If you have ever ordered a bowl at CAVA, their Harissa Honey Chicken is one of those proteins that keeps you coming back. This dish features juicy chicken thighs coated in a sweet, smoky, and slightly spicy marinade with bold Mediterranean flavors. It is easy to prepare and works perfectly for bowls, wraps, salads, or meal prep throughout the week.

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A plate of harissa chicken, rice, feta spread, cucumber, tomato, and pita bread.

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What makes this CAVA Harissa Honey Chicken recipe one you must try?

Guests can’t get enough of CAVA’s Harissa Honey Chicken. The sweet and smoky flame-licked chicken thighs are a light, yet fully satisfying meal when served over rice, as part of a pita pocket sandwich, or just on a skewer. This copycat recipe captures the same taste you love from the restaurant and brings it into your kitchen. It’s a simple recipe that you will want to make again and again.

CAVA Harissa Honey Chicken ingredients and their roles in the recipe

For the Harissa Honey Chicken as they serve at CAVA, you’ll need:

Harissa – the slight heat and smokiness of harissa is the heart and soul of this dish, giving the chicken its unique taste.
Olive oil – helps give the chicken that perfect sear and acts as the carrier for all the spices and other flavors in the recipe.
Lemon juice – brings a bit of bright acidity to balance out the richness of the olive oil and the sweetness from the honey.
Red wine vinegar – provides a slightly smoother, richer tang than lemon juice, adding complexity to the chicken.
Honey – adds sweetness to the dish and balances the heat and smoky flavor of the other ingredients. Honey helps the chicken develop beautiful and tasty caramelization.
Salt – enhances the taste of all the other ingredients in the recipe.
Garlic powder – offers the deep savoriness of garlic without its sharpness.
Dark chili powder, like McCormick Dark Chili Powder – boosts the smoky flavor and adds mild, earthy heat.
Cumin – contributes more earthiness and gives the chicken a distinctive Middle Eastern flavor profile.
Coriander – lends mild citrus elements that keep the chicken from tasting “muddy.”
Turmeric – contributes the pleasing color and a small amount of flavor.
Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless – the base of the dish. Chicken thighs have enough fat that they won’t dry out over high heat.

Chicken thighs, harissa, honey, oil, lemon, vinegar, and spices.

How to make Honey Harissa Chicken

To prep this CAVA Honey Harissa Chicken recipe:

In a large bowl, stir together the harissa, olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, honey, salt, garlic powder, dark chili powder, cumin, coriander, and turmeric.
Trim the boneless, skinless chicken thighs of excess fat, then add them to the bowl with the marinade. Turn the chicken thighs to coat well. To save space in the fridge, transfer the chicken and marinade to a sealable plastic bag and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. Turn the bag over every few hours to ensure an even coating.

To cook the marinated chicken thighs:

Remove the chicken from the fridge and brush off any excess marinade. Place the chicken on a plate to shake off some of the chill before grilling.
Meanwhile, heat your grill to about 400 degrees (you should only be able to hold your hand three inches above the grill for a few seconds). While you can make this on a gas grill or even a grill pan, using a charcoal or pellet grill will give you the best flavor.
Grill the chicken for 5–7 minutes per side. A slight charring is good, but burning is not.
Remove the chicken from the heat and serve immediately. See below to learn how to create a bowl like CAVA.

Marinating chicken thighs in honey harissa sauce, grilling, and serving them.

What to serve with Harissa Honey Chicken

Want a super quick and light meal? Just whip up one of the easy sides below, add the chopped chicken, and you have a delicious dinner or a healthy lunch.

Easy Rice Pilaf – Do you know what is better than white rice? Rice Pilaf, that’s what. This oven-baked rice dish is highly seasoned, savory, and bursting with fresh vegetables like leeks and carrots. It makes a wonderful accompaniment to chicken, shrimp, or any other protein.

Costco Quinoa Salad – Most Costco customers agree, this is the best way to eat quinoa. Costco Quinoa Salad starts with tri-color quinoa, lentils, tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro, kale, brown rice, and red bell peppers, but it’s the homemade lemon dressing that really makes this side shine.

Panera Greek Salad – This version of the classic Greek salad blends tradition and innovations. The crispy lettuce, sharp red onions, briny olives, salty feta, and juicy tomatoes are here, but then there’s a sprinkle of nutty Parmesan cheese, and the tangy, mild heat of whole pepperoncini.

Spicy Mediterranean grilled chicken strips served over rice with feta, veggies, and pita bread.

How to make a bowl like CAVA

If you haven’t been to CAVA, then you are missing out on their bowls. They offer a variety of bases you can add proteins to, like their Harissa Honey Chicken, to make it a meal. Two of the most popular CAVA Harissa Honey Chicken Bowl options include:

Harissa Avocado – This bowl starts with a base of mixed greens and basmati rice. Then top the base with a dollop of each hummus and Crazy Feta Dip, chopped avocados and cucumbers, crumbled feta, pickled red onions, and a drizzle of Carissa vinaigrette.
Rice Bowl – There is so much more than rice in this bowl. The base of brown rice is topped with chopped tomatoes and cucumbers, pickled red onions, tzatziki sauce, crumbled feta, arugula, and plenty of Greek vinaigrette.

Storage and reheating instructions for this CAVA Honey Harissa Chicken recipe

Refrigerator Storage: Store in airtight containers for up to 3 days.
Reheating Method: Reheat gently in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water, then finish briefly over higher heat.
Freezer Storage: Freeze cooked chicken for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.

Favorite grilled chicken recipes

Check out more of my easy chicken recipes to make for lunch or dinner.

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