Tunisian Harissa Chicken Pockets With Tzatziki & Pickled Radish

My love affair with harissa began on my first trip Tunisia in 2016. At 27 years old, I considered myself a semi-well-seasoned food aficionado, but boy was I wrong. My partner's homeland and family cooking opened up a whole new world of flavors I had never discovered and one of my all-time favorites is Harissa. 

Harissa is a hot pepper paste that is the quintessential condiment in Tunisia and some other regions of North Africa. Most variations consist of roasted red peppers, spices, herbs, garlic paste and hot chili peppers to give it that undeniable kick. You'll see it served everywhere from grilled meats and fries to simply scooping up the mixture in all its glory with a crusty piece of white bread. 

I've visited Tunisia four times now, and every time bringing back a little container of authentic harissa seems to be the ultimate souvenir (along with Tunisian sweets, which are also just incredible). The great thing for the rest of the world is, that it's widely available at speciality stores or online shops, so you too can experience what I was missing out on for way too long.

Malik and I sort of stumbled upon this hybrid harissa chicken-schwarma when we had pretty bare pantry consisting of chicken breast, harissa, cucumber and pita. I think our next move was clear. We loved the creation so much that we tried it a second day in a row-- but this time we did it right by adding tangy tzatziki and quick-pickled radish. We both couldn't believe how incredible it turned out (we have made it probably 10 times over the last month) so I am here to share our beloved creation with the world. You can thank me later...

Harissa Chicken

(Makes 2-3 pockets depending on size.)

2-3 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips
3 tablespoons Harissa paste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
Juice of 1 lemon
2 minced garlic cloves
1 medium white or yellow onions chopped 
Splash of water (about 2 tablespoons)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Quick-Pickled Radish

1 bunch of radish, sliced paper thin or finely chopped
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cucumber Dill Tzatziki

1 8 oz. container of Greek yogurt (I used 2 percent fat)
3 baby cucumber (or 1/3 regular cucumber), diced
2 tablespoons chopped dill
Juice of 1 lemon
1 minced garlic clove
Salt and pepper, to taste

To serve: 2 warmed pita or Lebanese schwarma wraps (I prefer the latter)

Let's get started.

Begin by preparing your garnishes. Add radish, olive oil, lemon, parsley, salt and pepper to a medium bowl and stir to combine. Cover refrigerated while you move on to your tzatziki.

For the tzatziki, add yogurt, lemon, garlic, salt and pepper to a bowl and stir to combine (make sure not to over stir or it will thin out!). Add chopped cucumbers and dill and give it a few gentle stirs. Cover refrigerated while you prepare the chicken.

Combine all marinade ingredients from above, leaving chicken and chopped onion aside. Stir well and taste to adjust seasoning as necessary. If you want to use extra harissa sauce on your sandwich, double the recipe and set half aside. Add chicken and onions to marinade and let rest at least 30 minutes (can refrigerate over night for a more intense flavor). Pour chicken and marinade in frying pan and heat over high heat. Flip occasionally until onions are a deep brown color and until chicken is slightly charred.

Cut open either your pita or Lebanese bread and make layers of tzatziki, radish, and chicken. Drizzle with extra unused harissa marinade.