9 Harissa Recipe Ideas

Harissa is a fiery and garlicky North African spice paste that's traditionally served alongside bread, stews, and couscous dishes. Recipes vary widely but it's usually made with spices including caraway, cumin, and coriander, and sometimes herbs, like mint. Harissa is easy enough to make your own, but jarred versions work equally well. Here are nine ways to use this flavor-packed spice paste.

Burgers

Mix harissa paste into the burger meat itself or blend it into ketchup or mayo for a zingy condiment.

Roasted Vegetables

Harissa's heat is especially good with sweet vegetables like squash, carrots, and fennel; toss the chopped vegetables with the paste before roasting.

Hummus

Mix harissa into store-bought hummus or make your own.

Salad Dressing

Add a spicy kick to salad by whisking harissa into a lemony dressing. It's delicious tossed with raw julienned carrots.

Pasta

Southern Italy is not so far from North Africa, so using harissa in pasta dishes isn't a huge stretch. Try it in a basic tomato sauce or with roasted broccoli rabe.

Yogurt

Whisk harissa into yogurt to make a hot-and-cold sauce for grilled meats, like lamb chops.

Rub

The spice paste becomes an instant rub for luxe cuts of meat like a crown roast of pork or a leg of lamb, or more humble chicken legs.

Chicken Wings

Any spicy condiment always ends up on a chicken wing, and harissa is no exception.

Eggs

More complex than Tabasco and even everyone's beloved Sriracha, harissa is incredibly delicious on a breakfast sandwich.

Kristin Donnelly is a former Food & Wine editor and cofounder of Stewart & Claire, an all-natural line of lip balms made in Brooklyn.