Join us for an adventure in flavor!

    Harissa Shrimp

    This Harissa Shrimp is a quick dinner that’s bursting with smoky, zesty, exotic flavors.

    It’s easy enough to go in your regular rotation, but unique and special enough to impress guests with.

    The next time you’re looking for a culinary journey, take your taste buds to the lands of North Africa…

    This Harissa Shrimp is smoky, zesty, and exotic. It’s easy enough to go in your weeknight dinner rotation, but special enough for guests.

    Lately, we have really been getting into the harissa craze. We just can’t get enough of that bold, unique flavor.

    First we made our own Harissa Paste. Then we baked up an amazing one pot Harissa Chicken dinner.

    Having recently gotten a new cazuela, I wanted something special to cook in it. That’s when I started dreaming about harissa shrimp…

    What is Harissa

    jar of harissa paste.

    Harissa is a chili pepper paste from North Africa, which can range from quite mild to super spicy.

    Whatever the spice level, Harissa has a complex flavor, combining the flavor of peppers with smoky, sweet, and tangy.

    Recently it has started gaining popularity in the west, so much so that jarred harissa is readily available in many supermarkets.

    It can be used in a variety of ways. We love it as a marinade, as well as an add in for sauces, like in this recipe.

    This Harissa Shrimp is smoky, zesty, and exotic. It’s easy enough to go in your weeknight dinner rotation, but special enough for guests.

    Ingredients

    • Shrimp – We like jumbo shrimp for this recipe.
    • Harissa paste – You can use store bought. Just make sure to get a good brand, and choose a spice level appropriate to your palate. Or you can make my Homemade Harissa, which only takes about 10 minutes, and is made from ingredients you can find in the ethnic section of most supermarkets.
    • Cherry tomatoes and tomato paste
    • Honey
    • Onions
    • Garlic
    • Parsley

    How to Make Harissa Shrimp

    Start by cooking the cherry tomatoes and onions in olive oil. Sauté for about 10 minutes, till they start to soften up.

    cherry tomatoes and onions cooking in a cazuela.

    Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, till it gets a little fragrant.

    Add in harissa paste, tomato paste and honey. Mix well. Simmer until the sauce thickens up and the oil begins to separate, at least 15 minutes.

    adding shrimp and parsley into the dish.

    Stir in the shrimp and parsley. Cook for a few minutes, until the shrimp are just cooked through. Taste and adjust for salt.

    This Harissa Shrimp is smoky, zesty, and exotic. It’s easy enough to go in your weeknight dinner rotation, but special enough for guests.

    How to Serve Harissa Shrimp

    We love it with some nice bread, like our No Knead Bread.

    It’s also great over white rice, or Moroccan couscous. We can see it going well tossed in pasta, or over a pile of grits. Hmm, harissa shrimp and grits. That sounds like a potential upcoming post…

    Leftovers and Storage

    You can refrigerate leftover harissa shrimp in an airtight container for 2-3 days. When reheating, you may wish to add in a little extra water.

    This can also be frozen in an airtight container. Use within two months for best quality.

    This Harissa Shrimp is smoky, zesty, and exotic. It’s easy enough to go in your weeknight dinner rotation, but special enough for guests.

    Put this super flavorful harissa shrimp skillet on your menu for the upcoming week. It’s so easy, yet the flavors are out of this world delicious. It has definitely become one of our favorite harissa recipes.

    There are so many varied foods to try in the world. Bringing those dishes to your kitchen is what GypsyPlate is all about.

    Join us on this culinary journey by subscribing to our newsletter. We’re always cooking up interesting new recipes for you. Until next time…

    Harissa Shrimp, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

    Serving of harissa shrimp atop the Gypsy Plate.

    Try these other great shrimp recipes!
    Shrimp Creole with Sausage
    Indian Shrimp Korma
    Blackened Shrimp and Grits
    Shrimp fra Diavolo
    Tacos Gobernador
    Spanish Garlic Shrimp
    Hunan Shrimp

    featured image for harissa shrimp post.

    Harissa Shrimp

    Yield: 2-4 servings
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes

    This Harissa Shrimp is a quick dinner that’s bursting with smoky, zesty, exotic flavors.

    It’s easy enough to go in your weeknight dinner rotation, but unique and special enough to impress guests with.

    Ingredients

    • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 1/2 small onion, chopped
    • 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
    • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
    • 1/2 cup harissa
    • 2 tbsp tomato paste
    • 1 tbsp honey
    • 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
    • 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
    • salt, to taste

    Instructions

    1. Heat olive oil in a skillet or cazuela over medium high heat. Add onions and tomatoes. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften.
    2. Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, till it gets a little fragrant.
    3. Add in harissa paste, tomato paste and honey. Mix well. Simmer until the sauce thickens up and the oil begins to separate, at least 15 minutes.
    4. Stir in the shrimp and parsley. Cook for a few minutes, until the shrimp are just cooked through. Taste and adjust for salt.
    5. Serve immediately.
    Nutrition Information
    Yield 4 Serving Size 1
    Amount Per Serving Calories 312Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 13gCholesterol 239mgSodium 1235mgCarbohydrates 15gFiber 2gSugar 10gProtein 28g

    Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

    Picture of Alpana, blogger and recipe developer at GypsyPlate

    Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.

    Get griddling! Try these Blackstone Recipes!

    Never miss a recipe!

    Join the GypsyPlate mailing list and get easy dinner recipes right in your mailbox. From homestyle comfort food to exotic dishes from around the world.



      Leave a Reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Search by Cuisine

      Travel a word of flavors with GypsyPlate. Sort our recpes by regions:

      GypsyPlate logo.
      Skip to Recipe