One-Pan Garlic Butter Chicken Couscous (Printer View)

Golden chicken in garlic butter over fluffy couscous with tomatoes and peas.

# Components:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
04 - 1 teaspoon paprika
05 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

→ Garlic Butter

06 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 4 cloves garlic, minced

→ Couscous

08 - 1 1/2 cups couscous
09 - 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
11 - 1/2 cup frozen peas
12 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
13 - Zest and juice of 1 lemon
14 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

# Method:

01 - Pat the chicken breasts dry and season both sides with salt, pepper, and paprika. Lightly dust with flour, shaking off excess.
02 - In a large, deep skillet or sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and sear until golden brown on both sides, approximately 3-4 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a plate.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the pan, then stir in the minced garlic. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
05 - Stir in the couscous, cherry tomatoes, and peas. Return the chicken breasts to the pan, nestling them into the couscous.
06 - Cover the pan with a lid and cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes, or until the couscous is tender and the chicken is cooked through.
07 - Remove from heat. Sprinkle with lemon zest, lemon juice, and chopped parsley.
08 - Fluff the couscous with a fork, slice the chicken if desired, and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything happens in one pan, which means fewer dishes and more time actually enjoying dinner.
  • The chicken stays tender while the couscous beneath it catches all those savory, buttery flavors.
  • It tastes like you've been planning this meal for days, when really you just grabbed what was in your kitchen.
02 -
  • Don't lift the lid while the couscous cooks—I learned this the hard way when I kept peeking and ended up with slightly undercooked grains.
  • The chicken will keep cooking a bit after you remove it from heat, so pulling it from the skillet while it's still slightly undercooked actually prevents it from drying out.
03 -
  • If your chicken breasts are particularly thick, gently pound them to an even thickness before seasoning so they cook uniformly and stay tender.
  • The secret to preventing rubbery chicken is removing it from the pan before it's fully cooked, then letting residual heat finish the job while the couscous cooks.
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