Fiery Roasted Harissa Chicken Pizza

If you’re looking to spice up your toppings a bit (or a lot!), look no further than this fiery roasted harissa chicken pizza from UK-based recipe developer, baker and filmmaker Grant Batty (@grantbatty). It’s got a blend of warming, sweet and smoky ingredients, and it’s also a great way to practice using an Ooni to roast sumptuous chicken on a ripping hot skillet.

This pizza gets its kick from harissa, a paste used in North African and Middle Eastern cuisine; “the word comes from the Arabic, harasa, which means “to crush or pound” and refers to the way the paste is made—by grinding chiles together with olive oil, garlic, salt, and spices like coriander and caraway.”  A small dab packs a huge punch, and it’s just as great in a mushroom ragu as a vegetarian nduja.

For Grant’s recipe, he uses harissa paste as a rub for the chicken breasts, guaranteed to get your taste buds tingling. Once the chicken’s roasted to deliciously charred goodness, chopped pieces top a tomato sauce base for a subtly sweet contrast. Add to that mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano, basil, sun-dried tomatoes and Roquito peppers (a mildly hot bright red pepper grown in North Peru), and you’ve got a pizza bursting with deep and complex notes. 

Bold, smoky, creamy and crunchy, say hello to your new favourite pizza.

Fiery Roasted Harissa Chicken Pizza

Note

This recipe would suit a variety of pizza styles, but we think our neo-Neapolitan or classic pizza dough all work well, topped with our Classic Pizza Sauce (just be sure to set aside 3 to 4 hours for proofing before cooking). Harissa paste may not be available in commercial grocery stores, but many specialty stores and online retailers carry it. If you can’t find Roquito peppers, go for red Fresnos (which are less spicy) or, if you really love heat, Scotch bonnets also work!

One hand holding an Ooni Cast Iron Grizzler Pan with cooked fiery roasted harissa chicken and lemon halves in front of a Karu 12. One hand cutting cooked fiery roasted harissa chicken on an Ooni Bamboo Pizza Peel & Serving Board, the other holding tongs. One hand placing a slice of Roquito pepper on an uncooked pizza with classic pizza sauce, roasted harissa chicken, mozzarella and fresh basil on a lightly-floured Ooni Bamboo Pizza Peel & Serving Board.