How to Make Harissa

See how to make Chef John’s all-time favorite hot sauce. See more

READY IN 45 mins

Chef John's Harissa Sauce

Read Review (1)

"Harissa is probably my all-time favorite hot sauce, and one I'm sure you've seen me use in a bunch of recipes here. A small spoonful of this makes virtually any savory dish better." — Chef John

Directions

Preheat oven's broiler and set the oven rack at about 6 inches from the heat source. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place red bell peppers with cut sides down onto the prepared baking sheet. Cook under the preheated broiler until the skin of the peppers has blackened and blistered, 5 to 8 minutes. Place the blackened peppers into a bowl and tightly seal with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to steam as they cool, about 20 minutes. Remove and discard skins.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add Fresno and habanero chiles and cook uncovered over medium heat until vegetables start to soften, about 3 minutes; drain and set aside to cool. Remove seeds and membranes from chiles (wear gloves); set aside.
Shake coriander and caraway seeds in a skillet over medium heat until you start to smell the spice, about 2 minutes. Use a mortar and pestle to crush toasted seeds; add cumin, mint, and salt, and crush until finely ground. Transfer spices to a blender and add roasted bell peppers, chiles, garlic, lemon juice, and vegetable oil; puree until smooth. Drizzle in extra-virgin olive oil at the end, blending for only a few seconds.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 20 mins
COOK 15 mins
READY IN 45 mins

Footnotes

Cook's Note:
If you have a gas stove, you may use an open flame to roast the red pepper. Turn heat to medium high and roast pepper over the flame, turning occasionally until the skin has blackened and blistered, 8 to 10 minutes. Place peppers in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let steam. When cool, strip and discard skins.
Substitute any red chiles for Fresno chiles.

Reviews More Reviews

Nov 21, 2012

We used Tunisian bak louti peppers from our garden instead of the Fresno chiles, and it was so good. Thanks for all your great recipes and videos, Chef John!

—Avocat

See full review »

2 Ratings

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Nutrition

Calories
99 kcal
5%

Carbohydrates
9.6 g
3%

Cholesterol
0 mg
0%

Fat
7.2 g
11%

Fiber
2.5 g
10%

Protein
1.7 g
3%

Sodium
326 mg
13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Chef John's Harissa Sauce

Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 99
Calories from Fat: 65

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 7.2g 11 %
Saturated Fat 0.9g 5 %
Cholesterol 0mg 0 %
Sodium 326mg 13 %
** Potassium 281mg 8 %
Total Carbohydrates 9.6g 3 %
Dietary Fiber 2.5g 10 %
Protein 1.7g 3 %
** Sugars 3.9g
** Vitamin A 36 %
** Vitamin C 292 %
** Calcium 4 %
** Iron 11 %
** Thiamin 8 %
** Niacin 9 %
** Vitamin B6 18 %
** Magnesium 7 %
** Folate 17 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.