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
Did you make this recipe?Mention @Weelicious or tag #weelicious!
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!
I’m thinking brown rice.
It’s also sometimes called Pearl Couscous, if you can find that.
Anyone have any good ideas to sub for israeli couscous? I can’t find it anywhere in Toronto….
Amazing!! All 3 kiddos gobbled it up (ages 19 mo, 3 1/2 yrs, and 5) and my MIL repeated several times how tasty the dish was. Best part … Whipped it up from start to finish while my husband bathed the kids after an afternoon in the park. Thank you for a delicious, quick, healthy meal,
We made this last night and my three year old LOVED it. A super easy and tasty meal. Thank you!
We love this! I cooked my chicken separately because I was prepping for another recipe and reduced the chicken broth. Next time I will try throwing in more veggies. The cinnamon and cumin work beautifully together!
I thought the recipe directions were very clear. Love the flavor toasting the couscous gives it
Any idea on a gluten free sub for the couscous, as well as how to substitute it? (Trying to figure out the toasting and adding back in method…)
I have quinoa, kasha, millet, teff, split peas, split lentils, red lentils, basmati, jasmine, wild, japonica or brown rice…you name it! Thanks, Catherine.
I used regular couscous, not israeli but it was still good. The only problem is that it was a little dry and my carrots didn’t cook. Wonder if that was the couscous being more absorbant or what? Otherwise, yummy!
That was SPECTACULAR, Catherine! Thank you for all of the amazing ideas you provide to us!
This looks amazing. I love the addition of the apricots. Great recipe. One pot meals are my jam!
I’m about to dirty multiple pots to make tacos. I’d toss this one together – if I weren’t fresh out of couscous. (I’ve actually never bought couscous, but this recipe is going in the “to make” folder, so anything is possible.)
This looks delicious! And yes, I HATE doing dishes!
Than you for a great recipe. This was very easy to make and quite tasty even though I didn’t have the dried apricots.
This looks & sounds DELICIOUS! And for everyone confused on the directions, they’re not incomplete. You toast the dry/uncooked couscous in the first step. The in step 3 you’re adding ALL the ingredients into the pot, which includes your toasted couscous AND 2 cups of chicken stock. Simmer 10-12 minutes and voila, your one pot meal is done. : )