Missing harissa? If you’re all out of the super hot Moroccan chilli paste it’s all good. Just use one of these simple harissa substitutes.
My first experience with harissa was in a recipe called ‘Firey Harissa Chicken’ which used 50 fresh chillies in the marinade. It definitely lived up to its name!
I remember my fingers were burning for hours after I had chopped and de-seeded all the chillies. I wish I had used gloves.
Luckily the finished dish was a big hit with my friends. And so my love affair with harissa began.
What is Harissa?
At it’s simplest, Harissa is a paste made from pureeing fresh red chillies, garlic, ground coriander and carraway seeds. It’s used in Moroccan and Tunisian food to give an addictive chilli hit.
If I’m out of Harissa I just mix up a quick substitute by finely chopping a few fresh red chillies and adding a pinch of carraway seeds and enough olive oil to make a pesto-like paste. Leave the seeds in for a stronger kick.
If you don’t have carraway seeds use ground coriander instead.
2. Chilli Oil
I make my own, but there are plenty of great commercial chilli flavoured oils which will give a similar kick to harissa.
3. Hot Sauce
If a recipe calls for Harissa, often you just want some heat. In this case whatever hot sauce you have in the house will do the trick. Tabasco, sriracha, sambal oleck, chilli bean paste or korean Gochujang will all prove the kick needed.
Just be careful to match the amount to your heat tolerance. You can always add more if needed but fixing a fire-extinguisher dish is tricky!
4. Home Made Harissa
If I have more time I make a batch of this flavoursome sweet harissa. This much milder than commercial Harissa paste in a tube so you may need to use more than your recipe calls for.
If a recipe calls for Harissa, often you just want some heat. In this case whatever hot sauce you have in the house will do the trick. Tabasco, sriracha, sambal oleck, chilli bean paste or korean Gochujang will all prove the kick needed.
If a recipe calls for Harissa, often you just want some heat. In this case whatever hot sauce you have in the house will do the trick. Tabasco, sriracha, sambal oleck, chilli bean paste or korean Gochujang will all prove the kick needed.
A HARISSA SAUCE FOR ALL: Harissa is a chili paste hot sauce commonly used in Moroccan cuisine, and Mina Mild Harissa Sauce makes this exotic flavor accessible to all with a milder kick. Use it for cooking or as a condiment, sauce, spread, topping or dip.
Hot Sauce. As surprising as it may be, any regular hot sauce can actually serve as a substitute for Harissa. Of course, the flavor profile you'll get isn't precisely as smoky or in-depth as Harissa, but honestly, this substitute is a huge time-saver since it's already a staple ingredient in most households.
Can you substitute chipotle paste for harissa? You could but I would cut it with something mild in flavor, like tomato puree, if you're using it as a condiment, rather than an ingredient. While both are spicy ingredients, they have different flavors, so don't expect the finished products to taste the same.
What Does Harissa Taste Like? If you've never tried this fiery sauce before, it has a very peppery, smoky flavor and can range in levels of heat, depending on which peppers and chiles make up the sauce. It also has a strong garlicky flavor that's brightened up with a kick of citrus.
Originally from Tunisia, harissa is a chile sauce or paste typically made of dry red chiles, garlic, citrus, extra virgin olive oil and a few warm spices including cumin, coriander and caraway seeds.
While it may not have the same Korean flavor profile as gochujang, harissa paste can still provide a fiery heat to your dishes. Harissa paste tends to be spicier than gochujang, so adjust the quantity according to your tolerance level.
Harissa is very pepper forward and often has a strong smoky taste thanks to the roasted peppers. There are also strong hints of garlic and citrus from the lemon juice. The flavor is slightly similar to sriracha, but sriracha tends to be sweeter than harissa.
Harissa (Arabic: هريسة, romanized: harīsa, from Maghrebi Arabic) is a hot chili pepper paste, native to the Maghreb. The main ingredients are roasted red peppers, Baklouti peppers (بقلوطي), spices and herbs such as garlic paste, caraway seeds, coriander seeds, cumin and olive oil to carry the oil-soluble flavors.
Harissa can be substituted with finely chopped fresh red chillies, a pinch of caraway seeds, and enough olive oil to make a pesto-like sauce. You can use ground coriander if you don't have caraway seeds.
Why is sriracha a substitute for harissa paste? Because it's basically the same thing! Sriracha is a chili sauce that is made from sun-ripened chilies, garlic, vinegar, sugar, and salt.
Smoked Paprika has all the smoky flavor you crave, making it the best substitute for chipotle. Although it is a much milder spice than dried chipotle or even fresh jalapeños, mix in the desired amount of cayenne pepper to dial up the heat.
Introduction: My name is Francesca Jacobs Ret, I am a innocent, super, beautiful, charming, lucky, gentle, clever person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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