This Moroccan-Spiced Chicken and Couscous Skillet is the best weeknight dinner! Juicy pan-seared chicken thighs with chewy pearl couscous, chickpeas, medjool dates and lemon. Everything comes together in one pan and makes for delicious leftovers or meal prep.

It has been a while since I’ve posted a one-skillet meal. I forgot how amazing they are! First of all, everything cooks up in one pan so cleanup is so quick and easy. Plus, all those yummy juices from the chicken thighs “bloom” the spices and infuse so much flavor into the couscous as they cook. It’s a real win-win all around.

How to make this Moroccan-Spiced Chicken and Couscous Skillet

Season the chicken: Before you do any other prep work, start by coating the chicken with a few Moroccan-inspired spices, brown sugar, olive oil and salt. No need to marinate for long, just 10-15 minutes will do. Just enough time to preheat the oven and prepare the other ingredients so they’re all ready to go.

Pan-sear: Choose a heavy-bottom skillet or Dutch oven, preferably cast-iron. You’ll want to give the chicken thighs a quick pan-sear on both sides before they finish baking in the oven. This builds so much flavor as those spices brown and caramelize with the chicken.

Sautè the veg: Once the chicken thighs are seared and set aside, there should be about of tablespoon of rendered fat still left in the pan. We’ll use that to cook the garlic, shallot and carrots until just softened.

Put everything together: Once the aromatics are cooked, stir in your dry pearl couscous, some chopped dates, a can of chickpeas and chicken stock. Season with a touch more kosher salt and nestle in those chicken thighs, dumping in any juices left on the plate. I like the garnish the top with a few lemon slices for a pop of acid (and to make it look pretty).

Bake: Bring everything up to a boil the stick the skillet on a center rack in your oven. Bake for about 15ish minutes. The chicken should be cooked through and browned on the top and the couscous should be soft and chewy.

Garnish and serve: I like the let this Chicken and Couscous Skillet rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh sprigs of mint and maybe a dollop of whole milk yogurt.

Made this recipe? I would love to hear what you think in the review section down below Also, make sure to tag @wandering_chickpeaon Instagram with your creations and save this recipe on Pinterest for later!

More one pot meals to try

• One Skillet Pesto Chicken & Orzo
• Falafel-Spiced Chickpeas and Potatoes
• One Pot French Onion Pasta
• One Pot Tuscan Pasta
• Spinach Artichoke Orzo

Continue to Content

Yield: 4 servings

Moroccan-Spiced Chicken and Couscous Skillet

Print

This Moroccan-Spiced Chicken and Couscous Skillet is perfect for any night of the week! Juicy pan-seared chicken thighs with chewy pearl couscous, chickpeas and dates. Everything comes together in one pot and makes for delicious leftovers!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1.25 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, sliced into coins
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup dry pearl couscous
• 1/4 cup medjool dates, pitted and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
• Fresh mint for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. In a large bowl, toss the chicken with olive oil, brown sugar, spices and 1 tsp kosher salt until well-coated. Let marinate for 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
3. Heat a large skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium heat. Sear the chicken thighs for 3-4 minutes per side or until browned. It’s OK if they are not fully cooked yet. Transfer to a plate and set aside, leaving at least 1 tbsp of rendered fat in the skillet.
4. Add the shallot, carrot and garlic to the skillet. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, until the shallots begin to soften. Add the chickpeas, couscous, dates and chicken stock. Bring to a boil over high heat and nestle in the seared chicken thighs, pouring over any juices left on the plate. Arrange the lemon slices on top.
5. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the couscous is al dente. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving with fresh herbs.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a review below and tag @wandering_chickpea on Instagram!