Keto harissa chicken with lime sauce

Keto harissa chicken with lime sauce

Deliciously spicy and crispy chicken is paired with cooling slices of cucumber and a delightfully zesty sauce. An easy, yet flavorful, keto dish that's perfect to prep in advance and pop in the oven on a busy night.
September 1 2020 recipe & photo by , nutritional review by in Recipes, Dinner, Meal

Keto harissa chicken with lime sauce

Deliciously spicy and crispy chicken is paired with cooling slices of cucumber and a delightfully zesty sauce. An easy, yet flavorful, keto dish that's perfect to prep in advance and pop in the oven on a busy night.
USMetric
4 servingservings

Ingredients

Chicken
  • ¼ cup 60 ml olive oil
  • 2 tbsp 2 tbsp harissa paste or chili paste
  • 5 oz. (5⁄6 cup) 140 g (210 ml) red onion, peeled and quarteredred onions, peeled and quartered
  • 2 lbs 900 g chicken thighs (bone-in with skin)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
Lime sauce
  • ¾ cup 180 ml sour cream
  • 1 1 lime, zest and juicelimes, zest and juice
  • ¼ cup (1⁄8 oz.) 60 ml (4 g) fresh cilantro, chopped finely
  • salt
Serving
  • 4½ oz. (41⁄3 cups) 130 g (1 liter) baby spinach
  • 5 oz. 140 g cucumber, diced or sliced into ribbons
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Instructions

Chicken marinade

  1. Combine the harissa paste and the olive oil and spread it over the chicken thighs, coating them well. Place them in a Ziploc bag together with the red onion and seal. Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
  2. Preheat your oven to 400° F (200° C), and line a shallow baking tray.
  3. Lay the chicken thighs on the tray, skin side up, and arrange the onion wedges around them.
  4. Season to taste and bake for 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165° F (72° C) and chicken is crispy and golden.

Lime sauce

  1. While the chicken bakes, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Store the sauce in the fridge until use.

Serving

  1. Remove the chicken from the oven and toss in a bowl with the baby spinach until the spinach wilts from the residual heat. You can also drizzle some of the pan juices over if you like.
  2. Peel the cucumber with a vegetable peeler into ribbons. Serve with the chicken and lime sauce.

Tip

Make this dish dairy-free by replacing the sour cream with mayonnaise. It will also bump up the fat content.

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6 comments

  1. 1
    Sagar Thatte
    September 9 2020
    Where can I find Harissa paste (low carb) locally? I am located in Melbourne.
    Reply: #3
  2. 1 comment removed
  3. 3
    Reply to comment #1 by Sagar Thatte
    Kate Nordin
    September 9 2020
    Hi Sagar, I had a quick look and see that you can buy it at Woolworths or Coles for instance. Enjoy.
  4. 1 comment removed
  5. 5
    Andrea
    September 27 2020
    I forgot to add salt to the marinade! So it was a bit bland but if i had added it, it would have been a hit!
  6. 1 comment removed
  7. 7
    David
    January 12 2021
    I made my own harissa: Fire roast 2 Red Bell Peppers, 3 Garlic cloves, 3 Jalapeno peppers; let cool and chop by hand coarsely. Place in food processor with 1 Tbs Cumin, 1 Tbs Coriander, 1/4 Olive Oil and bring mixture to a smooth, coarsely blended paste. Yields between 1.5 - 2 cups.
    Reply: #8
  8. 8
    Reply to comment #7 by David
    Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor
    January 12 2021

    I made my own harissa: Fire roast 2 Red Bell Peppers, 3 Garlic cloves, 3 Jalapeno peppers; let cool and chop by hand coarsely. Place in food processor with 1 Tbs Cumin, 1 Tbs Coriander, 1/4 Olive Oil and bring mixture to a smooth, coarsely blended paste. Yields between 1.5 - 2 cups.

    Thank you for sharing.

  9. 9
    Yvonne
    April 21 2021
    Made this tonight and it was delicious. I had some home made harissa in the fridge which is what led me to the recipe. I was searching for chicken and Harris.

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