Matt's Macros · mattsmacros.com/recipes/harissa-chicken-and-sweet-potato-bowls

Meal Prep/ North African/ Tunisian

Harissa Chicken & Sweet Potato Bowls

Name: Harissa Chicken & Sweet Potato Bowls
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 680g boneless skinless chicken breast (1.5 lb package), raw; cut each breast in half lengthwise into thin cutlets, then pound to an even 1/2-inch thickness; 60g harissa paste (about 1/4 cup); 1 large lemon, zested and juiced (about 30g juice); 12g fresh garlic (about 4 cloves), grated or minced; 5g olive oil (about 1 tsp); 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp kosher salt, plus black pepper; 300g sweet potato (about 1 large), cut into 3/4-inch cubes; 425g canned chickpeas (one 15 oz can), drained and rinsed to yield about 240g; 340g broccoli florets (one 12 oz bag); Cooking spray, as needed; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp smoked paprika; 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus black pepper; 200g nonfat plain Greek yogurt (about 3/4 cup); 1 large lemon, zested and juiced (about 30g juice); 6g fresh garlic (about 2 cloves), finely grated; 3g ground sumac (about 1 tsp); Pinch of kosher salt; 1-2 tbsp water, as needed to thin; 56g crumbled feta (2 oz / about 1/2 cup); 15g chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley (about 1/2 cup loosely packed); 80g pickled red onions (about 1/2 cup drained); 1 large lemon, cut into 4 wedges

A North African-inspired sheet-pan bowl built around thin, whole-roasted harissa chicken cutlets, sweet potato, chickpeas, broccoli, lemon-sumac yogurt, and a measured fresh finish of feta, herbs, pickled red onions, and lemon. It uses the harissa, cumin, coriander, garlic, citrus, chickpea, and herb flavor world without pretending to be a traditional tagine. The macro move is a full 1.5 lb package of chicken breast, one intentionally portioned sweet potato, a full can of chickpeas, measured oil, and just enough feta to register. The finished bowl lands around 526 calories with more than 57g protein, while the cold yogurt and acidic toppings keep four days of reheated chicken from eating dry.

Written and tested by

Matt McCabe · Recipe developer

Cal

526

Protein

57g

Carbs

50g

Fat

12g

Per serving · 1/4 of the recipe · about 390-450g

Macros calculated from label data on the actual ingredients I used, cross-checked against USDA FoodData Central. Update the totals if your brands run different from mine.

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Tested in the kitchen

Prep

20 minutes

Cook

30-35 minutes

Total

50-55 minutes

Yield

4 servings

Ingredients

Harissa Chicken

680g boneless skinless chicken breast (1.5 lb package), raw; cut each breast in half lengthwise into thin cutlets, then pound to an even 1/2-inch thickness
60g harissa paste (about 1/4 cup)
1 large lemon, zested and juiced (about 30g juice)
12g fresh garlic (about 4 cloves), grated or minced
5g olive oil (about 1 tsp)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp kosher salt, plus black pepper

Roasted Sweet Potato, Chickpeas & Broccoli

300g sweet potato (about 1 large), cut into 3/4-inch cubes
425g canned chickpeas (one 15 oz can), drained and rinsed to yield about 240g
340g broccoli florets (one 12 oz bag)
Cooking spray, as needed
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus black pepper

Lemon Sumac Yogurt

200g nonfat plain Greek yogurt (about 3/4 cup)
1 large lemon, zested and juiced (about 30g juice)
6g fresh garlic (about 2 cloves), finely grated
3g ground sumac (about 1 tsp)
Pinch of kosher salt
1-2 tbsp water, as needed to thin

Fresh Finish

56g crumbled feta (2 oz / about 1/2 cup)
15g chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley (about 1/2 cup loosely packed)
80g pickled red onions (about 1/2 cup drained)
1 large lemon, cut into 4 wedges

Method

Roast the chicken and vegetables

01Heat the oven to 425F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment or foil. Weigh the empty bowl you will use for the cooked chicken if you want exact portions later.
02Toss the sweet potato and drained chickpeas with a light coat of cooking spray and the vegetable spices. Spread in a single layer and roast for 15 minutes.
03While they roast, cut each chicken breast in half lengthwise into thin cutlets and pound between sheets of plastic wrap or parchment to an even 1/2-inch thickness. In a large bowl, combine the harissa, lemon zest and juice, garlic, olive oil, and chicken spices. Add the cutlets and coat both sides evenly.
04Stir the sweet potato and chickpeas, then lay the chicken cutlets flat and add the broccoli in a single layer. Use a second lined pan if the first is crowded. Roast for 12-16 minutes, checking the chicken at 12 minutes, until the thickest part reaches 165F and the sweet potato is tender. Broil 1-2 minutes for darker edges if you like.

Make the lemon sumac yogurt

01Stir together the yogurt, lemon zest and juice, garlic, sumac, and salt. Add water 1 tbsp at a time until the sauce is spoonable. Keep cold.

Rest, portion, and store

01Rest the roasted chicken for 5 minutes, then slice across the grain into 1/2-inch strips. Transfer to the pre-weighed bowl, weigh, subtract the bowl weight, and divide the cooked chicken by four. Weigh the roasted sweet potato, chickpeas, and broccoli together and divide by four.
02Portion the sliced chicken and roasted vegetables across 4 containers. Keep the yogurt sauce, feta, herbs, pickled onions, and lemon wedges in separate containers. Reheat only the chicken and vegetables; add the cold components after.

Notes from the kitchen

Portioning: Weigh the cooked chicken and roasted vegetables separately, divide each by four, and keep the cold components separate until serving. Per serving lands around 120-135g cooked harissa chicken, 170-200g roasted sweet potato, chickpeas, and broccoli, 55-60g lemon sumac yogurt, and 35-45g feta, herbs, and pickled onions, for a finished bowl of about 390-450g depending on chicken moisture and vegetable water loss.
Ingredient notes: Harissa varies dramatically by brand. Start with 45g if yours is especially hot or salty, then taste the raw sauce mixture and add the remaining 15g before the chicken goes in. Pound the cutlets to an even 1/2-inch thickness, not paper-thin, so they roast at the same speed and stay juicy after reheating. Do not crowd the pan; if the chicken and vegetables overlap they steam and lose the roasted edges. The fresh finish is part of the recipe, not decoration: feta brings salt, sumac and lemon bring acid, herbs bring freshness, and pickled onions give four-day meal prep the contrast it usually lacks.
Waste plan: The recipe uses a full chicken package, a full broccoli bag, a full chickpea can, one whole sweet potato, and three whole lemons. Remaining Greek yogurt becomes breakfast or another sauce; leftover feta and pickled onions work in eggs, salads, or bowls; extra herbs can be chopped into salad or frozen into a future sauce.
Storage and reheating: Cool the cooked chicken and vegetables for about 10 minutes before sealing, then refrigerate in glass containers for up to 4 days. Keep the yogurt sauce and the feta, herbs, pickled onions, and lemon wedge in separate containers, and do not microwave them. Reheat the chicken and vegetables for 90 seconds, stir, then microwave 45-60 seconds more, and add the yogurt and fresh finish after. Freeze only the cooked chicken and roasted vegetables for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Do not freeze the yogurt sauce or fresh finish.

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