Chicken and Couscous | Contrary to common perception, couscous is a type of pasta produced from a dry combination of semolina and water that is rolled into incredibly tiny irregular pieces. It is neither a grain nor a seed.
Daily preparation of couscous by hand involved mixing and tossing semolina in a bowl as water was gradually added and pressed into the mixture.
Handmade couscous is traditionally steamed in a couscoussier, which requires three separate steamings to complete the cooking process.
This kind of couscous is called Moroccan couscous after the country where it was first made. It is the smallest type of couscous and what most people envision when they think about couscous.
If you love couscous, then try our “Parmesan Couscous Recipe” and “Vegetable Couscous Recipe“.
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Chicken and Couscous Salad
This 20-minute evening salad, which includes quick cooking, chicken, couscous, and a significant amount of herbs with vibrant flavors, is a fantastic way to use leftover chicken.
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
- 1 box of uncooked couscous
- 1 ½ cups cubed cooked chicken (about 6 ounces)
- ½ cup thinly sliced green onions
- ½ cup diced radishes (about 3 large)
- ½ cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, minced
Directions to Make
- Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan; add couscous gradually while stirring to create a salad. Withdraw from heat, cover, and let it stand for five minutes
- With a fork, fluff. Place the couscous in a big basin and let it cool. Toss carefully to incorporate the chicken, onions, radishes, cucumber, parsley, and pine nuts
- Utilizing a whisk, mix the vinegar with the remaining ingredients to make the dressing. Over the salad, drizzle the dressing and blend
- Note: Dry nuts can be rapidly toasted over medium-high heat in a dry pan. When the nuts start to smell aromatic, stir them often and take them out of the pan
Lemon and Garlic Chicken and Couscous
Our meal of lemon and garlic chicken with couscous and fresh herbs is bright and cheery. This dish, which uses chicken thighs and ingredients from your pantry, will become a go-to favorite.
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs
- 2 lemons
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 red onion
- 320ml chicken stock
- 240g couscous
- Large handful of fresh parsley
- Large handful of fresh mint, plus extra
Directions to Make
- Trim off the thigh skin, then throw it away. Lemon zest should be grated and left aside. 2 tbsp of the oil and the lemon juice should be combined in a big bowl
- Chicken is seasoned, then added and coated. Set aside for 30 minutes under cover
- The thighs should be seared for 5 minutes on each side with a big, hot griddle. Cook at a lower heat for a further 5–10 minutes, or until well cooked
- Slice the onion and garlic very thinly in the meanwhile. 12 tbsp of the remaining olive oil should be heated slowly in a frying pan
- The onion and garlic should be tender after 5 minutes of frying
- In a small pan, heat the stock until it begins to boil. Pour the stock over the couscous in a heatproof dish, cover, and let stand for five minutes
- Remove the lid, fluff with a fork, and then toss in the remaining oil and the onion-garlic mixture
- Chop the herbs, then add the lemon zest and seasoning to the couscous. Serve with more mint as a garnish along with the chicken.
Spiced Chicken and Couscous
A wonderful midweek supper that takes less than 20 minutes to make and serve.
Ingredients to Make Spiced Chicken and Couscous
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika
- 3 tsp ground turmeric
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 3 (about 250g each) single chicken breast fillets
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 290g (1 1/2 cups) couscous
- 20g butter
- 375ml (1 1/2 cups) boiling water
- 1 red capsicum, halved, deseeded, finely chopped
- 4 green shallots, ends trimmed, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup loosely packed coarsely chopped fresh coriander
- Natural yogurt, to serve
- Lemon wedges, to serve
Directions to Make Spiced Chicken and Couscous
- In a small bowl, mix the cumin, ground coriander, paprika, and turmeric. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread the cumin mixture evenly over the chicken
- In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the chicken for five minutes on each side, or until fully done
- Take out of the heat and place on a platter. Place a foil covering on top and let for five minutes to rest
- In the meantime, combine the couscous, butter, and boiling water in a heatproof bowl while stirring with a fork
- Once the liquid has been completely absorbed, remove the cover and leave for 5 minutes. To separate the grains, use a fork
- Add the peppers, coriander, and half of the green shallot, then sprinkle with salt and pepper
- Thinly slice the chicken across the grain. Spoon the couscous among serving bowls and top with chicken slices
- Sprinkle with the remaining green shallot. Serve immediately with yogurt and lemon wedges, if desired
Chicken and Vegetable Couscous
Recipe for couscous with chicken, zucchini, carrots, celery, butternut squash, and spices that is healthy, simple, and inexpensive.
Ingredients to Make Chicken and Vegetable Couscous
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 whole chicken 3-4 pounds, cut into pieces
- 2 whole onions peeled and sliced
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
- 3 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth divided
- 2 teaspoons salt divided
- 1 teaspoon turmeric heaping
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound butternut squash, peeled, cubed, and seeded about 3/4 lb peeled butternut squash cubes
- 3/4 pound zucchini about 2 medium, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3/4 pound carrots peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 celery ribs cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas 1 can
- 10 ounces instant couscous 1 box
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro or parsley
Directions to Make Chicken and Vegetable Couscous
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat until it barely starts to smoke
- The chicken pieces should be browned for a few minutes with half of them placed skin side down
- Brown the remaining pieces of chicken in the same manner
- Add sliced onions to the saucepan and lower heat to medium. The onions should be sauteed until they soften and start to caramelize
- Once the garlic is aromatic, add it back in and continue to saute
- Add 1 1/2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of turmeric, cumin, cayenne, and black pepper
- As you bring the stock to a boil, scrape any brown pieces from the bottom of the pan
- Add the chicken pieces to the saucepan and arrange them skin-side up after coating them with sauce
- Cover the pot with a little vent. For 45 minutes, cook them at a low temperature
- Add squash, zucchini, carrots, celery, and chicken pieces to the saucepan. Stir the vegetables into the stock to ensure that they are all coated up to a boil
- Over the veggies in the saucepan, re-add the chicken pieces. Put a tight lid on the saucepan and lower the heat to a simmer. Give the veggies 15 minutes to cook
- Add the chickpeas to the chicken and vegetable combination. Cook the mixture, cover, for 5 to 10 minutes
- Make the couscous while the chicken mixture is cooking to completion. Bring 2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth to a boil in a small saucepan
- Add 1 tbsp of olive oil, a sprinkle of turmeric, and 1/2 tsp of salt
- Add the couscous, then cover the pan. Once the couscous is tender, turn off the heat and let it steam for 5 minutes
Creamy Garlic Chicken and Couscous With Green Beans
The lemons provide this chicken couscous dish with a feeling of lightness and brightness, while the ricotta adds just a hint of decadence. Fresh garlic and thyme’s earthy tastes give this dish a warm, inviting quality.
Ingredients
- Chicken breast
- Green beans
- Israeli couscous
- Chicken stock
- Garlic
- Lemons
- Ricotta
- Thyme
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Optional: lemon zest and parmesan, for garnish
Directions to Make
- In a large pan, add olive oil and chicken watch out for oil splatter! Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken, and cook for 5 minutes
- Turn off the heat, remove the chicken and set aside, leaving oil in the pan.
- Return the pan to the heat, then add garlic, couscous, and chicken stock to the pan. Cover and let simmer until couscous is tender and chewy
- Reduce heat and add chicken, green beans, juice of two lemons, and thyme
- Stir in ricotta, season with salt and pepper, and let cook for another 5 minutes, allowing the lemon juice to soak into the couscous
- Serve with parmesan, lemon slices, lemon zest, or additional thyme, if desired
FAQs
In comparison to pasta, couscous has lower levels of copper, manganese, phosphorus, iron, folate, and vitamin B12. Pasta provides 12% more of your daily requirement for folate than Couscous. Less cholesterol is found in couscous.
While white rice and couscous have almost equal calorie counts per 100 grams, couscous has a greater protein content and more vitamins and minerals, making it a better choice overall.
If both grains are included in a well-balanced, nutritious diet, they can both aid in weight reduction.
Conclusion
You should try these delicious couscouses with chicken dishes at least once; they are healthy, simple, and inexpensive. These chicken and couscous dishes are worth a try.
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