A few years ago I met a friend at a Lebanese restaurant and I ordered a hummus that was topped with chicken that was so delicious. I immediately thought at the time that it would have made a wonderful dinner bowl for eating on the couch with the addition of a few ingredients and that’s where this idea came from really. I wanted something delicious and nutritious to serve for lunch when my husband works from home and I had some leftover harissa to use up, so this is what we ended up with and it was so great. I’ve repeated this recipe several times now and it’s becoming a favourite at my house!
If you can’t easily find chicken escalopes, you could absolutely use chicken mini-fillets or tenders. Alternatively you can achieve the same effect with regular chicken breasts by placing them between two pieces of cling film and bashing them with the flat side of a meat tenderiser or a rolling pin to flatten them out a bit. Barring that, you could use any kind of boneless, skinless chicken you like – I’ve chosen escalopes from my local butcher for this recipe because they cook quickly which is what I want when I’m throwing something like this together.
I think it’s important to say now that it’s not necessary to always make everything from scratch. Of course it would be lovely to have endless time and boundless energy to make everything homemade, but it’s not a reality. I love my hummus recipe and I stand by it, but I’ll be the first to admit that I often buy one from the shops to save a little time and I’d encourage you to do the same if it makes your life easier. I also buy flatbreads from the grocery and simply brush them with garlic oil and sprinkle a few chilli flakes on top before cooking them for 3 minutes in the oven. The beauty of this recipe is in its simplicity, but also in its ease – it can be as convenient as you’d like it to be.
One last note – not all harissa is the same which I’ve only learned recently after buying a different one for the first time ever. Some are thicker than others. Some are super spicy while other are mild. If your harissa is quite smooth and wet, you might not need to add any water, but if you get your hands on a very thick one, then add as much water as you need to break it down a little as it heats up. Let’s get started!
Serves 2 to 4
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Homemade Hummus or use a hummus of your choice
- 2 tablespoons garlic oil or regular olive oil
- 2 chicken escalopes
- Salt & pepper
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon harissa plus a little water if needed (see explanation above)
- Best quality extra virgin olive oil, flatbreads & carrot sticks for serving (or dippers of your choice)
Method
- If you’re making the hummus from scratch, start by doing that first. Click here for my recipe for Homemade Hummus.
- Set up your bowls by adding a good portion of hummus to each bowl, smearing troughs into it by swirling a spoon. Drizzle a little of your best quality extra virgin olive oil very lightly across the top. You don’t want to drown it – just a light drizzle for some flavour. Then add carrots or any other dippers you’d like in your bowl. Prepare your flatbreads at the time also, but try to time it so they’ll still be warm when they’re ready. You’ll want to cook them according to packet instructions which will likely involve a few minutes in the oven, so make sure to preheat it so you can throw them in at the last minute.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and let it get nice and hot before adding the chicken escalopes. Place the chicken in the pan and season with salt & pepper. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until golden, crisp and cooked all the way through. Remove the escalopes to a plate or cutting board to rest.
- Pour the lemon juice into the still hot pan and deglaze, scraping any of the crispy bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add the harissa and stir to combine and loosen. If the harissa is quite thick, add some water a little at a time until you get the right consistency. You want it liquid enough to coat the chicken, but not super watery. Once the consistency is right, slice the chicken into strips and add it back to the pan with any of the resting juices. Stir to coat the chicken in the peppery red sauce.
- Top the hummus with the vibrant, red chicken strips. Cut the warm flatbreads however you like (I use a pizza wheel) and place them onto the bowl as well. Serve while the chicken is still hot or at least warm.
For a variation, click here to try this dish with my Roasted Garlic & Lemon Hummus recipe!
Click here to see more chicken recipes!
