This one-pot chicken and couscous with feta is a an easy one pan meal, bursting with flavour!
The chicken is fried in the pan, then the couscous added later (with stock) to absorb that lovely chicken flavour. All topped off with lots of pomegranate and crumbled feta, plus some chunky pieces of juicy ripe tomato.
A brilliant feel-good dinner!
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One pot meals are the THE BEST! Simple, easy and oh yes - less washing up!
This chicken and couscous one pot has everything:
- Tender chicken
- Creamy feta
- Sweet and juicy pomegranate
- Couscous packed with loads of flavour
- Extra veg! We're talking onion, peppers, spring onions, and tomatoes
📋 What do we need?
Couscous - you can use regular or wholewheat couscous. We're using quite a lot (50g of dry couscous per serving) to make this a filling dinner.
Chicken thighs - I'm using bone-in, skin on chicken thighs. You can replace like-for-like with chicken drumsticks, boneless and/or skinless chicken thighs.
You could also use chicken breast, but I would recommend using 1 chicken breast per serving.
📺 Watch how to make it
Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.
👩🍳PRO TIP Any leftovers from this recipe taste great, served cold the next day (simply cool, cover and refrigerate until the next day). Add some pea shoots or baby spinach for an extra nutritious lunch!
The couscous, mixed with those spices and chicken stock is super flavourful. And when all of those toppings are added? It's like a taste explosion!!
🍲 More fantastic One-Pot recipes
Let me know if you make it. I LOVE seeing your comments!
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One-Pot Chicken and Couscous with Feta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large onion - peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic - peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ tsp celery salt
- 420 ml (1+¾ cups) hot chicken stock - (hot water plus 2 stock cubes is fine)
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 red pepper - deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 green pepper - deseeded and finely chopped
- 200 g (1 cup) wholewheat or regular couscous
- 100 g (3.5oz) feta cheese – crumbled
- seeds from half a pomegranate
- small bunch spring onions - chopped
- 2 large tomatoes - roughly chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan or cast iron pot.
- Season the chicken pieces with the salt and pepper, then place in the hot pan and brown the meat all over on a high heat (about 6-7 minutes).
- Turn the heat down to medium, move the chicken to one side, and add the onion to the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onion starts to soften.
- Add the garlic, cumin, paprika and celery salt and stir into the onions.
- Pour in the hot stock and bring to the boil, place a lid or some foil on the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Take the lid off and take out the largest piece of chicken, make a cut into the fattest piece of the meat and check it's no longer pink inside. If it's still pink cook for a further 5 minutes and check again. Once cooked through, remove the chicken from the pan and place on a plate.
- Pour half the lemon juice into the pan, add the chopped peppers, then pour in the couscous.
- Give everything a stir, and make sure the couscous is submerged and evenly distributed.
- Nestle the chicken into the couscous, then place the lid or foil back on and turn the heat down to very low. Cook for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat.
- Take off the lid and fluff up the couscous with a fork.
- Sprinkle on the crumbled feta, lemon zest, pomegranate seeds, chopped spring onions and tomato slices, then serve with the remaining lemon juice for drizzling.
Video
✎ Notes
Nutrition
This post was first published in April 2016. Updated October 2021 with new photos, video and a couple of small recipe tweaks.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
Dawn says
We've just had this for supper, and it was delicious, such a refreshing taste with the lemon and pomegranate seeds. I bet it would taste as good cold, but there was none left!! 😁 a good sign in this house. I used chopped chicken breasts as that's what I had at hand, and it didn't dry out at all
Clive Mitchell says
I made this last evening for the family.
WOW!!!
It was absolutely deeelishhh!
I made it exactly as the recipe, except that I used skinless/boneless chicken thighs and adjusted the technique slightly so they didn’t get overcooked and tough.
The result was absolutely outstanding and the finishing touches at the end made the whole dish dance with flavours and textures (from the home-grown tomatoes, spring onions, pomegranate seeds etc.). My wife usually accuses me of always making too much and sometimes having to throw food away - well not with this! A totally empty pan was all that was left.
Please keep up the good work - your recipes always work so well!
Anne Goebel says
This is a fabulous one pot meal.Really tasty. I made it last night & we'll have the left overs tonight.(I bet it will taste even better. )
Because there are several steps with the ingredients , I found having everything chopped & ready beforehand, made it easier. I will use less couscous for us next time, maybe 3/4 cup . This takes awhile, so not something you’d make on a night when you don’t have a lot of time. Forwarded recipe to my sister who said she needed inspiration! 😊Thanks Nicky & Chris .
Judy says
Could rice be used instead of cous cous?
I'm not mad about cc. Thank you.
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TC says
Love all the flavours in this dish. Had it for dinner last night and brought some for lunch today.
clairaverdin says
This dish really scream spring! Looks like a perfect way to welcome the new weather.
Nicky Corbishley says
Thanks Claira 🙂