough to blend into the sauce. Use kitchen scissors to cut off their stems, then place them in a medium bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside for 30 minutes, then drain.
Meanwhile, toast the caraway seeds in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook until they’re fragrant, about 30 seconds, then roughly crush them with a mortar and pestle.
Next, blend the harissa in a food processor. Add the dried chiles along with the roasted red peppers, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and spices. Process until smooth, stopping and scraping down the sides of the food processor if needed.
Season to taste, adding more lemon if you’d like it tangier or a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne for more spice.
How to Use Harissa
This harissa paste is such a versatile condiment to keep in your kitchen! Once you have it on hand, you’ll find countless ways to use it. Here are a few of my favorites to get you started:
- As a sandwich spread. I love it on falafel wraps, a grilled cheese, or pita sandwiches with grilled halloumi.
- As a seasoning for roasted vegetables. Toss it with cauliflower or broccoli florets before roasting, or slather it on a whole roasted cauliflower. I also love it as a sauce for vegetables after cooking. Try it on a baked sweet potato with a dollop of Greek yogurt and fresh parsley!
- In sauces and dips. I love adding harissa to marinara sauce for a spicy kick or making a “harissa aioli” by mixing it with mayo. A few tablespoons are a great way to spice up hummus too!
- In soups. Harissa is a great addition to any soup with earthy spices and lemon. Try stirring some into this red lentil soup for extra heat!
- In egg dishes. Try it in this harissa shakshuka recipe, or serve it on scrambled eggs instead of your usual hot sauce.
How do you like to use harissa? Let me know in the comments!
How to Store Harissa
Store this harissa sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months. Tip: I like to freeze it in ice cube trays so that it’s easy to thaw a little at a time!
More Homemade Sauce Recipes to Try
If you love this harissa recipe, try one of these delicious sauces next:
Harissa Paste
Serves 8
Harissa is a North African chili paste made with peppers, spices, garlic, olive oil, and lemon. My recipe is sweet, tangy, and aromatic, with a subtle kick of heat (see the notes below to make it spicier!). I love it in soups and sauces and on roasted vegetables, sandwiches, and more.
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Cut off the stems and remove the seeds from the dried chile peppers. Place in a bowl of hot water and soak for 30 minutes to soften, then drain.
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In a food processor, place the soaked chiles, roasted red peppers, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, caraway seeds, coriander, cumin, salt, and several grinds of pepper. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the food processor as needed. Season to taste.
Yield: about 2 cups
