Skillet Chicken and Pearl Couscous With Moroccan Spices Recipe (2024)

Halved this as I'm cooking for one. Had some orzo that I wanted to use up, so that went in place of the couscous. Used water instead of stock, onion instead of leek, and lemon instead of lime, as the author recommended on Instagram—all serviceable substitutions. And when I went to add the cinnamon, I accidentally dropped the container into the pot, so that was accidentally quadrupled (octupled?)! But I just loved the result, so, if I make this again, that mistake will be repeated.

can you use quinoa or farro instead of couscous?

I only had boneless skinless thighs and this still turned out amazing!

I love this recipe. I add chick peas to the cous cous and golden raisins for the last few minutes...so delicious. And great leftovers. I need more savory cinnamon in my life!

Followed this recipe to a T. Agree that the chicken may need to be cooked longer (and perhaps slightly lower temp if looking to avoid excessive blackening of the skin. End result was delicious be incredibly greasy. Any thoughts on avoiding the latter issue?

After cooking the chicken and before cooking the leek/onion, I used a paper towel to sop up most of the oil in the pan. It was delicious and not greasy at all.

Loved this recipe. Easy to prepare and very delicious. Added sweet potatoes to this and sauteed them a little in the chicken fat before adding the leeks. Turned out great!

Add raisins/dates and almonds/pine nuts

This is my new favorite recipe. I've made it maybe four times in the past month, because it's so easy! I've done it with both lemon and lime, but I think the lime has the best flavor.

Great flavor! The whole crew loved it. The chicken definitely needs more time to cook through - next time we'll cook it initially for about 10 mins instead of 6, and on lower heat to avoid burning the skin.

Added golden raisins at the end which I highly recommend. And as others have said, cook the chicken on medium heat for longer or it will be under cooked.

Added frozen peas after the stock came to a boil....perfect for a one pot meal!

Marinade the flesh side only. S P only on the skin. Fry skin until crisp. Add 2-3 garlic cloves in with the leek.

Delicious! Will definitely make this again and again! Made it exactly as written with the exception of adding 1/2c more broth and cooking an extra 15 mins.

I would agree with everyone saying there should be less chicken more couscous. Other than that, this recipe is insanely delicious and super easy. Made it with pearl couscous, leak and harissa.

Love this!

Used boneless skinless thighs and the chile garlic sauce and farro (bc it was all I had). Made 1.5 times the farro and sauce and it was a major crowdpleaser. Was even better as leftovers. Will definitely make again.

This is a keeper. Doubled the cumin and cinnamon. Added a cup of diced carrots, and about a cup of mushrooms. Used Only a tsp of Harissa - next time I’ll double that. Had only 1.5 lbs of boneless thighs but it was fine.

This was so flavorful and rich! Especially the little crispy couscous bits from the bottom of the pan. Made with about 1.5 lbs thighs instead of 2.5 lbs thighs and that definitely felt like the right ratio given that I followed all other measurements to the letter. Used onions instead of leeks, topped it off with a dollop of Greek yogurt at the end. YUM!

This was excellent. I followed the whole recipe as written, only adding a whole tsp. Of cinnamon.I got a new Le Creuset pot on sale and using this for the maiden voyage. I will make this again!

Try 1/4 tsp cinnamon next time

By mistake I added 2 teaspoons smoked paprika1 teaspoon ground turmeric¾ teaspoon cumin½ teaspoon hot smoked paprika½ teaspoon ground ginger¼ teaspoon ground cayenne⅛ teaspoon ground clovesI also used 1 tsp. ground cinnamon and lemon juice and rind vs. lime. Very tasty with a good kick!

Added golden raisins and toasted almonds and pine nuts at the end which was delicious. Added chopped orange bell pepper after leeks had cooked for a minute, gives a nice sweet crunch. Make sure to sop up liquid from chicken with a paper towel as it cooks so that it can brown.

Chicken was no where close to done. Thankfully I had the oven on for something else and was able to put the chicken in the oven to finish it off. If I make it again, I’ll be using boneless thighs which will finish with the couscous as designed in the recipe.

Also sumac to chicken

I want to add some chopped dates to the couscous.

I mistakenly bought boneless skinless thighs but other than that made the recipe as written. I would not do it again. Loved the flavors, but the thighs were overdone by the time the couscous was al dente--I don't think skin on thighs would have dried out so soon. I will definitely make again but as written.

I've made this a few times and love the flavour but always have an issue draining the marinade enough so that I can brown the chicken both sides. The chicken ends up being poached rather than browned however much I try to drain beforehand and also remove the marinade juices from the pan once I start cooking. Appreciate any tips!

I made this as the recipe called for, next time I would do some of the user modifications. Ditto that it was a little greasy and for some reason, I don’t know if it was the cumin or garlic but something instantly burned the second the chicken hit the pan and the dish had a bit of a bitter burned taste.

Careful of how hot skillet temp is during initial browning skin down. Turn down closer to medium