• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Free Email Series!

5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

Free email series of my best tips!

Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Free Email Series!

    5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

    Free email series of my best tips!

  • Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes

Rachel Cooks®

Easy Healthy-ish Recipes

  • Recipe Index
  • Popular
    • Instant Pot Pinto Beans
    • Green Beans with Bacon
    • Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
    • Roasted Sugar Snap Peas
    • Beef Stew Seasoning
    • Chili Seasoning Recipe
    • Thousand Island Dressing
    • Poppy Seed Dressing
    • Copycat Panera Squash Soup
    • Chocolate Chip Blondies
    • Instant Pot Pork Loin Roast
    • Frosé
    • Best Chocolate Cake
    • Dill Vegetable Dip
    • Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
    • Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
  • Learn to Cook
    • All The Basics
    • Crostini
    • Delicata Squash
    • Butternut Squash
    • Kabocha Squash
    • Spaghetti Squash
    • Guacamole
    • Croutons
    • Snap Peas
    • Baked Potatoes
    • Baked Bacon
    • Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
    • Simple Syrup
    • Pickled Red Onions Recipe
    • Toasted Pine Nuts
    • Roasted bone-in Chicken Breasts
    • Poached Chicken
    • Roasted Whole Chicken
    • Easy Cheese Sauce

Dinner Made Easy:

Slow Cooker

5 Ingredients

Grilling

Make Ahead

Sheet Pan

Tacos

Pizza

Home Recipes by Type Main Dish Chicken
OP One Pan

One Pan Mediterranean Chicken and Israeli Couscous

4.56
/5
38 mins
6 Comments
Jump to Recipe
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 04/03/2019Updated: 06/14/2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Mediterranean Chicken and Israeli Couscous is a complete meal made in one pan. Bright and flavorful, try it tonight!

Image of one pan mediterranean chicken topped with tomatoes, feta, and fresh parsley.

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, staple recipes) ALL the time, but they’re just not quite as fun as recipes like this Mediterranean chicken dish.

Chicken in white pan with spoon inserted. Small bowls of tomato, cheese, and pine nuts nearby.

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 pan 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.

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. 

Partial overhead of Mediterranean chicken in white pan, surrounded by blue patterned cloth.

About this Mediterranean Chicken

I love this recipe in particular because it has protein, vegetables, and pasta, all in one pan. And the flavors are out of this world. Savory onions, peppers, and garlic lay the foundation for this recipe.

Brown the chicken nicely to lock in that great flavor and to make the dish more visually appealing. The Israeli couscous is cooked in a flavorful chicken broth with oregano and thyme mixed in.

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! 

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!)

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. 

Overhead of dinner in pan.

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, creamy 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 nuts: 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. Just because I can’t eat them on a regular basis because my kids are allergic (so sad!!!), doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to if you don’t have a family member with an allergy. With the original testing, I tested this recipe with pine nuts because I adore the flavor of them and knew they would benefit this recipe substantially.

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), and my kids are only allergic through ingestion. After initial testing, we obviously don’t add the nuts to the recipe. Which is also sad because I could eat pine nuts by the handful, but it’s what we have to do.

That was a very long side note. It seems to happen any time I get on the subject of food allergies…

Partial overhead of Mediterranean chicken in white pan.

More one pan meals

Are you as obsessed with one pan meals as I am? Try these:

 

  • 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 MasalaPizza 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!

Partial overhead of Mediterranean chicken in white pan, garnished with feta cheese and tomatoes.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Image of one pan mediterranean chicken topped with tomatoes, feta, and fresh parsley.
Recipe

Get the Recipe: One Pan Mediterranean Chicken

4.56 from 43 votes
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 23 mins
Total Time: 38 mins
3 -6 servings
Print Rate Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
Mediterranean Chicken and Israeli Couscous is a complete meal made in one pan. Bright and flavorful, try it tonight!

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1/2 red onion, chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup uncooked Israeli couscous
  • 1 jar (5.1oz) capers, drained and rinsed
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 3/4 cup diced tomatoes (grape or roma)
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • [1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted]
  • 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, and sprinkle with pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and cook and 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 1/4 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. Try to ensure that no couscous is stuck to the edges of the pan, and that it is 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 8-10 minutes or until couscous is tender and chicken is cooked through (should read 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.
  • If you like olives in this recipe, try substituting some sliced kalamata olives for the capers. They’ll add great flavor and color to this recipe.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1g, Calories: 552kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 54g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 19g, Cholesterol: 138mg, Sodium: 855mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 9g

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.

© Author: Rachel Gurk
Did You Make This?Be sure to upload a photo & tag me at @RachelCooksBlog. I love seeing what you made!
Share A Photo! Tag on Insta Rate It
Free email series

5 Time & Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

Free email series of my best tips!

FREE BONUS!

You May Also Like...

  • White bowl full of whole wheat penne pasta, chicken, mushrooms, fresh parsley, and parmesan cheese.
    Chicken Marsala Pasta - One Pan!
  • Chicken marsala in orange cast iron skillet with wooden spoon.
    One Pan Chicken Quinoa Marsala Recipe
  • Overhead view of a pan of pasta with tomato sauce, fresh parsley, and grated cheese.
    Pasta Amatriciana (one pan!)
  • Overhead of chicken spaghetti in white skillet, alongside cutting board with shredded cheese.
    Creamy Chicken Spaghetti - one pan, endless variations!
Previous Post
Instant Pot Mac and Cheese – so easy!
Image of Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting on a electric beater attachment on a white background
Next Post
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




The maximum upload file size: 1 MB. You can upload: image. Drop files here

  1. Cheryl Ogle says

    May 17, 2020 at 8:40 pm

    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. 

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      May 18, 2020 at 5:25 pm

      I bet it was amazing with goat cheese too! So glad you liked it, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!

      Reply
  2. Kara Plantinga says

    August 31, 2019 at 6:12 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      September 4, 2019 at 12:41 pm

      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.

      Reply
  3. denise says

    April 3, 2019 at 6:46 pm

    looks delicious!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      April 4, 2019 at 8:28 am

      Thanks Denise!

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Hi, I'm Rachel! Life can be complicated, cooking shouldn't be! I believe that you can put a delicious meal on the table without stressing. It's possible, and I'm here to help. Have a seat at my table...let's chat, eat, and have fun! Read more...

Air Fryer Instant Pot 30 Minutes One Pan Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Slow Cooker Vegetarian 5 Ingredients

Trending

Cooked salmon fillet on a grey-toned plate with cooked asparagus spears. The salmon is being flaked with a fork.

Air Fryer Salmon – easy and delicious!

Pizza pasta being scooped from a pan with a wooden spoon.

Pizza Pasta – 1 pan, 20 minutes

Image of a giant bowl of spaghetti with turkey meatballs.

Baked Turkey Meatballs

Asparagus Panzanella Salad

Seasonal

Beef and vegetable stir fry in a black wok.

Beef Stir Fry With Vegetables

Hot honey chicken sheet pan dinner with honey being drizzled on.

Hot Honey Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

Sweet and sour shrimp lettuce wrap garnished with green onion.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

BBQ Chicken burrito bowl with avocado and sour cream.

BBQ Chicken Bowl

Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window
Free Bonus!

5 Cooking Secrets to Save Time & Stress

Free email series of my best tips and recipes!

Featured On:

Back to Top
  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Work with Me
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility
© 2023 Rachel Cooks®
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled