Time to turn dinner into a flavour-packed win. This harissa chicken bake brings bold North African vibes — juicy chicken pieces and sweet potato roasted in harissa paste, then topped with a crunchy bulgur wheat and seed mixture for texture. With prep in ~20 minutes and bake time just over an hour, it’s a show-stopping main that still leaves you space for a side salad or glass of something chilled.
Harissa chicken bake with bulgur wheat topping
Ingredients
- 1.8 kg whole chicken
- 2 red onions, cut into wedges
- 400 g mini orange sweet potatoes, halved lengthways
- ¼ cup harissa paste
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 L chicken stock
- 320 g coarse bulgur wheat
- ½ cup natural seed mix (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and pine nuts)
- 500g baby roma truss tomatoes
- olive oil cooking spray
Instructions
Using a sharp, heavy knife or poultry shears, cut down both sides of the chicken backbone; discard backbone.
Turn chicken skin-side up; press down on breastbone with the heel of your hand to flatten.
Cut chicken into quarters. Place chicken pieces in a large bowl with the onion, sweet potato, harissa, vinegar and oil; toss well to coat evenly. Stand for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Transfer chicken and vegetables to a 2.5-litre shallow ovenproof dish; position chicken skin-side up.
Pour 1½ cups of the stock over chicken; bake for 45 minutes.
For the crunchy bulgur wheat topping, bring the remaining 2½ cups of stock to the boil in a small saucepan. Add bulgur wheat; cook, covered, for 1 minute or until slightly softened.
Drain, then stand for 2 minutes. Stir in seed mix; season. Set aside until required.
Remove dish from oven; sprinkle with the topping, poking it into the gaps. Add tomatoes; spray with oil.
Return to the oven; bake for a further 20 minutes or until cooked through and the topping is golden.
