Moroccan-Inspired Spiced Chicken Couscous Bowls

These aromatic Moroccan-Inspired Spiced Chicken Couscous Bowls are complete with flavorful chicken thighs, dried fruit & nut couscous, plus a minty yogurt sauce to bring it together. Don’t skip this hot or cold lunch option!

For authentic Moroccan chicken, try one of these recipes:

When you’ve got time, I highly recommend checking out these authentic versions of Moroccan chicken from other lovely recipe bloggers:

• Oven Baked Moroccan Chicken from Hungry Paprikas
• Best Moroccan Chicken Recipe from The Mediterranean Dish
• Roasted Ras El Hanout Chicken Thighs from Salima’s Kitchen

Morocco is a country in North Africa, bordering both the Mediterranean Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean. Flavors are generally bold, fragrant, and rich. These couscous chicken meals were inspired by traditional Moroccan ingredients and flavor profiles, but turned into a meal prepable bowl that is definitely not traditional.

For a selection of similar authentic meals, browse these Moroccan recipes from Salima’s Kitchen.

Ingredients in these Moroccan-Inspired Spiced Chicken Couscous Bowls:

Let’s chat ingredients in this dish. To simplify, I’ve broken it down into separate components: the couscous, the chicken, and the yogurt. Some of the components even contain the same ingredients, so the list is actually shorter than it first appears, which makes things easier!

Related: Looking for lunch? Check out all of our meal prep lunches here!

Ingredients in the couscous:

For the base of these bowls, we’re cooking and seasoning Moroccan couscous, then adding dried fruit and chopped nuts.

• Moroccan couscous – This is the smallest form of couscous, made from semolina. Do not use pearl couscous here – it won’t work the same way.
• salt, lemon juice, & extra virgin olive oil – These simple ingredients keep the couscous seasoned and moist. Feel free to add more later if it needs a refresh! This recipe requires two lemons total.
• pistachios & almonds – For crunch, flavor, and fiber, chop up whatever nuts you have on hand, bonus points if they’re roasted and salted. That’ll give you the best flavor overall.
• dried fruit – Figs, dates, apricots, and raisins are all good options. We preferred a mix of chopped apricots and raisins. If you already have some kind of dried fruit in the pantry, feel free to use that up!
• fresh ground black pepper – For a savory note to balance some of the fruit sweetness, add a few grinds of black pepper. I strongly prefer fresh ground over jarred pepper.

Ingredients in the chicken:

A quick and flavorful olive oil based marinade with our spotlight seasoning, plus the chicken thighs (or chicken breasts).

• boneless skinless chicken thighs – Either boneless chicken thighs or boneless breasts will work for this recipe. Use four large thighs, or two large breasts sliced into cutlets. For either one, make sure it’s fully cooked with an internal temperature of 165F.
• olive oil – Use this or avocado oil for the base of the chicken marinade.
• lemon zest – Be sure to grab the zest before cutting the lemon to get the juice as well. This recipe requires two lemons total, plus more if you want extra lemon wedge later.
• Ras El Hanout spice blend – See the tip above for more info on what this spice blend is all about. It’s used in both the chicken marinade and the yogurt sauce.
• garlic powder – Garlic and chicken just go together. I never even put mine away because I use it so often. Maybe it’s the tattoo (IYKYK).
• runny honey – When you add a touch of honey to the marinade, it helps caramelize the chicken during cooking and bring on the best flavor.

Ingredients in the yogurt sauce:

We’re using plain yogurt and adding a few things to make it a refreshing and tasty compliment to the rest of the couscous bowl.

• plain yogurt – A cool refreshing condiment that contrasts perfectly with the bold spices of the rest of the dish. Bonus: it also provides moisture to the entire dish when you eat it later on.
• lemon juice – I used an whole lemon’s worth of juice to add flavor and acidity to the sauce. This later helps flavor the entire meal! Win.
• fresh mint leaves – One whole clamshell, washed and chopped, adds brilliant minty and refreshing flavor.
• extra virgin olive oil – Makes the yogurt sauce smooth and adds flavor. Use extra virgin olive oil here since we’re eating it raw and
• Ras El Hanout spice blend – The same spice blend you used in the chicken marinade goes in here too. EASY.
• runny honey – With the plain yogurt and the acidity of the lemon, a tiny bit of honey adds some sweetness to balance everything out.
• garlic powder & salt – A final dash of salt and garlic powder make it just right (in my opinion anyway). Don’t forget to give it a taste and see how it is before moving on.

• sharp chef’s knife – If I had to pick one thing in my kitchen to use forever, it would be my Misen Chef’s Knife (affiliate link!). This knife is super high quality while being affordable. I’ve had mine for years (and there’s a lifetime guarantee!).
• plastic cutting board – When handling, trimming or cutting raw meat, I usually use a plastic cutting board that can go into the dishwasher for best cleaning. Save the wooden cutting boards for produce and cooked proteins.
• wooden cutting board – Alternatively, for chopping the rest, I recommend this Greener Chef XL Bamboo Cutting Board (affiliate link!). The XL size is perfect but not too huge. I use it for everything except cutting raw meat. Hand wash only!
• tongs – Flipping and moving the chicken is best done with some tongs. To avoid scratching any of the nonstick pan surfaces, I almost always use silicone tipped tongs, like these OXO 9-Inch Silicone Head Tongs (affiliate link!).

In a medium bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients. Then add the chicken thighs to the same bowl and stir them around using tongs, until the marinade mixture is covering all of the chicken pieces. Set the bowl of chicken aside on the counter while you prepare the yogurt sauce and the couscous. 

Next stop: yogurt sauce ✅ Be sure to chop the mint very finely, then mix all of the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl. Once mixed, add about 1/4 teaspoon salt, then taste to see if you need any more. Put the lid on (if there is one), stick it in the fridge to sit, and then switch to the couscous.

Measure the dry couscous into a medium-large heatproof bowl (I used a Pyrex bowl from this 3-pack of mixing bowls – affiliate link!) and set some water to boil. You can use a pot to boil water on the stove, or use a kettle, then measure 1 cup of water into a measuring cup.

Pour 1 cup of just boiled water over the couscous and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let it stand and absorb the water for 10 minutes. You can chop the nuts and fruit during this time. Once the 10 minutes has passed, unwrap the bowl and use a fork to fluff it up, just like you’d do with rice.

After fluffing, dump in the remaining couscous ingredients, including the chopped fruit and nuts, lemon juice, oil and fresh ground black pepper. Stir it up well and give the mixture a taste to see if you want to add any more salt, pepper, or lemon juice. Couscous ✅

Finally, switch back over to the chicken. Heat a large seasoned skillet or non-stick pan over a medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until it’s slightly charred and caramelized on the outside, and cooked through.

This should take about 5-6 minutes on each side, but stay near the stove to keep your eyes on it. The internal temperature of the chicken should read at least 165F when fully cooked, no matter if you’re using thighs or breasts. Don’t follow this method for bone-in; those will take much longer.

Let the chicken rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes while you start assembling the rest of the meal to serve, or store for later. Serve each portion of cooked chicken with the mixed couscous, yogurt sauce, and extra lemon juice squeezed on top.

Best tips for making these meal prep bowls:

Here are my best tips for making these bowls successfully in your own kitchen:

• Prepare your spice blend ahead of time, if you’re making a DIY version. It’s several spices to mix together, so this is something you can do far in advance and store in a lil jar.
• Don’t overcook the chicken, especially if you’re using chicken breasts, or planning to reheat. Overcooking leads to quick dryness and chicken that’s less appealing on days 3-4.
• Fluff the couscous with a fork after you take the cover off. Don’t skip! This helps with mixing the add-ins later, but also keeps clumps from forming and sticking together.

What to serve with these Moroccan-Inspired Spiced Chicken Couscous Bowls:

This recipe makes a delightful meal all by itself (maybe I’m biased, who knows), but I’ve got a couple more ideas on what you could serve:

• add some fresh veggies, like sliced cucumbers or tomatoes
• serve with warmed pitas (keep them separate until serving)
• add another sauce like hummus or olive tapenade

Ways to customize this recipe:

Here are some ideas on how to customize this recipe. Of course, these ideas are just from my own brain. If you’ve got more ideas of your own, let me know in the comments! ⬇️

• add fresh toppings – Any fresh cut veggies like sliced tomatoes, cucumbers or red onions would go really well with this recipe.
• change the sauce – Awap the minty yogurt sauce for another dip, like this cucumber raita from the 
• swap fruits & nuts – We preferred almonds and pistachios for the nuts, with dried apricots and raisins for fruit. Figs and dates would work, or cashews. Use what you have on hand!

How to meal prep this recipe:

This recipe is a perfect fit for your work week lunch meal prep. Simply make the recipe as directed, and you’ll end up with 4 good sized portions of spiced chicken, couscous, yogurt sauce, plus whatever you decide to serve on top or on the side.

You could always add more fresh veggies like cut cucumbers or tomatoes when you serve (keep them separate if reheating!), if you’d like to add more volume to the meal.

The couscous may begin to dry out a bit by day 4, but don’t fret! Give it a refresh by stirring the bowl with a fresh squeeze of lemon and another drizzle of olive oil, and it will still be good to eat.

How to store Moroccan-Inspired Spiced Chicken Couscous Bowls:

To meal prep this recipe into four servings:

• divide the yogurt sauce between four sauce pots, OR keep the sauce in a separate food storage bowl with lid to spoon onto the meals as needed.
• divide the fruit & nut couscous into four meal prep containers
• add a sliced chicken thigh on top of the couscous in each container
• add a lemon wedge and a sauce pot into each container
• store in the fridge with the lid and enjoy within 4 days

How to freeze Moroccan-Inspired Spiced Chicken Couscous Bowls:

I do not recommend freezing the couscous or the yogurt sauce, but the cooked chicken could be sliced and frozen with as much of the cooking liquid as possible to help retain moisture. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months for best quality.

How to reheat Moroccan-Inspired Spiced Chicken Couscous Bowls:

My personal preference is to enjoy this meal cold, as reheating could dry out the couscous a bit. However, if you do want to reheat, be sure to remove the yogurt sauce from the container before doing so.

Add a drizzle of water (1 tablespoon or so), then reheat the chicken and couscous in the microwave, loosely covered with the lid for 1 minute on HIGH, and then for another 30 seconds if the chicken is still not heated through.

Recipe developed by Rachel Phipps.