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Moroccan-Inspired Spiced Chicken Couscous Bowls
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Prep: 25 minutesCook: 15 minutesTotal: 40 minutes
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!
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 4 large boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 1-1.25 pounds)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- zest of 1 lemon (save juice for the sauce!)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon Ras El Hanout spice blend (homemade mix or store-bought, see note)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon runny honey
For the yogurt sauce:
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- juice of 1 lemon (zest goes into marinade!)
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves (about 1 clamshell), finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Ras El Hanout spice blend (homemade mix or store-bought, see note)
- 1 teaspoon runny honey
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher salt or fine sea salt, to taste
For the couscous:
- 1 cup dry Moroccan couscous + 1 cup boiling water
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or fine sea salt
- juice of 1 lemon, plus extra wedges for serving
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup toasted pistachios, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup toasted almonds, roughly chopped
- 3/4 cup dried fruit (raisins, figs and/or apricots), roughly chopped if needed
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Optional: pita bread, for serving
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: Remove packaging from chicken thighs (4 large), and use a sharp chef’s knife to remove any fatty pieces. In a medium bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients: olive oil (1 1/2 tablespoons), lemon zest (from 1 lemon), salt (1 teaspoon), Ras El Hanout spice blend (1 teaspoon), garlic powder (1/2 teaspoon), and honey (1/2 teaspoon). Add the chicken thighs. Use tongs to stir, making sure the chicken is well coated, and then set aside while you prepare the yogurt sauce and the couscous.
- Mix the sauce: Stir together all the ingredients for the yogurt sauce in a small bowl: plain yogurt (1 cup), lemon juice (from 1 lemon), fresh mint leaves (1/2 cup, finely chopped), extra virgin olive oil (1 tablespoon), Ras El Hanout spice blend (1 teaspoon), runny honey (1 teaspoon), and garlic powder (1/2 teaspoon). Add about 1/4 teaspoon salt, then taste to see if you need any additional salt.
- Make the couscous: In a large, heatproof bowl, measure out the couscous (1 cup) and salt (1/2 teaspoon). Pour 1 cup of just boiled water over the couscous and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Leave it to stand for 10 minutes, then fluff the cooked couscous up with a fork. Add the lemon juice (from 1 lemon), olive oil (2 tablespoons), pistachios (1/2 cup, roughly chopped), almonds (1/2 cup, roughly chopped), and dried fruit (3/4 cup, roughly chopped if needed), along with a generous few grinds of black pepper. Stir to combine before tasting to see if you want to add any more salt, pepper, or lemon juice.
- Cook the chicken: Heat a large seasoned skillet or non-stick pan over a medium heat. Add the chicken (no need for any extra oil) and cook until slightly charred and caramelized on the outside, and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes on each side. The internal temperature of the chicken should read at least 165F when fully cooked. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Meal prep it: Divide the couscous between four glass meal prep containers. Add a sliced thigh on top of each couscous portion. Divide the yogurt sauce between four salad dressing containers (affiliate link!), and add one each along with a lemon wedge to each portion. Portions will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Enjoy cold from the fridge, or remove the lemon and sauce before reheating the chicken and couscous. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of water over the meal, then cover loosely with the lid and microwave for 1 minute on HIGH, and then for a further 30 seconds if the chicken is still not heated through.
- The couscous may begin to dry out a bit by day 4, but you can stir it with a fresh squeeze of lemon and another drizzle of olive oil, and it will still be good to eat.
Notes
Ras El Hanout: You can easily make a blend of this Moroccan spice mixture at home using this recipe for Ras El Hanout Seasoning, no spice grinding needed. Some grocery stores sell this blend as well.
Dried fruit: We preferred a mixture of raisins and chopped dried apricots, but chopped dried figs or dates would also work well.
Nutrition information estimated with My Fitness Pal.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1 meal prep bowl
- Calories: 588
- Fat: 21g
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 16g