Homemade Harissa Paste (Authentic North African Chili Paste for Meal Prep, Chicken & Pasta)
If you cook a lot of bold, saucy weeknight dinners and you want a homemade North African chili paste you can keep in the fridge and add to everything, this is the one. This homemade harissa paste is inspired by Tunisian versions but adapted for a North American pantry. It’s perfect if you’re in Canada or the USA and you want a harissa that’s not just hot but well-balanced, smoky, garlicky and slightly tangy.
Ingrédients
- 8 –10 dried red chilies soaked and drained
- 2 red bell peppers roasted and peeled
- 3 garlic cloves
- 30 ml 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 10 ml 2 tsp ground cumin
- 10 ml 2 tsp ground coriander
- 5 ml 1 tsp ground caraway (toasted)
- 45 ml 3 tbsp olive oil, plus more to cover
- 10 ml 2 tsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 5 ml 1 tsp salt
- Optional: 5 ml 1 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
Soften the dried chilies
- Remove stems and most of the seeds.
- Pour hot water over the chilies and let them soak for about 20 minutes.
- Drain well and pat dry so the paste doesn’t get watery.
Roast the red peppers
- Broiler or open flame: char the skins until blackened.
- Put the peppers in a bowl, cover 10 minutes, then peel and deseed.
Toast and grind the spices
- In a dry pan, toast cumin, coriander and caraway for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
- Grind them (spice grinder or mortar). This gives your harissa that “real” flavor you don’t get in store-bought jars.
Blend
- Add to a food processor: soaked chilies, roasted peppers, garlic, tomato paste, ground spices, vinegar/lemon and salt.
- Start blending and stream in the olive oil until you get a thick, spreadable paste.
- Taste and adjust: more salt? more acid? more oil?
Store
- Transfer to a clean jar.
- Level the surface and cover with a thin layer of olive oil.
- Keep in the fridge and top with oil again every time you scoop some out.
Vidéo
Notes
Tips & adjustments
- For milder harissa: use more roasted red pepper and fewer dried chilies.
- For a hotter, Tunisian-style kick: leave in more chili seeds or add 1–2 small bird’s eye chilies.
- For sandwiches and burgers: loosen with a bit of mayo (here’s my mayo base): https://www.micheldumas.com/en/homemade-mayonnaise-recipe-easy-failproof/
- For pasta sauces: stir 1–2 tsp into a tomato cream pasta like this one: https://www.micheldumas.com/en/easy-homemade-crepes-quick-recipe/
Substitutions
- No caraway? Use fennel seeds.
- No red wine vinegar? Use lemon juice or even apple cider vinegar.
- No roasted peppers? You can make a fully dried-chili harissa, just add 1–2 tbsp water while blending.
- No tomato paste? Leave it out for a more old-school style, or replace with 1 roasted tomato.