Main Dishes
One Pan Lemon Chicken Couscous
Prep
10 minutes
Cook
45 minutes
Yield
4 -6
This delicious Chicken Couscous is made in one pan. It uses fresh lemon juice and zest to give it a kick of freshness and it’s so easy you’re going to love adding it to your dinner rotation!
This Chicken Couscous takes only one pan and is an easy, delicious dinner that you’re going to love for a quick dinner idea. This dish uses juicy chicken thighs with a lemony couscous and dressing, and is topped with fresh tomatoes and herbs for a pop of freshness. I love an easy one pan dish for quick clean-up and it tastes just as impressive as a dish that takes 100 dishes, and forever to make.
❤️ Why You’ll Love Chicken Couscous
- Easy: Did I mention this Chicken Couscous only takes one pan? One pan recipes are so easy and require minimal clean-up for those busy nights that you just don’t feel like spending in the kitchen.
- Delicious: This couscous recipe is popping with lemony flavor. You’re going to love that it’s fresh, savory, and it’s perfect for summer (or anytime).
- Versatile: Like any one pan dish, you can completely make this couscous your own by adding different dried or fresh herbs, veggies, or swapping the chicken thighs for your favorite protein.
🍲 Ingredients
Lemon – I think it’s critical to always have lemon on hand in your fridge. Not only do they last forever, but they are essential in so many recipes. You can use them in drinks and cocktails, use them in dressings, or marinades, and they add a brightness and freshness to whatever you’re making.
Couscous – Couscous is a staple in North African cuisines. It is made of tiny granules of semolina wheat and it’s a versatile ingredient to use in stews, or salads . You can also use it in any recipe that calls for a grain like quinoa or rice.
👩🍳 How to Make Chicken Couscous
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside.
- Add the halved cherry tomatoes to a bowl with a pinch of salt and stir. Set aside.
- Add the chicken thighs to a plate and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large high sided, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, turn to medium heat and add the chicken thighs, skin side down. Cook until deeply golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 4-5 minutes and then remove the chicken to a plate or bowl and set aside.
- Turn the heat to medium and add the lemon juice to deglaze the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan.
- Then, add the smashed garlic, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the couscous and stir well to coat with the oils in the pan, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken stock paste and then the water. Turn the heat to medium-high to bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the chicken skin side up, nestled into the couscous and add any juices from the chicken plate / bowl back to the pan as well.
- Cover the skillet with a lid or aluminum foil and transfer to the preheated oven and bake until cooked through to 165F, about 25-35 minutes.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from the oven and fluff the couscous a bit with a fork.
- Serve topped with baby tomatoes and fresh parsley and drizzle with the dressing.
🗒 Tips and Tricks
- Making Couscous: Instead of plain water, use chicken, vegetable, or beef broth to infuse the couscous with deeper flavor.
- Toasting the Couscous: Toasting the dry couscous in a pan with a little olive oil before adding the liquid can add a nutty flavor.
- Browning the Chicken: You’ll notice in this Chicken Couscous recipe I brown the chicken in the pan before putting it in the pan to bake. This helps give your chicken a nice crisp on the outside, and helps hold in some of the moisture while it bakes. Definitely an essential step for the perfect chicken.
🗒 Variations
If you like this Chicken Couscous recipe, I have a feeling you’ll love some of these other delicious couscous recipes:
- Warm Couscous Salad
- Couscous Tabbouleh Salad
- One Pot Pearl Couscous & Shrimp
🗒 Best served with
- Fluffy Greek Pita Bread
- Tabbouleh Salad
- Italian Chopped Salad
👝 How to Store Leftovers
This dish is great leftover. Store it in an airtight container once it has cooled down for up to 4 days. This can be an easy meal prep recipe too!
🤔 Common Questions
You can definitely use this recipe as a base to make a vegetarian couscous. You’d skip the steps for the chicken and throw in a wider variety of veggies like onions, peppers, zucchini, or whatever you like!
I find chicken thighs (bone in or boneless) or drumsticks work great in this recipe as they just lend themselves better to slow cooking in the oven. They’ll stay juicy and delicious. You can definitely still use breasts in this dish, they just may be a bit dryer.
You likely added too much liquid or cooked it for too long. Couscous cooks very quickly, so follow the package directions carefully.
One Pan Lemon Chicken Couscous
Video
Ingredients1x2x3x
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
- 1 tbsp dijon or yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
For the chicken and couscous
- 6 bone in skin on chicken thighs
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ lemons juiced (about 5-6 tbsp)
- 8 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 ½ cups pearled (Israeli) couscous
- 1 tbsp chicken stock paste
- 2 ¾ cups water
Toppings
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- kosher salt
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside. https://www.foodbymaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/dressing.mp4
- Add the halved cherry tomatoes to a bowl with a pinch of salt and stir. Set aside.
- Add the chicken thighs to a plate and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. https://www.foodbymaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/season-chicken.mp4
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large high sided, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, turn to medium heat and add the chicken thighs, skin side down. Cook until deeply golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 4-5 minutes and then remove the chicken to a plate or bowl and set aside. https://www.foodbymaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/cook-chicken-1.mp4
- Turn the heat to medium and add the lemon juice to deglaze the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan.
- Then, add the smashed garlic, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the couscous and stir well to coat with the oils in the pan, about 1-2 minutes. https://www.foodbymaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/couscous.mp4
- Stir in the chicken stock paste and then the water. Turn the heat to medium-high to bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the chicken skin side up, nestled into the couscous and add any juices from the chicken plate / bowl back to the pan as well. https://www.foodbymaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/chicken-and-cous.mp4
- Cover the skillet with a lid or aluminum foil and transfer to the preheated oven and bake until cooked through to 165F, about 25-35 minutes.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from the oven and fluff the couscous a bit with a fork.
- Serve topped with baby tomatoes and fresh parsley and drizzle with the dressing. https://www.foodbymaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/end.mp4
Notes
- If you don’t have chicken stock paste, substitute the water with chicken broth
- This recipe is great for meal prep too!
- If you love this recipe, try our Oven Baked Chicken and Rice
Nutrition
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One Pan Lemon Chicken Couscous
Ingredients
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
- 1 tbsp dijon or yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
For the chicken and couscous
- 6 bone in skin on chicken thighs
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ lemons juiced (about 5-6 tbsp)
- 8 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 ½ cups pearled (Israeli) couscous
- 1 tbsp chicken stock paste
- 2 ¾ cups water
Toppings
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- kosher salt
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside. https://www.foodbymaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/dressing.mp4
- Add the halved cherry tomatoes to a bowl with a pinch of salt and stir. Set aside.
- Add the chicken thighs to a plate and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. https://www.foodbymaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/season-chicken.mp4
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large high sided, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, turn to medium heat and add the chicken thighs, skin side down. Cook until deeply golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 4-5 minutes and then remove the chicken to a plate or bowl and set aside. https://www.foodbymaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/cook-chicken-1.mp4
- Turn the heat to medium and add the lemon juice to deglaze the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan.
- Then, add the smashed garlic, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the couscous and stir well to coat with the oils in the pan, about 1-2 minutes. https://www.foodbymaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/couscous.mp4
- Stir in the chicken stock paste and then the water. Turn the heat to medium-high to bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the chicken skin side up, nestled into the couscous and add any juices from the chicken plate / bowl back to the pan as well. https://www.foodbymaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/chicken-and-cous.mp4
- Cover the skillet with a lid or aluminum foil and transfer to the preheated oven and bake until cooked through to 165F, about 25-35 minutes.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from the oven and fluff the couscous a bit with a fork.
- Serve topped with baby tomatoes and fresh parsley and drizzle with the dressing. https://www.foodbymaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/end.mp4
Video
Notes
- If you don’t have chicken stock paste, substitute the water with chicken broth
- This recipe is great for meal prep too!
- If you love this recipe, try our Oven Baked Chicken and Rice
Nutrition
FoodbyMaria.com
