Chicken Couscous
2024
This chicken couscous is a single pot dish. Ensure that your chicken thighs are boneless — skinless is optional. Preheat oven to 400°F. Consider a Caesar salad, bread with oil, brussel sprouts, or spiced carrots as a side.
I am not a pedantic man. People like to say that Israeli (pearl) couscous isn't couscous, but the differences seem to boil down to:
- Israeli Couscous is larger.
- Israeli Couscous is toasted rather than dried.
- Israeli Couscous is machine made.
Otherwise, the ingredients are the same and I have a feeling that the couscous bought in American grocery stores is not handmade. As far as I am concerned, Israeli couscous is a variety of
couscous.
Ingredients
- Spice Mix
- 1 tsp (5 ml) garlic powder
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) paprika
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) salt
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) black pepper
- Remainder
- 1.25 lbs. boneless (optionally skinless) chicken
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup (250 ml) Israeli (pearl) couscous
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh thyme leaves
- 2 cups (500 ml) chicken broth
- ½ lemon sliced (use whole lemon if not doubling recipe)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Mince 2 cloves garlic and set aside.
- Slice lemon and set aside.
- Mix the spice mix in a small bowl.
- 1 tsp (5 ml) garlic powder
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) paprika
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) salt
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) black pepper
- Heat 1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil in a large oven safe skillet.
- Pat all (1.25 lbs.) chicken thighs dry.
- Season the chicken thighs with all of the spice mix.
- Transfer chicken to heated skillet. Cook until golden brown (3-4 minutes per side). The chicken should release from the pan. Remove chicken from pan and set aside after cooking.
- Add the following to the still hot skillet. Cook until couscous is toasted and garlic is especially fragrant (2-3 minutes).
- 1 cup (250 ml) Israeli (pearl) couscous
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh thyme leaves
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Add 2 cups (500 ml) chicken broth to the skillet. Deglaze and bring to a boil.
- Add chicken back to the skillet. Add lemon slices on top.
- Transfer skillet to the preheated oven and bake for ~15 minutes or when couscous has absorbed broth.
- Plate and eat.