One Pan Mediterranean Chicken and Israeli Couscous
Posted: 04/03/2019
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Mediterranean chicken and Israeli couscous is a complete meal made in one pan. Fresh and flavorful, you’ll want to try it for dinner tonight.
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: You can have this meal on the table in less than 45 minutes. It’s hearty and delicious.
How long it takes: 38 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large skillet with lid
Servings: 4 hearty servings
Table of Contents
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I am super excited to share this recipe with you guys! I feel like I’ve been saying that about a lot of my recipes lately, like the vegan tacos I couldn’t stop talking about, but this really is another great one.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m always excited to share recipes but some are just a little more exciting than others. I use my recipes for Instant Pot boiled eggs and homemade taco seasoning (and countless other basic recipes) ALL the time, but they’re just not quite as fun as recipes like this Mediterranean chicken dish.
Why You’ll Love This Mediterranean Dish
- It’s made in one pan. There really isn’t a type of recipe that I enjoy creating more than a one pan meal recipe. Whether it be Instant Pot, sheet pan, one pot pastas, one pan skillet meals, or slow cooker recipes, I love a good recipe that doesn’t make a lot of dishes dirty. What can I say? I don’t like doing dishes, and I don’t know many people who do.
- It’s perfect for weeknights. I enjoy creating recipes that I like making myself for family dinner on a Tuesday or Wednesday (or any day) evening, when I’m tired and worn out. Because I know you guys have the same kind of nights. This meal is all-in-one, with protein, vegetables, and pasta. You won’t need to prep sides to serve (unless you’re feeling extra motivated).
- The flavors are out of this world. Savory onions, peppers, and garlic lay the foundation for this recipe. Capers are dispersed through the couscous to give you a salty, briny bite every now and then. (PS: You could also use olives if you’re a fan!). Dried and fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon juice, and tangy feta cheese add to the excitement, too.
What is Israeli Couscous?
Israeli couscous might be a new ingredient for some of you. You may also find it labeled or referred to as “pearl couscous.” It’s basically a larger size of the couscous you may be more familiar with. It’s a variety of pasta and it’s pretty fun to eat!
How To Make This Mediterranean Chicken
Start by browning the chicken nicely to lock in that great flavor and to make the dish more visually appealing.
Sauté onions, bell peppers, and garlic next, seasoned with dried thyme and oregano.
Add the Israeli couscous, capers, and flavorful chicken broth; simmer until done. Since couscous is a small pasta, it cooks quickly.
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice when it’s done cooking makes sure this Mediterranean-style chicken dish has the perfect touch of acidity and brightens up all the flavors.
Add Toppings
And then there are the toppings. It’s no secret around these parts that I’m a toppings girl. I go crazy with toppings on this recipe and add fresh diced tomatoes, salty crumbled feta, toasted pine nuts (read how to toast pine nuts), and fresh parsley. I wouldn’t recommend skipping any of them, but as always (almost always), toppings are sorta-kinda-if-you-have-to optional.
Side note about nut allergies: Yes, my kids are allergic to nuts. Occasionally you will see recipes with nuts here on Rachel Cooks when I think they’re a great fit for a recipe. However, after the initial testing, I omit the nuts when I’m making it for my family.
I use EXTREME caution when working with nuts in my home. In fact, you won’t see many recipes that use peanut butter or other nut butters, because it’s just too sticky and hard to clean up.
Rather have a salad? Try my Israeli couscous salad with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella or this barley salad with tomatoes, cucumber, and parsley. A Greek chopped salad has many of the same elements, too.
More One Pan Meals
- Taco Pasta
- Gnocchi with Kale & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Chicken Marsala Pasta
- One Pan Sausage Dinner (lots of great fall veggies in this one!)
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Pizza Chicken
- One Pan Quinoa with Ground Turkey, Kale, Mushrooms and Tomatoes
- Whole30 Chicken Thighs – a complete sheet pan dinner
- I have so many more where those came from! Use the search box on my site and search “one pan” to find them!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
Mediterranean chicken and Israeli couscous is a complete meal made in one pan. Fresh and flavorful, you'll want to try it for dinner tonight.!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ½ red onion, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 clove garlic (more if desired)
- 2 cups chicken broth (unsalted or low salt preferred)
- 1 cup uncooked Israeli couscous
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, from ½ lemon
- ¾ cup diced tomatoes
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted (optional)
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a large, deep skillet (with a cover available for later), heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
- When oil is hot, add chicken, sprinkle with pepper and ½ teaspoon salt; brown for 4 minutes on each side.
- Push chicken to the side, reduce heat to medium, and add peppers and onions. Sprinkle peppers and onions with ¼ teaspoon salt, oregano, and thyme. Cook for another 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring, about 1 minute.
- Remove chicken from pan and place on a plate (this will prevent the couscous from getting stuck on top of the chicken when you pour it in.)
- Add couscous, capers, and broth. Stir to combine and increase heat to medium-high. Make that couscous is completely it submerged in chicken broth. Bring to boil, nestle chicken into couscous mixture, and cover.
- Reduce heat to medium (should be a low boil) and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until couscous is tender and chicken is cooked through (165ºF on an instant read thermometer).
- Pour lemon juice over chicken and couscous.
- Serve garnished with tomatoes, feta, pine nuts, and parsley.
Notes
- Topping measurements are flexible. You can add as many or as few toppings as you’d like.
- I like to use block feta cheese (not the kind you buy already crumbled) for this recipe and crumble it myself. It’s much creamier and more flavorful.
- Try substituting sliced kalamata olives for the capers. They add great flavor and color to this recipe.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 555kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 48g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 120mg, Sodium: 935mg, Potassium: 1080mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1625IU, Vitamin C: 66mg, Calcium: 119mg, Iron: 3mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Cheryl Ogle says
Wow! This was amazing & I had to modify because my ingredients were robbed.
I didn’t have feta so I used goat cheese which was delicious as well.
I thought I had a jar of capers but only had 1/2 but not worth running to Walmart during COVID for & it still worked great.
I can’t wait to try this as written. I love feta & I know those flavor layers work to perfection.
This was so easy & fun to make. My husband & adult son both loved it too.
Rachel Gurk says
I bet it was amazing with goat cheese too! So glad you liked it, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Kara Plantinga says
I was trying to change things up with flavors at our house and this met the mark. I thought it was delicious. I did omit the capers, because we are not fans of that at our house. The feta cheese as a topping is a must. Personally, I didn’t think the fresh parsley was crucial, so if you don’t have it in the house, don’t fret.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked this recipe! It’s one of my faves! I like the freshness that the parsley adds, but you’re right, it’s definitely not a deal-breaker if you don’t have it on hand.
denise says
looks delicious!
Rachel Gurk says
Thanks Denise!