Harissa Chicken Tacos w/ Avocado Mint Crema
Inspired By: @superfoodsguy
🌶️ Wait... What Exactly Is Harissa?
Harissa is a Tunisian chile pepper paste and seasoning with serious depth—not just straight heat.
Traditional Tunisian preparations center on dried red chiles seasoned with ingredients including garlic, salt, and coriander. And this isn’t some condiment-of-the-moment situation: in 2022, UNESCO inscribed Tunisia’s harissa knowledge, skills, and culinary and social practices on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The Taco Tuesday translation: Think smoky chile heat with enough savory complexity to do most of the heavy lifting in a marinade.
Here, a few spoonfuls get mixed with honey, smoked paprika, garlic, and olive oil before coating chicken thighs. The honey helps those edges caramelize under the broiler while the harissa brings the fire.
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What You’ll Need
For The Harissa Chicken
2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1¼-inch pieces
2–3 tbsp harissa paste
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp honey
1 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
1½ tsp sea salt
For The Avocado Mint Crema
1 ripe avocado
½ cup plain kefir
¾ cup packed fresh parsley
¼ cup packed fresh mint
Juice of 1 large lemon
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp sea salt
For The Tacos
8 small flour tortillas
1 small head romaine, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup pickled red onions
Avocado oil, for warming the tortillas
Chili oil, for finishing
Step By Step
1️⃣ Bring The Heat
Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the upper-middle position. Set a wire rack over a half sheet pan.
2️⃣ Make The Harissa Marinade
Mix the harissa, olive oil, honey, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and sea salt. Add the chicken and toss until every piece is well coated.
3️⃣ Skewer It
Thread the chicken onto about 4 skewers without packing the pieces too tightly. Arrange the skewers over the wire rack so the heat can circulate around the chicken.
4️⃣ Roast + Char
Roast for 24–28 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and cook another 2–4 minutes, watching closely, until the edges are dark, caramelized, and just a little crispy.
Yes, those charred bits are the ones everyone fights over.
5️⃣ Blend The Crema
Blend the avocado, kefir, parsley, mint, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic powder, and sea salt until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the salt or lemon if needed.
6️⃣ Dress The Greens
Toss the chopped romaine and tomatoes with enough avocado-mint crema to lightly coat everything. Save the rest for spooning over the tacos.
7️⃣ Warm The Tortillas
Lightly coat a skillet with avocado oil. Warm the tortillas for 30–60 seconds per side until soft with a few browned spots.
8️⃣ Build Your Tacos
Pile each tortilla with dressed romaine and tomatoes, harissa chicken, pickled red onions, and an extra spoonful of avocado-mint crema.
Finish with chili oil.
Messy hands encouraged.
