Spicy Harissa Chili with Merguez Sausage
This isn’t your average snow-day chili. This Spicy Harissa Chili with Merguez Sausage combines harissa and merguez sausage, bringing a smoky North African heat to this rich, slow-simmered bowl of comfort. Equal parts cozy and exotic, it’s the ultimate cold-weather cure — especially when you’re buried under three feet of snow.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Bold, smoky flavor: Harissa brings just the right amount of heat and depth.
Comfort food with a twist: Classic chili meets North African spice.
Make-ahead friendly: Even better the next day as the flavors deepen.
Easy to source: You can find harissa and merguez at Whole Foods or online.
Perfect cold-weather meal: Cozy, hearty, and deeply satisfying.
Tips From My Kitchen
Adjust the heat: Add more or less harissa depending on your spice tolerance.
No merguez? Substitute spicy Italian sausage and add ½ tsp ground cumin + ½ tsp smoked paprika.
Thicken it up: Simmer uncovered for the last 20 minutes if you prefer a thicker chili.
Serve it right: Top with a dollop of Greek yogurt or a drizzle of tahini for contrast.
Batch and freeze: This chili freezes beautifully — portion it out for weeknight dinners.
The Story
Day 5 of Blizzard 2016.
When I ventured into Whole Foods well into Day 1 of Winter Storm Jonas, it seemed the entire city had the same idea: chili. Aisles were packed, spice shelves bare — cumin, cayenne, paprika, all gone. It felt less like storm prep and more like a DC-wide chili cook-off. But while everyone else was going traditional, I had something a little different in mind: Spicy Harissa Chili with Merguez Sausage — a pot of warmth with a Mediterranean kick.
Harissa is a fiery North African chili paste, rich and smoky, and merguez is a spiced lamb sausage beloved from Morocco to the Middle East. The two together? Magic. Whole Foods even had both — the harissa tucked between the hummus and baba ganoush, the merguez gleaming in the butcher case.
This chili comes together easily and fills your kitchen with warmth and spice. As it simmered away on my stove, I curled up in my oversized chair with a mug of cocoa and watched the world outside disappear under three feet of snow. By the time my neighbors started digging out, I was happily spoon-deep in a bowl of this rich, spicy, soul-warming chili.
How to Make Spicy Harissa Chili with Merguez Sausage
Spicy Harissa Chili with Merguez Sausage
Ingredients
- 2 cans dark red kidney beans, thoroughly rinsed (15 oz cans)
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 lb merguez sausage, casing removed and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp harissa paste
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
- 4 cups water
Instructions
- Sauté the ground beef and merguez sausage over high heat until browned. Season the meat with a little salt and pepper. Drain excess liquid/fat and set the browned meat aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and sauté until soft and slightly caramelized (about 7 minutes).
- Add the garlic and sauté one minute.
- Add the tomato paste, stir into the veggies, and then sprinkle the sugar over the mixture.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add the meat mixture to the large pot.
- Stir in the harissa paste, salt, cumin, chipotle powder, pepper, and oregano.
- Add 4 cups of water and the kidney beans.
- Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat to very low, cover the pot, and simmer the chili for 2 1/2 – 3 hours. Stir occasionally and add water if it starts to get dry.
Notes
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