This harissa chicken traybake is a simple, flavour-packed one-pan dinner that’s perfect for busy evenings. Tender mini chicken breast fillets are coated in harissa and olive oil, then roasted with baby potatoes, peppers and red onion for a colourful, hearty meal. The harissa adds a gentle warmth and smoky spice, balanced by the natural sweetness of the roasted vegetables. Juicy vine cherry tomatoes finish the dish, softening in the oven and adding a fresh burst of flavour. It’s an easy, fuss-free family meal with minimal washing-up and plenty of bold, comforting flavour.
Recipe Breakdown
- ✅ Recipe Name: Harissa Chicken Traybake
- ⏱️Time: 40 minutes
- 🧑🍳Serves: 4 People
- 💪Difficulty: Super Easy
- 🍴Ingredient Highlight: Harissa Paste
- 💛Why You’ll Love it: It’s absolustely delicious and incredibly easy.
Skip To
- Ingredients, Variations and Substitutions
- Equipment
- Instructions
- Serving Suggestions
- Leftovers and Storage
- FAQ
- Other Recipes
I absolutely love an easy traybake dinner. You just throw veggies, potatoes and protein onto a tray drizzled in oil and salt and pepper and bake, what’s not to love?!
Harissa is something we’re fairly new to. We’ve made tons of different marinades for chicken traybake (hello lemon and herb!), but didn’t really eat much harissa until I went back to working outside of the home, and we started using Hello Fresh and Gousto to make life a little easier.
Many of our favourites include harissa, and the smoky spice flavour is something we’ve all grown to love.
While I always recommend cooking from scratch when you can, it’s not always easy, and things like a jar of harissa paste make life easier, without totally ruining your diet. This recipe is packed with fresh veggies and tender chicken, so I don’t feel too bad about cheating!
Donna’s Notes
Use your favourite veggies! I’d add some courgettes to this, but my family aren’t keen. Adding some chorizo would also be great. The best thing about a traybake dinner like this is that it’s super easy to customise, making it perfect for family mid-week dinners.
Why You’ll Love it
- Using mini fillets means it cooks super fast – perfect for school nights.
- Chicken traybakes are always really colourful.
- Harissa is delicious and perfect with chicken.
- You can add more or less harissa depending on how spicy you want it.
- There’s barely any washing up.
- Erm, it’s delicious?!
Ingredients, Variations and Substitutions
Mini Chicken Breast Fillets
Baby Potatoes
On the Vine Cherry Tomatoes
Mixed Peppers
Red Onion
Olive Oil
Harissa Paste
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
When it comes to variations, you do you! Add the veggies you love, skip the ones you don’t. Things like courgettes and sweet potatoes can make excellent additions.
If you’d rather use chicken thighs or full breasts, do it, just check the cooking instructions and make sure the chicken is cooked through and piping hot before serving. You’ll definitely need to cook for at least 10 minutes longer!
You’ll Also Need
A large mixing bowl and a deep baking tray.
How to Make Harissa Chicken Traybake – Step-by-Step Instructions
Full, easy-to-follow instructions and quantities are available in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step One
Preheat your oven to 180°C (fan-assisted), and get a large baking tray out ready.
Make sure the tray is big enough to hold everything in a single layer – overcrowding will cause the vegetables to steam rather than roast.
Step Two
Place the halved baby potatoes, chopped peppers and red onion chunks into a large mixing bowl. Add half of the olive oil, half of the harissa paste and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
Step Three
Mix thoroughly so everything is evenly coated.
Step Four
Tip the vegetables onto the baking tray and spread them out well, turning the potatoes cut-side down where possible to help them crisp up. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, giving them a head start so the potatoes begin to soften and colour.
Step Five
While the vegetables are roasting, add the mini chicken breast fillets to the same mixing bowl (there’s no need to wash it). Add the remaining olive oil and harissa, along with another pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well so the chicken is fully coated. If you have time, you can leave it to marinate for 10–15 minutes for a deeper flavour.
Step Six
After the vegetables have baked for 20 minutes, carefully remove the tray from the oven and give everything a good stir to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking.
Step Seven
Nestle the chicken fillets on top of the vegetables, spacing them out so they cook evenly. Return the tray to the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Step Eight
Remove the tray again and scatter over the vine cherry tomatoes. Adding them towards the end stops them from becoming too soft while still allowing them to burst slightly and release their juices. Bake for a final 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender.
Step Nine
Check that the chicken has reached 75°C in the centre using a meat thermometer. If you don’t have one, ensure the juices run clear and there is no pink in the thickest part. If needed, return to the oven for a few more minutes.
Step Ten
Once fully cooked, remove from the oven and allow to rest for a few minutes before serving. For extra flavour, you could finish with a squeeze of lemon juice, a sprinkle of fresh herbs, or serve with a spoonful of natural yoghurt to balance the gentle heat of the harissa.
Expert Tips and Tricks
Try a potato! As the mini fillets cook really quickly, the potatoes are the key. Make sure they are soft enough for you before cooking. If they aren’t starting to soften before you add the chicken, pop them back in for a little longer before adding it, so they’ve got more of a head start. If they need a lot longer, chop them smaller, or even slice them into rounds, next time.
Serving Suggestions
One of the best things about a traybake is that it’s all there on one sheet! Add some crusty bread to mop up the sauce if you want to, but it isn’t essential.
If you are worried about the spice, serve with a little yoghurt or sour cream.
Leftovers and Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. Heat in the microwave or oven, making sure the chicken is piping hot before serving. Add a splash of water to stop the chicken drying out.
FAQs
I do not. But there’s a cool recipe here if you want to.
You could try sriracha or gochujang, but if you don’t have paste, making your own is the best option.
Chillies, cumin, coriander, caraway, garlic, and smoked paprika are all popular ingredients in harissa.
Harissa chicken is delicious! It tastes a bit smoky, a bit tangy, a lot spicy and a tiny bit sweet. Complex and gorgeous!
Other Recipes You Might Like
If you like this harissa chicken traybake, you might also want to try a few of my other easy traybake dinners. My honey and mustard pork chop traybake is perfect for a simple, flavour-packed midweek meal, while this air fryer chicken traybake is great when you want something quick with minimal washing up.
My chicken fajita traybake is ideal for a family-style dinner with plenty of colour and spice, and a peri peri chicken traybake brings a gentle heat that’s easy to adjust. For something a little different, my Greek lamb traybake is packed with Mediterranean flavours and makes a brilliant fuss-free dinner option.
Harissa Chicken Traybake
Ingredients
- 600 g Mini Chicken Breast Fillets
- 500 g Baby Potatoes (Cut in half)
- 3 Bell Peppers (Deseeded and chopped into thick strips)
- 1 Red Onion (Peeled and cut into chunks)
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Harissa Paste
- Salt and Pepper
- 400 g Vine Cherry Tomatoes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (fan-assisted) and find a large baking tray.
- Place the potatoes, peppers and onions in a large mixing bowl with half of the oil, a good pinch of salt and pepper and half of the harissa.
- Mix well.
- Tip onto the baking tray and spread out evenly.
- Place in the oven and bake for 20minutes.
- While it’s baking, place the chicken in the same mixing bowl, add the rest of the oil, harissa, and more salt and pepper.
- Mix well and leave until needed.
- After 20 minutes, carefully remove the tray from the oven and mix.
- Nestle the chicken on the top and return to the oven.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove carefully and add the tomatoes.
- Bake for a final 10 minutes.
- Carefully remove from the oven.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken reaches 75 degrees C in the centre; if not, return to the oven.
- Once the chicken is cooked, carefully remove it from the oven and serve.
Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information.
