This scrumptious and hassle-free dinner will tantalize your taste buds! One-Pot Spiced Chicken with Toasted Couscous is an easy recipe with a perfect blend of aromatic spices and fluffy couscous, all cooked together in one pot for an easy cleanup.
Why Choose One-Pot Spiced Chicken with Toasted Couscous:
- Simplicity at its Best: With all the magic happening in just one pot, this recipe minimizes your cleanup time and maximizes your time actually spending time with your family at the dinner table.
- Aromatic and Wholesome: Infused with an array of spices, the tender chicken and toasted couscous create a wholesome and aromatic meal that’s perfect for any night of the week.
- Family-Friendly and Versatile: From picky eaters to adventurous foodies, everyone will adore the blend of flavors in this dish, making it a versatile option for all kinds of taste preferences.
The Ingredients
- Israeli couscous (sometimes called pearl couscous)
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Carrots
- Dried apricots
- Low sodium chicken stock
- kosher salt
- ground cumin
- ground cinnamon
How to Make One Pot Spiced Chicken with Toasted Couscous
- Toast the Couscous: In a 2-inch deep sauté pan over medium heat, dry toast the couscous for 3 minutes, until golden brown. Remove to a plate.
- Sauté:Heat the oil in the pan. Add the onions and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes, until soft.
- Combine: Add the couscous back to the pan, along with all the remaining ingredients and stir to combine well.
- Bring to a Boil and Simmer: Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 22-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Substitutions/Additions
- Protein Variations: Swap the chicken thighs for chicken breasts or even firm tofu for a vegetarian twist.
- Apricot Subs: If you don’t have dried apricots on hand, try substituting golden raisins.
- Israeli Couscous: If you can’t find Israeli couscous, you can substitute brown rice. Cook until the rice is fluffy and the liquid is absorbed.
More One Pot/Pan Recipes:
- Sheet Pan Sausage with Cabbage and Apples
- One Sheet Pan Shrimp and Vegetable Dinner
- Sheet Pan Pancake
- Japanese Vegetable Curry
Toasted couscous, bite-sized pieces of tender chicken, plump apricots and carrots, all lightly coated with aromatic spices, come together to create one heavenly Moroccan inspired meal. Your family may even take care of cleaning the one lone pot….by licking every last drop out of it!
Let me know in the comments if you have any questions about this recipe and tag me on social media if you make it!
Images by Ivan Solis
One Pot Spiced Chicken with Toasted Couscous
One-Pot Spiced Chicken with Toasted Couscous is an easy recipe with a perfect blend of aromatic spices and fluffy couscous, all cooked together in one pot for an easy cleanup.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Israeli couscous (sometimes called pearl couscous)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch coins
- 1/2 cup dried apricots, diced
- 2 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a 2-inch deep sauté pan over medium heat, dry toast the couscous for 3 minutes, until golden brown. Remove to a plate.
- Heat the oil in the pan. Add the onions and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes, until soft.
- Add the couscous back to the pan, along with all the remaining ingredients and stir to combine well.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 22-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Notes
Substitution Tip: Substitute chicken breasts for thighs if you prefer white meat. Cut into 1-inch cubes if you use chicken breasts and only cook 10-12 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 477kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 798mg | Potassium: 922mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 5736IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 3mg
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For seafood vegetarians, could the chicken be replaced by shrimp?
It sounds like the heat may have been too high. You want to make sure the liquid is simmering, but not fully boiling so the couscous doesn’t cook too quickly.
I just made this dish and I just have done something wrong. The flavors were great but the liquid did not fully absorb so I had to keep cooking it for almost 20 minutes and it ended up very mushy and the bottom layer stuck to the pot. Maybe it was because I used a Le Creuset Dutch oven instead of a sauté pan? Any help appreciated because I would love to make it again!
I made this! I doubled the spices and used water instead of chicken broth and it came out really well! I’m making this again tonight, going to add beans and use the water I boil them in instead of broth. Super easy & delicious!
I finally made this dish! I can’t find Israeli couscous where I live, so I remembered to buy some on my last trip to the US. It is easy and sooooo delicious! I followed the recipe exactly. I’m not fond of dried fruit anywhere near my food, but the apricots added the perfect sweetness. Yum!
Hi, Just made this. Pretty easy but longer than expected. Took 20 minutes for the couscous to turn golden on my electric stove. Took 10 minutes to prep all the ingredients. From start to finish, it was 1 hour. Carrots a bit crunchy which I like but took my toddler long to chew. Double cumin and cinnamon, add salt.
If you like type of dish, try Weelicious’ tajine.
Thanks Weelicious for your awesome recipes, I love the North African/Middle Eastern influence in this dish.
I made this tonight. Used Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pearl Couscous and some red and white carrots. It was delish! Surprisingly flavorful for such simple ingredients. Many thanks!
Can you provide some direction for sub’ing pearl couscous for the smaller couscous?
Hi, tried this tonight. Doubled the cumin and cut the veggies and chicken smaller and my 20 month olds like it. Has anyone ever tried this with a whole grain rather than cous cous. It would change the preparation a bit, but it would provide a whole grain rather than pasta. If you have any idea on how to do this, I’d love to hear them. Thanks!