These Harissa Chicken Bowls are inspired by the popular bowl at CAVA! They’re loaded with tender harissa-marinated chicken, steamed rice, veggies, and drizzled with a tangy harissa vinaigrette.
If you love eating out but are trying to save money or cook at home more, these bowls are perfect! They’re healthy, filling, and so easy to customize for a delicious weeknight dinner or meal prep.
“DELICIOUS!!!! This recipe IS better than Cava! My daughter’s husband is insanely picky, and he really enjoyed this dish. I was shocked! I can’t wait to eat leftovers for lunch today.” – Kristy, So Much Food reader
Table of Contents
Yes, These Bowls Are BETTER Than Cava’s!
As much as I love CAVA, these bowls may just be better than the recipe they’re inspired by! The harissa chicken thighs are so flavorful and tender, and you can easily add your favorite toppings and sides.
I love a healthy bowl recipe, and I love creating recipes that can be used for meal prep throughout the week. I’m a huge fan of Mediterranean-inspired food and these bowls bring all the fresh flavors and textures. The honey harissa chicken is packed with flavor, and when it’s paired with steamed rice, cucumbers and tomatoes, hummus, tzatziki, and salad with a zippy harissa vinaigrette. It’s magic!
Once you see how simple it is to make harissa chicken bowls at home, you won’t need to spend $16+ on a bowl at CAVA!
The Main Ingredients (+ Substitutions)
- Harissa paste. This is integral to the recipe! You can find it on Amazon, at Trader Joe’s, or in some well-stocked grocery stores.
- Chicken. Chicken thighs are best here as they have a little more fat and flavor, but you can swap in chicken breasts if needed.
- Honey. Honey adds the perfect balance of sweetness to mellow out the spice from the harissa.
- Garlic and ginger. Garlic and ginger add such great flavor to the marinade.
- Harissa vinaigrette. The vinaigrette is so easy to make and so flavorful. It contains harissa, olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and spices like oregano and cumin.
- Steamed rice. Jasmine rice or basmati is great for making harissa chicken bowls.
- Cucumber. Look for seedless English cucumber or Persian cucumbers.
- Tomato. Any tomato works, but I prefer using ripe cherry tomatoes.
- Corn. Frozen corn kernels work great here, but if you have in-season sweet corn to use up that’s even better. Cut the kernels off the cob and proceed with the recipe as written. (Avoid using canned corn, which is already very soft and will turn to mush once cooked.)
- Feta. Crumbled feta adds lots of salty and delicious flavor.
- Sauces. I usually go the store bought route and grab hummus, tzatziki, and feta sauce. Trader Joe’s is a great place for picking up flavorful sauces!
What is Harissa?
Harissa paste is a hot pepper paste regional to North African cuisine. It has an olive oil base and is made with roasted red peppers, chilies, garlic, and seasoned with spices like caraway, cumin, and coriander with a little citrus zest.
I’d describe its flavor as being spicy and zesty, with a similar spice level to sriracha. It’s got some brightness from the preserved lemon, some smokiness from the peppers, and earthy flavors from the cumin and coriander. All in all it’s a super well-rounded condiment that adds tons of flavor without too much heat!
Tools Needed
How to Make Harissa Chicken Bowls
- Marinate the chicken. Whisk together the harissa pasta, olive oil, honey, and aromatics, then add the chicken thighs and toss well to coat.
Jenny’s Tip: The chicken needs to marinate for at least 2 hours. This gives the harissa marinade time to penetrate the meat and ensures maximum flavor and tenderness.
- Make the harissa vinaigrette. I typically just whisk the dressing together in a bowl, but you can also measure everything into a mason jar and shake to combine.
- Cook the chicken (4 options!). I prefer grilling the chicken thighs, but you can also bake or pan fry it. I’ve given detailed cooking instructions for each method in the section below.
- Cook the corn. The corn kernels cook in about 5 minutes in a lightly buttered skillet. The trick is to not stir the kernels very often; this helps them develop some color and makes them more flavorful.
- Assemble your CAVA-inspired bowls. You can load up your bowls with as much or as little of the toppings and vinaigrette as you like. This is the great thing about making homemade CAVA bowls — you can make them however you want.
Pick One of These 4 Easy Cooking Methods
Jenny’s Tip: I recommend grilling the chicken for best flavor.
Option 1: Outdoor Grill. Grilling outside gives the chicken a smoky flavor that is so, so good. Preheat a grill over medium heat until the temp reaches 450ºF. Clean the grates of any debris and food. Grill the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through.
Option 2: Indoor Grill Pan. Too cold to grill? No problem! I love using a grill pan inside. Preheat a grill pan over medium heat for 5 minutes. Drizzle in a little neutral oil and add the chicken in a single layer without crowding the pan. You may need to do this in batches. Cook for 5-6 minutes per side, until cooked through.
Option 3: Cast Iron Pan or Skillet. You can use cast iron skillet or another heavy bottomed skillet to cook the chicken. Preheat the pan over medium high heat for 5 minutes. When the pan is hot, drizzle in some neutral oil and add the chicken to the pan. Depending on the size, you will likely need to do this in batches. Cook for 5-6 minutes per side until cooked through.
Option 4: Oven. Preheat an oven to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with nonstick spray. Lay the chicken out in a single layer and bake for 20 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 4-5 minutes, until browned on top.
Storage Instructions
I rarely ever store my bowl dinner recipes already assembled. In my opinion, the best way to store bowl recipes is to store the ingredients separately and assemble them right before you enjoy them. Then everything tastes completely fresh!
In the Refrigerator: Store any leftovers in a separate air-tight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store the harissa vinaigrette in a separate airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
To Reheat: Reheat the chicken in the microwave for about 60 seconds or until warmed through. Assemble with the warmed rice and corn and other toppings. Drizzle with vinaigrette.
If you do give this recipe a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Chicken and Rice Bowls to Make
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Copycat CAVA Harissa Chicken Bowls Recipe
Ingredients
Harissa Chicken
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons harissa paste
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste (or fresh grated ginger)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Harissa Vinaigrette
- 1 tablespoon harissa paste
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Bowl Ingredients
- 4 cups steamed rice
- 2 oz feta, crumbled
- 1/2 cup pickled onions
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 Persian cucumbers, diced
- 1/3 cup hummus
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups corn kernels
- 2 cups shredded lettuce or greens
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken. In a mixing bowl, combine the harissa, olive oil, honey, ginger, and garlic and stir together. Add the chicken thighs along with the salt and pepper and toss well to coat. Marinate at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
- Make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients until the oil is emulsified. You could also put the ingredients in a mason jar with a lid and shake really well until combined or use an immersion blender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Cook the chicken. I like to grill the chicken, but you could also bake it or pan-fry it. Grill or sear the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side, until the chicken registers 165 F on an instant read thermometer. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before slicing. (See instructions in the blog post above for alternate cooking methods.)
- Cook the corn. While the chicken rests, melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is foamy and very hot, add the corn. Let the corn cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes, then stir until the corn is a bit browned. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Assemble the bowls. Arrange the chopped harissa chicken around steamed rice. Top with the corn, diced avocado, diced cucumber and tomato, and shredded lettuce. Add any desired sauces and drizzle with the harissa vinaigrette. Top with crumbled feta and pickled onions.
Notes
Nutrition
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Rate & Review This Recipe
DELICIOUS!!!! This recipe IS better than Cava! My daughter’s husband is insanely picky, and he really enjoyed this dish. I was shocked! I can’t wait to eat leftovers for lunch today.
So happy to hear it! Thanks for all your support, Kristy!
Hello! Thank you for the recipe! Do you have a particular store bought hummus and tzatziki brand that you like?
I really like the tzatziki and mediterranean hummus from Trader Joe’s, but I also like getting stuff from the fresh store-made section of places like Whole Foods and Central market. Otherwise, cedar’s and boar’s head both make great hummus and tzatziki. Hope that helps!