Chicken Vegetable Couscous – Healthy Savory Moroccan-Inspired Recipe
I was first introduced to couscous by my Grandma Lois, who learned about it on a Moroccan vacation with my grandfather Clarence (they traveled the world in their retirement years). This was back in the early 1980’s when couscous, hummus and other Middle Eastern delights were not yet well known to most Americans. Grandma was both shocked and amazed when she learned that Moroccans eat couscous with their hands. Despite her initial reservations about the communal utensil-free eating style, she dug in with the rest of the group. She quickly fell in love with what then seemed like a very exotic food, and decided that she must make it when she returned home. Instant couscous was not widely available in our small California hometown grocery market, so Grandma made special trips to a health food store in a neighboring town to stock up. I actually remember my first taste; I couldn’t have been more than six or seven years old. I fell in love with the texture… thousands of tiny pasta-like pieces, warm and fluffy, soaking up whatever sauce Grandma served with it. Couscous quickly became my favorite starchy side dish, preferred over potatoes, pasta, rice and other grains. To this day, I find couscous a comfort… it reminds me of dining with my grandma and grandpa, listening to their colorful Middle Eastern travel adventures.
I’ve made this Chicken Vegetable Couscous recipe in my family for years. It’s one of those things I’ve been meaning to blog about for a long time, but I never quite got around to it until now. It’s a staple for us when the weather begins to cool off. I originally learned to make couscous from our family friend Sharone, who has Moroccan ancestry. Over time I added spices and a hefty dose of turmeric to the mix. We are trying to work turmeric into our diet more because it is a natural anti-inflammatory that aids the body in healing. Here turmeric is the perfect enhancement to savory slow-cooked chicken, healthy vegetables and tender, fluffy couscous. Butternut squash and carrots add a bit of natural sweetness to a predominantly savory recipe. This is not a sweet couscous by any means; no raisins or dates here. It’s all about the chicken and spices.
Traditionally couscous is made by hand and steamed in a double-tiered pan called a couscoussier above the stew-like ingredients below. The advantage to steaming couscous is that it cooks up drier and fluffier, meaning it can better absorb the liquid it is served with. Today instant couscous can easily be made and enjoyed without the need for a steaming insert (of course, if you have a couscoussier feel free to use it!). In the following recipe, cooking the couscous in chicken broth with a little turmeric gives it a terrific complimentary flavor. Our friend Sharone insists that if you fluff the instant couscous with clean hands rather than a fork, you will get a texture that rivals handmade steamed Moroccan couscous. If you’re feeling adventurous you can make the couscous by hand, but I don’t have a recipe for it on the site yet. I find the instant variety works just as well and makes a fine base for your other ingredients.
Either way, this Chicken Vegetable Couscous is an easy, healthy and tasty meal that is “just right” for colder weather months. I consider it one of my ultimate comfort foods!
Recommended Products:
Couscoussier (if you want to try steamed couscous the old fashioned way!)
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Chicken Couscous
Ingredients
- 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
NOTES
Instructions
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large 8 quart pot over high heat until it just begins to smoke. Place half of the chicken pieces skin side down and brown them for a few minutes. Remove the chicken pieces and brown the other chicken pieces in the same way. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium and add sliced onions to the pot. Saute the onions, stirring frequently, until the onions soften and begin to caramelize. Add the garlic and saute for a minute more until fragrant.
- Add 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth to the pot. Stir in 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan as you bring the stock to a boil.
- Add the chicken pieces to the pot, using a pair of tongs to coat them with sauce before placing them skin-side up. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cover the pot, vented slightly. Let them simmer on low heat for 45 minutes.
- Remove chicken pieces from the pot and add the squash, zucchini, carrots and celery, stirring them into the broth to make sure each vegetable is evenly coated. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken pieces back to the pot on top of the vegetables. Cover the pot tightly and reduce heat to a low simmer. Let the vegetables cook for 15 minutes.
- Gently stir the chickpeas into the chicken vegetable mixture. Let the mixture cook covered for 5-10 more minutes until the largest vegetable chunks are tender.
- While the chicken mixture finishes cooking, prepare the couscous. In a small pot, bring 2 cups low sodium chicken broth to a boil. Stir in 1/2 tsp salt, pinch of turmeric and 1 tbsp olive oil.
- Stir in the couscous and cover the pot. Remove the pot from heat and let the couscous steam for 5 minutes, until tender.Fluff the cooked couscous with a fork (or with clean hands, as my Moroccan friend Sharone suggests-- careful, it's hot!) and place it on a serving platter. Use a slotted spoon to place the cooked chicken and vegetables on top of the couscous, then sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley. Pour the cooking liquid into a large gravy boat.
- Top each serving of couscous with a bit of cooking liquid to moisten. Can be served with spicy sauce or harissa on the side.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
Other Great Moroccan-Inspired Recipe Ideas
Tori Avey – Moroccan-Style Vegetable Couscous
Michael Ruhlman – Kate’s Chicken Tagine
Simply Recipes – Couscous with Pistachios and Apricots
Tori Avey – Lemony Saffron Couscous
Tori, could this be made without the chicken as a vegetarian dish?
This particular recipe really relies on the savory flavor of the chicken to make it shine… but I have a great vegetarian couscous recipe if you’d like! Here’s the link: https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/moroccan-style-vegetable-couscous/
HI Tori
Use your recipes all the time and they are just terrific.
Can I use my insta pot or a slow cooker for this recipe? Any adjustments you can recommend?
Thank you.
I made this dish today and my men loved it. However, when I opened the pack of chicken it was skinless thighs. Forging ahead I followed the recipe and the chicken browned nicely using a little wine to deglaze the pot before adding chicken broth. Since I am gluten free we served it over quinoa. Will definitely make this meal again.
Great to hear it worked out with the skinless thighs!
I did not have celery, and it tasted great anyway. Celery is not always available where I live, carrots and parsley give a similar flavor.
I made this tonight; delicious! I will definitely be following your recipes.
Very happy you liked it! 🙂
Hi Tory! Do you think that the vegetables would be ok after freezing or should I not bother?
Good question Yael. I think it depends on how thoroughly you’ve cooked the vegetables. If they are quite soft, then freezing and reheating may render them somewhat mushy. However the leftovers do reheat well when not frozen (from the refrigerator), so it might be worth a shot!
Instead of couscous, do you think I could use quinoa?
Rita, yes you can– different texture and I prefer the quinoa, but it’s a good gluten free option.
This recipe looks delicious! Just one question – can I use something in place of the celery?
Hi I would like to try the recipe however I do not use the ready made chicken stock can I substitute it for veg stock.
Yes vegetable stock will work fine.
Thanks Tori! I was stressing for no reason. It turned out wonderful! I’m so happy that I found your recipe..I’ve made it twice now. Absolutely delicious
Hi Tori, I find that I need more liquid to cook the veggies in..am I doing something wrong?
Hi Tina, I’m not sure. The vegetables have a lot of their own liquid in them, so while it may seem like too little at first, after you let them cook a while the vegetables will produce their own liquid. Either way, if the flavor of the end result is satisfactory, then it doesn’t matter– add as much liquid as you need 🙂
I’m cooking for a crowd of five that eats A LOT. How would you double it?
Hi Katie, I would cook two separate batches of the recipe in two separate pots. Trying to double the recipe in one pot will be too difficult to manage with all of those pieces and chunks.