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Chicken Couscous Recipe

This chicken couscous recipe is the ideal choice for all your weeknight meals. It features fluffy couscous, hearty chicken, and lightly crunchy veggies. Everything comes together in around 20 minutes, giving you a quick dish that guarantees to impress every time.
  • cook TIME 15 mins
  • prep TIME 5 mins
  • total TIME 20 mins
Course: Main DishCuisine: American
Keyword: chicken couscous, chicken couscous recipe, how to make chicken couscous
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 499 kcal

Ingredients (14)

  • 24 oz boneless chicken breast
  • 5 oz dried couscous
  • 1 oz carrot diced
  • 4 oz broccoli florets separated
  • 4 oz canned chickpeas
  • 1/4 cup parsley chopped
  • 1 tsp thyme chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp garlic powder divided

INSTRUCTIONS

Prep:

1

Prepare the Chicken: Use paper towels to pat the chicken dry.

2

Cut the Broccoli: With a small paring knife, cut off the florets then continue slicing them in half lengthwise.

3

Chop the Herbs: Gather the leaves and thinly slice them. Rock the knife over the sliced pile a few times until they are finely chopped.

4

Dice the Carrot: Cut and discard the ends then remove the skin with a peeler. Cut the carrot crosswise into thirds then thinly slice each of them lengthwise. Stack the pieces and continue slicing them lengthwise into matchsticks. Gather the sticks and slice them downward into fine pieces.

Cook:

1

Butterfly the Chicken: Slice 24 oz boneless chicken breast in half from the side using a sawing motion, but leave about 1/4 inch so the separated sides are still connected.

A hand holding a raw chicken thigh while a knife is making a slit into it
2

Season the Chicken: Dry-rub 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, 1 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning, 1/2 tsp paprika, and 1 tsp garlic powder all over the chicken. Make sure to include the butterflied insides as well.

A plate containing four pieces of raw chicken thighs covered in paprika
3

Air-fry the Chicken: Lay the seasoned chicken into the air-fryer basket and air-fry at 400 °F for 15 minutes.

An air fryer basket containing four raw chicken thighs covered in paprika
4

Cook the Chicken Broth: In a pan over medium heat, add 1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken broth, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 1 tsp thyme, bring to a boil then lightly stir to mix them together.

A large and deep pan cooking a butter cube and some chopped herbs with olive oil
5

Add the Broccoli: Add 4 oz broccoli to the pan and cook for 1 minute.

A large and deep pan filled with broccoli florets and a small amount of water
6

Add the Remaining Ingredients: Continue adding 5 oz dried couscous, 4 oz canned chickpeas, and 1 oz carrot to the pan. Wait for them to boil then close the lid and turn off the heat. Wait for around 10 minutes for the couscous to expand and become fluffy.

A large pan covered with a glass lid cooking broccoli, carrots, and couscous
7

Garnish and Serve: Transfer the couscous and the cooked chicken onto serving plates, garnish with 1/4 cup parsley, and enjoy.

A gray skillet of golden brown chicken thighs sitting atop cooked broccoli couscous

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: kcal | Protein 43 g | Fat 20 g | Carbohydrate 36 g | Fiber 4 g | Calcium 67 mg | Iron 3 mg | Potassium 653 mg | Sodium 578 mg | Vitamin A 2063 IU | Vitamin C 31 mg | Cholesterol 117 mg | Trans Fat 0 g | Saturated Fat 6 g | Monounsaturated Fat 7 g | Polyunsaturated Fat 4 g | Sugar 2 g