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Meat, Maghreb and Middle East

Armenian harissa with chicken

Armenian harissa with chicken is a porridge of cracked wheat and chicken simmered together for hours, serving 4, taking 2 hours 40 minutes including soaking, at medium difficulty, for €2.20 per serving. The key to success is the long simmer and the effort of mashing the chicken and wheat together until smooth and stretchy, finished with melted butter and cumin.

This Sunday, let's try Armenian harissa, a porridge of wheat and chicken slow simmered until incredibly soft, finished with melted butter and cumin.

Armenian harissa with chicken
Total time
2 h 40
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€2.20
Calories per person
610 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Armenian harissa has nothing to do with the spicy paste of the same name. It's a dish of cracked wheat and chicken simmered together for hours until it turns into a thick, soft porridge with no distinct pieces left to chew. The chicken falls apart into the wheat, the whole thing becomes almost sticky and stretchy, and the cumin butter poured on top adds the aroma that wakes everything up.

This is a Sunday dish, the kind you start early and let simmer while you do other things. Kids generally like this soft texture and simple flavor, since there's no skin or bones to pick out, everything gets mashed together. It's also a perfect dish for a cold autumn or winter day, when you want something warm and comforting without watching the stove closely.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Chicken thighs 1 kg

Pantry

  • Cracked wheat or coarse bulguroften in the pantry 300 g
  • Cuminoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Paprikaoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Butter 60 g

Allergens Gluten, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Rinse the wheat and let it soak in cold water. 1 h

    The longer it soaks, the less time it needs to cook.

  2. Put the chicken in a large pot with 2 liters of salted water, bring to a boil and skim. 15 min

    Skim carefully for a clean, clear broth.

  3. Add the drained wheat and simmer over very low heat, stirring occasionally. 1 h 30

    Add hot water if it starts sticking.

  4. Remove the bones and skin from the chicken, then mash everything vigorously with a wooden spoon until it reaches a thick, mashed texture. 10 min

    The more you work it, the smoother and more stretchy it gets.

  5. Melt the butter with the cumin and paprika, and pour it over the harissa served in bowls.

    Let the butter foam, it should turn nutty brown.

Our tips to get it right

  • Soak the wheat the night before if you can, it will cook even faster and absorb the broth better.
  • Keep the heat very low during the 90 minutes of wheat cooking, a hard boil will make it stick to the bottom of the pot.
  • Mash in short bursts with pauses in between, the chicken breaks apart better when it's had a moment to cool slightly between passes with the spoon.

The variations

  • Swap the chicken thighs for turkey, the result stays soft with a slightly milder flavor.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken with cooked chickpeas and use a well seasoned vegetable broth.
  • To go faster with hungry kids, use leftover roasted chicken that's already cooked and cut the wheat simmering time down to 45 minutes.

What to serve it with

  • Extra melted butter and cumin at the table
  • Flatbread or lavash on the side
  • Hot black tea to finish the meal

Storage

Harissa keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well for up to 2 months in individual portions. Reheat it gently on the stove with a splash of hot water to bring back its soft texture.

Questions about this dish

Can I use a different grain instead of cracked wheat?

Coarse bulgur is the closest substitute and works exactly the same way. Avoid fine bulgur, which breaks down too fast and gives a different texture.

Can harissa be made ahead of time?

Yes, it's actually a dish that improves with reheating. Make it the day before, keep it in the fridge, and reheat it gently with a little hot water.

Why do you mash the chicken and wheat together?

That's what gives harissa its signature smooth, stretchy texture with no separate pieces. The more vigorously you mash, the more uniform the dish becomes.

Do kids like this dish?

Yes, generally, because the texture is soft with no bones or skin to pick out themselves. The flavor stays simple, livened up only at the end with the cumin butter that everyone can adjust to taste.

How long does it take to make an Armenian harissa with chicken?

Count 2 h 40 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in an Armenian harissa with chicken?

About 610 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does an Armenian harissa with chicken cost?

About €2.20 per serving, or €8.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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