Harissa Sauce
Crafted from a straightforward blend of fresh ingredients, homemade harissa sauce is an easy recipe that adds a spicy, smoky, and slightly tangy kick to any dish. It also offers superior flavor and is more cost-effective than store-bought versions.
Ingredients
- 8 dried chilis, I used 3 guajillo chili peppers, 3 Ancho chili peppers, and 2 Arbol chili peppers
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 2 whole roasted red peppers, from jarred – drained
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika, you can use sweet Spanish paprika or smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste, optional
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
Instructions
- Place the dried chilies in a medium-sized bowl and add the boiling water.
- Place a weighted bowl on top to keep the chilies submerged and to rehydrate them. Let them steep for 30 minutes, and then drain.
- Remove the stems and deseed all the chili peppers. You can remove all of the seeds or keep some for added heat, depending on your preference.
- Place the chili peppers in the food processor (or blender). Add the ground cumin, coriander, caraway seeds, roasted red pepper, garlic, kosher salt, paprika, tomato paste, lemon juice, olive oil, and cayenne pepper.
- Pulse until pureed and smooth.
- Place in an airtight container and refrigerate if not using right away.
Notes
- Yields: This recipe makes approximately 1 cup of harissa. The nutritional values below are for the whole recipe.
- Dried chilies: Use this recipe as a starting place, but feel free to use different types of dried chilies to make this sauce.
- Toast spices: I used ground spices to save time. However, you can use whole spices and grind them yourself. If you decide to do so, I recommend toasting an equal amount of whole spice in a cast iron skillet for 3-5 minutes before grinding them in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.
- Storage: To store your harissa sauce, transfer it to an airtight container or jar and store it in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. I also recommend pouring a thin layer of olive oil over the top of the sauce before storage to prolong its shelf life, as this layer will help limit exposure to oxygen and bacteria.
- Freezing: This red harissa recipe can be frozen for up to one month in an airtight, freezer-safe container. For easier portion sizes, pour your sauce into an ice cube tray, freeze until solid, and then transfer the individual cubes into a Ziplock bag.
- Thawing: To thaw frozen harissa, place it in the fridge overnight or until ready to use.
Nutrition
Calories: 717kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 3gFat: 74gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 53gSodium: 2505mgPotassium: 483mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 2550IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 97mgIron: 4mg
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