Garlic Butter Chicken Couscous (Printable)

Tender chicken breasts seared in garlic butter alongside fluffy couscous and fresh cherry tomatoes.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
04 - 1 teaspoon paprika
05 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

→ Garlic Butter

06 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 4 cloves garlic, minced

→ Couscous

08 - 1 1/2 cups couscous
09 - 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
11 - 1/2 cup frozen peas
12 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
13 - Zest and juice of 1 lemon
14 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

# How To Make It:

01 - Pat chicken breasts dry and season both sides with salt, pepper, and paprika. Lightly dust with flour, shaking off excess.
02 - In a large, deep skillet or sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a plate.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the pan, then stir in minced garlic. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Pour in chicken broth and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
05 - Stir in couscous, cherry tomatoes, and peas. Return chicken breasts to the pan, nestling them into the couscous.
06 - Cover the pan with a lid and cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes, or until couscous is tender and chicken is cooked through.
07 - Remove from heat. Sprinkle with lemon zest, lemon juice, and chopped parsley.
08 - Fluff the couscous with a fork, slice the chicken if desired, and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • One pan means one thing to wash—a quiet victory on any weeknight, trust me.
  • The couscous soaks up every drop of garlic-butter magic from the chicken, so there's no bland grain in sight.
  • It looks fancy enough to serve guests but tastes so comforting you'll want it all for yourself.
02 -
  • Don't skip patting the chicken dry—moisture is the enemy of browning, and browning is what makes this taste restaurant-quality instead of rushed.
  • The pan lid is non-negotiable; without it, your couscous will cook unevenly and the chicken will dry out instead of staying tender.
03 -
  • Invest in a heavy-bottomed skillet with a fitting lid; it distributes heat evenly and makes this recipe practically foolproof.
  • Don't rush the searing step—those golden-brown bits are liquid gold, and they transform simple ingredients into something that tastes like you actually know what you're doing in the kitchen.
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