You’ll love this easy Chicken Couscous dinner with baked chicken thighs in warm Moroccan spices, vegetables, and fluffy couscous.
Easy chicken and couscous recipe
If you need a little inspiration to step up the chicken dinner game, today’s recipe is for you!
This couscous chicken is a riff on my earlier Moroccan chicken. In this version, I use boneless skinless chicken thighs, coated with a Moroccan-inspired rub with garlic, tomato paste and warm seasonings including Ras El Hanout, cinnamon and ginger. I add in vegetables–carrots, celery, and onions–to make a one-pan baked chicken dinner.
Couscous is the perfect thing to finish this pan of baked chicken thighs, and it literally takes only 10 minutes to make.
This chicken with couscous and vegetables is a winner every time!
What is couscous and how do you cook it?
Though many confuse it with a grain, couscous is actually a tiny pasta made out of semolina flour, and it is a staple in North African and Middle Eastern cooking.
There are a few types of couscous, including the pearl couscous I used in this earlier salad recipe and in this tomato chicken recipe, but in today’s recipe, I opted for Moroccan-style couscous. Using this fine couscous that’s already been steamed makes for a quick addition to this pan of chicken.
I like to start by toasting the couscous in extra virgin olive oil; this is a great way to add flavor right off the bat. To cook this fine Moroccan couscous, you’ll add 1 cup of boiling water or broth to 1 cup of couscous, then simply cover and let the couscous soak up the water (off the heat) and do not disturb it for 10 minutes before fluffing it with a fork. (Check out my earlier post for How to Cook Couscous for more helpful tips.)
What you’ll need for this couscous recipe
This Moroccan-inspired chicken dish is made with traditional Moroccan spices, chicken and couscous.
For the chicken:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Tomato paste
- Garlic
- Ras el Hanout – This is a popular North African spice blend that lends the Moroccan flavor to this dish without needing a long list of spices on hand.
- Ground cinnamon and ginger – While both of these are in this Ras el Hanout blend, I like to add extra for additional warmth.
- Chicken thighs – Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work best in this recipe.
- Salt and pepper
- Vegetables – Carrots, celery and red onion are all baked with the chicken.
- Raisins – An optional topping before serving.
For the couscous:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Couscous – I used instant Moroccan couscous for this recipe. It’s pre-steamed, so it cooks quickly.
- Water – You can also cook the couscous in chicken broth.
- Kosher salt
- Ground cinnamon – Just a pinch to add flavor to the couscous.
- Fresh parsley – Adds a fresh flavor and pop of color to the dish.
How to make chicken couscous
In this recipe, you’ll start by seasoning and baking the chicken and vegetables, then you’ll add the cooked couscous on top when ready to serve. Here is how to make it (the print-friendly recipe is below):
- Prepare the seasoning rub. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, garlic and spices (ras el hanout, cinnamon, and ginger)
- Season the chicken. Pat the chicken dry and season with kosher salt and pepper on both sides, then coat with about 3/4 cup of the rub. Set aside for now (or if working ahead, you can cover and store in the fridge for a couple hours or up to overnight)
- Season the vegetables. In a mixing bowl, season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Toss with the remaining rub.
- Combine the chicken and vegetables. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a baking pan.
- Bake. Bake at 425 degrees F (on the center rack) for 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. The veggies should also soften and gain some char.
- Prepare the couscous. While the chicken is baking, cook the couscous. First, toast the couscous with olive oil in a saucepan. Season with kosher salt and a dash of cinnamon, then add 1 cup of boiling water or broth. Cover and turn off the heat. Do not disturb for 10 minutes
- Add the couscous over the chicken to serve. Remove the cooked chicken from the oven. Spoon the couscous between the chicken and allow it to soak up the pan juices. Finish with raisins (or other chopped dried fruit of your choice) and serve!
Serving suggestions
Enjoy your Moroccan-inspired chicken couscous fresh from the oven; just be sure to give the couscous a few minutes to soak up some of the pan juices. With chicken, couscous and veggies all in one dish, this is truly a complete meal. There’s no need for side dishes or extras, though you can never go wrong starting with a big salad.
Additional Recipe FAQs
Yes, boneless chicken breasts will work here as well. However, remember to adjust cooking time as chicken breasts can dry out. Depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts, it can take about 18 to 20 minutes to bake. With chicken breasts especially, I like to start by baking covered with foil for 10 minutes, then finishing uncovered for another 8 minutes or so. I have a baked chicken breasts recipe that can be a good guide for you here (different flavors, of course)
If you want to work in advance, you can season and marinate the chicken, keeping it in the fridge up to 1 night. You can also chop up the veggies and cook the couscous one day ahead, if you like.
Yes! Pearl couscous will work well here. The cooking method will vary as pearled couscous cooks much like pasta in boiling water for about 15 minutes or so. Learn more about pearl couscous here.
Leftover cooked chicken couscous can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat just until the chicken has warmed through (you may add a little liquid if needed).
More couscous recipes:
Middle Eastern
BEST Mediterranean Couscous Salad (with Video)
Moroccan and Tunisian
How to Cook Couscous Perfectly Every Time!
Mediterranean Diet Recipes
Herbed Couscous Recipe with Roasted Cauliflower
Sides and Small Plates
Jeweled Couscous Recipe with Pomegranate and Lentils
Moroccan-Inspired Chicken Couscous
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 teaspoon Ras el Hanout
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (divided)
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 6 to 8 chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 3 carrots (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 2 celery ribs (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 1 red onion (large, halved and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices)
- handful of raisins (optional)
For the couscous
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup couscous
- 1 cup water (or chicken broth)
- kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Make the seasoning rub. In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, garlic, and spices. Whisk to combine.
- Pat the chicken dry and season with kosher salt and black pepper on both side. Pour about 3/4 of the rub you just made all over the chicken (reserve the rest for later) and toss to make sure all the pieces are well coated. Set aside for now.
- Put the vegetables and onions in a mixing bowl. Season with kosher salt and black pepper and pour the remaining seasoning rub. Toss to combine.
- Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a large baking pan or rimmed sheet pan.
- Bake in the center of the heated-oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and the juices run clear. The vegetables should also soften and gain some char.
- While the chicken and veggies are baking, prepare the couscous. Boil the water or both until bubbling. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan. Add the couscous and cook, tossing regularly, until the couscous is toasted to golden brown. Season with kosher salt and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Add the boiled water. Immediately turn the heat off and cover the saucepan. Leave the couscous undisturbed for 10 minutes, the couscous should absorb all the liquid. When ready, add the fresh parsley and fluff the couscous with a fork.
- When the chicken is fully cooked through, remove it from the oven. Spoon the couscous between the chicken pieces and allow it about 5 minutes to sop up some of the pan juices. Finish with the raisins, if you like.
Video
Notes
- Prepare ahead: You can season and marinate the chicken in the fridge a few hours or up to 1 night in advance.
- Leftover chicken couscous can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat just until the chicken has warmed through (you may add a little liquid if needed).
- Review this post for how to cook couscous for more tips.
- Visit Our Shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, couscous, and spices used like ras el hanout.
Can I use chicken breast?
Sure! If you scroll down the article a bit, you’ll see “Additional Rescue FAQ” section. In there, you’ll find some tips on how to do this. Enjoy!
I also used plumped currants as I had them on hand, instead of raisins. Next time I will add red pepper as we love spicy. So good!
When the doctor says nothing on 4 legs it means you eat a lot of chi ken & veg.! It is so wonderful to come to this site for a bew& interesting recipe. And ALWAYS deliscious!!
This Morracan chicken is fantastic. Bold flavors. Tender meat. So easy!!!
I added red peppers, doubled the vegetables & topped with toasted pine nuts. I broiled the dish before adding the nuts for just a minute to get more carmelization.
DO NOT skip putting the couscous on the sheet pan after its done ! Soaked up some great flavors. Thank you Suzy! Another winner!
Awwww! So glad you enjoyed it, Sheila!
EXCELLENT! Really interesting flavors. Easy. It was a hit.
Thanks!
Hi Suzy, this recipe is fantastic!! I made this for our supper this evening, and OMG, we love it! I followed the recipe to the T! Everything about it is fantastic, from the seasoning rub to the cinnamon in the couscous. Just divine! Another keeper! I will be making this over and over again 😉 Thank you!
This recipe sounds like another one that’s going to make my house smell like a Mediterranean spice market and I’m sure we will love it. That said, I’m quite confused about the references to cinnamon in it.
For the chicken, it states that I will need 1 tsp of cinnamon, divided. However, it never mentions how much it should be divided by or where the other part of the division goes.
The recipe then goes on to list 1/2 tsp of cinnamon for the couscous. However……in the commentary it mentions both a “pinch” (technically 1/16 tsp) and a “dash” (technically 1/8 tsp).
For now, I’m just going to take a guess that the 1 teaspoon mentioned for the chicken get divided in half and that is where the ½ teaspoon for the couscous comes from…but it would be nice to have the confusion cleared up.
(And while I’m on the topic of adding a “pinch” of something, we will often see Suzy talk about using a pinch of salt in recipes but as you watch it looks like a “grab” of roughly somewhere between an entire teaspoon to a tablespoon. This is also confusing.)
I added 3 different things fresh ginger I plumped my raisins I had to use coconut oil and I added toasted pinenuts
Wow this was so good! I had that seasoning blend in my cabinet and some defrosted boneless skinless chicken thighs. Very easy to pit together, however nobody guessed this was a simple recipe! Served it with some garlic breadsticks and stewed lentils I had leftover and some cucumber yogurt salad with rosé and some lemon water with mint for my boyfriend and another couple. Great!
This is the second time I’ve made this recipe. Both times the Meal was delicious! This is going on my favorite meal list- for not only us but also for when we have dinner guests. I may try chicken breasts next time because the grocery store I frequent doesn’t seem to carry boneless chicken thighs (I live in Portugal).
This was full of flavor and easy. Son could not stop eating it including the couscous. Love it!
Hey there! This looks extremely tasty and I wanna try, however in my Area (or generally) In Germany Chicken tighs are kinda uncommon mostly their sold as the whole Leg drumstick bone in and all.
Would there be a Way to switch the tighs up for Chicken Breast and achieve similiar results?
Hi, Simon. You can absolutely use chicken breasts here. If you scroll down the article a bit, there is a section describing how best to do this .
I have a question. I watched the video several times and when Suzy added the tomato paste to the glass measuring cup it poured out–the cup was also almost full. Tomato paste doesn’t pour–and 4 tbl. of it is barely 3 oz. I couldn’t solve the puzzle. The dish was fine, but there wasn’t any sauce even when I doubled the rub. Did I get something wrong?
Hi, Miriam. The tomato paste is mixed with the olive oil and red wine vinegar here. That’s why it looks like the cup is almost full.
Fabulous recipe! It was chilly tonight and all the warm spices were so flavorful! My grocery store didn’t have couscous today, but I bought the Near East brand of couscous with pine nuts and it worked well! I toasted the couscous according to your recipe, then added the spice pack and boiling water. I wish I made extra for leftovers!! Thanks for another winning healthy recipe!
I’ve just made this and it was absolutely divine! My wife loved it very much. The recipe is super simple and although I tweaked it here and there, based on my available ingredients, it was truly superlicious! I used chicken breast. At the last minute I was supposed to cook the couscous, my wife came into the kitchen and said: “That’s bulgur, not couscous.” So, I had to use bulgur but it came out flavourful. I didn’t have celery, so I used red peper instead. Thanks!
Glad to hear it turned out okay with the bulgur! Thanks for sharing, Faslie!
can one use chicken pieces skin on and bone in? will the cooking time take longer?
Sure! Yes, the bone in would take a bit longer to cook.
Would it work to cook chicken in a slow cooker?
Hi, Elizabeth. That may work, but it’s just not something we’ve tried before.